Question
I am a 27 year old female. I take Aciphex, Zrytec D, Xananx on occassion, multi-vitamin, Supplements of Vitamin E, Calicum, Super B Complex w/ C, Alphic Acid, Garlic tablet. Drink once or twice a week. Ex-smoker. Have high levels of anxiety and huge fear of cancer. Have been diagnosed with OCD, Anxiety and possibly Post Tramautic Stress Disorder. Don't want to take meds for OCD and Anixety because of dry mouth. Grandmother died of Ovarian cancer. At my job, I work on a computer all day long - been at my job for 10 yrs. I have had 2 ganglion cysts surgically removed on my right wrist twice and had it drained numerous times also. Was in a car wreck about 7 yrs ago and had numerous pinched nerves and muscle spasms in upper back-went to chiropactor. I have been having this pain that comes and goes in my upper very right armpit since last Monday just about daily. Sometimes I will also have the same type of pain in my left armpit. The pain will last a short amount of time - maybe 2 mintues at the most then disappear. I have also been having upper back pain - feels like when I had pinched nerve and muscle spasms. I use to notice the pain maybe once a week but now I am experiencing it just about every day in the right very upper armpit. I have also noticed when I lay on my right arm/shoulder for a long amount of time, it feels as if my shoulder has gone to sleep so I'll switch sides and my left shoulder will do that too. It's more like a tingling sensation and sometimes burning sensation. I have been experiencing some tingling & burning sensations in both hands, especially when I'm on the computer. But I also noticed that when I think about it then the pain seems to appear in my armpit. I can't feel any kind of lumps and/or swellings in either armpits. They both look & feel the same. But I have also been examing and pressing on both armpits to check for any kind of lumps very frequently - like multiple times a day. Some areas are tender when I press on them, could be due to me examing and pressing on it all the time. I went to my GYN doctor last week, read that pain could be coming from the breasts, so I had her feel my breasts and armpits - even into the very upper armpits and she couldn't feel anything. I have no weight loss, no fever, no night sweats, no fatigue. Sometimes it feels like my shirts or tank top sleeves (like where your armpit area would rest in a shirt or tank top)irritate the area - like the sleeves are too tight. I am about 15 - 20 pounds overweight. Very concerned that it is Lymphoma but I have also read on numerous websites that it appears as PAINLESS swellings and/or lumps and they are easily noticeable. I assume that since my GYN felt for lumps in my armpits and very upper armpits and found nothing to be worried about, that Lymphoma is not the case. Have appt. w/ my Orthopedic dr on Wednesday. Can you please offer some insight to this problem? Thank you for your time.


Answer
Dear Tara,   As you know from my bio, I am not a doctor and also this web site does not allow any diagnosis....

I can tell you that constant pressing and pushing on your armpits is NOT GOOD....  This will cause irritability and often cause undo damage and inflammation....  Since your OB/GYN did not feel any lumps, then there probably are no lumps...  However, you may still want her to do ultrasounds on both armpits just to be on the safe side....   You problem with the tingling etc, sounds more like a damaged nerve problem and this could be coming from the back, neck, shoulders, etc...  Since you are seeing your Orthopedic on Wednesday, I suggest that you explain all of this to him/her and possibly have them do some NERVE checks....  I also strongly suggest that you STOP worrying so much about this as stress and mind worry can often lead people into believing that MANY things are wrong with them when really nothing is wrong.....  However, I also really thing this is realated to the body's nervous system and that you do have pinched nerves somewhere....

Thank you,   karen