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Pammy46's avatar
Pammy46
Member
8 years ago

Pain

Hi All
i am still having pain down the side of my breast and chest 6 months on from finishing radiation I had bad burns. the pain is worst under arm where I had 3 lymph nodes removed anyone else had this pain? had my surgery last December and radiation finished in march have to have 12 month mammograms etc in November and freaking out as my breast is still so painful 
pam x

9 Replies

  • Romla's avatar
    Romla
    Member
    8 years ago
    Had a mammogram today and was worriedwould hurt as my breast is quite sore .Was told to take 2 panadeine and 2 ibrufen 1 hour beforehand and made the exercise bearable  .
  • cranky_granny's avatar
    cranky_granny
    Member
    8 years ago
    Wow I'm glad my search found this post I had the breast conserving surgery with 4 lymphs removed and 25 rounds of rads over 6 weeks I thought I was going mad. With the chest bone pain and all the rest That was'nt mentioned or if it was it went straight over the chemo brain. Along with what was mentioned like the painful bones from anastrozole hangover tingles from taxol and the good one day exhausted the next. Now told try live with the pain level. Take panadol and Gavin on plus. 
    On the plus physio is trying his hardest to avoid the glove and sleeve we will see what summer brings. 
    The walking and exercises does help with the pain but does nothing for the tingly feet and fingers. 
    WE ARE NOT ALONE OR GOING CRAZY. just not allowed off the merry go round. 
  • iserbrown's avatar
    iserbrown
    Member
    8 years ago
    All the hidden extras.  My right foot drives me bananas!  Tomorrow I start back on the physio merry-go-round and hope that there is some improvement, but not holding my breath as it seems as time goes on other niggles come along and all related back to that original diagnosis of BC!!  Goodness me!  End of moan!
  • Zoffiel's avatar
    Zoffiel
    Member
    8 years ago

    I'm curious about who's 'responsibility' this pain is. The medical oncologist has referred me to a physio to help with my useless feet and tendonitis, because this is a recognised side effect of the chemo so at least I'm getting some treatment. How  much good that is doing is yet to be determined, but at least it isn't getting worse.

    The business with the boob and the armpit? Well, that seems to be no-mans land. I'm done with the rad onc, so there is nothing to be gained there. My surgeon has finished with me, and I with him. It's not like he is going to go back in there and do something about it anyway and at our last meeting he told me things would improve with time. That's reassuringly vague, isn't it..

    My poor GP is stuck in the middle not really knowing who she should be asking if this is 'normal' or not. I wasn't given any warning that I would be in more pain now than I was 12 months ago when I had a great lump of meat hacked out of my armpit so its all come as a bit of a surprise when I though I should be getting 'better' by now.

    The physio, who is a lymphedema specialist, is now not sure if she should continue with massage to try to break up the persistent cording and scar tissue or whether that is only making things worse. I'm usually pretty good at self assessing but I'm stumped. On the great scale of 'everybody is different' there are some commonalities that we don't get told much about. Humph.

  • melclarity's avatar
    melclarity
    Member
    8 years ago
    @Pammy46 I'll be honest i dont think it recovers mine didn't and was always painful. I had a recurrence at the 4yr mark 2015 so a year after chemo i did the mastectomy this year. X
  • Pammy46's avatar
    Pammy46
    Member
    8 years ago
    @melclarity I get the chest pain too I rang the breast nurse today she said it can take years.. today it was very sore especially under my arm everyone keeps saying massage but it's hard to massage it when it's so sore! I made an appointment with a physio for next week who specialises in  lymphodema so hopefully can get some help x thanks @adean it always helps knowing someone can ease your mind.. I'm 5 months in taking tamoxifen as well 
  • adean's avatar
    adean
    Member
    8 years ago
    Im 5 years post and only last week l went because l was in so much pain in my breast that had surgery and radiation. My surgeon told me its my body tring to regenerate back all the nerves maybe thats what is goin on. I think it took 4 years for the radiation pain to subside but not actualy go. Adean x
  • melclarity's avatar
    melclarity
    Member
    8 years ago
    @Pammy46 I remember feeling exactly as you heading into my 1st year mammo after having radiation. Unfortunately radiation hardens the breast, I always found it difficult each year with a mammo on that breast, so always told the Nurses its bloody painful due to radiation treatment, so they were gentler but still not great. The other thing is Radiation creates something that not alot of people know about..I learnt the hard way within the 1st year I was getting chest pain/breast and back pain. Turns out it's cramping, and to this day 6yrs on I still get it doesnt matter what you are doing, it can be just a sudden turn the wrong way. This year I had a mastectomy so I don't suffer the breast pain but the cramping is the same within the chest and back. I just learnt to live with it. Add in chemo...yippee!! that shrinks the sheath over your muscles so now I get cramping right throughout my body and is only alleviated by stretching exercises. So its a long recovery. xx M
  • Romla's avatar
    Romla
    Member
    8 years ago
    Me too @Pammy46 I had lumpectomy and sentinel nodes removed March with follow up widening of surgical margin.Then 16 rounds radiotherapy- left side and is lobular. Had a course of antibiotics due pain in arm recently believed to be cellulitis - just finished and noticed rapid improvement after 24 hrs on drugs.Last night visited emergency at local hospital as chest pain getting worse - had ecg , blood tests and X-rays heart is ok so a relief. Given fo m for ultrasound and going to see onc asap. Am on Letrozole as er+ and 6 monthly Prolia jabs for osteoporosis. Read a lot of ladies complaining of similar months afterwards - one mentioned costochronditis - have a look back at previous posts we are definitely not alone - is a search bar on homepage use terms like breast/ chest pain . It's great to know we are not alone but I'd still get it checked by your oncologist just to be safe. Can imagine the thoughts running thru your mind and needs to be settled by a professional