Almost 40 - breast pain on right breast - peri?

[ConfusedFox]

Hi all,

Has anyone experienced breast pain (on only one breast) as a peri symptom? I've had it for 2 weeks, currently on day 14 of cycle. Like stabbing pains behind nipple but feels tender too and oh the pain if my boob gets jabbed. A bit like when you start breast feeding? I can't feel any lumps or see any differences. I will do an econsult to hopefully see the doctor as I am obviously worried but a friend said she gets breast pain each cycle but only for a day or two?

Thank you

Yes I've had this.
Referred to breast clinic twice as my mum had bc. Mammogram, ultrasound and thorough check and nothing. They said sometimes the pain is unknown.

Sorry I also forgot to say only ever the left boob. Sometimes stabbing, sometimes an ache and tingling down arm. When DS 4 inevitably elbows it several times a day it's awful. It seems to not have happened the last month but will no doubt reappear,

I’m just back from the breast clinic - the mammogram and ultrasound didn’t show anything worrying and it’s just hormonal.

The consultant said I may be getting more pain on my right side because I’m sleeping exclusively on that side at the moment (recovering from surgery on my left). He’s said not to ice it but wear ultra supportive bras that don’t let my breasts move at all, even in bed, as that is what is keeping the inflammation going.

oh I have the ache and tingling in my arm too and it really worried me and makes it hard to sleep! (My youngest is 16, he’s definitely not elbowing me in the boob anymore at least).

@abdnhiker
I'm going to assume mine is another peri menopause symptom.
Oddly I only sleep on my right side so I've no idea why just the left is painful.
I'm sure the clinic thought I was a bit crazy going back again but stuff that, my mum has BC at my age.

Hi guys, so about three weeks ago, I started getting very painful nipples and my left boob felt very achy, when inspecting felt a bump and so did dr. Went on antibiotics in case was a cyst, had mammogram and ultrasound on nhs 1wk later clear no cysts (even I couldn't find lump) but the pain remains and gets worse if nipples get erect. I've been fitted for a better fitted full cup bra and taking evening primrose oil as well as health & her tablets in case its related to that but frustrated that pain remains. I didn't have a strong libido but having tried to orgasm and felt the stabbing aching pain in my left boob I feel that either that's it for me or there is something going on there.

Considering a private ultrasound as wondering if cyst went down with antibiotics but didn't disappear, I also have dense breast tissue and the ultrasound guy was super fast makes me wonder...

On top of that I've has side effects from clarithromycin- the saliva metallic taste was one really bad one plus had some nightsweats and defo had the mood swings! Finished prescription 6 days ago. . I'm on desogestrel mini pill and it blocks my periods so haven't had one in 6mths making it hard to track my cycle and if its affected by peri menopause although a lot of my research suggests that's what this is.

Sorry for the essay but wonder if anyone else discovered similar issues either with unexplainable painful boobs or possible signs of perimenopause. I'm 41 BTW and my mum had early menopause.

Thanks

It is all so worrying. I have been back and forth to GP for around two years with various symptoms that are linked to peri but are supposed to be investigated- intermenstrual bleeding, very sore breasts 24/7 such that it’s put me off sex- just brushing my arm past them hurts, very low iron levels, elevated T-cells.

After months of fighting for some referral and a year on a waitlist, I saw a gynaecologist two months ago who did an ultrasound and said all normal down there no womb or ovarian issues. I asked about my sore breasts and was told it was just aging and peri and to take paracetamol (doesn’t work) and to wear a sports bra ( I have been!) GP has refused to refer me for a mammogram this entire time despite my grandmother dying of bc in her 50s my mum having died in a car accident at a very young age (too young to have had bc).

Then right before my 51st birthday I got my routine automatic invite for my first ever mammogram, which I had on my birthday. Yippee. Then 3 days after my birthday I get a fat letter on Friday saying it’s not normal and that coming thursday I am booked into the breast unit for more scans and biopsies. The breast nurse said it’s a double appointment as I called to ask whether biopsies meant I needed someone to drive me home. No idea what they found on the manogram, I have no lumps I can feel but I’ve been literally whinging about breast pain for two years now. So doing that literally tomorrow afternoon (which is today as realising it’s 1am). It’s going very fast. As you can see anxiously unable to sleep rn.

The first mammogram invite comes anytime between 50 and 53, so why couldn’t I have had one last year? What if the system had waited two more years until I was 53? God Damn GP.

It’s all overwhelming and the “do not worry you might not have bc” parts of the letter don’t really help.

Anyway lots of love and luck to everyone else going through this.

OP, clicked on this because I've had intermittent breast pain for a couple of years too.
When it started I had a suspicious lump checked and all seemed normal. The lump eventually went away.
GP said it was peri related, just like every other unsettling ailment etc etc, but I think it's time to get checked again. 51 and still haven't had an invite for a mammogram.
Sometimes the pains are so sharp they take my breath away, and other times it's a dull ache in both boobs and my ribs that won't bugger off with pain killers.
Hope everyone is ok, and SummerFeverVenice, sending you a massive hug and hoping things are resolved for you quickly.
Finding it reassuring that we're not alone in this x

@SummerFeverVenice I am sorry you are having this worry.

Astonishing that you've had to push for all of this.

I referred myself to the breast clinic this week after reading this thread. (Hampshire, self referral, GPs don't get involved).

I'm now booked into the pain clinic to have someone give me a check.

Good luck today, please let us know how you get on.

I requested a test for hormone levels due to peri symptoms and bookedin for a phonecall in one week - obv not classed as urgent but the symptoms r getting worse, especially the tiredness, achy eyes and painful breasts. I'm trying to organise a private breast ultrasound as think there's something still there...

