HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Underarm Pain?

Support Forums
>
Anxiety & Panic Disorders
✚ New Topic locked
1 2 3
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/22/2006 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you JKRsGirl for replying. New to the computer lingo ;)... And I will for sure let you know how I make out. Just a question though, how can underarm pain cause anxiety/panic? Thanks.
Posted 10/22/2006 6:07 PM (GMT 0)
I think it's the opposite. Anxiety causes underarm pain if you tense up (maybe without even realizing it). Be more aware of your posture and whether you tend to tighten up. Of course, underarm pain could cause anxiety if you're too worried about it. This might be the case with someone who has health anxiety.
Posted 10/22/2006 6:18 PM (GMT 0)
Oh yes. I meant it to be the other way around, my apologies. So anxiety can cause you to be tense and tension can cause underarm pain. Gotcha.

Thanks.

Posted 10/22/2006 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
I have a few new theories on this underarm pain. I still continue to have some pain from time to time. I think it may be related to a condition called "mouse arm" -where excessive computer use, could cause some sort of strain, or ache from being in a weird position for an extended period of time. I read somewhere that it could cause underarm pain and that makes sense to me. Also, when im cold, I tend to tense up, and I think that could also cause that pain as well. I certainly know, that when i was worried about it, and overly focused on it, it was much moreintense, and magnified. I have been having some occassional pains in the glands that are below my jawline, although i do not feel enlarge nodes. sometimes when i lean down for something, the area below my jaw has some pain-not severe, just noticeable. Of course i freak myself out thinking that maybe its lymph node pain and it is somehow related to the underarm pain, and that I must have some awful catastrophic illness-but ive been trying not to go there.anyone relate?
Posted 10/22/2006 11:50 PM (GMT 0)
Boy am I glad this old thread was recently updated!  I too get armpit pain.  But what's worried me lately is a pain between my shoulder blades and up into my neck (actually it may start in my neck and work down!) that eventually wraps around my rib cage to the front of my chest.  My ribs actually get sore!  I really feel it when I'm laying down and go to sit up without using my arms (like a sit-up).  Anybody else out there get this??

Posted 10/22/2006 11:53 PM (GMT 0)
GFK... I get that myself... in fact I have the pain right now.. I could hardly move my neck last night...

and my back and shoulderblades hurt and my neck...

and the rest of the stuff you mentioned goes with it too... and to top it off... chronic migraines...

Twiggygal~
Posted 10/23/2006 12:54 AM (GMT 0)
Oh My Gosh!! Cat Lover! I think you found the answer!! "Mouse arm". We just recently, Aug 15 to be exact, purchased our FIRST computer. And I, ofcourse, have been on it sooo much. Have to check it all out. Oh boy! I chat with my mom in-law constantly on line!!! All the time, those darn winks and emoticons make it sooo much fun. I'm right handed and therefore that's the side with the most pain, using the mouse on the right. I cannot believe it. If my ultrasound comes back normal, I'll know for certain. But I have to say, that I am confident that this is what's going on. "Mouse arm". And the pain has just recently started in the left armpit maybe because I'm keeping the elbows tight and close to my waist typing away. WOW!!! I feel like it all makes sense now. Perhaps the lumpiness in the right side of the right breast is just fibrocystic changes to boot. It really makes sense. Thank you sooo much for replying to my concerns. As I type it gives me some pain. It really points to mouse arm. I will definately keep you posted on the ultrasound results and mention mouse arm to my doctor. And perhaps cool it on the instant messenger for a while and see what happens. Thanks again and hope you hear something on what's going on below your jaw.
Posted 10/23/2006 1:43 PM (GMT 0)
Im so glad that my response brought you some comfort. good luck with everything-and im not too concerned about my jaw-its sumandibular glands, and it is a very vague sensation-and i can only feel them when my head is in a really weird angle-so i should just stop focusing on it...
Posted 10/28/2006 1:55 AM (GMT 0)
Hi there! Wanted to let you know my results of the ultrasound and about the underarm pain. Turns out it was Mouse Arm. My ultrasound came back normal. And the doctor suspects the pain in my outer breast was cystic changes. Which is totally normal and good to hear. But ya, it's Mouse Arm. It all made sense when cat lover explained it, so I have to give you alot of thanks cat lover. You put my mind at ease after reading your reply. Thank you, Thank you! It was great to have peace of mind after two months of worry. Wasn't anxiety related, I have enough that cause me anxiety don't need another reason. lol. Take care!

