I am 36. Why is my breast feeling heavy with a visible vein?

Question

Hello doctor,

I am a 36-year-old female, I have never had any children, and I have been on Depo-Provera for almost 17 years. Although I am a heavy smoker, I do not get sick very often. A few years ago, I found lumps in my breast(s), which were not painful, but I did visit a doctor, and he said it was just thickening of the tissue. He advised me to go for a mammogram, but they refused me a mammogram due to my young age.

It never bothered me again. This morning, my left breast was itching, and in the afternoon, there was a stabbing pain in the breast. The pain eventually went from a stabbing pain to being painful the whole time. The breast feels heavy, and there is pain in the armpit and the arm, but no swelling or redness. Though it feels like it is burning up, it does not feel warm to the touch, no discharge from the nipple, any hard lumps, nor fever.

It looks like a small vein has erupted, and when I pull on the breast, I can see a thin blue vein, which seems to pop out with white bulging around it.

Thank you.

Answer 1

Hello,

Welcome to icliniq.com.

I understand your concern.

As you mentioned some years ago, there were lumps in your breast. These can indicate that you have fibroadenosis or fibroadenoma. On some occasions, since it is a hyperplastic cystic disease (where cells are multiplying rapidly), it can be a little painful. Since there was a pain in the breast, it had radiated towards the arms, and hence the pain in the armpit.

Mastalgia or breast pain can also be due to cyclical changes in hormones. Sometimes there can be a hormonal imbalance, more so since you are taking Depo-Provera (Medroxyprogesterone acetate) for so long. Normally, cyclical mastalgia resolves in a day or two, and hence I will advise you to wait for two days before being alarmed.

You can take the tablet Brufen (Ibuprofen) 400 mg twice daily after eating food with the tablet Ranitidine. This will help in resolving your pain. If you develop a fever or pain starts getting worse, or there is a discharge or bleeding from the nipple, it is better to get a general surgeon's opinion straight away.

Rest for the next two to three days until you completely recover. Also, make sure your bra is not loose and supports the breast properly so that it does not hang. If fibroadenosis is the cause, and it can be, your general surgeon, after a breast examination, will be able to guide you further.

However, let me reassure you that fibroadenosis or fibroadenoma is completely benign and there is nothing to worried about. If it does not cause any symptoms, it can be left alone.

Thank you and take care.