I'm 32 yrs old and had an ultrasound of my breast,which showed inflamed tissue. I've been on antibiotics for four and a half days now for what my obgyn thinks is a breast infection.It started with extreme pain and then a lump developed in my right breast. The red rash that I had has gone away and the pain has decreased, but not gone completely.I still have a lump and my nipple is starting to tingle. I have had no signs like a fever, body aches or any other signs of infection.I'm not breastfeeding, I don't even have children. how long should I be on antibiotics before going back to dr? Is it resonable for me to request further testing? I have also developed pain in my back when I breathe and my spine hurts. Usually when my back hurts it's muscular but now its the actual spine. I had a pet scan done in October for something that showed up in CT of chest. They wanted to rule out lympnoma. the spot in my chest area they attributed to residual thymus tissue. Do you think I should see a breast dr or someone else? I'm so confused and do not know what to do!
Q: How to tell if its really a breast infection or cancer
Steph, it sounds like your breast is responding to the antibiotics in some ways – decreased pain, absence of rash. The other symptoms you're feeling (pain in the spine and back) may be entirely unrelated. The nipple tingling could be a result of the gradual healing, and it may just take awhile for that lump to subside.
If I were you, I'd continue the antibiotics, and see if they've done the job completely by the time you're done taking them. I think, unless your breast starts to get worse again (red, painful, enlarged) it's too soon to try any new treatments. If the lump (or any other symptoms) remain when you're done with the antibiotics, then you'd want to see a breast specialist to find out what's up. But until then, unless things get noticeably worse – I'd say stay the course. Good luck – I hope the drugs do their job. PJH
Steph, experts in treating inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) recommend that a biopsy be done to rule out IBC for any apparent breast infection that does not clear up with one round of antibiotics. Since your symptoms are improving, it seems likely that what you have is an infection. Cancer doesn't respond to antibiotics. However, if you still have any redness, pain, or the lump after you finish the course of antibiotics, you should see a breast specialist. It is possible to have cancer AND a secondary infection. In fact, I would recommend that if you still have symptoms after the first week on antibiotics, that you start lining up an appointment, so that you can move quickly. However, it does seem too soon to panic because of the improvement you have seen.
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