Anxiety is not letting me live.Swollen armpit
Posted , 8 users are following.
Hello my friends. I'm so anxious and right now i'm trying my best to write with tons of tears in my eyes. I'm scared, too scared. It all started 2 months ago when I was in my third round of clomid. This time they gave me 100mg and also to take 4 mg of folic acid per day (the other 2 times i took 50mg of clomid and no folic acid). After taking the pills, while I was going to ultrasounds to see if I ovulated I notice that my left armpit was a little swollen ( I am right handed) but didn't feel pain just a little discomfort that sometimes went to my arm and neck but nothing that will make me stop sleeping or doing things. I asked my fertility doctor and said that it was not because of the pills. Went to the gynechologist and she couldn't feel any lump anywhere. Went to my GP and told me to go to a breast and cancer specialist. In the meantime the waiting was so long that my GP said to go to the ER so they can make an ultrasound. I did but... they did an ultrasound for my veins and not on my swollen armpit. Ridiculuos. Even though I complaint they didn't listen. My armpit looks a little bit less swollen, only a tiny bit. Today finally got the appointment and she touched my armpit over and over again. She was making me put my arms up and down. She was concentrating so hard closing her eyes but she couldn't understand what it was. She felt a little lump on my breast next to that armpit but she said it felt like a cyst. She saw my ultrasounds from the ER but she automatically said "you'll have to do a mammography even though you are young (i'm 29. no history of cancer in family) and then an ultrasound" That freaked me out and makde me thing that maybe she saw something in those other ultrasounds? idk. She then said "i'll see you in 3 months and if by then you still have it or feel discomfort then we will send you for an MRI"...... idk what to think....
I don't want to be sick. I want to be a healthy almost 30 yo woman and be able to have a family as my plan was to proceed to IVF on January. I'm so scared. It's been 2 months since this all started and none of those days i've been able to have a calm day because i'm scared. I can't understand how much wait for an answer......
1 like, 14 replies
JaredDunn Bluestrawberry
Posted
Bluestrawberry,
Relax! You probably have nothing to worry about. You have several things working in your favor.
First, you are young for breast cancer and have no family history. Women can develop breast cancer at your age but it's rare. Usually women that are diagnosed with breast cancer at that age have a strong family history of the disease.
Second, a swollen armpit (or lymph nodes) can be caused by many things. Any irritation or infection can cause swelling. Also, it's only been two months. There are people on these boards who have had that type of swelling for two years (and their test results came back negative).
A mammogram and ultrasound are the routine tests for this type of complaint. Although cancer is rare for your age, they still must rule it out since it's the most serious condition. You shouldn't worry over the fact that they ordered these tests. It's routine.
Most women diagnosed with breast cancer first discover a hard lump. Neither you nor any of the doctors you've seen have found such a lump. The cyst that the doctor felt is harmless. It's easily differentiated from cancer because a cyst is fluid filled and cancer is solid.
So, relax! It's most likely nothing serious and will eventually go away on its own. But the doctors must follow their standard care and rule out the worst case scenario.
Try not to worry about it. Anxiety only makes everything worse.
Bluestrawberry JaredDunn
Posted
Bluestrawberry
Posted
So again I'm freaking out...... I wasn't able to sleep at all and I start using my phone to google stuff. I put " swollen armpit with no lump" " armpit mass" " mass in axila", etc etc..... all of them ALL coincide in saying that is a sign of metastasis. Seriously...... I am beyond stressed right now. No kidding, is 6:12 am and I have t slept a second. I was touching my armpit and I don't understand what the hell it is.... it pops more when I'm lying down than when I'm standing up... it doesn't feel smoot but it have the feature of fat idk.... then the lump under my breast is smooth. Or soft but not that hard like rubbery and moves when I push it to one side and the other but doesn't hurt. I want to end this uncertainty!!!!
CO-Jenn Bluestrawberry
Posted
I have a 2nd one now under same arm (right for me), it was big as a baseball when removed the first time although it looked 1/5th that size - I was told it is extra (I think they said axillary, but she said it means extra) and I was less than 21 when my mom noticed it when we were at the gym. I didn't freak but she did, so I had the mammogram and the ultrasound - it kept growing so it was eventually removed (around 30 because all testing confirmed it was ok). Your doc was likely looking for a kind of cancer that hangs out in lymph nodes, in breast cancer the lymph nodes "filter" out anything bad and then the under arm lymph nodes and causes them to grow or swell - so the doc being very through is good and finding nothing that made her worry is great! I am now having one that bigger than an extra large egg, and starting again with the testing, they don't normally grow back - and I no longer have a mom to be there too, so now I too am trying not to be scared until I have a reason. Plz have this settled before moving to ivf, if you happen to have any cancer adding those hormones is like gas on a fire, my fertility doc wouldn't proceed on any woman without a clear mammogram because over 90+% of breast cancers feed on those hormones.
