Breast pain - would you go to the GP for this?

[Hixxy1]

Started HRT patches in December. All is well, aside from some random breast pain, but only in one breast. It's happened twice now. Both times before my period, although not a set amount of days before because they're all over the place.

I've no lump that I can feel, no swelling, puckering, redness, heat etc - it's just sore. Nothing to 'present'.

Googling tells me that hormonal changes are probably the cause and it's nothing to worry about, but the fact that it's just one boob is playing on my mind.

So with the NHS in the state that it's in, i don't want to waste the doctor's time. I'm new to HRT and it will obviously take time to settle, won't it?

Would you go to the docs or see if it settles within a few months?

YABU - go to the doctor
YANBU - wait and see, you hypochondriac

Nurse here. I would go to the GP. It doesn't sound particularly alarming from what you've said but always best to get checked to make sure.

HRT side effects tend to settle within 3 months so you could give it one more cycle and see how it goes. But given that it's worrying you - and it might take a while to get an appointment - I would just go for peace of mind. No one will think you are a time waster.

No I wouldn't.

As PP said, always best to get it checked.

To reassure you, I’ve had breast cancer. At my 3 year checkup I mentioned breast pain that sounds similar to yours. The consultant said it was hormonal. I still get twinges of it 3 years later.

I had breast cancer in my early 30s and my only symptom was pain in my breast and armpit. A GP told me it couldn’t be breast cancer because breast cancer doesn’t cause pain. Obviously he was wrong. Get a private ultrasound if you’re worried.

Always best to get it checked. I had some pain in one breast for a few months, intensity would come and go. I eventually saw the GP who felt some hard tissue where the pain was (I couldn’t feel it at all!) and referred me for a scan, where it was all fine - I believe a cluster of small cysts? Always worth it for the peace of mind.

The consultant I saw said my breast pain was hormonal. It’s a good job I insisted on a scan, as the cancer had spread into the lymph nodes on that side and all 30 needed to be surgically removed.

I recently saw a breast cancer poster which listed pain as a symptom.

It’s always better to be checked.

Yes, absolutely get it checked. It's always better to be told you're fine than to spend weeks or months with it niggling away at you.

It’s also definitely not a waste of their time. 100s of appointments are no shows at GP practices each month. They will be more than happy you’ve gone to be checked over.