Topic: Underarm pain after lumpectomy, holding my arm akimbo

hi Mary

I had surgery the same day as you! Mine was mastectomy with removal of all lymph nodes under arm and one lynph node in chest area. I was thinking of posting on topic of pain also! I had had mastectomy of my other breast 7 yrs ago with only 5 lymph nodes removed and remember the pain well now (its all coming rushing back!) as like a super-bad sunburn that burns and chills under arm, down back of upper arm, and across shoulder area a bit as well. Also very sore around drain site. However this time the pain feels so much worse. Am wondering if this is due to the removal of more lynph nodes this time? Does anyone have a suggestion re this? My understanding is that the burning soreness is due to damage to nerve endings during surgery and this makes sense, but just not sure why it should be so much worse this time?

The good news Mary is that from my memory the pain does eventually ease a lot - I remember eventually being at the point where I felt it  if I was very tired or had been using my arm a lot.

Neece

hi again

I am finding the pain is easing a very little each day. Am hoping that once I get the drain out this particular source of discomfort will cease. Fingers crossed. I agree the exercises are very helpful - it's a shame they didnt give you these in hospital. Doing them under the warm shower helps!

Good luck eh?

Neece

hi again,

Hey I just discovered the sticky discomfort a day or so ago as well! feels like I am peeling my arm off the sore points every time I try to lift it! Am hoping the drain will come out in the next couple of days, it depends on when the fluid output drops to the required level. I guess it is doing what it's meant to do.

Received path report yesterday and will be starting chemo in a couple of weeks, then hormone therapy after that. It's OK, I feel this will lift my long term survival chances to really good level.

N

Hi Neece:

I will probably be starting chemo around the same time as you. I have an appt with an oncologist on Monday, 31 August.

Echo/Mary:

The sticky sore feeling in the underarm area is easing. I removed all the steristrips in the underarm area and am just left with a stubborn few on the incision on my breast which seem to be very reluctant to budge. I applied loads of baby oil yesterday and wiped the area fiercely before showering. That really helped. I would like to go to yoga classes but feel I wouldn't be able for regular yoga classes. But I am walking up the walls with my fingers and notice an improvement.

Mary, did you lie on the bolster so that it was running lengthwise under your head and back, or did you put it horizontally under your shoulders and outstretched arms?

I have underarm pain second to axillary dissection on 7/17/09. I also had re-excision partial mastectomy and the second incision hurt worst than the first. I am exercising my arm even though it still hurts. Good luck to all. 

MTG: I had the retired the ice packs. I used ice for the first three days or so, but I might try using it again as sometimes that underarm area just feels so hot and sticky.

Me too, I pulled the icepack out and used it again last night. It was soothing ... at least until it warmed up.

Are you all using the flexible kind of icepacks or the hard plastic ones? I have one of the flexible ones that came in a thick pouch with velcro that can be used as a hotpack (warmed in microwave) or cold pack. I'd like to get a second one but don't know where to find them. The one I have has a small leak and if I'm not careful, I get a blue stain on my clothes. Also it would be nice to have two so I could always have one in the freezer.

Hi Me1ani:

What I'm feeling at this stage is soreness rather than pain. It is getting better by the day as I hope yours will too. I didn't have tingling or pins and needles. Soreness/pain is worse when I stretch my arms over my head, but I think pushing myself to go a little further each day is helping.

I see you only had one node removed whereas I had six removed, yet your pain is worse. I'm guessing the sentinel node may be deeper than the others so they have to do some digging to get at it, resulting in the nerve damage.

I hope the physical therapy helps you.

Mary

I had a lumpectomy and sentinal node removal on October 28th. (A week ago now) I assumed my pain would be lessening each day however I have been feeling the same underarm pain as described by MaryNY that feels like a cut and painful irritation in the crease of my armpit on the lump and node removal side. I'm glad to read the informaiton here and don't feel so crazy calling my surgeon tomorrow.

I hadn't wanted to call because I kept thinking I should be feeling better, not worse and predicting that the surgeon wouldn't have any thing to offer. Reading now that others have experienced the same thing and that there are even potential solutions (other than "wait longer") is very reassuring.  Thank you!

Finally saw my regular dr. who agreed to prescribe Lyrica. Thank the heavens! After 3 days I definatly saw an improvement. Though the pain is still there - it is no longer at the head of the line driving me crazy. My BP was 160/110 when I saw the Dr. He asked "have you been in pain?"

"Uh, yes, thats why I'm here!"

Anyway - I was suprised my surgeon said he didn't know about Lyrica and grateful my regular Dr. was able to do the prescribing and that it seems to be helping the pain. 

 My armpit is still numb and I'm afriad to shave it - looking a little European on one side! 

Lyrica helped...