Hi Worrywart,

Have any of the health care professionals you've visited given you any sort of diagnosis? I am not a doctor, but I do know that pain seldom accompanies breast cancer. If something was torn it should have shown up on MRI. Has anyone mentioned the possibility of hormonal changes causing this pain? This is one of the commoner causes of breast pain. 

As far as I know, if you pulled something in your breast, it would be unlikely to show up in imaging, unless you had actually torn something.  Can you try and forget your worries and be comforted by the fact that you have seen so many different specialists, who have found nothing sinister? Try to remind yourself that 'it isn't cancer until you're told that it is.' 

Life is too short to be depressed all the time and, worrying about what might never come to pass. This could still settle down, so please keep in touch and let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine

Thank you for kindly reply

I have not had or been offered an mri scan. I have had a mammogram and ultrasound which was only on a certain area of my breast I think.

No actual diagnosis has ever been given. You are so right life is to short to worry and I do try my best. It is hard to forget though when I have this feeling and pain.

I don't think it is hormonal, it is so hard to describe as my breast is not actually painful to move around or even lie on it is just the sensation in and around it which has lasted so long. 

I have never suffered from health anxiety and until this happened very rarely visited my gp. I am just struggling with this. 

Thank you again for taking time for me. X

Hi Worrywart,

It would be unusual for an ultrasound or CT scan to only be carried out on a certain part of the breast, unless your care team were doing additional tests after finding something in the first instance. The aim of the breast clinic is either to give you a cancer diagnosis, or to dispel your worries when nothing abnormal is found. It sounds as if you have been fortunate enough to be in the latter category.

I can however understand that you are still worried when you continue to have the pain after so long and, you feel no further forward. You do not say what age you are, but it sounds as if you need to see your GP again and to look at other things. Have you for instance have you had an x-ray of your ribs to make sure that you haven't cracked one? Perhaps you need to see a cardio-thoracic specialist or to have a look at your hormone levels , which can be checked with blood tests. I hope that you manage to find an answer soon.

Please let us know how you get on. We are always here for you.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi Jolamine

Thanks once again for your reply, it is much appreciated.

I agree I am so fortunate that the breast clinic found nothing untoward. It was a year ago that I went there and I was so relieved after my visit. But the ongoing discomfort is really disturbing with no diagnosis. I did not realise that the breast clinic was only geared towards breast cancer diagnosis though I assumed it was for all breast concerns.

I am 57 and did have zoladex injections for at least 6 years for fibroids, so I presume I am in the menopause now.

The associate physician did listen to my heart and lungs and said they sounded fine. The nhs physio said that they didn't feel it was muscoskeletal. I have also seen private physio and oestopath who have no idea what it is either.

I was back at my gp last week who prescribed gabepentin again and said maybe they could write to breast clinic again.

I will update if I find out anything in the future, I suppose my point was to see if anyone had ever had anything similar. Thank you once again for your input. X 

Hi again

Thank you for replying so quickly to me. The pain is just my left breast. The osteopath did think it could be related to my ribs but the physio ruled this out as my ribs are not sore to touch or move.

It was a bit mixed messages when I attended the breast clinic, I initially visited the doctor with the pain and they gave me gabapentin. Then I was doing a breast exam and thought maybe I felt a lump, I was quite sure it was normal but wanted gp to check. Gp didn't want to and referred me straight to breast clinic, so everything there was based around what I thought was a lump. I tried to explain about the tearing sensation and pain but tbh they weren't very interested. So associate physician said maybe I could be referred again and she would word the referral differently. (hood this all makes sense).

I will try the gabeoentin again, I have also tried amytriptiline and naproxen. I was also prescribed sertraline but did not feel they were the right thing for this.

Sorry to be so long winded, as I said I just want to be able to put this behind me. It has been a long 16 months always thinking about it and feeling it.

Many thanks for taking time to read x x x 

Hi Worrywart,

I am not a doctor and have not been through the same symptoms as you, so all I can do is surmise, given your information. If you had damaged a rib 16 months ago, it would be unlikely to still be sore, although it still could be from time to time. The person to discuss this with would be your GP, who could refer you for an x-ray. This should show whether on not you sustained a hairline fracture, which could be the cause of your breast pain. 

I am sure that there must be others on this site who have had similar symptoms and hope that some of them come along soon to enlighten us of the causes. Personally, I would not feel happy taking any of the drugs you've mentioned without having a diagnosis.

Kind regards,

Jolamine xx

Hi jolamine

Thanks again for your time and advice. You are right I really don't want to be taking any of this medication without a diagnosis. I have also spent a lot of money on medication, physio and osteopath which I obviously wouldn't mind if it had helped.

Gp is reluctant to send me for x-ray as my chest is clear!!

I do wonder if I maybe tore a nerve but no one seems to know if this happened.

Anyway thank you so much again and if I ever get to the bottom of it or it ever goes I will let you know.

Best wishes x

Hi there Worrywart

This sounds so like me. How are you now? 
I've had a terrible year this year. Despite two clear mammograms 6 months apart and a clear ultrasound I still have pain with no reason given by GP and at breast clinic which I've attended twice now. My nipple is still also inverting but no reason given for this at all other than may be hormones?? 
I too felt a tearing sensation after stretching on a shakti mat which was after my first mammogram and appt at breast clinic and I feel this has made the pain worse. 
I now have pain in my upper arm which feels like nerve pain and could be a coincidence but my mind has gone into overdrive now. 
GP is not concerned at all but I'm just worried sick every day. 
I'm 57 and post menopausal been told was non cyclical pain. 
x

Hi Pauline

Unfortunately I never did get to the bottom of this. It all started over 2 and half years ago now. The pain is still there but not everyday, it can go away for a couple of days but then comes back. 

I have been to the breast clinic twice. First time had mammogram and ultrasound and nothing found. The second time was about a year later and consultant was a bit dismissive. He did not want another mammogram as previous one had only been a year before. He had a quick feel around said everything felt OK and that was it!! I tried explaining about feeling the tear and what the pain felt like but he wasn't interested.

I have now just got used to worrying about it and the sore feeling. X