I want you to know that fertility drugs can (gaining weight, other things like that) can cause you to grow extra breast tissue - many don't know that everyone has breast tissue under their arm, it's why in the breast self exam information it says to be sure to extended your circles under your arm. It is very likely just extra breast tissue and the testing will most likely (over 90+%) going to be breast tissue. Have you noticed that your breasts have grown? Even if they haven't - then it is still super common! Some get it on one side more than the other or only one side only. It will be harder for you to get pregnant if your stressed - believe me as I am now in the 1% that it comes back, just do the mammogram and bring a friend to drive (that day concentration may be tough), WHEN it comes back as normal tissue - you still keep an eye on it, look for changes in shape and size + check it for lumps monthly like your breasts and if it grows (know it is normal for it to get bigger surfing your cycle or pregnancy), but if it's much bigger when those 2 things aren't an issue then go back, see the breast surgeon/specialist - it will still be breast tissue, but they like to remove that witch "grows and changes" because it has a TINY chance at EVENTUALLY becoming cancer due to the changes - but the chances are TINY! I am 37 now - so many many years out from my fist mammogram. I hope knowing hat the doctors need to be certain it isn't cancer because of ivf coming and only "triple negative breast cancer" doesn't feed on estrogen, progesterone, and one more I can't think of, but you inject for ivf! Good luck on the baby, try to stay calm, most times you will know the day of the mammogram for sure. Also, as many doc's call it - try to stop asking Dr. Internet - since he doesn't know you personally and the complexities of your individual body - Dr. Net sends up everything and that's super crazy to try to sort through. Its better to try to take care of you, schedule your mammogram asap (I am having a hard time listening to this part of my advice, but since I made this account to write you back, first thing tomorrow I will be rescheduling), and try to sleep - preferably where you need to get up to reach Dr. Net...
Take care, try not to worry - it's super small chance that it's anything other than normal tissue. You might not like it - I know I don't (no under wire bras because they annoy it, I won't wear sleeveless stuff out, all because it makes me uncomfortable - and when it's bigger - shaving is hard, but nothing really life changing!).
Bluestrawberry CO-Jenn
Posted
Hi CO-Jenn! Thank you for your answer!!! My plan was to proceed with ivf on January but I'm so anxious to end this uncertainty and know what this is. I have it in one armpit and it haven't change size ( it went down but a tiny bit almost nothing). Since that last clomid round my God I feel everything have changed. My period was terribly heavy and painful ( I also have endometriosis) but gladly only lasted 3 days and I start having pimples and well, that thing in my armpit too. The little lump on my breast I don't know since when I have it but is rubbery, smooth and moves when I put it between fingers pushing It from one side to another. That breast is bigger than the other one ( always have). I also have stopped this year ( before I notice this) using wire bras and found an amazing natural deodorant that actually works!. Anway, I was hoping for them to call me today for the ultrasound and mammogram approval but they haven't. I hope next week. Is like I want to do it fast but at the same time I'm so scared that I don't want to. Is weird. Now I'm on birth control after my last period after clomid and it seems it wants to come earlier as I've been cramping and spotting but I haven't stop the pill yet. I'm sure I also have a terrible hormone imbalance. Also none of my doctors could feel lymph nodes so we all want to really know what it is. Of course from that night and this morning I spent on the internet investigating. Oh god is so negative! Now I'm scared to have lymphoma. I actually wrote another post today freaking out. And I know it sounds annoying but since I was very little I had a lot of issues controlling my stress. I also don't like to stress my family or friends with it and I mainly don't talk about it with them ( mostly because if they get nervous that wouldn't help me at all). I'm just waiting to make that appointment ASAP. The waiting is terrifying. It gives more time to freak out. Thank you for your answer!!!!!! I hope it is breast tissue or a fat deposit! I hope you make your appointment time t soon too! Keep me posted! 🙌🏼?
