pms symptoms, health anxiety??
TRIGGER WARNING for general mentions of breast cancer and self examining
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hi, this post is a little soon after asking if it was okay for me to ask questions here but i've specifically had this on my mind.
my health anxiety spiral recently has stemmed from a previous health concern not really related to this at all, a false alarm regarding the heart 2 weeks ago that got examined with a normal x ray and other tests. this is kind of important for context though which is why i say it. my anxiety about that has definitely lessened, and this past saturday i actually began to feel pretty okay about it before anxiety began popping back up on sunday.
i say all of this because something that started the returning anxiety was a general coming and going sore feeling in the breasts, but by now im definitely also having other symptoms that can be related to pms- general body aches, fatigue yet trouble sleeping, not feeling well, even a couple pimples popping up, etc; everything but the cramping, basically. but i can't stop having the thought like "the x ray should have caught something, but what if something in the last 2 weeks has changed?"
i've checked myself, even the underarms where the lymph nodes would be, and nothing feels or looks wrong aside from the tender feeling. and in the next couple days is probably when my period should come around, but there is a high chance i have pcos (i haven't been diagnosed, but i show many symptoms that lead back to it) so every month is like a guessing game of whether or not i'll get it even if i have feelings of pms. for once, getting it would bring me peace of mind rather than dysphoria, so i'm hopeful i do. but right now im struggling to not immediately assume the worst and make myself panic because i won't feel any better if i do.
From what I understand breast tenderness is much more likely to be due to hormones fluctuations than cancer. Most breast cancers don't cause pain, especially at earlier stages, nipple pain is the exception.
If the pain is quite bad or persists definitely get that checked out! My non-medical, non-professional opinion/life experience is that some breast tenderness for a week or less is pretty normal.
@AffyAvo that makes sense- there's been a bit of nipple pain, but it isn't persistent and i know that can also be a hormonal thing. i'm just hoping it goes away soon even if my period doesn't come around because not to vent but my mom is convinced nothing is wrong with me and told me she won't take me back to the hospital unless something is obviously wrong so it's hard to get her to listen unfortunately- even if i'm a young adult i still cant drive so i still rely on my parents for things like this. i'm just trying to stay calm because i know stressing and panicking won't make it any better- i'm even wondering if stress hormones i've already definitely been producing recently have anything to do with it lol
@harm0nias I hope you can find something you enjoy and distract yourself from the anxiety for a while.
I feel this anxiety! So close to home. My experience might not be like yours, but I’m going to share my story.
For some reason in my early 20s I decided I must have an intuition about breast cancer. I just felt like it was going to happen or something. I check myself like every 2 weeks. I finally found a lump when I was like 27. My dr said it’s probably a fibroid and we can check it out anyway. Nothing came of it. No cancer, the lump went away when my period ended which is common for fibroids. Harmless. I’m 34 now, still checking pretty much every 2 weeks in addition to every time something rubs my nipple in a way that makes it hurt or scratch. Any pain I feel is a re-check. I have no actual idea why I still believe I am doomed to get it, but I was checkout out again in the past like 6 months. Everything is still good.
my point to the story is, breast cancer is scary. If you have concerns, visit it a health care professional. It is possible that you have high anxiety over the matter like I do, or possible you do have something going on. Early detection is crucial if you do have something. Better safe than sorry. I think anxiety over scary potential problems can be normal, though, especially if you know someone who has gone through that struggle. I do know someone who did in her early 20s which is not a common age according to my dr.
@ToriStories it's actually relieving to know that the anxiety is rather normal, i kind of feel crazy lol. i'm actually only 19, so i know my chances are definitely lower but i can't stop overthinking it all.
i've actually had a little pain near the armpit area where i know lymph nodes probably are, and i can never quite tell what im feeling honestly only because it's never something ive ever felt the need to check until now. still, nothing has visually or physically changed in my breasts so im honestly more confused than anything- i know constantly pressing around the area probably irritates it and makes it feel like there's something there, and i've also been a little snively and stuff so im wondering if there's a bit of a sinus issue going on since stress and anxiety can mess with the immune system a little. and it's not like i feel violently ill either- my weight has probably fluctuated just a little recently because at my peak of the stressful period of time it made it hard to eat, but now that i'm eating more again and also started a job recently im probably getting it back and burning a little at the same time and i know weight change can affect breasts, on top of the hormonal imbalances i almost definitely have. there's so many less extreme possible explanations to the ways ive been feeling but im always the type who assumes worst case scenario first unfortunately
Absolutely. I am not a doctor at all, but if there is no changes in the skin or nipples, then there isn’t really any symptoms you’re experiencing that are very scary to me.
regardless, I would see a doctor and explain that you are feeling very worried. They can give you more information on what to look for in self checks, what signs would be worrisome and even help you find someone to manage your anxiety, if that feels like something you might need.
Funny story, since I’m a mother, and I breastfed (my right breast wasn’t working well and I had to stop, which is not a sign of cancer but it scared me a lot) I still can produce a tiny little liquid (milk) if I am squeezing the area. So the last check I did, I was looking at my nipple wondering if it looked different, wondering why the nipple isn’t getting hard as quickly, just generally getting high anxiety. Then since I was messing with it, the milk was produced. So at that point, I’m like “AHHH DISCHARGE!” I googled the heck out of it it was possible to still get a tiny liquid 6 whole years after having a child (youngest turned 6 like 4 days ago).
luckily it was bed time so I went to sleep and woke up more relaxed. But yes, I talk myself into an almost paranoid panic at times.
i'd honestly love to see a doctor to share my concerns but unfortunately even as a young adult i can't drive so im dependent on family for a lot of things, especially medical trips. my mom and my grandma who i've both talked about this with are convinced im fine and my mom has already made it clear she won't drive me back unless something is obviously or visibly wrong. the most i can really do right now is hope it goes away so i won't have to argue about it 😓