Bleeding from Good Breast
 

All, really need some feedback here. I found that my left breast (the good one) is bleeding from the nipple. I am so scared that this is cancer again, I don't know how it could not be. I'm scheduled for a mammogram and ultra sound tomorrow. Has anyone had this and it checked out to be just hormones or something?

Feel sad since I just celebrated my 5 year from diagnosis and was just reclaiming my life again.

Jessica

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi Jessica, I am so sorry this is happening to you. :( Having said that, please please pleae insist on a biopsy of the nipple for Paget's disease (cancer of the nipple, rare). Mine was initially misdiagnosed as an infection and initially seemed to react positively to the antibiotic. It started out as a green discharge then became bloody later. But it can have several different types of discharges. I was fortunate to have a surgeon who had just seen it in another patient the same week (what are the odds?! It is rare.)

Feel free to PM me if you'd like.

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Keeping you in my prayers. Good thoughts for a lot of worry for nothing.... keep us posted.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica,

I have no experience with the symptoms that you are experiencing. However, it does seem that there are many reasons that this could be happening that have nothing to do with cancer. Lets hope that is what is going on with you. Try not to worry. Harder said than done I know.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica I also have no experience with your symptoms, but I'm glad you are getting this checked out tomorrow. Insist on a breast MRI too if needed.
Just wanted to offer my support and prayers that this is nothing sinister.

all the best
caya

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I'm sorry you're having to deal with this but I'm glad you're having it checked out. Not knowing and waiting is the worst. I'll add my prayers to others for a good outcome. Let us know how it turns out. (sending cyber hugs)

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica,
So glad you are getting this checked out. My mother had Paget's Disease. Insist on a definite reason for the bleeding. In the past, when I have mentioned to nurses my mother having Paget's Disease they had never heard of it.
Pam

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Another person posted on Inspire.com who is having bloody discharge too last night. Damn!

You should definitely go get it looked at. I'm thinking that the imaging needs to include diagnostic ultrasound but the newer developing standard is for a diagnostic MRI. Can you get one?

There are other conditions such as papillomas that can cause bleeding so the jury is still out but you are rightfully upset and concerned about this development.


Here's the article I found:

Breast MRI in Patients with Unilateral Bloody and Serous-Bloody Nipple Discharge: A Comparison with Galactography
http://www.hindawi.com/journals/bmri/2015/806368/

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Again, I am so thankful for this website and all of us that watch out for each other! Really glad Paget Disease was mentioned, I have never heard of this and will make sure to mention it when we find out the results.

Thank you for the prayers and answering my thread - I will keep you all posted on what the tests show today.

Jessica

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Have you heard anything yet, Jessica?

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I had the mammogram and ultra sound this afternoon. Mammogram was good but the doctor seemed perplexed with the ultra sound. She came into the room and pressed around my breast to see the blood and where it was coming from. She did some of the ultra sound, said there was thickening and some debris in the ducts? She is pushing me to an MRI. No answers which has me a bit concerned. I'm guessing it's not a good sign but I have to stay positive until we get some answers. Thank you for checking in on me!

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

It sounds like the doctor is being thorough, which is a good thing. I wouldn't automatically assume it was a bad sign that there are no answers yet. Having said that, I know all too well that waiting and not knowing is the hardest part and our imaginations can run amock until we have answers . . . and a plan. Do you know how soon will you be able to get in for the MRI? I hope you get answers soon and that it's a non-serious, easy fix.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Just checking in ... glad they are being thorough but I know this waiting totally sucks.

We are all waiting right along with you, (((Hugs)))

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi. My 1st symptom was a bloody discharge from my nipple. My family Dr. thought it was an infection; the majority of time it is. He also referred me to a surgeon who did more tests. In the end, it was a benign papilloma. It didn't show on a diagnostic mammogram or on a sonogram. It did finally show on an MRI. It turned out there was a cancer nearby as well but it was so small it didn't show at all. Luckily, it was in the margin of the tissue excised for the papilloma. It is definitely scary and many doctors aren't well versed in Paget's Disease. My surgeon did not do a biopsy like he should have on the initial surgery but did on the 2nd one. That proved Paget's as well. Any way, I am glad you are being checked. Make sure your nipple is biopsied. They can test the fluid as well if they draw any out. That didn't work for me though. It just wouldn't send out a single drop. We are all pulling for you. Let us know how it turns out.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Thank you again for the replies and thoughts - so helpful to me! My breast surgeon is ordering a ductogram. I do not want to do this!!! Seems so painful, I was hoping for an MRI. Anyone have this procedure???

