Still having pain 6 months after core needle biopsy
I had a core needle biopsy just over 6 months ago. My diagnosis was mastitis and I spent 20 days on antibiotics and seemed to get better. Six months later I'm still having problems. My breast is so sore and tender that it is impacting my daily life. It hurts when my kids hug me. I won't let my husband touch me. It hurts if anything brushes against it. Walking across the floor makes it hurt. And now I'm on daily pain medication because the pain is radiating into my shoulder area. It continues to get worse as time passes.
I went back for my 6 months check up a couple of weeks ago and expressed my concerns. I was given a clean bill of health and told that "sometimes breasts just hurt, take pain medication". That was when I knew I was getting no help from that doctor. Really? They don't hurt for 6 months non-stop.
Could this be from the metal marker placed in me? The doctor told me those don't cause pain, but I can't believe that anything else would be doing this to me. I had a lumpectomy several years ago and it was a lot easier on me than this biopsy. I also, just months prior to my biopsy, had a majorsurgery to remove a different medical device from my body because of all the trouble it was causing me. I just feel like my body doesn't play nice with foreign objects.
Any advice on what I should do? Is an exacto knife and needle nose pliers to fish the crazy thing out my only solution? I feel like all the doctors at my clinic think I'm nuts.
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Hi Longrun-
We're sorry to hear of the pain you're still experiencing! 6 months seems to be a long time to still be in this much pain from a biopsy; is there a way you can get a second opinion from another doctor/surgeon on what may be causing it? We know it can be frustrating when your own doctors don't seem to be listening to you. A second opinion may be the best course of action at this point.
We hope you find out what's going on, and are free from pain soon!
The Mods
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Thanks for the reply. I do see my gynecologist in a month for my yearly checkup. I will be getting her opinion then.
I'm just frustrated and wish it had never happened.
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I was beginning to think I was being dramatic, but after reading your post I'm not the only one with severe pain. It has been a month since my biopsy and the pain is very intense. It's not just the breast, but the nipple of that breast is so tender that bathing is painful. I cannot stand for clothing to touch the breast so I have to wear a bra 24/7. I a seriously considering calling my physician because I have not been able to find any form of relief. I also do not take pain medication because it irritates my stomach.
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My biopsy pain didn't abate until I had the breasts removed several weeks later. I'm sorry you're having this experience.
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I have similar issues. I went to a top surgeon for the proc procedure on my other breast and I have no pain. My stereotactic biopsy from what I understand now was completely unnecessary. The breast hurts for weeks then stops. Then hurts again. I really hate being operated on but I hear more and more frequently that those markers can be the cause. I'm not surprised as I know I tend to be very sensitive to many things. But I still don't get it. Unfortunately I didnt use a goodbye surgeon for that procedure but my top notch specialist who did my surgery wanted nothing to do with this issue and completely dismissed it
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I am still having pain after 6 months from the biopsy( which was cancer free ) but I don't want to see a doctor, what was your your final decision?
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marie - this thread hasn't been active since 2018 so it's not likely anyone will answer. However if you still have pain after 6 months, you really do need make an appointment with the doctor.
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3 years out from my biopsy and lumpectomy I still have periodic soreness but not to the extent you are describing. There are a lot of nerve endings in your breast that may have been irritated, but I’m not sure what can be done about that. Physical therapy can bring some relief. I would most definitely go back to your doctor or seek a second opinion.
You are not nuts and should not be made to feel so.
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Is your pain at the site of the biopsy where the doctor made a small incision? Or elsewhere? It is possible that the compression from the mammogram paddles could cause some bruising (if that is how your biopsy was performed). I was very sore and tender in my my first few ribs for a good 10 months after my biopsy which, according to my doctor, was most likely from some bruising of the bone as well as deep tissue bruising resulting from being compressed so tightly and for so long. (My core biopsy took awhile because I had two spots that were very posterior and difficult to get into view and then difficult to access.) That pain lingered long after the pain from my lumpectomies had subsided. If the pain feels like it is more inflammation or irritation within the breast, or that your incision didn't heal properly, it can't hurt to see your doctor about it.
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CHECK TO SEE IF THE METAL CLIP IS IN THE RIGHT PLACE!!! Mine was placed in my pec muscle. I had exactly the pain you described even though the tech at the end of the biopsy said the clip was in the right place. Once it was removed during my lumpectomy I finally had pain relief. If you had a clip insterted have it remioved!!!
Hi everyone.
I need your stories!I am currently writing a book on stage 1 breast cancer as I had a horrific experience that didn't need to happen.These ranged from gender bias where my symptoms and pain were not believed, resulting in unnecessary suffering and damage, to doctors having very little knowledge in their fields, for example Hyperbaric oxygen specialists that not only unaware that it is the only approved treatment for radiation damage, but even after giving them studies to support this, they still didn't believe me and refused treatment.
On top of this, there is the industry's constant over simplification of guidelines (mastectomy or radiation and lumpectomy for every stage 1 BC case) and the over treatment of patients.In 2018 a study came out that 70% of early BC patients did not need chemo.Then why were they giving chemo patients that didn't need it!Why were they testing a treatment before it was administered! Women are never told how much each of these treatments will help them so they cannot weigh the benefits and costs to treatment.They are just told they have to do it.For example, some women will only receive a 7% reducing in the chance of their cancer coming back from radiation and this is according to the NCCN the governing body or cancer research. Shouldn't these women get to decide if that benefit is worth permanent damage and the possibility of severe side effects?)Then to top it off, there is no accountability in the industry (please read "Unaccountable" by Dr. Makary) and completely driven by money (please read "The Price We Pay" also by Dr Makary. Dr. Makary is a surgeon and teacher at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Health)
So I want to hear from you.Were you ever told how much different treatments will help you?Were you ever in pain and a doctor said it was in your head or it wasn't that bad?(Both of these were said to me.)Were you told about all of the side effects of treatments, before you started the treatment, such as a long-term safe effect of chemo is cardiovascular damage?Or that you would have permanent damage to your skin, muscles, ribs (and heart of it was done on your left side) from radiation?Post-cancer did you have issues and no doctor had the knowledge to help you?
