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Breast implant discomfort

Posted by sherry1969 @sherry1969, Aug 28 3:02pm

I had a breast implant for breast cancer about 9 months ago.
I’m very happy with the way it looks, but I have some discomfort - it often feels tight and I sometimes have a slight burning sensation.
The breast looks “normal”, is not red, it’s moveable.
Not bad enough that I have to take anything for it and it usually feels better as the day goes on.
Has anyone else experienced this?

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wews | @wews | Aug 29 5:48pm

I had implants in May. I haven’t ever experience burning but I do feel tightness sometimes. I find some stretching and breathing to help with that tightness. They definitely don’t feel like my own yet. I had only one drop more naturally and the other one has formed some scar tissue around the implant which has caused it not to drop. It feels a little sore and I have massaged the scar tissue so now it is feeling red and sore. Of course this is before the holiday weekend so I will wait to see if the redness and pain subsides before going back to my surgeon. Fingers crossed.

I like you hope they will settle in and feel more like my own used to feel!

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prarysky | @prarysky | Sep 4 12:45pm

I, too, have been experiencing what I could call "discomfort" with my saline implants but that discomfort goes back to when I had my double mastectomy and stage 1 breast reconstruction with tissue expanders in January 2025. The implants were the worst source of discomfort and things improved considerably when they were removed in June. However, I continue to experience an intermittent, unpredictable wave of discomfort across the entire breast area.

It doesn't last longer than a few minutes and then subsides. I've described this sensation to both my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon and they look at me as if no other patient has reported anything similar! My plastic surgeon's nurse, however, who spends more time talking with patients is familiar with some people experiencing prolonged discomfort that can last for various periods of time and to varying degrees of pain.

My mastectomy support group leader did not hesitate to name what I was describing, however. When I described it, she said it was nerve pain. This thought had been in the back of my mind but I've experienced nerve pain before in another part of my body and it burns. I would not describe the sensation as burning but then again, this is a novel sensation in a different part of your body. Fortunately, the discomfort is not something that has become so debilitating that I would need to see a pain specialist. That is an option that is offered to some women who do experience acute discomfort or sensations.

That you use the term "burning" suggests there might be some nerve involvement, but difficult to know for sure.

The fact that your discomfort is decreasing over time is a positive sign, though. Hoping it will continue to improve!

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sherry1969 | @sherry1969 | Sep 6 11:52am
In reply to @wews "I had implants in May. I haven’t ever experience burning but I do feel tightness sometimes...." + (show)
Profile picture for wews @wews

I had implants in May. I haven’t ever experience burning but I do feel tightness sometimes. I find some stretching and breathing to help with that tightness. They definitely don’t feel like my own yet. I had only one drop more naturally and the other one has formed some scar tissue around the implant which has caused it not to drop. It feels a little sore and I have massaged the scar tissue so now it is feeling red and sore. Of course this is before the holiday weekend so I will wait to see if the redness and pain subsides before going back to my surgeon. Fingers crossed.

I like you hope they will settle in and feel more like my own used to feel!

Jump to this post

Thanks for your thoughts and wishing you all the best in your journey.

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sherry1969 | @sherry1969 | Sep 6 12:11pm
In reply to @prarysky "I, too, have been experiencing what I could call "discomfort" with my saline implants but that..." + (show)
Profile picture for prarysky @prarysky

I, too, have been experiencing what I could call "discomfort" with my saline implants but that discomfort goes back to when I had my double mastectomy and stage 1 breast reconstruction with tissue expanders in January 2025. The implants were the worst source of discomfort and things improved considerably when they were removed in June. However, I continue to experience an intermittent, unpredictable wave of discomfort across the entire breast area.

It doesn't last longer than a few minutes and then subsides. I've described this sensation to both my breast surgeon and plastic surgeon and they look at me as if no other patient has reported anything similar! My plastic surgeon's nurse, however, who spends more time talking with patients is familiar with some people experiencing prolonged discomfort that can last for various periods of time and to varying degrees of pain.

My mastectomy support group leader did not hesitate to name what I was describing, however. When I described it, she said it was nerve pain. This thought had been in the back of my mind but I've experienced nerve pain before in another part of my body and it burns. I would not describe the sensation as burning but then again, this is a novel sensation in a different part of your body. Fortunately, the discomfort is not something that has become so debilitating that I would need to see a pain specialist. That is an option that is offered to some women who do experience acute discomfort or sensations.

That you use the term "burning" suggests there might be some nerve involvement, but difficult to know for sure.

The fact that your discomfort is decreasing over time is a positive sign, though. Hoping it will continue to improve!

Jump to this post

Thanks for your thoughts…tincture of time!!
Wishing you all the best in your journey.

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