I had a mammogram this past Monday and the technician pulled the skin apart from under my breast too. I have a gash under both breast where the breast and upper torso meet. One gash is across the whole bottom so about 4" long the other is about 1" long. These are very painful especially if you get soap in them while bathing. This is not the first time it has happened to me but when it does I put an antibiotic cream or ointment on them. I've been having mammograms down for years now and I chalk it up to inexperienced techs. Next time I call I am going to ask for the BEST tech they have.
Samr here....I found this sight trying to find if this is normal.
I thought I was the only one. I'm 52. I am not large chested, I'm the one they always have to get the smaller plate. I hyperextended my left shoulder, which prevented me from lifting it When it came time to change the plate position to one breast,, my hair, which is long, got into the first picture. She said, "Oops, we got your hair." I couldn't lift my hair. By then, my arm was in excrutiating pain. I had to stand for another x-ray with my arm up. It's in my chart about my arm,I have an ortho appointment coming up. Oh my God, the pain was not describalble, in my arm, and she crushed and squeezed my breasts (during the single pictures).
I woke up Thursday with incredible thirst. I'm not diabetic, but I'm a nurse, and I hadn't put the 2 together. My chest was hot, and I really hadn't thtought mammogram. I thought, "Excessive thirst...omg." All day long excessive thirst. My mammogram came back normal.
And my chest was warm. I had excessive throat dryness yesterday, and I got nervous, or hypochondriac, and I went to Wal-greens and bought a cheap fingerstick machine. I promptly checked my blood sugar, which was 81...I went about my day, and checked it again after dinner, still incredibly hot and thirsty...2 days after, and it was 100. Saturday (this morning), I woke up, thirsty, fingerstick was 70. Now mind you, I've never even had a symptom of diabetes, but my job is to read charts all day long, so I know the symptoms. I closely watch my diet so I don't get diseases. I'm shocked I didn't already own a fingerstick machine. ...then I realized something...
I thought about it, putting the warmth feeling of my chest (still sore), and my thirst together. Tonight it's Saturday night. My chest is warm, still. My breasts hurt, and still feel the plate on them. My shoulder is fair. I tried drinking enough today, but my chest is still hot. My back feels like it shifted during the left breast picture (where I caught my hair in it)
During a mammogram a few years ago,I was charged incorrectly,and it went all the way to collections, cause I had insurance, but the hospital tried charging me for the entire procedure, which amounted to recieving a bill fo rover $700. I refused to pay it, cause I knew it was covered in my insurance. The hospital had to eat the cost, no one had ever heard of being billed for a mammogram before. I said, "I'll never get another one. Not after this.'
Wednesday's didn't cost me anything, and Encompass makes you get one...glad I only have to get one a year.
This was ridiculous, the pain, the thirst, and it's still hot tonight. Like there's heat inside my chest. It's the mammogram. Even my back hurts, slightly. Ridculous. But I thought my discomfort was just me.
I got my first mammogram last week at age 65. I am shocked by how painful it was. It was the most pain I have been in since my early 30's when a young dentist messed up. On a scale of 1 to 10 (with 10 being screaming) it was a nine. I was extremely sore for several days. I am willing to take my chances that I will not get breast cancer because I will not go through this yearly. No way. If a guy hurt me that extremely I would have him arrested. And I have a high tolerance for pain.
Although your not happy to hear other woman had excessive breast pain after a mammogram, it does help you realise your not inventing the long term pain. I'm now very concerned that my pain has continued for 3 months now and obviously needs to be checked out. I'm angry that after telling the examiner that I have had a very slight but continuous pain since 3 episodes of mastitis during breast feeding. She still squeezed so hard that I cried out in agony..and now left with this long term pain..I do so much hope all of us have nothing seriously wrong with us..
I'm at this site after having a mammogram two weeks ago and lingering pain along my right breast near armpit that sometimes stabs into my breast. Also notice extra soreness at the nipple. I have dense breasts. Over the last few weeks I've done some research. I'm pretty shocked to find well-done scientific studies that find no benefit and substantial risk of harm to having annual mammograms under the age of 40 (and in one recent European study under the age of 59). I had my first mammo in 2009 at age 41 and the technician took six images of my left breast and was extremely frustrated that she kept getting it wrong until she finally ratcheted down the machine. I remember this breast burning for days afterward, although did not have the stabbing pain I'm having now. And, I am sure both my breasts sagged afterward. Hard at age 41.
