Painful boob

Hi and a very warm welcome to the online community

I'm sorry to hear that you're still in pain. I was passing and noticed that your post hadn't had any responses yet. This is probably because this is a very busy group and your post has slipped down the page before the person with the right experience has seen it. By replying to you it will 'bump' it back to the top of the first page where it'll be more easily seen.

I hope you're able to get this pain sorted out quickly so that you can return to the gym once the lockdown is over.

x

Thank you x

Hi , sorry you’re still having pain, sounds similar to me last year. I finished rads end of January 2019, but had a painful boob, and in particular the nipple, for months after. I don’t remember tge timescale exactly but it was way longer than I’d expected. I couldn’t understand the nipple pain as my scar, although long, isn’t near the nipple. But I still have blue dye staining just above my nipple, 18 months after the op, so I think that’s where the dye was injected. It was done under anaesthetic at the start of the op so i didn’t see it done, while some people have it in advance under local anaesthetic. So, long winded way of saying I think the nipple pain started with that dye injection. Radiotherapy finished off the job, it got sorer and sorer during the 3 weeks. I mentioned it at a consultation near the end of rads and the consultant said nipple pain is very common and gave me some dressings to help stop my crop top (couldn’t bear a bra by then) from rubbing. These helped a bit but the pain carried on well beyond the rads. The end of it was like a huge black scab (sorry if tmi!!) which eventually fell off when I was post rads moisturising 3-4 months later. That felt like a bit of a relief but it was still very sensitive for ages. Still more sensitive than the other. 

In terms of when you might be able to go to the gym, I’m not a gym person but do Nordic walking after being diagnosed with breast lympheodema post rads. The lympheodema nurse recommended it, as well as swimming, as the best ‘treatment’. I’ve been doing it now for nearly a year and it definitely seems to help all round. She also said my bras weren’t supportive so I got fitted with properly uplifting, supportive bras, not my usual type at all! They actually helped with the nipple soreness as they’re slightly padded but also just keep the boob stiller so less rubbing. I don’t know about the gym though as that is probably a lot more rigorous. I assume you have a decent sports bra? 

Re pain in the rest of the boob, I’ve had that too. It’s quite lumpy, particularly along the long incision line. I was advised to massage it to help break up the scar tissue but I’m not very diligent. Maybe this will remind me to start again! I will say that my one year mammogram was pretty painful. I still sleep on my back, having been a side sleeper, as it feels painful/ uncomfortable to side sleep now. 

Sorry this is so long, really just wanted to say you’re not alone! And both nipple and boob pain have gradually lessened, but it has taken time. For months it also hurt ridiculously to change into 5th gear but that’s completely gone now. Like so much of this malarkey, our bodies are all different and react in different ways to the various assaults that have been carried out on them! Positioning of lumps and scars also influences the after effects I’m sure. 

Wishing you well (if you ever get to the end of this hideously long offering, sorry, think I’ve lost the art of summarising!), hope you can gradually get back to the gym, love and gentle hugs, HFxx

Hi thanks for the reply, maybe it is the blue dye thing as I had mine at the open too , regarding the scabby nipple  I had that as well , found it slightly satisfying when it started coming off

It’s good to know it’s ‘ normal ‘ and eventually the pain will lessen, I’m just impatient and want to crack on with life even though I can’t coz of this horrid coronavirus.

Guess I’ll just have to go with it ♀️

️sent , Alex