Is it normal for a mammogram to be painful?

[LadyNellCardross]

I went for my first one today. I'd read the leaflet before hand which described it as sometimes uncomfortable so was prepared for that. The nurse was lovely and reassuring and said the same. It was not uncomfortable, it was bloody agony. I came out shaking afterwards. Is this normal? Obviously I'm glad it's done but not sure I could do it again.

I find them slightly uncomfortable, but certainly not actually painful, and they really don't bother me at all. We have them every two years here.

I had my first one earlier this year and found it enormously painful. I have been subjected to hundreds of medical procedures over my time due to various conditions, and I’ve never been particularly bothered by anything else!

In real life within my circle of friends and family I have never heard anyone experience any of this level of pain and trauma from having mammograms, and most of us have been having them for many years (and we have them every two years here). I'm not saying that some women aren't affected more than others, but I don't really believe that outside MNland there so many who find them so horrendous.

Personally I find waiting for the results far, far, worse than actually having one.

I had my annual one this week. The nurse checked that I wasn’t too uncomfortable as she moved the panels together. But I’ve never found them painful.

Yes it hurts but you'd be very foolish not to have another. I imagine breast cancer spreading to other areas of your body woukd hurt more.

I find them a bit uncomfortable but am so very grateful that we are given this screening.
I have very dense breast tissue, e cup bra size. Being treated for cancer now, it’s beyond annoying to read people saying they won’t go because it hurts.
i have had anesthetic in breasts for biopsy etc, this is injection and is obv not painless in itself. I don’t believe there is a sensible way to anaesthetise the area before a mammogram, I imagine taking painkillers before is the best option and try not to wind yourself up about it.

I've been having mammograms for 20 years. Some have been uncomfortable and some have been painful - I have average sized boobs but I am prone to cysts.

If there is anyone still reading this thread, I beg you to ignore thoughts about it being painful and to forget about family history somehow giving you immunity.

I was diagnosed with breast cancer in July. I have no history of it in close family members, I'm not overweight, have a good diet, I drink alcohol maybe once a month and I don't smoke. I breastfed both DCs for a year. It is not a cancer I thought I would get - but I got it.

I hadn't realised that I had a (very small) lump but it was caught early thanks to the mammogram. I had a lumpectomy and I'm now on a hormone-suppressing drug. I will start 5 days of radiotherapy soon. NHS treatment has been great (Scotland) and my prognosis is good.

Please go for your mammograms when called. 🙏

The first time I went I was quite shocked at how uncomfortable and unpleasant it was, and bordering on painful. The second time I went, it was a lot better, maybe because I was mentally prepared for it/it wasn't a surprise. Maybe the time of the month also affects things. Medium norkage.

My cousin gave me a tip. Take 2 paracetamol before you go.

Hoping to bring a bit of light relief to what is obviously a serious topic. I'm copying and pasting something I read years ago that gave me a laugh about mammograms.

HOW TO PREPARE FOR A MAMMOGRAM--

Many women are afraid of their first mammogram, and even if they have had them before, there is fear. But there is no need to worry. By taking a few minutes each day for a week preceding the exam and doing the following practice exercises, you will be totally prepared for the test, and best of all, you can do these simple practice exercises right in your home.

EXERCISE 1: Open your refrigerator door, and insert one breast between the door and the main box. Have one of your strongest friends slam the door shut as hard as possible and lean on the door for good measure Hold that position for five seconds. Repeat in case the first time wasn't effective.

EXERCISE 2: Visit your garage at 3 a.m. when the temperature of the cement floor is just perfect. Take off all your clothes and lie comfortably on the floor sideways with one breast wedged under the rear tire of the car. Ask a friend to slowly back the car up until your breast is sufficiently flattened and chilled. Switch sides, and repeat for the other breast.

EXERCISE 3: Freeze two metal bookends overnight. Strip to the waist. Invite a stranger into the room. Have the stranger press the bookends against either side of one of your breasts and smash the bookends together as hard as he/she can. Set an appointment with the stranger to meet next year to do it again. You are now properly prepared!

You're not in the UK?

There could be some differences. More motivated, better trained staff. Better equipment, nicer premises? If these things made no difference, even psychological, well, then a lot of marketing money in this world would be wasted.

While there are lovely individual NHS employees (my GP is one), the general attitude here is rather shut up and be grateful. Even if the service is dreadful.

The screening service do send a carefully written leaflet out before you have your first mammogram, explaining what the screening is for and about false positives and false negatives. It doesn't give any indication that it can be significantly painful. I bet they had a row about the wording! There is no way they don't know but I guess they don't want to put people off.

Do people really discuss mammograms with lots of other people? I had a bit of a mope to my best friend about it but I can't imagine it coming up regularly in conversation. I might do an informal survey at my choir one week I guess.

I read that before @applesblowinginthewind and thought it was funny and true, I mentioned it some years back on another thread about mammograms and I was chastised as it “ …….would put people off going for a mammogram.” 🙄

I’ve had conversations with friends about it, and then sometimes in bigger groups, where someone’s mentioned it, and everyone comes in with their experience. Once, memorably, in a supermarket queue 😆

I used to find them painful. I worked out that it was less so immediately after my period, so hormones play a part. Since menopause and weightloss, I've been surprised at how much easier they are.

I’ve only had a handful. All uncomfortable except one. I have a lot of breast tissue under my arm and I have very narrow shoulders. To position me correctly, my shoulder was yanked quite heavily resulting in a rotator cuff injury.

That's interesting @SeriousTissues. I'd forgotten they kind of yelled at me when I couldn't get into position easily due to dodgy shoulders.

That's awful that you were injured though. There MUST be better ways to train staff and approach this.

I had one two weeks ago and it was beyond excruciating! Honestly feel like I’m
not going through that again. Coupled with the nurse being pretty gruff and aggressive with me, I absolutely hated it.

I felt as if my breasts were in a vice, unpleasant and painful.

I've had one every year since I was 34 so that's 16 years and it was worse when I had fuller boobs. Now they're less firm it's less painful. I don't think it's ever *not been uncomfortable! Does depend on the radiographer I think some go for an extra turn of the screw it seems!!!

Yep.

I’m also quite flat chested and it hurt SO much. They really had to pull hard to get enough of my boob into the machine. It REALLY hurt, enough to make my eyes water and them to say “sorry, it’s got to be done”.

It must just depend on so many things - size, fullness, where they sit (like pert or droopier) and even how tall we are - I remember having to be a bit on tiptoe despite them lowering the machine.

I ended up being off work for six months. It was a nightmare. When my next one came round I called them up and the senior person got back to me and when I explained what had happened, she had a go at me saying I should have informed her at the time so the staff member involved could have received extra training. However, I was busy battling to get treatment for my shoulder and that was an uphill struggle!!

Had one yesterday definitely very uncomfortable but the few seconds time they press the glass down tightly isn’t long enough to be painful in my opinion as it’s just seconds.

I find them extremely painful, family members and friends dont

I just tell them it’s painful for me and they do it as quick as they can. I end up holding my breath with the pain but go because I have a history of breast lumps