Red patch of skin on breast??

[Healthfreak95]

Hi- firstly I have healthy anxiety so obv the first thing I think is … IBC
just need some reassurance or advice.
im 28, had baby 6months ago, no family history of BC known. Don’t breastfeed.
this red spot / patch (looks like a pimple at times) has appeared and disappeared a few times, never took a lot of notice or worry as was small and went away.
any idea what it could be or? Doctors appt tomorrow btw.
it has tiny veins in also. No itch or scaliness or pain. No lumps found on self check.
any reply would be very much thanked please! ( pic attached up close beside nipple )

Mention it to the gp, all changes in the breast need to be checked. BC can look different for different people.

Get it checked asap.

Going to the Gp tomorrow not my usual GP but will ask them to do examination etc. I’m freaking out so much

It will probably not be BC but you will worry until you have it checked.

i agree i just struggle very badly with health anxiety and the thought of not being here to raise my son.

There's no point in health anxiety. You'll only make yourself ill.
Normal to worry about a change in your breast. If it is BC, it will probably be caught in good time.

Could be anything but you must get it checked. Mine turned out to be eczema btw so def not always bad!

This is it head on & what looks like pimple beside it

Did you have something similar ?

Does your baby pinch you at all? Even sometimes when I'm cuddling or playing my baby he pinches my chest. Not sure if it's a breastfeeding thing but he does it outside of feeding time - it looks a state at the moment!

Yes he definitely does and as he’s 6months now he’s just getting stronger and stronger and tbh I can’t recall every pinch or location! Hoping it is just some sort of damaged skin cause up close it just looks pinkish with spider veins and is only a few mm in size. Appeared from nowhere yesterday!

Oh I’ve had something similar a few times even with the tiny spider veins! Came and went and then disappeared. This was during my breastfeeding days so assumed baby was grabbing or something. I have horrible health anxiety too so assumed the same as you. I’m glad you’re getting it checked out but remember IBC is very rare and tends to get larger and spread rapidly rather than come and go. It’s probably nothing at all 🙂

Thanks so much it’s made me feel a little more at ease. Tbh I’m sure if I didn’t have HA I wouldn’t think too much off the spot due to size etc. getting anything new looked at I always try to do so will update on what doc says today. I’m not breastfeeding at the mo but my little fella is strong and likes to try stand up all over me and grab me 🙈 also I tend to bruise easily. Hopefully that or something hormonal! Trying to think rational here) did you get yours checked out at the time? :)

I'd get the HA sorted out too.

It’s easier said than done. I’m in discussion with my gp & working through this the past while with her. Unfortunately this is a diff go I’m seeing today. I’ve had a skin cancer, a traumatic birth experience that could’ve ended badly for both me and my son, there’s a few causes to my HA. so I’m most certainly trying to sort that, if I could get rid of it asap I would. It’s a work in progress and I wish more than anything I didn’t have it as it’s very debilitating.

Hopefully it'll turn out to be something harmless.

I totally understand the health anxiety, I had it badly when my kids were very young. I don't have it now, and looking back I realise it was because my Dad died when I was young and I was terrified of something happening to me that would put my children through the same experience.

Treat yourself kindly OP, get this checked out and then you will feel a lot better.

@Healthfreak95 you’re welcome. I actually didn’t get mine checked as it eventually disappeared and hasn’t come back since (this was a couple of years ago.) I hope your GP is reassuring. I think if it was spreading rapidly, was hot to touch or your breast was swollen that would be concerning but otherwise it will probably just disappear again.

Sending hugs though for the HA. It’s the absolute pits isn’t it. Urgh. Wish I had some good advice.

@Healthfreak95 , it sounds like you have had a bad time of it.
one of my parents was a hypochondriac as was his/her sibling. Both died young and I think that their constant visits to the GP might have been contributory factors. There was a genuine reason for their worry, but that's not what killed them.

It doesn't help me and my sibling because it was almost drilled into us that we'd inherit the killer gene.

Sometimes you just need to answer a 'What if it's...?' with 'It probably isn't.'
That's what I do anyway.

(Today, I've had insomnia, possible gangrene, lung cancer, bowel cancer and stomach cancer, and that was before 7 a.m)

Thanks so much to you all for your kind replies & advice it really is so much appreciated. I send you all my hugs for your HA. For me it’s very much in bouts. I could go a looong time without much of anything related to HA, then something will trigger it and I’ll be off on a spiral for months or even longer, one after another. Since I found out before Christmas I had a skin cancer (thankfully not melanoma & got sorted in June) and then gave birth a couple months after - it’s been one thing after another. It’s crazy how your mind spirals isn’t it? People who don’t experience this are very lucky. I was always an anxious child & my mother would be quite the hypochondriac so it definitely lies within that also. It was only me & her as a child and I was always terrified she would die and I’d be alone. Now I’m terrified something will happen me & my baby won’t have me! Ugh 😑 have any of you ever been on meds?

Yes that’s what’s sort of keeping me remotely calm. It’s small and doesn’t seem to be spreading, doesn’t hurt and my breast looks the same as the other (not swollen wise). I will update on what GP says. My usual GP is amazing and really takes her time with me with every health “issue” I might confront her with. Unfortunately her next appt isn’t until late September - I Will also go back to her to explain this situation and get her opinion:)

oh God, sorry for your troubles also! It’s absolutely horrible and inexplainable to those who don’t have it. As I said when I look back I think I’ve always had it through life, comes and goes but have been spiralling since last Dec on & off. Have you ever been put on meds?

What time is your appointment?

I had v similar when breastfeeding
Came and went a few times then after about TWO YEARS it came to a yellow pimple, popped and this stout black hair popped out!

Which I plucked and it's never come back

Mentioned it to my GP (in conversation, didn't make an appointment about this) and she laughed! Said ingrowing hairs can do this for years and years, getting stouter and darker
Think she was more interested in how satisfying it was when it popped 🤣

Oh really? Did it come & go as well yes? Mines come and gone maybe 3 times - not breastfeeding tho but my hormones did go all over the shop during and esp postpartum I only think recently they’ve actually settled a bit! My appt is 11.30 so just getting ready to go now. It’s nice to hear reassuring answers! Definitely helps a lot!

Just back from the doctors so had a look and a feel, no lumps bumps etc and reckons it looks like some sort of tiny bruise from a pinch or scratch. Asked me to come back if it changes or if it hasn’t gone in 2-4 weeks! So just to wait and see now really!

Great news!!
Aaaand relax!