Breast lumps due to missed pills?? Cance

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Registered: 04-12-2004
Breast lumps due to missed pills?? Cance
6
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 4:59pm
Okay here is my story:

Let's see. . . Hi!

I am 27 and healthy until now I am scared. I have a daughter, 27 months, and pumped for 18 of those months. While pumping I was on the breastfeedking birth control pill--cant' remmber name right now--and now since finished pumping I am on Ortho-Tri. Breast size went down a cup size from before pregnant. I did miss a few pills in a row early this month, but took them as directed to catch back up--of course one time risky intercourse with husband after the missed pill incident. Now my breasts are tender and warm and feel like they are growing.. Look a little bigger. BUT the problem is my right breast has a lump under it near rib cage area and it feels squishy and fluidy, but the lump is about two finger widths wide--never noticed before but of course never paid close attention until now. That breast almost feels heavier than the other one. Niple tenderness in both--but why the warm sensation in both breasts? More so in right one with the lump--plus when I bend over the right one will have a few slight pains shoot up in it. There is an indentation along the side of the breast, almost looks like where the underwire was cutting in BUT I have noticed this since Tuesday. I had slept in my bra and excersized in my bra a few days in a row before this--something i don't normally do---thought maye from that but now not so sure--SO I am scared--Could I just be pregnant? My period isn't scheduled to start until this Sunday so it maybe a week or two more until I know for sure---have appt tom for breast exam but I just needed some thougths and any prof opinions. My husband said it may be my breasts starting to return to pre-preg size--but why would it take almost 8 months after discontinued pumping to get this way. This breast is also the one I had a breast infection in when I was pumping too. Not sure if this could be an issue as well. What do you think?

No nipple discharge either--I am afraid it may be something serious. Here is more to my story:

Well, I missed two pills in a row in the late second week of the cycle--I should have made a note of it--anyway, I looked at the info that came with the pack and instructions on how to handle the color of pill missed and number and in what week and I followed that (basically take missed pills and finish pack)---but b/c of that incident---I had a light period for for two weeks--it came one week early and stayed the whole week and then the next on the reg period schedule. If that makes sense. Well, after that was when I had the risky intercourse with hubby. That was a little over two and half weeks ago. Last week my breasts (both now) had nipple tenderness and felt warm and like they were growing--almost reminded me of when I was pumping last year--you know that "okay it is time to pump feeling?"--anyway, warmth and tingling in breasts--felt bigger on body--you know heavier--well, then on last Tuesday evening I felt tenderness in the right breast, lower middle section below the nipple. And that is when I discovered the lump. Felt swollen and squishy. Now the breast feels warm all the time (the other one too but not near as much) and if I bend down sometimes I have a few pains shoot thru it--nothing severe just annoying. There is a slight indentation in the right affected breast---on the side--almost you can imagine if you had an underwire bra on and it slid too far over on the side and on your breast for a few hours and then left a mark--that is how it looks--have to look closely to see it though---thougth it may have been fr exercising and sleeping a few days in a row in different underwires--never usually do that BTW--so maybe that irritated anything going on with the breasts at this time.

I just hope it isn't this either:

"* Inflammatory carcinoma. This aggressive type of breast cancer accounts for one to four percent of all cases. Skin over the breast appears acutely inflamed and swollen because skin lymph vessels are blocked by cancer."

Another thing--I was a whole cup size bigger before I was preg 2 yr ago. I pumped for 18 months (hard time breastfeeding at first so pumped for a solid 18 months)--it has been 8 months since I pumped. I did have a breast infection in this same right breast a year ago.

My husband thinks it may be my breast returning to their original size--lol! Wishful thinking on his part maybe! :)

My husband is a chiropractor and tells me not to worry and that the number one rule in the medicine field is that "It is nothing until found to be something." easy for him to say :)

I went to have breast exam today but they wouldn't take me as a walk-in after they said that they would last week---so I am back on Wed--it really feels like it needs to be drained--has that fluidy feeling to it and feels heavy-like ..not much bigger ( a little) than other breast though--but sure feels different.

One last question.. . if I am preg is the birth control hurting the baby????----I am not sure I am preg and I was afraid if I stopped taking the b-pill I would have all kinds of symptoms and other conditions and not being able to distinguish any of them and not know what was going on even more. I just want to rule out cancer-- I know it sounds sily but I worry about it b/c of this.

My period is supposed to begin on Sunday, so I willstill take a test if it does arrive b/c you nevr know. I just hope it isn't cancer. Very scary esp when you have a child you have to look after.

Please let me know if anyone has had symptoms like this or anything? thanks again for everything. Tamatha

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-14-2000
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 5:41pm
Another thing it could be is fibroid cysts, which are inconvenient, but NOT cancer, and harmless. I have very cystic breasts, and I frequently have bouts of tenderness, warmth, pain, and the cysts do feel fluidy. They can flare up because of an increase in my caffeine intake, forgetting to take my daily vitamin E, or (believe it or not!) a sudden change in barometric pressure. There are lots of really harmless things it could be. I know it's scary, but try to think positive. And, let us know what you find out.
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-19-2003
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 6:24pm

My understanding of breast cancer is that the lumps are --hard-- and they don't move, certainly not squishy!

Judie Cl for Birth Control 
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 6:25pm
Will do ! Thanks! You know I have been a caffeine fiend lately---I have consumed lots of colas (which I don't usually do) and of course lots of chocolate!! I can't get enough of the chocolate the past few months for some reason. Maybe the caffeine from these foods triggered it more in combo with other things---thanks it makes me feel better----I have never had a serious health problem at all before, so hopefully it is nothing serious either. :) Thank you! Tamatha :)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 6:35pm
Hmmm, Judy! I don't know about the seven--times like this I wish I would have made a note of it---hindsight is 20/20 --Seven always is a good number isn't it? LOL! I am not sure about that but I think I did have the 7 in a row after missed incident and before sex incident. But during that 7 would have been when I had that week pre-period and then no pills (placebo pills) for seven days during the following week of my real period--the intercourse happened near the end of this later week (end would be sat)--so hppend maybe thurs or friday of my real period week wehn I wasn't really having anymore bleeding KWIM?

Oh well, will find out more on preg issue on SUnday or Monday and the breast exam is tomorrow. :) Thanks again! Tamatha

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-25-2003
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 7:18pm

Just wanted to add my two cents because I'm having a crappy boobie day too - I have fibrocystic breasts also, and one cyst in particular is really hurting today.

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iVillage Member
Registered: 04-12-2004
Wed, 04-14-2004 - 10:37pm
Thanks! Maybe it is this fibroadenoma I don't know--it feels more hard now than it did a few days ago, then too the breast isn't as sore (maybe I have adapted--lol! sounds like I am talking about an animal in science class) Tomorrow I will have an exam and hope they can tell me more. Thank you again! I'll post the update. :) Tamatha