Breast pain after routine mammogram

[Mammogrammer]

In Scotland. Routine mammograms every two years after 50. Am 57 and 9 days ago had a mammogram. It was uncomfortable, as ever, but no more than usual.

Yesterday I noticed that my left breast was sore to the touch and on closer inspection the nipple looked a bit puffy and there was quite an area of hardness. Reminded me of mastitis but no lightning flash or overt redness. I woke this morning at 5 and it felt a bit more sore so I took a paracetamol. I had a bath and tried to lightly massage it but it’s not as if I could express anything out of it like I would have when I was breast feeding.

I got mastitis pre-pregnancy in my early 30s and it was investigated at St Mary’s Paddington. I was told I had quite a few cysts but they were just filled with fluid and nothing to worry about and just to keep self-examining.

I just am suspicious that I actually sustained some sort of injury from having my breast tissue crushed but it’s weird that it’s taken a week to produce any symptoms. Has anyone else had a similar experience?

if it feels the same or worsens in the morning I’ll get straight on to my Doctors first thing. I’m worried that i’m getting a build up of fluid or infection. Im hoping the mammogram hasn’t aggravated anything more sinister but I guess I need to wait for the results to find that out.

Yes -same as you- left breast felt 'bruised' for 6 weeks after the mammogram.
Wasn't really anything to see, but it was extremely tender and I had to take ibuprofen.
In my case, I fainted after my left breast was scanned. It was incredibly painful, and I do think it was crushed during the mammogram. The view was rubbish as well and I had to go back (to a different unit) and have it rescanned, which was absolutely fine.

Sorry to hear you fainted Acclim that must have been scary. As was having to get it done again! I won’t be keen to subject myself to that again but I guess it’s a necessary evil.

Just an update. Got an emergency appointment at my GPs with a female Doctor this morning. Thinks it’s Mastitis (as a post-menopausal 57 year old?!) so I’ve been given 14 days of antibiotics. She was able to get my mammogram result and it was clear.

I’m to monitor the swelling and if it starts to feel more swollen and squishy ie. If there is fluid build-up then I’m to get back in touch and might have to go to hospital to have it drained but at the moment she just thinks it inflammation caused by the compression of the mammogram. Next one will be in 3 years and I’m not going to be looking forward to that - might ask if there’s an alternative imaging technique even if it’s just for my left breast.

Oh my gosh…thank you for sharing this. I had my mammogram done yesterday and today I feel like I’ve been hit by a cricket bat. I find it interesting that women’s pain when having any type of procedures are always “played down” or marginalised. After my breast examination, then a mammogram, I had an ultrasound, no wonder my entire chest and underarm areas hurt. I wasn’t scared or anxious about having it done but I was told “only a few women have slight discomfort for 24hrs”…yeah right! I am not fearful of having it again but I will definitely only have it on a Friday so I can spend the weekend resting.

Sorry to hear you’re in pain Kat. I felt uncomfortable during the procedure and winced a few times but the immediate aftermath wasn’t painful. I certainly felt like I’d been pulled about and stretched and squished though! My actual breast pain - which initially felt like the soreness I used to get when I was due on - didn't come on till 8 days later. It surprised me because it’s been a good few years since I last had periods and the sensation took me back.

But then it got worse and the area of soreness turned into a hard segment that felt like about a quarter of an orange (don’t know why I’m referencing an orange - perhaps because some of the skin looked a little peu d’orange-ish??) Anyway I’m on day 6 of 14 days of antibiotic and the swelling and hardness has reduced to a small area around my nipple - still too uncomfortable to sleep on my front but considerably better.

I will seriously consider not having my left breast mammogram-ed again unless I’ve felt a lump there. I’ve got the feeling there is some internal damage or a cyst has popped? Hopefully won’t have to worry about it for another 3 years. Maybe I can ask for just an ultrasound next time.