bloody discharge after mammogram?

[katiekurious]

had my regular yearly mammogram yesterday....afterwards, noticed a redish brown discharge from one nipple....never had this before.....dont have any lumps in the breast....if i press on breast just above the nipple it hurts and this fluid comes out.... could the trauma from the mammogram have caused this? i've never had this before. thanks

[katiekurious]

the mammogram was normal. they are not returning my phone calls about this issue, which makes me mad. i have scheduled an ultrasound to double check, but i've had no more discharge. Nice. they should tell women that a mammogram can squash you so hard you have discharge. thanks for all who replied.

[katiekurious]

thank you so much for responding to my question. may i ask one more? if the mammogram is clear, would i need anymore tests? like an ultrasound? I've had no more of the reddish brown discharge.  does the reddish color indicate blood? this is so confusing. again, thank you.

[katiekurious]

my doctor confirmed by phone this morning that the test can indeed cause a bit of bleeding. nice. this test is supposed to reassure me, not worry me. how good can it be to have this done if it mashes a sensitive portion of my anatomy so hard that i bleed? of course we dont have the final report so there is always a chance its something else. i am frustrated and wont get the report for probably at least another week.

[CCF-RN,MSN-JS]

Dear katiekurious, Yes it is possible to have some discharge after a mammogram.  Many women have some type of nipple discharge or fluid when their breasts are squeezed, and its normal. Squeezing the nipple sends message to the brain and the pituitary gland responds by increasing prolactin levels, which in turn produces discharge from the nipple.  The discharge can come in a variety of colors

[surgeon]

It's possible. But if it's still happening after a few days you should let your doctor know about it.