Really sorry to hear so many people are struggling with this and on top of it having to struggle with getting the right checks and care. Hoping for good news for everyone (although I do find it ironic that good news is that it’s hormonal pain that we can’t do anything about).

I’ve been given Naproxen which is working better for the pain than ibuprofen (I know it’s harder on my stomach and intestines though) which might be worth a try if ibuprofen isn’t working. I’ve still got the pain but it’s muted.

Well I've ordered a superdrug at home FSH test. I realise the pros n cons but felt I needed to understand my hormone levels and looking online many drs are anti-HRT...figured this would be a good start....

Thank you. They did stereostatic(sp?) biopsies from my right breast, I found out the issue is micro-calcifications? They said I might have to go back to have lymph nodes biopsied, depends on the results. I’m still a bit shell shocked and hoping for good test results, they said average 1-2weeks until I hear.

Been wierdly wondering if NHS would cover double masectomy if only one breast has cancer? I just would rather be flat chested than lopsided and don’t have head space to be messing with prosthetics or implants. It was something I’d wished I asked while there, but I just wanted the visit over as fast as possible.

Sore and couldn’t shower for 24hrs! Wish I’d known that going in.
Sending everyone luck 🍀 and warm wishes

I am so sorry @Threewheeler1 that you have not been listened to. While it is reassuring to not feel so alone, I am dismayed at how many of us there are struggling with these symptoms happening during ‘that age’ such that we are not getting the care I think we should have. I hope you are booked in soon, if not already.

Sending good thoughts your way while you wait for news, hoping it’s okay.

Just to update I now have an appointment via BUPA for the breast clinic the week after next.

Good luck and I’m sorry it’s a wait!

SummerFeverVenice I hope that you hear back soon and that it's good news.
OP I'm glad to hear you've got an appointment coming up, hoping it goes well.

I developed a patch of discoloured skin on my painful breast but the GP wasn't really interested, just said they'd see me again in a couple of weeks.
After fretting for a few days I bit the bullet and paid for a private breast clinic. They did a mammogram and ultrasound and said that I have some cysts and something 'indeterminate' and they wanted to aspirate the cysts and do a biopsy there and then. That would have cost way too much money, so they're transferring me back to the NHS. Apparently I'll be put on the two week wait.

At the moment I feel better than I did previously because at least I'm in the system now. And I'm glad I followed my instinct even though I worried I was overreacting. And I'm thankful that a friend suggested private and that we could afford the tests. The system is so wrong though, you really shouldn't have to pay to be taken seriously.

@Goodmangrief It really is outrageous that you've had to pay privately for something that should have automatically been put on the two week pathway. It should and largely is the case that you say to your GP "I'd like a referral to the breast clinic" and they do it. This has always been the case for me at least. Personally, I would be putting in a strongly worded complaint to the practice manager. It is not on. What I will say is that once you're "in", they are superb. I hope it turns out to be nothing.

TheFormidableMrsC I know it's awful isn't it. I did actually ask the GP what it would take to get a referral but to be honest I can't remember what she said. The GP is one I'd consider to be one of the good ones as well. I thought that a patch of discolouration along with pain would be enough but clearly not.

I don't have a lump, and it seems to me that a GP wants to wait for a lump to develop before they'll refer.

And on a personal note thanks for your advice on this thread, you've definitely helped me to take my symptoms seriously and not just be fobbed off by the GPs.

Good luck at the appointment and well done for advocating for yourself (and paying to go private, as frustrating and wrong as it was to have had to spend that money at least you know it was well spent).

@Goodmangrief I am glad you are being investigated and I have my fingers crossed for you. So sorry GP so poor.

My pain has returned so I'm feeling rather anxious but glad I have my breast clinic appointment in the diary.

OP it's harder not to worry when you can feel the pain isn't it. Fingers crossed that all goes well for you.

Hi sorry to jump on this thread and I'm sorry to read about the experiences people have had. I'm 35 and having tingling and pain in L breast, there was also some itching and cracks in the L nipple but that has healed. My breast feels tingly like when you need to breastfeed (the letdown feeling). Its been almost all on one side but some twinges in the right too. This was all in the early part of my cycle (from day 6-14) so not the tender breasts you get leading up to period. I did a pregnancy test which was negative so I'm wondering if it's a perimenopausal thing. I feel the doctor will just say it's hormonal, but I feel I'm at the younger end to be perimenopausal.
Do these symptoms sound familiar to anyone?

Update- Diagnosed today with breast cancer, grade 2 in my right breast. There is a 11cm tumor in addition to the micro-calcifications. It is too deep to feel as a lump.

MRI next week to determine stage. Allergist pending because I have metal allergy and the surgeon really wants a metal tag in my breast both before surgery to guide her and post surgery for convenience of interpreting future mammograms (no thanks! I really don’t want metal tags embedded in my body, I think she has insisted on allergist even though I said no I do not consent, do it without any metal tags to try and get allergist to say oh skin patch test says mild allergy you’ll be fine to get me to change my mind even though I told her I know that skin patch tests are not reliable indicator of internal allergy.

Then radiotherapy. Then years of tablets something about it being a type of cancer fed by estrogen so the tablets are to block estrogen so cancer doesn’t come back.

I have note to self to ask about the stitches. When I had surgery last year I reacted horribly to the dissolving stitches. They didn’t dissolve, my wound swelled up horribly and they had to remove them and I scarred really badly. The book they gave me says the stitches will be dissolving ones. So very leery of that too.

I feel I am being difficult, I’m being the worst patient ever. But I’m trying to prevent all these complications that I know will happen if they embed metal in me and use internal dissolving stitches.