strange right breast, very worried and waiting for doctor appointment

[devonshireduckling]

Have namechanged as RL friends will only panic if they see this. For the last 12 months I've had palpitations at night, very low immunity etc but put it down to stress as looking after DCs and caring for terminally ill relative. It is probably unrelated but for the last 2 weeks my right breast has been incredibly sore, getting worse and worse and really a burning pain, it feels a bit lumpy, it doesn't respond to ibuprofen, can't get comfy to sleep. I am definitely not pregnant and period made no difference to this pain. Havent been to the doctors for me, for more than a year, so I have managed to get an appointment for tomorrow. DH is away for work so I am stuck here worrying and thinking the worst, he is too worried to talk about it on the phone. Also feel foolish going in to doctors with a shopping list of decrepitude. So anyone around to hold my hand and tell me some non-awful options before I go to see GP? DCs are in bed so now I am just fretting.

Ooh a further breast development - the misbehaving breast now has slightly peeling dry skin - perhaps because of the swelling? Also I've found a clinic near me that does thermo imaging - is that as good as ultrasound?

Still sounds very mastitis-y - poor you!

Good luck with GP apt, xx

Have you been back to GP today duckling?

My boob peeled after having mastitis, I put it down to the heat it had been making drying the skin IYSWIM. Pain also took more than a week to go, although swelling started to reduce within a couple of days. Hope the ABs have not upset your tummy too much x

I don't know anything about thermal imaging I'm afraid.The utrasound I had was pretty clear,I could see the cyst easily and also the activity in the tissues generally (breastfeeding ,so the breasts were busy refilling!). If there is any lack of clarity,or anything that needs further investigation they would give you a mammogram too I would think.

Thanks elibean and hellymelly. ballstoit I did make it to the GP today but was fobbed off with a GP I hadn't seen last time (my own lovely one I saw a few days ago was out on an emergency). I told her that the ABs haven't had an effect yet, the pain is still extremely unpleasant and paracetamol and codeine is only just taking the edge off the pain. I showed her the lump and the swelling (plus attractive peeling skin).

She only had a quick look and said that as breast "tenderness" is so rarely related to cancer she personally wouldn't refer me for an ultrasound for another couple of weeks unless the pain doesn't subside (and the wait time is about 2 weeks for an ultrasound, on top of that!). I think I'll go back to see my own (much more worried-looking) GP next week. This isn't breast tenderness, this is distended breast agony, plus burning and itching sensation, so I think I'd like to get an ultrasound as I have a lump and also raised glands in my armpit.

The erythromycin isn't too hard on my stomach, though am feeling oddly full and hungry at the same time (medicating that with ginger biscuits).

Gah, fecking temp GP's
Def get an appt with your normal GP on Monday. You most likely have an infection but it needs ultrasound/biopsy IMO

neurofen and codeine is allowed (says veteran of migrain pain) you can take a full dose of each 3 times a day.

Do drink much water though. Nothing in your body can rectify itself without a proper water supply.

Yes I'm drinking lots of water and green tea. I feel a bit deflated (and sleepless) as I thought I'd at least make some progress today!

on your behalf - would like to kick that GP on behalf of the very very few women who have had breast 'tenderness' of a nasty sort.

I'm with Jareth - does sound like an infection, but I would expect a biopsy/ultrasound. Can you see your GP again on Monday if no better?

FWIW, you are holding up brilliantly - well done on the green tea too!

ps any redness? rash? bruise-y ness? dimpling?

Thanks elibean, still painful and today keep almost falling asleep as soon as I sit down (though luckily DCs are preventing too much of that!). No redness, bruising or rash and no dimpling as far as I can work out, though I have had some peeling skin on the underside of the swollen right breast, which is still twice the size of the left (I keep catching sight of it looming up whenever I lie down).

The cocky GP ruined my weekend: battle commences on Monday when I get back in touch with doctors ... I do think the swelling may have come down a little as it doesn't have the strange bubbly/fizzing sensation which was happening on Tuesday on the underside of my breast. It may be an infection but as I've never had a cyst or mastitis (and don't have "default" lumpy breasts) I think I need to check out the various lumps etc to see what's upset the equilibrium. Really want a scan!!

Of course you do, quite right.

Fingers crossed the no-bubbly feeling means it is going down a little - hopefully means the ABs are kicking in, and Monday won't be as stressful as you anticipate

Good re the no rash/redness etc....peeling would be normal result of swelling causing tight, dry skin I would think.

Yes, I think that the nuclear level of heat my boob managed to reach would have melted manmade fabrics.

I've never wanted ABs to work so much

Any better today?

Hi Elibean, unfortunately not really any different. I did spend chunks of today asleep however (thank goodness for playdates) so am hoping my body is fighting whatever it is.

Definitely back to the doctors tomorrow...my concern would be that if it was mastitis, that it has developed into an abcess (this is more likely if not breastfeeding) which needs to be drained.

Is your nipple cracked at all?

Please go back tomorrow as an urgent appointment if you are able.

It does sound like some kind of abscess and they ought to be doing something more than just giving you some fairly weak antibiotics which don't seem to be working.

I don't think I've ever been given erythromycin for mastitis. Clearly you need something different, don't be fobbed off, it really should not have been going on for this long.

I meant to add that swelling under your arm would be totally normal response to infection anywhere in that region. It doesn't mean you have cancer.

Also I think your GP is right that cancer is not normally diagnosed as the result of an acute painful condition like this. So that's got to be good.

Sorry you are still in so much pain. Let us know how you get on tomorrow x

Thanks ballstoit and Jane! I agree that the weak antibiotics probably aren't exactly the big guns! I am slightly allergic to penicillin so I think that's why they chose erythromycin. I am going to be on the phone to the GP first thing in the morning, I'm also concerned this could be an abcess. The nipple isn't cracked as far as I can tell, but the whole breast is peeling again.
Was holding it together till someone (dropping DCs back to me) asked "are you OK you look dreadful" -

Well you know there's always the out of hours and tbh being a bit of a scaredy panicker about infections etc, I would be straight there tonight.

If your body is fighting a decent sized infection it will have a knock on effect on all your systems, no wonder you look washed out and are sleeping so much.

I don't want to freak you out but untreated abscesses can I think cause septicaemia, you shouldn't leave it too long.

Do you have a fever? If you do then don't hesitate to go back.

Thanks Jane, not freaking me out at all. I don't seem to have a fever but I have been taking ibuprofen and paracetamol (during day) and paracetamol and codeine during the night so that could mask any temperature.
Didn't have any idea about abcesses and septicaemia so I shall be monitoring things tonight.
I'm hoping that the fact that the swelling has gone down a little means that the pain will soon fade a little.

Oh you could be right about the painkillers masking it, but that's good if it is under control anyway. They will also have an anti inflammatory action especially the ibuprofen, which is good.

I hope it continues to go down, maybe the antibotics are doing something. Yes, keep an eye on yourself and if you feel really unwell then go to the doctor or A&E if really poorly and nowhere else is open.

Hopefully you will be fine to wait till the morning. Hope you get some sleep.

Thanks Jane! I am going to see if a cold compress helps it (hunts down the frozen peas)

How are you doing? I hope you can get seen and sorted out.

Also checking on you!

See how many ladies you have worrying about your poor boob

Hope you get some Big Gun ABs and some peace of mind today.