Post Edited (Marleau) : 10/27/2006 7:58:36 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/28/2006 3:08 AM (GMT 0)
I am really glad that I was able to provide comfort, and reassurance. It was through my obsessive research due to my armpit pain, that i had figured it out. I was on the computer quite a bit when it happened.I think the tension/anxiety does play a part as well. Sometimes we arent even aware that we are anxious. My body knows, way before i know. Then i get anxious about my symptoms, and here we are!
Posted 10/28/2006 3:59 AM (GMT 0)
Just wanted to add my name to the armpit pain list.  Mine usually feels like someone is pinching my armpit.  Reading everyone's posts made me giggle .. it amazes me how much we all think the worst when we feel an odd pain or twinge.  I'm constantly worrying that I have an anurysm, or cancer of whatever is bothering me .. I think my son inherited my way of thinking .. he came up to me the other day with what looked like a paper cut on his chin and asked," Is it cancer??"  Poor kid, I didn't know whether to laugh or cry, because I do or think the same way.  He will get awful anxiety/panic attacks with every little pain thinking he's going to die.  Then, of course, I think the worst too, and off we go to the ER. 

Thank goodness for HW ... I finally found a place where I finally fit in.

Puddin'

Posted 12/5/2006 4:02 PM (GMT 0)

I just want to add my two cents!  I saw a therapist that said with repeated or prolonged anxiety or panic attacks, our bodies are constantly putting out adrenalin, thus stressing our adrenal glands which are in the armpits.  I do not know for sure if this is true, but it made sense to me...

I hope this helps! 

Posted 12/6/2006 4:49 AM (GMT 0)
What a relief to know there are others out there with the same symptoms.  Of course it would be nice to know just what it is.  I have had pain for about 6 months now, starting with minor pain under my left breast and into my armpit.  It seems to have gotten worse recently, for the past 2 weeks I now have sharp pains deep in my armpit when I move a certain way or hold my arm close to my body.  Someone here has described the exact pain I am feeling.  I have an appointment tomorrow but do not feel that I will get an answer, many tests but no answer.  I have diagnosed myself with, tight bras (without a bra still there, including the feeling that I am still wearing one),cracked rib, heart problem, cancer etc.  Getting real tired of the discomfort and pain (constant).  Happy to know I am not alone.  I sure would like to know if anyone finds an answer for this.
Posted 12/6/2006 6:34 AM (GMT 0)

Hi,

this is kind of related to the topic. I had a mammogram in Feb. 2006 and within a few weeks heard that it was OK. Then in about November I get a call saying, oh, they finally got my mammograms from a different health system from a few years ago, and I was supposed to have come in in October for a recheck. Something looked funny, or whatever the medical term was.

I started worrying really bad and suddenly I had a pain in my right breast (they said there was "something" on my right side).

So in November I went back for some more views, as they call them, and an ultrasound. After several, several days, the nurse tells me, oh, there's some sort of "tail" on my lymph node. Whatever. No cancer. I still have to go back in February ... just to make sure.

I don't find any of that comforting!

And on another kind of related note ... when I first took up long-distance bicycling, I used to get this awful back/shoulder pain. It took me a few years to figure out, but it turns out I had a total DEATH GRIP on the handlebars because I was so scared ... I had an  accident when I was a teen, which resulted in a broken finger, and when as an adult I got to the more serious cycling, going fast and all that, I was scared. Once I loosened my grip on the handlebars, I never had the back/shoulder pain again.

