Good morning. I am a 41-year-old woman. My mother had cancer in her left breast and died of widespread metastatic bone cancer last year. I am religious with getting my annual physicals and mammograms and just had both in February. I am trying not to be paranoid however…

A few weeks ago I noticed a painful pea sized lump just under the skin, more in the upper part of my left armpit. At first I thought ingrown hair, but there was no red infected looking bump that you would normally find if this was the case. There was; however, a noticeable painful to the touch lump. This went on for a few days then subsided. At least the lump seemed smaller and no longer hurt. It has come back a couple of times since then, enlarged and painful and is happening again as I am writing this. Clogged sweat glands versus lymph nodes? I am leaning towards clogged sweat glands. Aren’t lymph nodes lower, deeper and closer to the breast area?

I am wondering if it isn’t from this new antiperspirant/deodorant I bought about a month ago. I have always used Secret antiperspirant/deodorant or Lady Speed Stick and have NEVER had this problem before. About one month ago I saw a commercial for Degree Ultra Clear (little black dress approved). I may just be paranoid but it seems like this started happening after I began using this new deodorant. Could it be possible that I am having a reaction to the new deodorant, even though I have never had a problem in the past with any others I have used?

Thanks,
Karen

Hi Karen. Why don't you just make an appointment with your doctor to set you mind at ease. Given your mothers history it would be wise to check it out right away. It may be a reaction to a new product that you are using or an ingrown hair. It could also be a gland problem. Let us know how you make out. Stop stewing about it and see a doctor. It is probably nothing but you won't know until to go.

Karen, I agree with the answer you have gotten so far. With your mother's history it would be in your best interest to see your doctor and find out if he should do a fine needle aspiration.

I do not lean toward a reaction to the deodorant unless you have sensitive skin because most deodorants contain very similar ingredients.

The lymphatic system is an enormous system within your body. There are lymph nodes all over. We have many in the breast around the areola that lead up into the armpit, shoulder and neck, and actually the entire body.

I am by no way saying that you have breast cancer, but as a breast cancer survivor myself, if you were my daughter, I would suggest you make an appointment with your physician.

Thank you both very much for your responses. I have an appointment for routine blood work and follow up with my primary care doctor in October. However, I just got off the phone with them and I made an appt with the nurse practitioner for the 6th. Even if it is gone by then at least she might be able to explain what might have been going on.

Obviously, in the back of my mind I cannot get my mother out of my mind. I have been scared to death ever since her diagnosis and literally went to the doctor about every little lump, bump and pain after her death. I have even had two left breast biopsies that turned out to be nothing, thank goodness. And you are right, I need to do this for peace of mind and not just chalk it up to being overly paranoid.

Thanks again,
Karen

Good for you Karen. I will be thinking of you on the 6th. Good luck and let us know how you make out with the appointment.

Good luck Karen. I too will be thinking of you on the 6th.

Please keep us up to date on what you hear. Remember I am a survivor, I have been where you are at one point in my life.

No matter what the outcome, you can make it through this!!

Thank you all. I will let you know what I find out. Even though it is always good to hear that everything is okay, sometimes the cost of all the tests to find that out is aggravating if you know what I mean. I couldn't believe the cost of the two biopsies alone. But knowing is better than not knowing.

Karen

Hi Karen. I am always a little taken back when I hear that someone has to pay for their testing. We take it for granted in Canada. Most of everything we need is covered by our government. In Ontario we call it OHIP. Ontario health insurance plan. My husband has to pay a portion from his paycheque every week, but nothing in comparison to what you pay in the states. I hope we never lose our coverage that we have been accustomed to. You have to wonder how many people have to for go testing because of lack of the funds to do so. In Canada we have a longer waiting time to even get in to see our doctors. My daughter in Florida gets her appointments almost the next day. That is a foreign concept here in Canada. Our waiting lists are obscene. I hope your result will be a positive one.

