Left Breast, back and neck pain

[Derry1971]

Hi, I have a left breast sharp pain, it also feels like muscle tightness, it goes under my armpit, down my arm underneath and on top, my neck and jaw, it has now travelled to my back and shoulder bone.  This is really frightening me.  I had the same problem 3 years ago and i was checked for heart, PE, Angina etc but everything was fine.  They let me out of hospital and i could not even walk the pain was that bad.
I have now got this again 3 years later, had the same tests and they said it is not a cardio problem.
The doctors say it is musculoskeletal and are sending me to see a breast specialist and physiotheraphy.  This may take weeks to get to see a specialist.
I do suffer from depression and i am on anti-depressants, i am also taking a drub called suboxone and allot of the side effects seem to be the same as Fibromyalia, the doctor said i could have Fibromyalia -  but i feel like nobody noes what is wrong with me.

my family has cancer problems and neck tumors so i am really worried.

Please can you offer any advice - I would be so great full.
Thank you

[Shannielu]

I have breast pain. Burning,aching, and soreness. The Dr. said I have fibromyalgia.

[ceobrien5]

If the sharp pain is reproducable by pressing on the muscle or aggravated by movement, you might try taking an NSAID such as Ibuprofen or Naproxen.  Massage therapy may help as well.  Myofascial pain is difficult to deal with.  I've had to undergo injections into muscles to relieve the pain and spasm.  GL

[FurballsMom]

Yeah, I'm not sure why you're dealing with this sharp pain you're feeling.  When I get it, it is in just the one place, or sometimes under the left armpit.  But, I was told that was the GERD, because of where the stomach is located in the abdomen.

I'm familiar with the pain that comes from the IBS, and sometimes I will get different kinds of pain with the IBS, but I usually know it's from the IBS.  I know how painful the IBS can get.  When the pain is really bad I have to use the antispasmodic medication, which is sedating.  As you know, adding to the tired feeling is the last thing we need when dealing with FMS.  So, I avoid taking it any more often than I have to and try to be good to the colon, so it doesn't scream at me so much.

I'm familiar with the low dose Amitriptyine, as my neurologist is using it as a migraine preventative.  I'm also familiar with the use of low dose SSRI meds to help us with the various odd symptoms we get with the FMS.

It's hard to say which specialist should be seeing you for this pain.  I do know that a lot of the usual pain I get is caused by spinal issues.  Seeing the chiropractor regularly keeps a lot of the symptoms down.  It also with things that aren't typically associated with the spine, as everything is actually connected to the spine in some way.  It even helps with the digestive issues.  I still have to see my other doctors, but this does reduce the severity of these chronic conditions.  Also, chiropractic is covered by our Medicare insurance.  I wish they would cover massage and accupuncture, but they don't.  Chiropractic does help a great deal, though.  It won't cure what ever you're dealing with, but I'm sure it will help some.

[Derry1971]

Thank you for your message back, it was helpful.  The pain is around the top of my left chest and it goes to the side of my chest near my breast, today I also got the pain under my breast very sharp, but i then felt it down my left side of my stomach, it is really strange.
I do however suffer from IBS.
It feels like i have 2 different problems, the rest of the pain is the back of my neck down my arm and this feels like pressure pushing on me, it is like someone squeezing me all the time.  I have however taken Amitriptyline 10mg - these have helped allot of my symptoms.  I kept jerking in my sleep and waking up with my fingers all cramped, I do not have these problems now.

I dont have acid reflux but i do suffer from IBS.  The doctors are trying to work out which specialist i see but i think this site has helped me understand what is wrong with me more, which is more than the doctors have done.
Thanks for your help.

[FurballsMom]

Is the sharp pain in the left breast near the top portion of the breast and closer to the actual chest portion of the breast tissue?  This one section can get this sharp pain and not even be related to breast health at all.  I can understand the concern, since my family lost a member to a rarer form of aggressive breast cancer and breast health is on the top of my list, too.

Do you have acid reflux (GERD)?  Many with Fibromyalgia have IBS and/or GERD, as digestive health issues often come with Fibromyalgia.  I mentioned the area of the left breast specifically in regard to the sharp pain, because this area can be affected when the GERD is flaring up.  

As regards to the tight muscles and such, that is a different story.  The feeling that no one seems to know what is wrong with you--welcome to the club.  That feeling is very familiar to people with Fibromyalgia, and often some doctors will even say that a particular symptom is "just" Fibromyalgia in a dismissive tone of voice.  Folks with Fibromyalgia don't feel that this is "just" Fibromyalgia, because the illness causes a whole array of symptoms and no one person with Fibromyalgia has the exact same symptoms as another person has, but all of us do suffer pain and fatigue.

Someone else will have to comment on the Suboxone, though, as I personally am not familiar with that one.