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Not Taking Prescribed Synthroid. Noticed Red Spot And Warmness In Breast. Is It Inflammatory Breast Cancer?

Posted on Wed, 4 Jul 2012

Question: Hello Im suppose to be taking synthroid but I dont. I was prescribed .025mg. I stopped taking it about 4 months ago and I cant tell any difference. About 3 days ago i found a red spot on my breast and the breast feels warm to touch. could that be related? Im worried I might have Inflammatory Breast Cancer but I dont have any insurance so I cant go to a Doctor. The spot is beside my nipple and its darker red in the middle with lighter red around it. Its about as big around as a quarter. In the main middle it looks like different texture and the breast is difinatly warmer to touch. It only slightly hurts.

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (22 minutes later)

Hello and thanks for query,

I understand your concern regarding your breast as your sister had breast cancer.

Though it wasn't right to stop synthroid without your doctor's consent, I can assure you that stopping it has no relation with the red spot.

I would be in a better position to address your concern, if you please provide me with the following details.
- Do you feel any lump in the breast?
- Did you sustain any local injury?
- Is there a discharge from nipple? - if yes, can you describe the colour, consistency, smell of the discharge?
- Is there any Puckering or any indentation over the spot?
- Are you running fever?
- Have you had similar symptoms in the past?

Please supply these information’s so that I can advise you better.

Awaiting your response

Regards

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Prasad

Follow up: Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (25 minutes later)

no I dont feel a lump. I do feel what feels like muscle strips in both breasts. I havent had any injury. There is no discharge. No puckering. Im not running a fever. Never had any symptoms like this before. I have had the spot for 3 days and today It seems to have got larger. The skin is smooth and red, deeper red in the center. The main center the skin looks kind of dry. The breast is definatly warmer than the other. The spot is tender when I touch it.

Answered by Dr. Pavan Kumar Gupta (4 hours later)

Hello,

The description of your symptoms suggest it to be infection although breast infection called as acute mastitis generally occurs in lactating and nursing mothers which I presume you are not.

This rules out acute mastitis.

The general protocol of treatment in such cases is to give an antibiotic course for a week and see the response.

If it doesn't disappear in one week's time then suspicion will fall on inflammatory breast cancer.

Reasons to think so are

1st it has not resolved even after antibiotic course
2nd your sister had it.
3rd It is suspected in all non lactating mothers who give clinical appearance of mastitis
4th Unlike the most common form of breast cancers, inflammatory breast cancer doesn't show up as lump

You should be than subjected to skin and breast biopsy along with mammogram and ultrasound breast.

You must consult your gynecologist for the discussion, investigations and treatment.

I hope I have explained you in detail and you can now take a proper step ahead.

I know you don't have insurance and feel sad about it but you can't ignore away the physical problem.

I hope to have answered your query and any follow up is welcome.

Thanks

Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Shanthi.E