Breast still hurts

[Blueberrymuffin8]

I walked into my iron bedpost in the middle of the night about 3 months ago. There is still pain in my breast and it won't go away. I thought it would have by now, so I went to the doctor a couple of days ago and she said my symptoms do not qualify for an ultrasound and that I should just take ibuprofen twice a day. I'm worried as when I press my right breast, it feels like there is a mass there and is sore. Do I need a second opinion? Any thoughts would be really appreciated right now. Thank you x

Did you tell her about the mass? Did she examine you?

Go back to the doctors, tell them you can feel a mass, you should automatically get a referral to the breast clinic. I'm really surprised that the doctor didn't do this. I had what I thought was the cyst and the GP said that feels like a cyst to me and still referred me ( it was a cyst!). The vast majority of breast lumps or other changes are not sinister but this GP does not appear to following current guidelines. Are you in the UK?

I just remembered she was a clinician not a GP. She didn't check my breast just asked questions and said if it was serious, I would be poorly. She took my blood pressure and heart rate came up normal . I told her I didn't have a lump but said I had a dull ache throughout the day and night. I have only just pressed my breast and it feels like there is an area of harder sore tissue. Does this qualify as a mass? She did at one point go and speak to the doc who said I did not qualify for an ultrasound. Maybe I should just go private?

Sorry yes I'm in the UK. Just outside if London.

I think this clinican needs some further training. To say you have to feel poorly for a breast issue to be serious is completely wrong. Ask to see a doctor and say you have found a mass. Then report the previous consultation to PALs. I suspect the confusion is due to you not mentioning the mass at the time, but a proper doctor would have examined your breast at the first consultation.

You don't need to go private. Just call your GP surgery back. Tell them that since your consultation with the clinician you have felt a mass in your breast and you want to see a GP about it. Don't be fobbed off with this 'clinician', whatever the hell that means. You need to see a fully qualified doctor.

I am not sure the clinician has done anything wrong. If you had an unexplained mass, then you would have been referred. But because you bashed yourself, that is almost certainly the reason. However, I would go back for a second opinion and ask to be referred to put your mind at rest. I am not sure if this would qualify as urgent but they should refer as a non urgent case.

A clinician is a fully qualified, public facing doctor, as opposed to a doctor in a lab doing research,

I thought 'clinician' and 'doctor' basically mean the same thing, but the OP has stated that this person was not a GP. So not a doctor? Either way, she should be properly examined by a fully qualified doctor.

A clinician could be a nurse practitioner, a nurse, a paramedic, a physician assistant, a pharmacist...all sorts of non doctors. Ask to see a doctor and say you examined yourself as she didn't, and you've found a lump.

You may have mastitis. It's possible in non - lactating people following an injury . ( even men can get it due to breast tissue being being injured, it's often caused by the seat belt in car accidents) .

Make another appointment.

It normally means doctor, and hands on, rather than in research or teaching. A doctor does not have to be a GP however.

Thank you everyone for your input. I truly appreciate you taking the time to respond to me 🙏

I will book an appointment tomorrow and ask to see someone who can examinate me. I have also just remembered the clinician saying that even of something did show on an ultrasound, these types of injuries heal on their own anyway.

Again, thanks for reading x

Good luck! Hope you can get seen soon.