Boob advice please! Hard nodular/glandular tissue/lump/pain

[LumpyBs]

NC for privacy.

Hi, would love some advice or opinions!

I’ve been experiencing a tender aching feeling in my left breast for about six months on and off, kind of felt like a cross between the ligament stretching and pre-menstrual boob ache. I’ve been really lax about wearing a bra since lockdown started and I’ve been WFH every day, and I’ve got big boobs so I wasn’t surprised to feel the discomfort! But then a couple of months ago I was doing a boob check and I noticed a lot of firm, lumpy tissue in the upper part of my left breast, with one particularly hard nodule (about 1cm in size), so I made a GP appointment. She did a really thorough check of both my boobs and said the ‘lump’ I was feeling felt tiny and she could only find it with her fingertips once I’d pointed it out, but she referred me to the breast clinic anyway. They did an ultrasound and found nothing, but the consultant said that I have glandular/nodular tissue in that part of my breast and that’s what I was feeling. She said she couldn’t feel a distinct lump as such. As I’m a month away from turning 40 she then referred me for a mammogram just to be safe. I had the mammo 1.5 weeks ago and I’m assuming no news is good news as I haven’t had a result yet.

I know I should feel reassured, but the ‘lump’ is still there, and so is the discomfort - which has been actual pain a couple of times lately, kind of bruised feeling, but I am very close to my period so might be menstrual tenderness? The pain does seem to move around a bit, sometimes under my arm, often near the hard tissue (lump??), sometimes in both boobs but rarely. I’ve purposely lost 20lbs in weight over the last six months, could I be feeling nodules that were previously buried beneath fat? Or could these changes in texture and discomfort have come on because I’m nearing perimenopause?

I also wanted to know does anyone else have this hard, lumpy tissue in their breasts, possibly with one nodule that feels harder and more prominent than the rest of the tissue? I really want to relax and put this behind me but I keep coming back to this stupid lump and panicking!

Thanks for any help!

Hiya, I have something similar. I'm going for my ultrasound in the next few weeks. I had one 2 years ago as I have a 'lumpy feeling' boob - it was my kids favourite one to feed on. I'm also having a bruised/swollen feeling under/side of my left boob then it's in my right one. I've started taking starflower oil as it is meant to help with hormones. I also think I'm perimenopausal even though I'm only 38.

Hi @LumpyBs try not to worry too much if I Can I will try and reassure with my story

I have big boobs (JJ cup) I finally had my first mammogram 3 months ago and received the dreaded recall letter back to clinic in less than 2 weeks for 2 days later

Clinic were fab, I had a more complex mammogram and then an ultra sound as they had detected 3 lumps in my right breast

The Radiologist was fantastic, she showed me the scan after with 3 cysts, like you I have lumpy breasts so it can be hard to distinguish

As your lump is getting bigger you most certainly do need to flag it with your GP but it’s probably just a cyst getting bigger that may or may not need draining under ultrasound

@mooseyem

Thanks for your reply, sorry you are going through the same thing! So stressful isn’t it 😕 did you have one lumpy area that felt harder than the rest? I can’t leave this one patch of lumpy tissue alone and one bit definitely stands out more than the rest!

I also think I might be at the start of peri, for the last year my periods have been shorter, my mood swings have been atrocious, my chin is hairier but my head hair looks thinner and gets greasy really quickly 😫 maybe the lumpy sore boobs is just the next stage along.

I’m also taking starflower oil, plus Vit B complex, and Magnesium as of three days ago… I must say my boob has been about 70% less painful today, so perhaps they do help! I’ve also upped my water intake massively as I think water retention might have been causing some of the extra pain… who knows! I feel like I might not be able to relax unless I get a biopsy, but I don’t know if I’m being silly 🙁

@Tomnooktoldmeto thanks for your reply. Really nice to hear a positive story with a good outcome. Lumpy boobs are so confusing - what’s ‘a lump’ as opposed to lumpy?! Maybe you have to know what a malignant lump feels like to be able to discern between the two.

My ‘lump’ hasn’t actually grown since the ultrasound and mammo, so maybe I should put my faith in those tests if they both come back negative? Wish I could have a biopsy so I can be 100% sure 😔

@LumpyBs if it reassures you at all, before I retired due to illness breast surgery was one of my major areas of care in operating theatres

Lumpy breast really are just fibrous breast tissue, cysts, non malignant lumps etc are really very common

The good thing is that the breast unit now have baseline scans of your breasts which they can use for reference in any further visits, it’s actually a very positive thing as any changes will be identifiable

Thanks @Tomnooktoldmeto I’m trying not to worry until I have the mammo report back, hopefully it can shed some light on the lump 🙂

Well keep us posted! I'm not too stressed at the mo as I know I was only ultrasounded 2 years ago and I feel fine. This time 2 years ago though and I was constantly in tears

Boobs do have structures in them so you will feel lumps and bumps, it’s knowing when they’re a problem. You need to know what is normal for you.
By keep feeling for the lump you will make it sore, so leave it alone !
Try making a diary of your pain, you may well find its cyclical.
Wear a good supportive bra in the day, I prefer wireless as the wire causes me pain. And wear a sports bra or slim fitting vest in bed for support then too.
And I swear by a quality evening primrose oil, it really makes a difference to my boob pain.

Hi I understand how stressed you must be feeling. I'm slightly younger 34, found a lump under my armpit around July time. I couldn't not leave it alone and went back to my gp 3 times until I got referred. It was then at an examination a nurse commented on the texture of one of my breasts as an area of concern. I had not long had my second baby so I was in pieces.
I was seen at the clinic and the first doctor I saw was not concerned, saw it as hormonal changes. I then had a scan on the breast and armpit, twice, as they like to double check everything. The lump in the armpit is a lymphoid and the breast texture is quite typical of someone in my age bracket (as we are still young!)
I was so shocked at the varied age ranges of those in the waiting room, but really reassured that if they had something to worry about they would tell you there and then.

Doctor did agree with me, we are all built differently and we know our boobs best. I have started to wear non underwired bras...I have big breasts too. I got mine from newlook and they look like what you'd wear to the gym but the aches and pains have definitely improved and only seem to be around my period.

Wishing you well.

Hi @LumpyBs I have suffered from lumpy sore boobs for about 7 years now. I've had mammograms twice and all are ok.

They thought I had fibrocystic breasts but it turns out it's just my breast tissue. They seem to fluctuate in size too, sometimes they will be little flat pancakes and sometimes they will be huge and heavy.

I'm only 28 so I assume the size change is due to my hormones. The lumpy boobs only started after my second child when I was 21.

I've been having a similar issue and am similar age. Mammogram, ultrasound done. Showed inflamed glandular tissues. My consultant advised starting high dose of Evening Primrose oil - 3000mg for the first month and then 2000mg forever more and it's helped me enormously.

I too have been naughty by not wearing a proper supportive bra a lot whilst WFH. I wear a lot of crop tops so am trying to make more of an effort!

Oh wow, I didn’t think to check back on this thread as assumed it had dropped to page 867 by now ☺️ Thanks so much for all your replies. So reassuring to hear similar stories.

Mammo results are in and all is fine, the wonderful consultant is going to see me again in six weeks just to check nothing has changed, so I’m chilling out and not obsessing in the meantime. Must say since starting a good multivit and star flower oil the pain seems to have decrease a lot! Perhaps it’s not just snake oil after all 😁