The technician from two weeks ago was competent and I believe she did her job well. The mammogram is just a barbaric practice. After the reading I've done, I will not have a mammogram again and will opt for a combination of ulstrasound and thermography, MRI if additional screening is needed. I strongly suspect that by the time I'm in my early 50s, the screening recommendations will change in this country. The US Preventative Task Force published the first crack in the wall of denial in 2009, but Europe will lead the way. Switzerland is now fazing out their mammography programs.
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Please get a mammogram, an ultrasound or something after 40. I was diagnosed with breast cancer right after I turned 40. No family history at all.
I had what I would call an excessively brutal mammogram in 2010 and have had severe nerve ( and I would guess also tissue) damage. It feels like I have a vest of needles on my entire torso front to back and that someone is pressing it into me. My doctor put me on gabapentin (sp?) but I stopped taking it after a year and a half as it did no good. The only time I feel decent and my old self is the first hour after I wake up, and the pain gets worse the longer I am up and moving.
I had a mammogram in 2010 which was horrendously torturous and much different from any prior ones tho at the same breast clinic I had gone to for years. Ever since that 2010 mammogram, I have been in severe pain from over the breasts to waist, front to back, as if i am wearing a vest of needles and someone is pressing on it. My doctor said there is no way to prove anything or show the damage. He put me on gabapentin for the pain, thinking it may "heal the nerves" but it did nothing, so I stopped taking it after about a year and a half. The only pain free time I have is just after getting up in the morning, and that lasts for about an hour before the pins and needles begin again...getting progressively worse as the day goes on.
My doctor told me a mammogram is the only test available to detect breast cancer.
I had a mammogram a few weeks ago, the pressure seemed more than usual.
Within a day or so after the mammogram I started having trouble with one of my nipples, it started inverting and has been doing this on and off since the mammogram.
I have since received the report from the mammogram and it was "normal"
I have aching that comes and goes.
I did not have any problems at all with my breasts before the test.
Has anyone had any problems with their nipples after a test?
Hello-
I have had the EXACT thing happen to me recently and the exact same response and treatment from all my medical care providers. I too am having problems getting in to see a breast surgeon who can specifically tell me what happened. I did have breast surgery for benign calcifications 2 years ago. My breast surgeon monitored my mammograms and I saw her the day of my last mammogram and she gave me a physical and all checked out. The next day I was in pain, swollen 3 times the size, and bruised. Saw her again to witness this and seek treatment. Today, she still will not report anything verbally or in my file that she saw swelling and bruising she only will report breast pain.
I have been advised by a friends breast doctor that doctors will not want to see us if we mentioned this has happened. There will never be a report on it as all involved fear a malpractice suit. Therefore we cannot get insurance for our damaged breasts. Or, ever win a lawsuit. Or, have doctors educate themselves and other doctors and technicians that this can happened and seek reasons for why it happened to try to prevent it happening to another woman.
I would love to know what is happening with you now regarding this.
Thanks and best wishes!
my ongoing story...
I have a friend who spoke to their plastic surgeon and he said it is not unusual for the Mammogram to affect a gland, wait and see.
It did not seem to get better so I went to the MD, she said I had a staph infection..when I told her that I just had the mammogram and that they were very rough, she asked me if I had seen the tech clean off the machine..I had not but that doesn't mean she didn't...either way I had this infection.
The Dr put me on strong anti-biotics for 5 days, twice a day..that 5 days was pure hell...My breasts were very painful, hot and my jaw was killing me..also I was weak but the infection finally seemed to subside...but for a few days after my hormones seemed to be out of whack..and I have been post menopausal for sometime now but I'm sure it was hormone related symptoms..anyway they stopped except for occasional hot flashes again?
I went back to Dr. for a recheck, she did another physical and said for me to rest, not touch my nipple and let's see what happens.
As of now, I feel I have gained my strength back, my nipple only slightly inverts when I am lying down and seems to have a scar...my breast aches a little occasionally. The doctor still believes I am healing and it could take a while.... I'm hoping this will all end soon.
I will never get another Mammogram..I will use other means such as ultra-sound if at all possible if I hav a problem and I will be sure to insist to see equipment sterilized.
This situation really made me super aware of my health..I had been under extreme stress for the last 2 months due to a family death. I think that stress is a real killer, the infection hit me at my lowest point when I could not fight it off on my own.... so I am trying to be much more diligent keeping stress under control and eating correctly with very little alcohol.
I'm hoping for the best ..
Thanks for sharing!
For me, I think the emotional injury is worse than the physical injury. I totally understand.
I wish you well!