Topic: tender breast

I'd say the answer is yes. The radiation makes my breast tender too.

Diane

Hi,

It's been 2 years since my radiation treatment and I STILL have tenderness.  The close hugs and tummy sleeping are all done very carefully now.  Oh, and mammograms are even less fun than before! 

But it's tolerable.  Take care!

Watson

After I finished rads I would cringe everytime someone looked like they were going to hug me. The sensitivity lasted about a year. I used to wear a fanny pack around my waste when driving, and would hook the seat belt under the bottom of the fanny pack so it wouldn't touch my chest area. All that eventually went away.     Kate

I just finished my rads last week.  I have a lot of sensitivity or tenderness in my breast.  I do have it in the left side a little, but in the right side a whole bunch.  Up and down stairs in miserable for me.  My doc told me that the tenderness could last up to 2 years.  He said what was left at that point was not going away.  I am ever so hopeful that it will beging to get better.

Dawn

Thanks to all of you, not that I'm glad we're all in pain, but that it's a normal side effect.  It's been 5 months since my radiation treatments and my breast hurts more now than ever.  I'm glad to hear that the pain will lessen with time!!

Thanks,

Claire

I finished rads in Jan 08 and during that time my contralateral breast became very tender and sore.  My bc surgeon did an ultrasound and it was normal and told me it was an "emphathy breast" reaction to the rads.  Hmnn.

Now, it's April, contralateral breast is still sore and tender and the one that had bc is very very sore and tender.  Seemed to get a little better after rads and then--now worse.  Saw my OB/GYN and she did a breast exam and didn't see or feel anything odd.  R/L Breast MRI in February was clean.

Gosh, I am troubled and SORE!  No one seems to have any answers.  You know - scared about recurrence, trying to be positive. 

In addition have this right side rib cage pain.  Sometimes so sharp it takes my breathe away and I exclaim in pain outload scaring all around me.  One doc says nerve inflamation; another possibly a cracked or broken rib.

Am I normal.  Most of my friends and family think I'm paranoid and over-reacting.  I truly want to get back to the world of the living and not complain, but I hurt and I am scared.

Any comments, help, prayers.  Thanks.

Hi All,

I too had swelling and tenderness.  The tenderness started right after my lumpectomy and got worse and included more swelling and pain after rads.  I am now 18 months past rads and still have all the same issues.  All the Docs, BS, onc, rad onc all could not figure out why I had so many issues!  I kept going back each 3 months and no one could give me an answer.  They did an ultra sound to look for infection but saw nothing but "inflammation".  The belief is that there is necrosis in the tissue and since my lymph system was compromised due to rads and SNB evidently the "inflammation" could not find a way out!

Very frustrating to see all these "experts" and all of them look at you and have no explanations.

BTW the good news about my persistence is that I eventually got my onc to agree to annual breast MRIs and in the first one they found a .6mm mass.  So while I do not think any of my symptoms had anything to do with the BC recurrence it did make me continue to push for tests which allowed me to find the BC much sooner!

My take away is that none of us is crazy and if you are concerned about anything and do not feel you are getting adequate answers keep going and keep pushing until you do!  Get a second or third opinion if you need it! 

You are all in my prayers!

My dear sisters,

I am so sorry for your pain; however, knowing I am not alone, knowing its "not in my head" and that all my friends, family and doctors telling me with words or unspoken looks that I should be well by now, the radiation doesn't cause "that", your breast is just the same size, you should be okay now right--you're done with treatment. 

Anyway, thanks for the responses.  FYI my BC Surgeon ordered an anti-inflammatory.  I'm just not sure. You see, I have prescriptions for anti-depressents, anti-inflammatory, nerve pain, pain pain, constipation, and only the Lord knows what else.  If I took them all I'd probably be dead even though they are all prescribed (so much for what are you taking list).

For me, I am going to go about the business of living.  I'm going to eat, sleep, drink, make love, work, garden, and whatever else til it hurts.  I hurt anyway so why the hell not.  If this BC beast rears its ugly head again, I'll cry and weep and continue to pray like I do now for myself and all of you.  But, you know what - I'll be ok and so will you.  And, I'm going to give myself permission to know that I do hurt and it's ok to be gentle with myself when I do.

Trusting in the Lord,

I didn't wear a bra through my rads treatment because I did one day and it tore my skin under the breast so I just didn't wear one, but it was winter.  I did try a bicycle top you know the short sleeved tight ones it felt sort of good because it didn't move around and rub the skin. I also slathered on pure Aloe Vera Gel the clear stuff, not coloured and it was a strange feeling when I'd apply it you could literally feel the heat coming out weird. The worst part is the nipple itching I was constantly holding my hand over it any change in temperature would cause it.  Stil get that a bit but not to often. My breast healed well, but in the last month the outside of it started feeling really tender like an idiot I thought good pms I'm going to get a period, sadly I'm looking forward to one, I think it will make me feel a little normal. But still no period just the tenderness. Don't quite understand why it is starting up now.  What I don't get is the denial that comes from the rad onc...it's alway an answer like....really well that's new or thats different, one day I'm going to tell him fry a testicle and let me know how it feels a few months later.  That was mean but it would be funny.

I feel the same way you do and have wanted to say the same thing!!!  My rad told me that a month after rad I wouldn't know I had it.  It's a year later and my nipple is still very sensitive.  My dermatologist recently prescribed Zonalon in combination with Aquafour (not sure of sp.)  I would recommend you ask a doc about this option.  I am feeling much better.

What I love about this site is that we all have the same concerns, we all tell our docs and all of our docs say we are nuts. THEY are nuts, they don't do radiation on themselves, they just practice it on us. He said, after the first week, "see?, this is ALL we are doing to you". He never said all the side/after effects. I thought he was the honest one, looking me straight in the eye. Telling me he was going to be right there through all of it. Last time I went and lightly complained, he blew me off. I left feeling stupid and empty. LOOK- DOC... its smaller. LISTEN TO ME... it HURTS. it's enough to want to take pills everyday. And that breast looks different and that hurts my feelings in a weird way.

About seeping, no, I haven't had that, but there's a waxy sort of discharge and it itches a good bit. They didn't let me use anything but corn starch when the skin broke down. Now I don't care. It reminds me all by its self every day. Never thought hugging would be a problem. Never in a million years did I ever think I would stuff my bra, don't like that either. I should be back in the bitch and moan thread.