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Bleeding from Nipple

Is bleeding from the nipple a sign of cancer?  I am freaked out.  I have always had nipple discharge, but now I get a bit of brown/red discharge from one duct of my left breast.  I have no lumps.  I am so scared.  I have a doctors appointment next week.
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Avatar universal
It's understandable that this is a concerning time for you.  I think many people find waiting (for tests, results, procedures, etc) the hardest.  I think it's natural to be frightened and anxious.
I have this new philosophy where I try not to stress until at least just before something.  Stressing doesn't solve anything and can sometimes make the situation worse.

My advice would be to try and relax.  Maybe spend some quality time with your family to take your mind off this.  Anything that will distract you could be helpful.

Don't squeeze your breast.  This won't help and could make things worse.  It's probably a good sign that the blood isn't coming out spontaneously.  Sometimes clothing rubbing against your breast can be enough to stimulate it to discharge.

Have you had your breast examined previously for the discharge?  Just curious.  Brown sounds like old blood where the red stuff sounds fresh.

I had a bloody nipple discharge which was spontaneous.  I saw my doctor he did a breast exam and took a swab of the blood.  He also ordered blood tests.  I had a mammogram and an ultrasound.  Microcalcifications were found on my mammogram and ?blood/ debris found with the ultrasound.  I then saw a surgeon who refered me for a stereostatic biopsy.  The result of this came back negative for cancer.  I then had a ductogram.  A radiologist placed a needle and fine tubing into my duct and injected saline I think it was.  Maybe it was dye.  I can't remember now it was a few years ago and a lot has happened in that time.  I then had another mammogram which showed the duct well.  The mammogram showed that I had several intraductal papillomas.
Because my nipple was bleeding I had my duct surgically removed.  The results from this did come back saying that I had precancerous cells growing which then required further surgery and radiation.

I honestly wouldn't stress now because you don't know which way it will go.  Stuff happens all the time which is unexpected.  I would just take each moment as it comes and take this step by step.  You have a doctors appointment and you won't know anymore til then.  Even then you may not know a lot more as your doctor may need you to undergo more tests (mammogram, etc).
Just athought but are you able to get an earlier doctor's appointment?  Could you say that you are having symptoms and are extremely anxious.

I was also just wondering if your high anxiety was caused by your over active thyroid.

I found a women-to-women webpage on nipple discharge informative.  It went through possibilities for different color discharges.

I'm sorry you're so stressed.  I hope my post has helped a little.
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Avatar universal
Can anybody offer me any advise until I see the doctor.  I am very keen to hear from anybody who has had this condition?
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Avatar universal
Nobody has on here what their outcome is!  I certainly will be so people can be more information.  Can somebody please give me information on what I should do until I go to the docs.
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25201 tn?1255580836
There is nothing for you to do until you see the Dr. EXCEPT PLEASE STOP squeezing the nipple ... this sends a message to the brain and in turn some discharge will be produced. I'm very serious about this as there is NO reason for you to be squeezing your nipple like you say you have been .... you are just complicating whatever is wrong and I know for a fact that you are causing some of this discharge !!! There are no herbal remedies for symptoms such as you describe .... you are going to the Dr. in a few days but please in the meantime DO NOT continue to squeeze the nipple and produce this discharge. No matter what others have experienced you cannot compare your problem to theirs ... very few breast issues are exactly the same. Now, relax, stop squeezing and think about something else until you see the Dr.
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Avatar universal
Thanks for your advice.  I think I have OCD with the squeezing!  I am just so scared!!  The majority of what people say is that is only a small chance that it would be cancer, but I am still concerned.  What about heat or cold packs to the breast, would that help.  I can't feel any lumps, there is no readness and the breast has not changed in appearance, is that a good sign?
Helpful - 0
25201 tn?1255580836
Hot or Cold packs would NOT help at all ...... You also need to stop examining your breast as this applies pressure to the area also. There really isn't any advice that we here can give you until you see your Dr. and have any testing that he/she may feel appropriate regarding your symptoms.  Regards .....
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Avatar universal
I'm just so scared it is cancer.  I can't deal with that.
Helpful - 0
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