I had a similar experience around the same time with my work on computers. I figured out I was just BANGING away at the keyboard at work, and no wonder it hurt!!

Hope that helps or at least amuses.

-- mk

cancer free, as far as we know

Posted 1/7/2007 12:34 PM (GMT 0)

Hi ladies - nice to find so many of you hypo's out there.  I think I have always been like that but only recently got very acute.  My mum died last year of lung cancer but when she was eventually diagnosed she had lung cancer, throat cancer and liver cancer - I couldnt believe that somebody could be so ill and not know about it - so guess what my hypochondria has well and truly kicked in.  Obviously losing my mum was a big blow and I'm sure a lot of my problems are related to bereavement but I too have had everything in the last 12 months from including mouth cancer, breast cancer, heart attack, brain tumour, lung cancer etc;etc.

I think a lot of symtoms are related to anxiety attacks, with every twinge I feel it is something terrible and I am going to die, then I have rapid heart, sweating, breathlessness etc.

My latest is the sudden onset of actue under arm pain.  Starts under my arm and goes underneath the top of my arm for a few seconds - really painful. Any clues to what this could be - not deodarant and not mouse pain.  Am I just going mad?  Any tips of how to prevent these anxiety attacks and just stop worrying all the time?

what has worked for you?

Posted 1/7/2007 8:49 PM (GMT 0)
Manchester,

Welcome to the forums...There are great lines of support and advice here. Hope you stick around...
Posted 1/7/2007 10:00 PM (GMT 0)
thanks - I think I will.
Posted 1/7/2007 11:06 PM (GMT 0)
Glad to have you. Perhaps you should start a new thread and tell us more about you. Look foward to getting to know you.
Posted 1/8/2007 1:13 PM (GMT 0)
Well I just read just about EVERYTHING I suffer from in these last few posts.  First of all, I TOO am a closet hypochondriac -according to me I've had every disease known to man but am too afraid to go to the doc as I'm SURE he's going to tell me I have a week to live - well that was a hellofa long week considering I've been thinking this way since I was about l8 (I'm now 59)!  Sometimes I wonder if people like us don't go to the doc because we WANT to have something to stress about - like we deserve it or something. I don't know....but anyway - I too have the armpit pain and pains in arms, shoulders, joints, hands, you name it - and I'm presently convinced I'm going to have a heart attack any second.  Two years ago I was having pains below my rib cage and up through my shoulder blades which I personally diagnosed as gall bladder (wouldn't go to doc of course just read everything on the internet) so I pretty much stopped eating anything except boiled chicken and mashed potatoes - convinced everything else was causing me pain.  I ended up losing 30 lbs (which I needed to do) - maybe that was some psychological way of getting myself to diet.  Anyway, it seems I either suffer with terrible anxiety or spend my days obsessing over having some physical ailment.  Such a sad and wasteful way to spend our lives but almost impossible to control as it is all part of this anxiety/depression/panic thing.  Sometimes I have to admit it makes me laugh when I read all these posts and we all suffer from the same crazy feelings, etc. but once you're off the site and back to living every day - you're back to the same hell and it's not funny anymore.  God should certainly bless us all for this day-to-day pain we suffer. Who's to say that actually HAVING some disease is any worse than THINKING you have it.

Posted 1/10/2007 12:26 AM (GMT 0)
Hi,

I am glad I found this board. A little history...back in August, I started having underarm pain and I went online and googled-completely convinced myself I had breast cancer from what I read. I had just had a baby a few months prior so the doctor thought it was post partum depression with some obsessiveness. All these months later, I still have the pain, breast pain sometimes and anxiety. She put me on Zoloft and I have been seeing a therapist who thinks I have generalized anxiety disorder.

 

The underarm pain seems constant and only on my left side. I am glad to have found this forum because it shows that it is most likely anxiety related. I did have a mammogram which was fine and about 10 breast exams which were all fine.

 

 

✚ New Topic locked
123