CO-Jenn Bluestrawberry
Posted
This might seem odd, but if there is a way I can send you stuff privately, I will send you a pic of what I have. With your rubbery lump you need a mammogram anyway be for you do ivf - frankly even without it! Do you know the hostest on E! News or is that just a US thing? Her name is hard to spell but I will guess Giuliana Rancic (I looked it up) she was about to do ivf in CO where I am and her clinic has a to-do check list before you can be approved and her mammogram she thought what? Why? I am only (around 30+ish maybe if I remember correctly) and she ended up being told she had cancer when she was alone since it was just to get the ivf check list done. Bottom line she is fine now after a couple surgies and treatments - that's worst case. I think she was stage 1a or 1b - either is very early and her baby born by surrogate she credits with saving her life since she had already done some of the ivf - egg stimulation and retrieval and she had a couple of frozen embryos. Had she not bad the mammogram and put more hormones in her body - her choice would of become discontinue pregnancy since that jump in hormones from being pregnant and after the injections would of made that cancer go from stage 1 to 3-4 very fast and could of left her to have a baby and leave the infant or maybe toddler or not have the baby and have the surgery and chemo right away - I would see that as an IMPOSSIBLE choice so I think you need to start thinking positively because breast tissue and fatty tissue are almost the same, under your arm they are the same since you don't make milk that far out and that is the largest percentage chance of what is happening. I would encourage you to us non hormonal birth control in this short time on the TINY chance that there is something else going on, but it's not something I would say is a must or something to see your doc asap about - just think about if you can do something like condoms until your mammogram. My bigger request is to call your doctor since your waiting on pre-approval and be sure the request is for a diagnostic mammogram not a preventative mammogram - for you it means just making sure it's extra breast tissue so diagnosing it as that. The wording sounds scarrier but it really isnt, it just gets you done quicker so you can take a deep breath and a sigh of relief sooner than later. Also when you call your doc, ask them to order it asap and call your insurance - it might be different there, but here a test ordered asap from a doc, as soon as it's approved it is done in 24 hours. Also don't let the ultrasound scare you- Dr. Net says when they see something on your mammogram you will be taken back for an ultrasound...but let's be frank - your boob will be smashed in 2 directions each and looked at closely, but how would your armpit lump be checked that way? It won't be physically able to be mammogram'd so they will look at it with ultrasound, since the can't really get it on the mammogram. Dr. Net though says it's a 22nd step to look at something that doesn't look correct, but it isn't always true - like everything else, it's true for some, but it isn't true for you and I.
Now next you said you are scared you have lymphoma, but what I was saying before about the rare cancer that is in your breast and causes a lump under your arm in your lymph nodes is EXACTLY what I was talking about! It makes your lymph nodes bigger, more towards the surface and very easy to find! You doc feeling all over even with her eyes shut picturing what she was feeling but couldn't diagnose or find anything dramatically REALLY DRAMATICALLY reduces that as a possibility! Congrats you have less than 1% chance of having that - of everyone only 200,000 women get it per year, so I would feel very very safe crossing that off Dr. Nets list of "maybe's" ok?
Lipoma is something if your going to ask Dr. Net for info on, it's a fatty growth and the other is "Accessory breast tissue "– "An uncommon condition in which additional breast tissue is found in the axillary (underarm) area. Women with this condition often require special mammographic examination." Twin this was an uncommon condition since many people had the test, we're told normal breast tissue and went no further, so they didn't have it removed or anything - and the scary sounding "special mammographic examination" is what I said earlier - armpits don't fit between the 2 smashing plates so they need looked at differently. These 2 conditions are the most likely. Maybe you can find a pic similar to yours and then feel better, but it may make you more scared since I find Dr. Net tends to go with worst case....
Please try to find comfort in the fact that even if you do have a cancer, most breast cancers, even the most spread cancer of stage 4 are not only treatable, they are curable and unlikely from everything I read you wrote + opposite of your family both sides (mom and dad's) did of a few different cancers so my risk is high especially due to my mom passing in 7 weeks from diagnosing stage 4 colon cancer and my dad having 100 large polyps that the doc said "they are of the size, type, and texture that 80% come back as cancer" - words I will never forget, but I will also never forget the follow up when all 100 polyps came back negative - but increased both of our risks for cancer later should we stop having colonoscopies witch can prevent it. Cancer is now and will probably always be a stomach dropping, heart skipping word, but now it is more curable, more findable (early), more treatable and cureable than it ever has been before. If you need to talk I can give you my number privately (only signed up on here for you so all I know about direct messages is that I have it checked, so you would need to start something like that). I have even had a grandpa with breast cancer but I was 3, treatment isn't what it is now 34 years ago so we lost him, but I am 99% positive based on what you have said that you are healthy and if you look up the 2 conditions I be live you have witch aren't cancer - please keep in mind when it says that growth can happen in your cycle (could be why it got a bit smaller, it will change through your cycle), and that it can grow when your pregnant - it means that if your on fertility drugs they can cause growth too! I am sure there is a large time difference, it's 11pm here and I am usually up late if you need anything, but my late could be your early!
