Breast Pain?

[AwayWithTheFerries]

Can anyone help me with this? I have been having pain behind my nipple (mainly one breast, but sometimes both) for over two years now. It comes and goes, never leaving entirely, but is not connected to my periods at all.

It is currently having a 'flare up', when if my breast gets knocked it is really painful. My breast itself dos not hurt - you can poke it from the side, top and bottom and it seems fine, but any pressure which then pushes against the nipple results in me yelping (and my children are just the right/wrong height for this - I am having to cuddle them sideways at the mo ).

I went to the docs after posting on here aeons ago, and he examined me and said no idea, could be ligament pain from the top of my ribs. At the time, my ribs were a little sore there so I accepted his explanation. However, I know now that it isn't that - it is definitely pain behind my nipples and it isn't right.

Has anyone esle had this? Any ideas? I bf my children, but haven't for over 4 years now. I did get mastitis and blocked ducts when I did - it feels a bit like that but without the poorliness that came with it?

It is really getting me down now, so any help would be really appreciated.

Anyone able to help?

I don't know what it is, but definitely think you should go back to the doctor and ask for a referral to the Breast Clinic, so they can find out what the problem is.

Don't let him fob you off if you are in pain, you need to get it checked out for your own comfort and peace of mind.

Ta for replying KurriKurri. The thing is I don't really want to bother wasting the time of a breast clinic on something that in the greater scheme of things, is trivial. I was hoping someone on here would say 'I had that, it was a duct issue, I did x,y and z'!
However, I will return to my GP if I really am the only one who has this

I would definitely go back to the doctor. It isn't wasting their time.

I had to be referred to the breast clinic for persistant pain { in the side of my breast, not the nipple area } and they were great and didn't make me feel it was trivial at all. They did also say that whilst persistant pain needs checking out, it is very rare for it to be a symptom of cancer. In my case I had some small cysts that were causing discomfort.

Ta Standing, thanks for your experience. Can i ask how long it took for referral and what they did about the cysts?

Honestly, go and insist. 9 out of 10 referrals to Breast Clinics turn out to be nothing, but they don't mind a bit. I think referrals have to be within 2 weeks in most parts of the country, so you won't have to wait too long. Cysts quite often go by themselves, but I think sometimes they drain them.

Thanks Smee. I am closer to going back to the GP now!
Last bump in case anyone else has had this...

My gp monitored me for a few months { she would have referred me sooner, but like you I didn't want to waste the Breast Clinic's time}, then when the pain didn't go, referred me as a non urgent case. I think she said it might take up to 6 weeks but they called me only a couple of days later and I was seen within a fortnight.

The specialist breast nurse at the clinic was brilliant and was able to identify by the lightest of touch , the area that was hurting and that there was some 'hormonal change' in that part of my breast. I then had a mammogram, followed by an ultrasound on the painful area then back to the nurse who told me there were some small cysts that were causing the discomfort.

They were too small to do anything about and she was emphatic that there was absolutely nothing to be concerned about. She said that it was very rare for pain to be a sign of cancer but that persistent pain ought to be checked out.

It was all done and dusted with my final diagnosis within a couple of hours and although I still have the pain,as I am not worrying about it now , it doesn't bother me.