please reassure me - breast pain and lump under arm

[saturnvista]

I have had breast pain in the left breast for some time. It gets worse in the second half of the cycle. GP felt the breast carefully and had no concerns - she said I'd probably banged it but to return if it didn't go (I'm going back to her very soon). In recent months the pain has got worse and lasts for longer. It was really quite painful last night and this morning. After googling breast pain (I know!) I realised the enlarged lymph nodes can be a sign of inflammatory breast cancer. I have noticed the odd lump under my arm in recent months, on the other side. Obviously I will tell all this to the doctor.

My mum died of pancreatic cancer six months ago and I have been terrified of having cancer since having to watch this. Please reassure me that there are many other likely diagnoses besides cancer. I'm 35 with two small children.

It could well be due to inflamation, and breast pain before a period is quite normal, but I'm glad you are seeing the doctor again.

I had breast cancer and one of the things I remember people saying was that Brest cancer doesn't tend to hurt-mine didn't hurt anyway. So make sure you see you're GP but try and worry a bit less

And if your swollen gland is on the opposite side, its very unlikely to be related to the breast pain

I'm very sorry to hear about your mum. No wonder you're worrying, that's so normal...but breast pain is very common, I started having lots in my late 30s and still do sometimes (in mid 50s). I hope you get seen soon and get reassured: seeing a breast surgeon (asking for a referral) or going to a breast clinic might well put your mind at rest more thoroughly than going to the GP alone.

Wishing you well, x

Thank you very much for your kind responses! The doctor checked carefully and was happy there was nothing to worry about. I'm now going to sit down with a and calm down!

Great news!

Do you wear an underwired bra? sometimes my bra's dig in and I get a pain - took me ages to realise it was the bra's. Treated myself to a measure and new (better fitting) bra's and pain gone! x

Unfortunately it's a myth that breast cancer is not painful.Having had a friend who died aged 53 from a breast cancer whose first symptom was pain and another who has had a mastectomy ,ditto,I had a breast pain investigated about 18 m ago (I am post menopause so not linked to hormonal changes in cycle).Neither I nor GP nor consultant could feel a lump .The precautionary mammogram showed a shadowed area of ' excess tissue ' which consultant told me he was 95% sure was benign .(I think he was a bitv surprised it showed anything)MRI scan confirmed it was not ominous but found three benign cysts which the radiographer drained there and then .The pain persisted for a while but has gone now .I was told the cysts might recur .Have had one routine mammogram since .
If it recurs and you are worried insist on a referal -I'n not scaremongering or trying to frighten you but I felt I knew my body and I knew something was wrong .I am very thankful for a positive outcome

I'm off to the breast clinic in just under 2 weeks for unexplained breast pain. It is more 'armpit' Pain that has been coming and going for the past 6 months (I know, a long time, but I first felt it at Christmas then modified behaviour i.e. Not picking up toddler on my left hip, seemed to sort it out and it went away for several months). Now back again and I began worrying because the pain radiates into the breast.

Neither me nor doctor can feel any lumps, but like another poster said, it doesn't mean there is nothing there. My doctor said he'd rather rule out anything breast related as a matter of precaution.

I am 36 with 3 kids. I carry my youngest on my left hip. A lot. Pain is that side. I swing between worrying like mad, then feeling quite calm. I've no idea what they might find - doctor told me that the mirena coil (which I had fitted during first bout of pain) can cause breast cysts, so it might be that. Or hopefully just muscular pain caused by carrying child on left hip.

Most websites do say that pain is a very rare first symptom of breast cancer (even our hospital breast care dept leaflet says this), however I am the type of person who convinces myself that I'm the rare person!

I did see my gp about 3 years ago with similar breast pain - same side as now (left), and he was very reassuring and said it may well be that I was holding my baby to feed her that side and it was muscular. Pain went within a few weeks of this reassurance.

Anyhow, long post so sorry, but just to reassure it may well be the fact you have 2 young kids and carry them around a lot, and your doctors reassurance will be enough for the pain to go away. But I'd say if pain not gone after another full menstrual cycle, then go back and ask for breast clinic appointment, just to be super cautious and put your mind at check.

And neither my GP nor consultant made me feel like a hypochondriac either ! In fact was very impressed with NHS treatment .A breast care
nurse sat in during consultation.I waited two weeks for an appointment and a further month for an MRI scan (delay was partly because they don't have enough radiographers .I had a Sun morning appointment with a consultant radiologist in the end )I'm sure it would have been quicker if they had been worried .

Thanks for all this wonderful advice. I'm feeling much much happier about it all now and glad there have been good outcomes for everyone

Sorry, I'm always doing this!! I'm saturnvista attempting a namechange (not very well obviously!!!). My husband says I could never manage to have an affair

I'm really pleased that you are going back to see your GP. It could of course be any range of simple, treatable issues or nothing at all.

I get an odd pain in the arm pit and twitching in the breast - all due to a nerve which was trapped in my neck and is now very bruised. The body can do some weird things.

I was at the Breast Clinic yesterday to have an area of lumpiness with sharp pain both there and in my arm pit looked at. It all came back as fine with some very small breast cysts and nothing else.

The clinic was really quick with everything done there if needs be. So not lots of waiting for results.

I hope yours all goes ok too x

finola1step - can I ask you about the trapped nerve you suffered? I'm wondering if that is what I might be experiencing....what were your symptoms? I've got the underarm pain (which is subsiding if i'm honest) and now my entire left arm can feel slightly strange - abit numb, tingly in fingers, plus shoulder pain, and some twitching in the left breast, although not often.
I have, of course, self diagnosed myself via Dr google, and my diagnoses range from impending doom (i'm not a great positive thinker in these scenarios) to something along the lines of nerve damage as my left side - arm / shoulder / neck are feeling funny and I wonder if there is nerve issues going on...