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Send her that article I posted above. The surgeon is proposing an older standard - galactography. You can decline and say you want an MRI.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I agree with Agnes. An MRI is much better.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Seems to me that you are doing your best to insist on what's best for you. Keep at it..!!! We must continue to advocate for ourselves!

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Keep advocating for yourself. Sometimes it is not pleasant to insist, but that is important at this stage of your situation. Be firm if you want an MRI.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

An MRI plus the ductogram? (I have no idea what this is). Hopefully you will have a clear picture soon.
Love and hugs, Catherine

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

This article lists a few other possible causes you may wish to discuss with your doc. Good luck!

http://www.mayoclinic.org/symptoms/n...s/sym-20050946

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi Jessica,

I've been wondering how you are doing. Any word on the cause of your symptoms yet?

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica,
How have you been? Just checking in on you.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Good morning ladies! I am so sorry I have been MIA for awhile, the holidays were busy and I came down with a severe head cold on top of everything!

I had the ductogram done on December 28th. This procedure sucked, pardon my French!! They don't numb you and basically put an IV in your nipple! WTF??? I almost passed out after they took me out of the mammogram machine to put me in another position! I recovered then they also did an ultrasound which showed a blockage. The doctor seemed confident it was not cancerous but the results had to go to my breast surgeon who would make the next decision.

Met with him on the 30th, he believes it is a papilloma and wants to remove it and biopsy it to be on the safe side.

Before I do surgery, I finally got approved for a PET scan which I have never had since I started this journey. I have been having some problems elsewhere so my doctor wants to be on the safe side and get the scan before surgery. Scan is scheduled for Thursday at 7:45am. I am so happy to finally have this scan done but very scared of the possible results.

I am staying positive and focusing on recovering from these little bumps in my road. Here is to a healthy New Year for all of US!!!

Love to all - Jessica

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

You are a brave girl and I'm so sorry they treated you so shittily with the screening. F-them. I had a tooth operated on that wasn't numb either and that hurt so bad that I cried, your teeth are right next to your brain so it was really bad. I totally know what you had going on.

A papilloma, huh. That would suck but at least it isn't cancer. The thing is that they might suggest some radical surgery and you don't want that. Make sure you try to track down the best person for the job. I read the story of one gal on another board who had a small cancer develop on her lip. Her surgeon was going to gouge out tissue and leave her with part of her mouth missing. She knew that rads could help, she was pretty sure of it. Since she couldn't get confirmation of that she got an opinion with a radiosurgery center. She was right, they nuked the cancer on her lip and she's fine. Make sure you are talking to the best people possible and in different practice areas -- maybe rads might work for you too, in example. I will dig around online and see what I find.

How are you feeling about stuff? Sending big hugs.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Oh my goodness. I would have passed out----ouch! Glad things are sounding positive. I'll be holding my breath with you until you get PET results.

In my thoughts,

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

This is a totally wacky page about breast papillomas but it has a lot of interesting information. Do you still have fibrocystic breasts or dense breast tissue?

http://breast-cancer.ca/papily/

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I'm thinking you need more iodine. Here's why, in the breast are receptors that can accept iodine and also estrogen. If you are low in iodine (totally possible since iodine in bread products was replaced with bromine, which is pro-estrogen) then the receptors bind to any extra estrogens in the body. This can lead to all kinds of breast density, fibrocystic changes and lumps as your boobs don't have what they need.

