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ask: Sharp burning pain in my nipple/ now breast

By sharona60 June 12, 2009 - 11:18am
 
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I awoke this morning with sharp burning pain in my nipple and it has continued all day long. It isn't like the swelling or heaviness or ache of menstrual pain. Nor is it like the pains in the breast that I've experienced before and been told was due to caffiene. I don't consume very much caffiene and am only about 20 pounds overweight. My breast looks the same, I just keep getting this jabbing pain right in the tip of the nipple. If I hold my breast in my hand, it seems to ease up if not stop. If I let go or bend over, it is really bad again. I am 48 years old and had my only child at age 40. Most importantly, I can't afford and do not have health insurance so no doctor will see me. I'm kind of scared but trying not to be. I don't feel a lump or anything and no discoloration.

Actually, I wrote all of this yesterday and now today I am experiencing the pains in the left side of my breast instead of my nipple. Maybe it is just caffiene related. I hope so. Any info would be appreciated.

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Anonymous

I have the same thing and im 48...i dont have insurance eather..but its scarey..i havent had a mammogram but once in and around 1998...i have gained weight i was 97 lbs back in 2003 then i got happt lol..and gained some weight now im 125..5 ft tall..no discharge eather...some times its under my arm , sometimes anywhere under my ar is always sore ...oh yeah i tlaked to a dr back in 1989 and they said its probably caffee related ..so i have my coffee in the mornings like a two 6 oz cups and water most of the day im a water drinking freak ..what do you think ? ..thanks Annette

October 12, 2011 - 4:40pm
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Anonymous

I know this is an incredibly old post, but I experience the same pains occassionally.. at times, it even radiates pain down the inside of my left arm. I found a link which might be of interest to some of you. It's rather academic, but eventually understandable with a dictionary! the link is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK277/. Good luck.

October 1, 2011 - 6:56pm
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Anonymous

I know this is an incredibly old post, but I experience the same pains occassionally.. at times, it even radiates pain down the inside of my left arm. I found a link which might be of interest to some of you. It's rather academic, but eventually understandable with a dictionary! the link is http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK277/. Good luck.

October 1, 2011 - 6:56pm
lexanglin

It started yesterday, I'd move a certain way and I'd feel a quick sharp pain to the side and underneath my breast. I have the sensation on both the left and right side, but it is the left side that hurts the worst. When bending over the pain is at its worst, it almost feels as if my breast is tearing away from my chest, upon standing, the pain disappears. At first I thought perhaps my bra had irritated me somehow (it's an older bra I've worn many times, but underwires can on occasion cause trouble). The pain was not constant, only bothersome throughout the day if I happened to move and trigger the pain. Late evening as I was cleaning up before bed, bending and stooping would set it off, even stranger was the odd burning feeling, as if I had been touched by an iron, however my skin was not warm to the touch (like an infection can be) and there was absolutely no distinguishing marks of any kind, nothing at all to indicate injury or irritation. Self breast examination performed and nothing out of the ordinary at all. I had my husband do one as well but he felt nothing different. As I was feeling around looking to see if maybe I had been spider bitten, I realized that the area where the pain originates was somewhat numb. I could still feel the pressure of being touched, but the skin itself was completely numb (like the numbing sensation after topical Lidocaine has been heavily applied). I woke this morning and I haven't had the pain, I've tried bending to see if the hurt came back and so far it hasn't, however, it still bothers me and instinct tells me that this may happen again.My husband thought maybe I had pulled or strained a chest muscle, but I do not recall any sort of straining that would cause this.Since it is not the breast itself, but where it "attaches" to the chest, I don't believe that some of the suggested diagnosis is entirely accurate. I know that lymph nodes are in the same basic area, so of course, the thought of cancer has crossed my mind and it terrifies me. I am also enduring another physical problem - swollen feet and ankles. Could be just a coincidence and I have two separate issues happening at the same time. About once a year or so, my feet will swell up to look like water balloons, I've always suspected it was a combination of the high heat typical of California, something I ate (I suspect MSG), and more than the usual physical activity with long periods of standing or walking. I pretty much have the swollen feet problem every vacation - which is usually in a warmer climate, I've eaten local foods that are exotic to me, and I've walked all over the place. Only this time, my feet bloated almost immediately after eating Chinese food, and the burning boobs occurred later that same day. I didn't over exert myself having gone nowhere so the whole thing strikes me as odd. Jeez I think I wrote a book...sorry. I am freaking out and I want to know how and why this just Tah-dah! happened. Thanks...

August 22, 2011 - 1:10pm
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Anonymous

ok dont panic, the best advice would just be to go see your doctor and tell him/her that you may think its cancer - the thing is there are sooo many other reasons why us ladies get pains like that so I wouldn't panic and say it could be cancer.. evertheless don't just put up with it... everything will be fine.

August 18, 2011 - 9:38am
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Anonymous

i am having the same feeling one of my nipple( the right side) feels like it is being pierced repeatly and sometimes burning i am 21 years old and i have no discharge no discoloration nothing crazy i am not pregnant and not on my period it has been going on for 4 weeks now and it happends on and off ahhhhhhhhh it hurts!! help i read on line something about cancer?

August 18, 2011 - 9:21am
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Anonymous

im 20 too and on occasion i do get a lil pain still.. i did look it up tho and found this site that says in younger women it tends to be the cause of hormonal changes - like when the time of the month comes round.., so that;s what I put my pain down (when I do get it) - it's usually around the time of my time of the month anyway - is that the same for you too?

August 17, 2011 - 3:22am
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Anonymous

Is it normal for a 20 year old like me to have a nipple pain? it feels like it's wounded but it's not. This don't happened everytime, and it's only on the other side of the breast.

August 17, 2011 - 3:09am
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Anonymous

Does anyone have a diagnosis yet? My doctor is stumped. In some bloodwork it did show my prolactin is elevated so he is sending me to an endocrinologist, but that would not cause the symptom of the burn I have from deep beneath my nipple out to the end of my nipple of my left breast. I am 45. I have no other symptoms whatsoever. The burning sensation goes rapidly from 0-10 and lasts 15 seconds and comes when I hug, hold a grandbaby, carry groceries, lay on my side too far, cross my arms. It's like putting my nipple to a stove burner and not being able to pull away. Ultrasound was normal, mammogram normal, breast tissue feels soft no cancer, pain when the doctor presses or squeezes behind areola. I took 7 days of cephalexin and now on 10 days of doxycycline. He is also referring me to a general surgeon. I had a partial hysterectomy at 39. I still have my ovaries.

May 23, 2011 - 6:00pm
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Anonymous (reply to Anonymous)

Seems like many of us have the same symptoms (me too), but not many answers other than to go see a doctor. Doctors know a lot, but they don't know everything, so I commend all the women that are going out a researching the information themselves. It's important to understand your body and not just turn the responsibility over to someone else. We know the importance of seeing a doctor, but we come here for other answers.
My best guess is that it is fibrocystic breast disease, which is considered benign. Breast pain isn't usually associated with the discovery of breast cancer, so you can relax and just continue with your regular screenings and self-examinations.
Click here for more info: http://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/update1005c.shtml

Nikki

January 5, 2012 - 12:53am
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