Phantom Breast Pain anyone??

hoop77
hoop77 Member Posts: 84
edited August 2022 in Breast Cancer #1
I am going through bilateral reconstruction with tissue expanders, awaiting my exchange surgery Aug 26th (Yippee!!!), but lately I have been having stabbing pains in my right 'breast". I've heard about phantom pain, but it seems to be described as tingling, numbness which I have already. This is a deep stabbing pain. Anyone else experience this?

Comments

  • jo jo
    jo jo Member Posts: 1,175 Member
    #2
    I had deep pain...feeling
    I had deep pain...feeling like it was behind the expanders on the chest wall. My doc said that it was just part of the healing process...some have it some dont. But i would at least tell your doctor about it cuz it could be something else going on too.
  • roseann4
    roseann4 Member Posts: 992 Member
    #3
    jo jo said:

    I had deep pain...feeling
    I had deep pain...feeling like it was behind the expanders on the chest wall. My doc said that it was just part of the healing process...some have it some dont. But i would at least tell your doctor about it cuz it could be something else going on too.

    I had a partial mastectomy.
    After a year and a half, I still have pain sometimes. The doctor said it has to do with nerve endings and in my case radiation which will cause tenderness in my breast for the rest of my life.

    Roseann
  • hoop77
    hoop77 Member Posts: 84
    #4
    roseann4 said:

    I had a partial mastectomy.
    After a year and a half, I still have pain sometimes. The doctor said it has to do with nerve endings and in my case radiation which will cause tenderness in my breast for the rest of my life.

    Roseann

    Thx girls! That makes me
    Thx girls! That makes me feel better. Can't wait for the exchange surgery although after reading about your wandering boob JoJo, I'm a little apprehensive...You are such a joy to this website and an inspiration to all. Sure hope things work out for you and soon!

    Roseann, I had terrible trouble with nerve pain and now my skin doesn't burn anymore, just the tingly, icky feeling is left. I wonder, does that ever go away, or do you just learn to live with it? I still cannot bear to wear any clothes that don't fit tightly across my chest. The movement of even a t-shirt drives me insane.

    Thx again,
    Laura
  • survives
    survives Member Posts: 254 Member
    #5
    hoop77 said:

    Thx girls! That makes me
    Thx girls! That makes me feel better. Can't wait for the exchange surgery although after reading about your wandering boob JoJo, I'm a little apprehensive...You are such a joy to this website and an inspiration to all. Sure hope things work out for you and soon!

    Roseann, I had terrible trouble with nerve pain and now my skin doesn't burn anymore, just the tingly, icky feeling is left. I wonder, does that ever go away, or do you just learn to live with it? I still cannot bear to wear any clothes that don't fit tightly across my chest. The movement of even a t-shirt drives me insane.

    Thx again,
    Laura

    I think maybe it does diminish--
    but I don't think it ever totally leaves. I had a left mrm (no recon), and still have problems with phantom sensations in that "breast"...even after 4 years.
  • sea60
    sea60 Member Posts: 2,613
    #6
    survives said:

    I think maybe it does diminish--
    but I don't think it ever totally leaves. I had a left mrm (no recon), and still have problems with phantom sensations in that "breast"...even after 4 years.

    Me too! And it's been 4 1/2 years.
    I'll tell you what plagues me the most...back spasms! Ouch! I need to find out what exactly is the reason for that. If I stretch a certain way, my whole right back side cramps up.

    I've just learned to avoid stretching...
  • 24242
    24242 Member Posts: 1,398 Member
    #7
    Pain
    Well I have heard of phantom feelings of having breast but nothing so spacific to PAIN issue. I suffered much pain and you might want to jump on quickly because our bodies do not like to be in pain. Stabbing and goes away well that might just be part of healing since go deep sometimes for clear margins of cancer.
    Let them know of your pain and keep track of it and if anything actually helps to get rid of it Advil tylinol etc.
    Nerve problems can be direct cause of surgery so if it goes on for a month then you need to keep telling them until they listen. Side affects sometimes are just thought of as part of the process but suffering is not.
    Tara
  • cabbott
    cabbott Member Posts: 1,039 Member
    #8
    phantom pain
    Before I had surgery I went on a reading spree at the local library and read about amputations (scary stuff but I felt like it was appropriate seeing as I was about to have a mastectomy). The phantom pain stuff was addressed in full there, unlike most breast books. The first month is worst for sure. By two months, most of the sensations start to ease off. By two years, most of the pain disappears for most people. I still notice (last breast operation in 2002) once in awhile, but it is not bothersome and almost never painful now. At first the little nerves were bruised and fire like they were stimulated. Most often the pain nerons fired away but sometimes it's another sort. I hated the tickle sensations. One thing I recall the book mentioning is that neurons can only fire one charge in about 15 minutes. Sometimes you can get them all to fire off at once and then they will be turned off. Light massage (AFTER THE DOCTOR SAID I WAS HEALED!!!) seemed to set off the tickle ones all at once and then I could have a break for awhile. 15 minutes is long enough to go to sleep. Sometimes the doctors can try various lotions that can interfere with the nerves firing. Ask your doctor before you experiment too much. After all, you are talking about a sensitive place on your body that has already been altered and you don't want to make matters worse.
  • funnygirl50
    funnygirl50 Member Posts: 1 *
    #9

    I had my double mastectomy in 2002 and I still get the horrible itching and firing nerves at least once a year. It lasts about 5 days and I truly want to shoot myself! If it was continuous I don’t know what I would do. Nothing seems to help , has anyone used Lurika?

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