breast cancer fears pain in left breast, pimple like things etc...

[mom2boys]

I have noticed pain in my left breast for awhile now. Nothing has changed. It hasn't got worse it seems to happen a couple weeks before my period. I try to brush it off as PMS. I have lots of other symptoms the week or so before also. Headaches, mood swings etc. What bothers  me is that it's mostly the left breast. It does go away so out of the many reasons I go to my Dr. I have not mentioned that symptom...

A year or so ago I got a strange pimple like thing on my right breast. I waited for it to go away and it did eventually. But since then I get them on both breasts. A single pimple like thing or 2.

So now I'm starting to put these together as breast cancer. Of course it's always in the back of my mind since cancer is a HUGE fear of mine.
Do you think the pain would have gotten worse or I should have felt a lump by now if it's cancer? My Dr. of course also does a breast exam with my yearly stuff. I have not had a mammogram yet. I am 33 I guess they usually start around 35? No breast cancer history.....
Of course I looked up breast cancer (((googled))) I guess I never really thought breast pain was a symptom or pimples/boils whatever they are.... But low and behold I guess breast pain can be a symptom esp. since it is only one breast.
I am so sick of being scared. If it is breast cancer I have had it a long time.   
I have my physical Aug. 23rd. I suppose I'll bring THAT up  too along with of all my other symptoms... I'll add that to my freaking list of things that keep coming back... NOTHING just goes away anymore. At first with my mole worries I thought Melanoma was causing my symptoms. Now I'm worried it's been breast cancer....

[crazygirl1]

  I"m sorry...I'm 38 and havent had a mammo yet, but I have had breast issues in my family-though none cancer. My mother & sister both have had benign issues & I do think pain & feeling a lump is what their symptoms were. I didnt realize a pimple like thing could be a sign of BC.
ok-lets take it from the top:

dont google-I know i know its waaay easier said then done, but just dont, we wont let you LOL
-how long exactly have you had the pain? and it isnt all the time/every day?
if it were bc & been there a long time I'd think you'd have other issues by now, right?
you'll see your dr. soon, maybe see if you can get in earlier?
You're ok, its the HA taking something small & harmless to the next level for you, as if you didnt already have enough to keep ya busy in life huh? lol

[factory girl]

Hi,

I have done  the exact same thing as you. Breat tenderness has always been a PMS symptom with me. For some reason I started worrying a lot about it. I googled it and lo and behold found out the same thing as you. 

A friend of mine went to the docs with breast pain but the docotr didint think it was BC he actually prescribed her with anti depressanst for anxiety! turns out she was having other health related worries ... sounds familiar!

You may be misrembering what you read. Your not alone, I think we have all done it.

[mom2boys]

I don't know if pimples are a sign a sign or not. I suppose a rare case of inflammatory breast cancer(IBC). It seems to effect the whole breast though not as pimples more like the entire skin. I don't know. Googling is bad. I could find any symptom resulting in some type of cancer on line, I'm sure!

I have had pain in that area in the weeks before my period for a long time. It's off and on. I don't know if it happens every month or not. I have definitely had breast exams by my Dr. since I've had the pain. I guess I was always convinced pain was not a symptom of BC

I'm not having the pain now. I don't think I will try to get into the Dr. sooner. I already had to wait a long time for my physical this time. I called back in May and got an Aug. apt!! Of course I have seen him since remember the mole??? The pimples I keep getting have me worried. It's what made me put the pain and pimples together as breast cancer. I would imagine IBC would have developed more serious symptoms by now. Most people in the world would probably think the pimples are from sweat in that area...
I'm so exhausted from the constant state of worry/panic that I have cancer. Every freaking thing you look up on line tells you to see your Dr...... I wish I could take comfort in that I DO SEE MY DR.!! I go every year for a complete physical. Hopefully something would be picked up then... Never having a mammogram has me worried though. BC is not always an obvious lump.... (((sigh))

[crazygirl1]

I know...I just googled the darn colon cancer crap again and now im off on that..this is hard, really hard.
I have read that puckering of the skin can sometimes be a sign of bc. I'm not quite sure what that means but I think it's got to be different than a pimple...
Is this a gyn. you've been seeing-for the mole or a gen dr.? I know with my gyn. it takes so long for an appt. too, but sometimes they have cancellations and stuff so think about that, maybe if they don't have anything available right now they can call you if an opening comes up from a cancellation?