I feel in my gut that my experience prepared me to share it with you and help you. You have only one "check mark" if you will in the - it might be a tumor (they come in both noncancerous - way more tumors are, it means lump or growth - but people's mind goes to cancer and they do come in cancerous, but it's way more rare than people think! In the it's fine side you have - your family history, your fertility treatment that causes things to grow (also please confine folic acid even now because if you get pregnant with it in your system then you lower the risk of things like down syndrome and some other issues like that so I take it and prenatal vitamins over the counter now even though I am not currently trying but you want to be as healthy as you can be when you get pregnant - regardless how), your 323rd thing on the side of it's not cancer or serious is your age, your health is 4, and you keep up with checking on things it seems to me (i don't know you, but from what you wrote, it seems that way) and that counts twice since an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure - so maybe instead of 2 points to a good outcome it should be 16 since there are 16 ounces in a pound...so by my count you have 6 or 20 points towards a great outcome..... Try to think of these things, ok?
CO-Jenn Bluestrawberry
Posted
The er checked to see if you had a blood clot that could kill if it was blocking blood or even fluids it could cause a lump, but here the rest of the lump testing wouldn't be done in the er even if the wait was years, you would be referee back to who your gp or the doc that said see the er because the dvt is the only emergency. Its not hard to but a few buttons and check the tissue, but if they took an extra few minutes with each non emergent person then they would double the wait and not have anyone to treat the life threatening things. Its hard to except it when your scared and stuff, but they did what they could....
heidi22354 Bluestrawberry
Posted
Hi Blue strawberry, do you still have your armpit issue? I as as I have the same.... for the last 2 years. Swelling in armpit but no lump, some days more swollen than others and now I get pain/ache that goes down my left arm. I had a mammogram 6 months ago which was clear, and an ultrasound the Dr who done this said it was clear and no signs of excess or any breast tissue (a previous consultant told me it was excess breast tissue) the space just above my clavical on my left side also swells which I have told my Dr but this has not been addressed. I just want to know why my armpit swells, why I have the achy pain down my arm and the swelling above my clavical and why is it worse some days than others. Just to note it's not after exercise or anything it's just there most of time just varies in severity. After re reading your worry i see you were taking hormones... I am 49 and going through the change and my hormones are all over the place so I wonder if there is any way it is linked to hormones?
tuke10338 heidi22354
Posted
Hi heidi22354, I have exactly the same symptoms you have, although mine just started w/in the last month, coinciding with PMS/my period. Swollen left amrpit but no lump; breast pain (which might or might not be connected to my period); and aches up and down my left arm. No swelling in my clavicle area though. I'm 46, so I'm going through peri-menopause as well, so I'm thinking this is all because our hormones are going crazy?! p.s. I've also been reading about non-cyclical mastalgia, and it seems that our symptoms might point to that, too? Thanks for listening! I'm so thankful that I read your comment--I've been getting so anxious about this.
heidi22354 tuke10338
Posted
Thank you so much for your reply, I have been feeling very alone with this issue and No one understand how uncomfortable and scary it is. I will look up non-cyclical mastalgia.
pomita heidi22354
Posted
Hello, it was good to read your post.. my symptoms are similar to yours but quite severe as of now. I have pain and swelling in my right breast and armpit from about 2 months, US and mammo were normal but showed dense breast. Dr said it's likely to be hormonal, since I'm 41. But from 1-2 weeks, the swelling in the armpit is getting worse and now I can hardly move my arm. The breast seems to be bigger, too, and it's not pms time.
I'm very scared of getting inflammatory breast cancer. Can hormones cause severe pain, and affect the armpit so much? And why just on one side? Should I get a second opinion?
jennifer3939 pomita
Posted
Hi Pomita. I was wondering if you found anything out? I have been on a Keto diet since January 30th, about 2 weeks into the diet my breast started getting sore and under my arms. Especially my right one. I think my anxiety kicked into overdrive cause I couldn't sleep ever, kept checking for lumps at least 5 times a day. Finally I have called my doctor and she really thinks it's hormonal plus she told me with this diet I needed to be taking vitamins such as flax seed. She did tell me if it wasn't better in a few days to call her back and she would get me in to see her sooner (I have my regular mammogram scheduled for May 9th) I have to say my breast isn't near as sore as it was when I called the doctor that day so I am going to keep my regular appointment time in May cause I am believing it's hormonal. My doctor even said that as long as it comes and goes, and the soreness seems to move around and not stay in one place that's caused my hormones.
ambrielledawn heidi22354
Posted
Wondering if you’ve received any answers for your condition seem to be going to the same thing wondering if you had any good advice
pomita Bluestrawberry
Posted
As far as my case was concerned (I think I posted the outcome in a different thread at that time), it did turn out to be hormonal and gradually got better with regular doses of primrose oil and vitamin E. It again resurfaces sometimes since I'm perimenopausal, but has not been so severe since then.