To all of my BC sisters I want to thank you for your time and we will get through this!!
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I had a biopsy 1 month ago and they hit a nerve towards the end of the procedure. I am in a significant amount of pain that is getting worse. Radiologist informed me that women don’t have pain longer than 4 weeks following the most extensive breast surgeries and my body was meant to take worse teams than the biopsy. My breast feels like it is on fire. I’m confident I have nerve damage but don’t know who to see next to figure out how to manage the pain and get my life back. Did you follow up eith your doctor? Did they recommend any specialists to help with breast pain? My biopsy was benign which is good but I really don’t know who to get help from as most breast specialists seem to be oncologists when I search providers. I feel stuck and could use advice on who to see next. Do you feel any better
(I have a friend from college who had similar issues w her biopsy and she had burning nerve damage for over a year and dealt with it. I just can’t live with this indefinetly)
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Pain - conventional wisdom says to see your doc if you still have pain after 2 weeks. I'd probably start with my OB/Gyn. If you don't have one for regular, everyday, woman things - you should.
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Ugh it sucks! I'm having the same issue 10 months after 3 makings were left in my breast following q biopsy. I was told the same thing "sometimes breast pain just happens. If I could cure it I would be rich" those the words a doctor told me. I feel that my pain is caused by the markings because my body is super sensitive to metal.
I hope you were able to find answers.
Thanks,
Nia
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For anyone else who looks at this thread: if you have metal sensitivities, tell the interventional radiology who performs the biopsy! I did, and she took off the clip before performing the biopsy. If you don't tell them, they have no way of knowing.
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I read your article and I have the same thing. I’m having lots of pain after a core biopsy to my breast. My pain is radiating down my arm, into my shoulder and all around that area. I’m on constant pain killers. I wish I had been told that there may be side effects. It has affected every aspect of my life and I cannot work and very depressed most of the time with this pain.
How are you doing? Do you still have pain. Have you had any treatment that may help?
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Hi there, Bevjane! We're sorry you are here and in pain, but we wanted to warmly welcome you to our community, we hope you find this to be a supportive place.
As this is a bit old thread, you may not receive responses from the members who posted here. We'd suggest you send the member you'd like to hear from a Private Message, so she can directly answer you.
You could also start your own new topic under this same forum to reach others who are currently active on the boards. If you need help on how to do so, just let us know.
Good luck, and please come back to let us know how you're doing!
The Mods
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Oct 29, 2021, I had a core biopsy for a very small spot, I was on the table when they discussed the titanium marker, scared to death, laying face down, I felt like they were selling a product? And made me feel I had to have this thing! I'm sorry to say, I felt the whole procedure was barbaric. Laying flat, head twisted, mask on, I was hyperventilating, they told me to stay still, the noise from the machine, the pain of the two needles, being squished in the mammogram vice. I was told to then turn over, that I had a small blood clot, I tried, I was still clamped in? The assistant ran over and apologized, I turned over, the doctor massaged my breast to get the clot moving. I was very sick after that, they did another mammogram to make sure the clip was in place, 4 mammograms in two weeks? I was in bed all the next day, in tremendous pain.
After 3 calls, and 2 months later in pain, they gave me an ultrasound, my breast was not healing and could see where the needles went in. I was told by the specialist that I had nerve damage and now 6 months later, still on gabapenton and swollen breast and pain. I was told the clip was not the problem???? I don't believe that. What to do?
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Still having pain from the stereotactic biopsy a month ago which left a hematoma in my breast. I kept thinking tumor growth was causing the pain (it hasn't come out yet) until I read your posts.
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The metal clip can cause allergic reaction and inflammation. I was in terrible pain after biopsy. And after 6 months of torture went privately to get the metal clip removed (my doctor didnt want to do it). The pain went away just to come back half a year later as cancer. I will never know what caused my cancer but I will always think it was inflammation from initial biopsy and metal clip.
Just recently I had another biopsy done. They inserted the clip again. But after conversion with my surgeon she agreed to have it removed. She also confirmed that the clip can cause pain or allergic reaction in women.
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Hi! I just had a biopsy today. I told them that sometimes I have a reaction to jewelry. They asked me if I had a metal allergy. I told them that I have never been tested but I can't wear non-platinum or non-gold jewelry.
They inserted a ceramic marker instead of titanium. I have never even heard about a ceramic marker before.
Just wanted to bring this up in case it helps someone else. I am still very numb from all the medication/lidocaine so don't know how much pain I will have.
For those of you who had issues - did pain and/or bruising start right away or was there a delay? Don't know what to expect.
Thank you.
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Hi Ilikedogs,
I have implants. I have had a stereotactic biopsy and a needle core biopsy. In comparison, I would not do the stereotactic again and request the needle core biopsy. I found the needle core biopsy easier physically and mentally. The bruising will go away in a few days. Honestly, I did not have any issue with pain. You can ice it if it is painful. I wish you the best of luck with good results. The waiting is probably worse than the biopsy pain and bruising.
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Thank you so much Wondering44. So far so good. Starting to feel some pain in my breast and for some reason shoulder blade but I might just be very tight from all the stress and laying in that weird position
And yes - the whole process is very traumatizing. They told me that they had to do stereo biopsy because that’s the only kind that really shows calcifications.
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