[mom2boys]

A gyn. for the mole? No, it was my regular Dr. then a surgeon.
This is also my reg. Dr. for my female stuff. I stopped going to my OB after having my 3rd child. It was easier to do everything at the same time once a year...

I'm sure I could get in with him right away if needed. I do it all the time. LOL I guess I didn't really see a reason to do that now? I've had the breast pain for years and have definitely been examined by him since. I've also had pimples off and on so I don't think I need to rush in... My physical is Aug. 23rd . It's the physical that takes a long time to get in for. Not regular apts. I was just planning to mention these things then. I'm not having breast pain now. It happens the week or 2 before my period.

I've had so many apts. this summer with the mole removal (twice) and several things for the kids. Then we made Derm. apts for body checks that had to be canceled do to my husbands uncles funeral. I wasn't even able to get all 3 of us in again before school starts. So I just made an apt. for them to get skin checks and I'll go after school starts. My Dr. will check my skin at my physical also...

I guess I was wondering if anyone had similar symptoms...

[crazygirl1]

lol ohhh I thought you were seeing a gyn for everything...I actually only go to my gyn for the yearly pap, i dotn even ahve regular physicals..wow...
well since its before yoru period always it has to be hormone related, nothing serious right? It's hard to relax though I know.

[mom2boys]

I was searching IBC.. I know so bad!! There was some info on it starting as a bug bite looking thing. Great. Although there are a lot of classic symptoms that I don't have. Swollen breasts, inverted nipples (dimpling), rashes (Orange peel look of skin). It says it happens suddenly . I don't think a pimple here and there is IBC. But I was also pretty floored with my severely atypical mole. I think if it was IBC it would be more wide spread by now. Not just a couple pimples. I've had one that was more on the top of my breast, more like on my chest also.
I know I have classic hypochondria behaviours. I really do. But I can't shake the feeling that something IS wrong. Which I know every hypochondriac thinks....
The medical sites are so scary. Seriously telling us about rare, horrible cancers we should be looking out for..

So how have you been crazygirl?

[crazygirl1]

I cant figure out how to do that quote thing...."I know I have classic hypochondria behaviours. I really do. But I can't shake the feeling that something IS wrong. Which I know every hypochondriac thinks....
The medical sites are so scary. Seriously telling us about rare, horrible cancers we should be looking out for.."---yup thats me too, i get myself going so bad on some days that Im nearly shaking.
I've been ok, mostly pretty good until the last week or so. I'm starting to get upset again over the moles that I have left-2. And now my birth control pills arent working again, so I've got these 2 things I need to take care of & I feel like I'm rushed because I want them over with before Sept 16. Thats when my MIL leaves for vacation-so I'll be home with my daughter fo rthe week. I dont get paid vacation so its a week off with no pay-fine by me but I know my husband will make a face as the time gets closer . Anyway I'd like this stuff to be over with so I can "be" with my daughter that week rather than worry. Simple really-call, get appt with derm, wait a week for results. But its hard because I have to work around my husbands schedule, though maybe I can just take my daughter this time-the dr. has already seen the moles & didnt say much, only that the only way to know for sure is biopsy. So bringing her this time is a possibility because I dont have to wonder if the dr. will say Oh YES its cancer for sure! ( my luck-he will this time..omg..) anyway I've been putting it off...then i need to get my lil one to the dentist-her 1st time isnt going to be easy...meanwhile I just feel like I'm going to die of cancer...I went onfacebook, adn realized hey-one day I'll start hearing about people I went to high school with having/dying from cancer..omg one of them will be me--these are my seriously crazy thoughts.
I htink I'm also putting this off because I realize its only a matter of time until my husband realizes my HA problem

