To not go to GP for breast lump? Think it is infected - photos

[Anonymousemouses]

I had a bite (could be a spot, but was dry), a couple of weeks ago on the side of my breast. Never thought anything more.

Then on Saturday, I noticed a lump in the breast tissue, near the bite. When I squeezed it popped under the skin.

It increased yesterday and is now the size of a plum.

The skin is red, with bruising.

I did squeeze, but I never squeezed all the area where there is bruising, it just sort of appeared, I only squeezed near the bite, hoping to release what was inside.

The area is slightly hotter but not 'hot', and I don't have a temperature.

Would magnesium sulphate paste cure it?

For reference I am 56, menopausal, so it is not linked to hormones.

I really don't want to bother the GP with something trivial, so what can make it go away?

for a lump that size under your skin yes I would 100% seek medical advice
no one online should advise anything different to be honest

Hopefully the photos will be allowed soon, I should add the bruising/discolouration covers most of that side of the breast, but is hard to capture on photo

Thanks, I'm sure it's an infection from the bite, so was hoping to avoid the GP, in case they think I'm wasting their time

Yes definitely, looks like there’s infection

That’s what the GP is there for
Unless you’re at the surgery multiple times per week for nonsense no GP would ever feel you’re wasting their time

Well if it's an infection you need to get antibiotics - though perhaps the pharmacist can help. Don't just ignore it and hope it will go away, cellulitis is no fun whatsoever

Well, you could post on Sporner Corner, where you will be given lots of frankly dangerous advice on bringing it to a head, then filming the subsequent explosion.

Or do the sensible thing, and seek actual medical advice

Consult your GP, please

Thank you all. I will do an eConsult tomorrow morning (unless it disappears completely overnight).

Thanks again, I couldn't figure out if I'd be over reacting, and kind of hoped that there was some way I could magically make it disappear.

I'm not, but I had a painful lump in my groin in January, the GP felt me, said he could feel a cyst and sent me for an urgent scan, which was 7 weeks later, and everything was fine.

He said it was probably muscular, as on the same side as my tibial malunion, so I walk funny and am in pain, but I felt like a fraud, wasting their time.

I had breast pain for a few weeks, a couple of months ago. I went to the doctor because it was waking me up when I rolled over and caught it. I’m 55 so it wasn’t linked to hormones.

I put an e-consult in and was woken the next morning by a phone call from the Advanced Nurse Practitioner saying “I need to see you today” which frightened the life out of me. Anyhow she found a lump, which I’d not felt, and it was quite large. She said she thought it was an infection so gave me antibiotics, but I had my routine mammogram appointment 2 weeks later otherwise she did say she’d have sent me for a scan. Fortunately it was all clear and the antibiotics cleared up the pain and lump.

Good luck.

Thank you, I will do the consult tomorrow, so glad your mammogram was clear.