excessive breast pain after mammogram

I cannot believe what I am reading. I was surprised to see there are other people with the same kind of experience. 3 weeks ago I had a mammogram done it was so painful. The technician was rough. My breasts are dense, she grabbed my right breast and the skin broke underneath the breast. I told her about it. She kept going until after she was done. Only then did she put some ointment and gauze on it. I could hardly put my bra back on. I have had pain in different areas of that breast along with itching the breast. Even my shoulder blade hurts. I told my gynecologist about it and she said I should make an appointment with my primary doctor. The results of my mammogram were negative. I can't figure out why I keep having so much pain and itching. I do know that she put a lot of pressure on my breast and stretched It until I was almost crying. I'm not going to have another mammogram. I will ask for an ultrasound. And if I didn't have cancer before I don't want this kind of treatment to cause cancer. I've hesitated to contact my primary doctor because I had never heard of such a thing happening before-and I didn't want her to think I was crazy. Now I'm going to make an appointment and a complaint To my HMO. Don't know what else to do at this point so we'll see how it goes. It Would-be nice if we could create a site just to get names of those of us who have had these bad experiences so we could present it to our doctors and that way they would see that this is not isolated incidents Make excuses and ignore our concerns. I have a feeling our insurance companies don't want to spend the money for updated equipment and so they subject us to these barbaric teatments just so they can save money. You know what I mean "just press a little harder, we can get the pictures we need without spending that extra money." 

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I had mine last Thursday and I have to say I have been put off I am ripped underneath also ...its really sore .. I feel I should complain but what good will it do... Puts me off ever having one again...

I came to this post because I've had breast pain since my mammogram two days ago. It's minor pain, and I suppose it will go away in a few days, but it is the first time that I have had lingering pain from a mammogram. I have found the mammograms themselves to be very painful for the past 5-10 years, though. Before I came to the current medical clinic that I use, I never had anything but discomfort. But this place seems to squeeze the breasts tighter; so much so that at the one I had two years ago I felt like I was going to pass out. So this time I told them that, asked if I could be seated during the mammogram, and the clinician was much more careful. I don't know if it was a function of being seated during the procedure, or if it was because she didn't squeeze as hard, but it didn't actually hurt this time; it was just uncomfortable as in the old days. But I didn't count on this after pain -- achy nipples, which I've never had before after a mammogram.

I've read in other messages in this thread that one can request an ultrasound instead of a mammogram. Is that really the case? If so, I will definitely ask about for the next time. I keep thinking that there must be a better way than squishing women's breasts between two pieces of glass. Thanks for any replies.

I too had a mammogram and had to have the left breast done a second time as she needed a clearer image of tissue under my arm.it hurt terribly but I got through it. That night I started to have severe pain and burning in that area. Here it is over 2 weeks later and a doctors visit later and the pain is worse and has spread to my chest and back. It also feels like a burning sensation. It hurts to touch the skin...even to have the shower run on it. At the dr. visit she didn't see any marks so I felt like I was being dismissed as nothing serious and was offered pain meds, which I do not like to take. I took Aleve but it only helped a little. She also suggested arthritis cream to try to numb it. I put that on and immediately was on fire and it turned all red. It was like putting capsaicin on a burn!! I hope I can find some relief soon. I don't know where to turn next.

I have! I had my mammogram three weeks ago and I have been having off and on pain in my left nipple. It's the nipple and underneath that is a irritating feeling when I shiver or take my bra off at night. This sore irritating feeling makes me sick to my stomach. I am hoping it will go away. I'm really debating on ever doing another mammogram! Ugh

Can you talk to a lawyer - this is so unfair. I had one done 3 years ago and one of my breasts is still very tender to the touch - I am researching to see if anyone ever sued for mammogram injuries.

I have also had pain after my 3-D mammogram last week. It's not constant, but it's there and worrisome. If it continues, I'll ask my Doctor about it.

in Iowa they won't let you have an ultrasound without a mammogram, some government thing, even though i am a paying customer, we are controlled by the government, no choice

I'm two years out from breast cancer stage one.

It was not a lump I found but an indentation. I also have lumpy firm breast at sixty. My girls still point north. Lol.

But please don't stop getting mammogram s.

Can be life saving.

Also I stopped taking estrogen blocker they wanted me to take due to horrible side effects.
Maybe if I was younger if keep taking it but at this point I'm choosing quality of life over quantity.

I will keep going fir mammogram even though they hurt my perkys very bad

My wife just had a similar experience, with a similar attitude from the technician. I hope she doesn't have to suffer for a month, but she is rightly miserable from the continuing pain and from being treated like cattle too. And I also worry about long term damage from this procedure. And would like to see more transparency about the correlations justifying the modern medical approach.

I regret deeply having had a mammogram. My breasts have felt hot, and I have had much pain frequently since. Also, my breasts sag lower than they ever did before. It is well known and studied that mammograms can cause cancer. While doctors try to compare it to the amount of radiation from flying in a plane, studies have never shown an increase in cancer rates among stewardesses and pilots. However, studies clearly show that young women who receive more mammograms do develop more cancer. I suspect it is because the exposure while flying is light and gradual over the course of many hours, whereas with a mammogram there is a high amount received immediately in seconds. Too much of a jolt to the tissue.

The same happened to me for months afterwards. The pain flairs up now and then on like never again.

I had a mammogram today, I am in a lot of pain, tonight,both breasts feel swollen and sore to touch them,both armpit areas are bruised and have clear pinch marks.This was the second Mammogram I've ever had, no problems with the first one about 6 yrs ago.,but this time the technician seemed rushed and really smashed me good. I won't be going again for a very long time.

i had a mammogram a week ago , and two days later I started experiencing severe sharp pain in my right breast , I rang them back and now due to see the breast care consultant in two weeks time for an ultrasound to see whats going on , I just hope they haven't caused any damage , ive had mammograms before and never had pain before .

Yes, this happened to me yesterday on a basic mammogram. The tech had to be a newbie, as she basically ripped both boobs off. She had to manipulate both breasts several times in order to get a good view. This has never happened to me before, and I never had this tech before. She had me stand at the machine at totally different contorted angles. So painful this time. By the time she was done both boobs were bleeding with open slice wounds underneath but I didn't realize it until I got home. I had to apply some ointment and bandages. Glad it's the weekend and I have no plans so I can leave my bra off for the wounds to heal. This was a first for me and it had to be due to the tech's inexperience. Unbelievable. Makes me wonder if it is worth it after 40+ years of mostly not-too-painful mammograms.