I don't know if you have kids but I found this great flyer about the importance of iodine during pregnancy. My doc didn't mention anything about iodine to me :/

Iodine Supplementation - for Pregnant and Breastfeeding Women
https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/_files_nhmr..._statement.pdf

Here's another article about iodine deficiency:
http://sherylcanter.com/wordpress/20...ine-deficient/

Then I found this, because we want to know why your body let this foreign body grow inside you -- even if your docs don't care. Why? Because we don't want it to happen again.

Intraductal Papilloma
http://www.natmedtalk.com/showthread.php?t=5010


If your medical team is pretty confident that it is a papilloma, which the bleeding by the nipple means it is up by the nipple, then if I were you I would take a month to take extra iodine and work with someone who knows integrated medicine and see if you can fix you without surgery. You can still opt for surgery if it doesn't work and you will still want to know why this happened and to fix it.

My friend has been taking Lugol's solution to supplement iodine. I have been taking Ionic Iodine from Trace Minerals, 3 drops, plus Concentrace, 10 drops, in a liter of water most days. You might need more than that though for a therapeutic regime in the short-term.

http://www.traceminerals.com/product...tassium-iodide
http://www.traceminerals.com/product...ionic-minerals

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi Jessica! So relieved to hear it is not Paget's, and so sorry you had to suffer like you did with the test. Suck is right. And then some!!

Keeping my fingers crossed for you that your scan is clear.

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Thank you for the information on the papilloma and iodine, I'm going to read into it further when I get home tonight. I have the best breast surgeon in the world here in Pittsburgh and I trust him with my life, so I am going with the surgery to remove it. He gave me three options, to watch and monitor, to do an MRI, or to remove and biopsy. I asked him his opinion and he said to remove.

I feel good about the decision but physically, I have not been feeling well since the 18th. Having headaches and terrible problems with my stomach. Hoping it's just a bug from the cold but it's a little worrisome with my chronic issues. Oh well, wait and see what the PET scan brings.

Thank you all for the support and encouragement - you all are amazing!

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi Jessica! I am so glad you have an excellent surgeon, it makes such a difference. My surgeon I also trusted implicitly; he took one look at my nipple and declared it was Paget's ... and eventually it turned out he was absolutely correct. I didn't want to believe him at first, but in the end he was right.

It is good you are feeling good about your decision, that is so important too. Keep us all posted and know we are there with you, I have been thinking about you every day and I know I am not the only one!

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica,

My goodness, that procedure sounds absolutely horrible! Glad it is behind you. Hoping everything turns out to be fine. The PET scan procedure is a piece of cake. Hardest part is the worry.

Take Care,
Brenda

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

PET scan results are clear but still doesn't explain why I feel so bad? Nurse thinks Arimidex could be the culprit, she has heard many BC survivors say the same thing - wants me to talk to my oncologist about alternatives. Anyone else have bad side effects from Arimidex?

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I have had plenty of miserable side effects from Arimidex -- hot flashes that are so strong they create panic attacks, major fatigue, depression, muscle aches and pains, sore and stiff joints ... and I was already post menopausal when I started taking it.

Given you had Tamoxifen/surgery first ... highly possible your side effects are that much worse and intense.

Hope this helps ...

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hope you are feeling good. How did the procedure go?

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Hi Agness! Thank you for checking in! Procedure is on Wednesday of this week, long time for them to schedule it, not happy about that but my surgeon is very popular in this area. I have not seen any bleeding since the ductogram so I guess that is good. Been sick with a terrible virus for about 2 weeks though, finally recovered for surgery though! Will keep you posted this weekend when I am home healing. Hopefully all good news :)

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I will be thinking of you on Wednesday. Sorry to hear you've been under the weather for so long. I'm glad they think you are ready for surgery, finally. It seems like you've been dealing with this for a long, long time.

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica,

Sorry you are having to deal with a virus on top of your upcoming procedure. I'll be thinking of you and sending positive, healing, thoughts your way.

Take care,
Brenda

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

Jessica, I'm so sorry you've been sick! Hope you are feeling better, great that there hasn't been any more bleeding. Good luck on Wednesday, rooting for you!

Carol Ann

Re: Bleeding from Good Breast
 

I am thinking of you too. Especially on Wednesday. Healing thoughts and gentle hugs.