[mom2boys]

I had to take all 3 of my kids for one of my mole apts. Since I had to see the surgeon for the 1st procedure then needed more taken out... I would imagine it would be no big deal to take her if you have to. When I only had one kiddo I took him everywhere. I still do take all 3 with me a lot because I have to but it's not as easy. LOL

I got on the computer this morning to check 0457, email etc and started googling IBC again I keep looking at this pimple thing on my boob. I do wear tight layered sports bras while exercising with a t-shirt over them at the Y. Then wearing a swim, suit often. I guess being wet from sweat or swimming and friction could cause irritation or pimples. I've also been so obsessed with things on my skin since the mole scare... Oh well I can either keep checking and googling or go to my Dr. (((again))) before my scheduled physical...
You 'll be OK and feel so relieved when you get those moles off. Try not to worry. He would have insisted those come off 1st. Your others were fine these will be too
I know what you mean about the apts. I really didn't want to be spending my sons B-day waiting on biopsy results. I had to cancel the apt. for the funeral though so it didn't happen...
Thanks for the replies and to factory girl too... It makes me more nervous when no one responds to my concerns. Like they are thinking "yeah, she has breast cancer I better not respond"....

[Cassandrascrazy]

Ok this one I can help with...I am older (52) and have had those pimple like things pop up off and on for years. i think when I was in my 30's I was freaked out by them too but my doctor said it was nothing and I have never paid attention to it since. You are fine. You do not have IBC. When I was freaked about IBC the dr told me I would DEFINITELY know if I had it because it was such a severe onset .
You are fine..just anxiety. Don't google. (I don't have room to talk..I spent half of yesterday googling..it is so bad for us)

[mom2boys]

Thank you!! I'm glad I got a responce from someone who has had them. I agree IBC seems to happen suddenly and with more drastic appearance. Not just pimples popping up on both breasts here and there. They do seem to take longer to go away then regular pimples elsewhere. I guess always being covered could keep it moister and take longer to go away. It's summer and w/the tight exercise clothing and swim suits it seems to be a good breeding ground for bacteria etc... I also don't do hot and humid very well and sweat a lot in my regular clothes...
If it's still there by the time I go in for my physical my Dr. will see it. If not then I won't be worried anyway :) It makes me feel better that I've had them on both breasts and that they do go away....

[diana66]

I empathize with you completely!  Have been through what you are going through - and unfortunately, due for my followup mammo September 8th and dread it big time!!!

IBC is one of the most scariest things to possibly read about or google - I truly wish I had NEVER heard of it!  The specialist I saw told me it progresses quickly, it is not subtle...I asked about the fact that "it is often misdiagnosed".  He told me that internet stuff is outdated - that no modern doctor does NOT think about IBC when a patient presents with symptoms.  So much of the description is vague - who doesn't get pimples on their breasts once in a while?  Or a bug bite, or other itch?  Leave it to US to worry about such things!

I know we try to give reassurance, but truly, pain should not be ignored-  Talk to a doctor about it - it very rarely means anything, but still, I don't think we are doing each other favors by saying "pain never means cancer".    I am still seeing a doctor for my ongoing pain - we on about 1.5 years of this weird discomfort that no one can figure out.  So far, we think hormones..

[mom2boys]

Thanks Diana :) I'll definitely bring up the pain at my physical. As it gets closer, as happens every year, I'm dreading going more and more thinking this will be the time my blood work is off. Or they see something in the chest x-ray or one of my "symptoms" results in a referral for more tests
I'm a little calmer about the breast cancer now. My newest
pimple" definitley looks like it's going away. I started using my face soap on my breasts. LOL No pain now either. That always comes when I'm approaching my period. I wouldn't be so concerned if it wasn't mostly my left breast that hurts around that time... I'll tell my Dr. at my apt.

What type of pain are you having?