Hi Kitters65,

I was just surfing the web to find some information about these lumps that keep coming back under my left arm. They are very painful and even had to have one drained around the fourth of July. I have never had any problems before but have two lumps now and not until I started using Degree Ultra Clear (Little Black Dress Approved). I am kind of wondering if there is some relation between our underarm bumps and this deoderant.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kitters65

Good morning. I am a 41-year-old woman. My mother had cancer in her left breast and died of widespread metastatic bone cancer last year. I am religious with getting my annual physicals and mammograms and just had both in February. I am trying not to be paranoid however…

A few weeks ago I noticed a painful pea sized lump just under the skin, more in the upper part of my left armpit. At first I thought ingrown hair, but there was no red infected looking bump that you would normally find if this was the case. There was; however, a noticeable painful to the touch lump. This went on for a few days then subsided. At least the lump seemed smaller and no longer hurt. It has come back a couple of times since then, enlarged and painful and is happening again as I am writing this. Clogged sweat glands versus lymph nodes? I am leaning towards clogged sweat glands. Aren’t lymph nodes lower, deeper and closer to the breast area?

I am wondering if it isn’t from this new antiperspirant/deodorant I bought about a month ago. I have always used Secret antiperspirant/deodorant or Lady Speed Stick and have NEVER had this problem before. About one month ago I saw a commercial for Degree Ultra Clear (little black dress approved). I may just be paranoid but it seems like this started happening after I began using this new deodorant. Could it be possible that I am having a reaction to the new deodorant, even though I have never had a problem in the past with any others I have used?

Thanks,
Karen

---

Hello, I would like to add to this by telling you I have a lump under my arm which started small and now is the size of a small jaw breaker,, was not sore till I played bowling on the wii, now I can't touch it I can't sleep made an apointment with the doc, which I had it checked and they said if it is not bothering you then leave it that was only a week ago now I feel silly going back because I irritated from a game, but what caught me was the deoderant I use that degree little black dress approved,,

If a doctor tells you to ignore it and it will go away find another doctor. You need a doctor that will take things seriously.

To "Kitters65": um. Okay so, if it's painful at all that means it's infected. Just because there is no "red bump" doesn't mean it's automatically NOT a zit. Often these infections can be quite deep which causes the pain. Usually if it were something more serious like a tumor, it would not hurt. So, it's a zit, and it will eventually come to a head. Good luck.

You sound JUST LIKE ME, only I am 36 y/o. I have been using Secret for years and all is usually okay, but every so often (like maybe once every 3 or so years) I get that very painful lump under my *right* arm and I freak out. I tried their roll-on kind recently and I think that it may have exacerbated the problem. So what can you do? NOT wear deoderant? I don't know. But if you happen to have found a different deoderant that works well for you then it would be MUCH APPRECIATED if you shared that bit 'o info. I don't have a known cancer running through my genes, but it still worries me just the same! Thank you.

I feel for everyone that has this problem.. I am 40 yrs old and have gotten these bumps for as long as I can remember but as I get older I get them more often and mostly in my lower extremities.. Every month I get them & it drives me crazy! All my dr. tells me is there is nothing I can do for it! Keep it dry down there! Yeah Right! My sex life no longer exsists due to this issue & I wish to God they'd come up with a Cure!

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by kitters65

Good morning. I am a 41-year-old woman. My mother had cancer in her left breast and died of widespread metastatic bone cancer last year. I am religious with getting my annual physicals and mammograms and just had both in February. I am trying not to be paranoid however…

A few weeks ago I noticed a painful pea sized lump just under the skin, more in the upper part of my left armpit. At first I thought ingrown hair, but there was no red infected looking bump that you would normally find if this was the case. There was; however, a noticeable painful to the touch lump. This went on for a few days then subsided. At least the lump seemed smaller and no longer hurt. It has come back a couple of times since then, enlarged and painful and is happening again as I am writing this. Clogged sweat glands versus lymph nodes? I am leaning towards clogged sweat glands. Aren’t lymph nodes lower, deeper and closer to the breast area?

I am wondering if it isn’t from this new antiperspirant/deodorant I bought about a month ago. I have always used Secret antiperspirant/deodorant or Lady Speed Stick and have NEVER had this problem before. About one month ago I saw a commercial for Degree Ultra Clear (little black dress approved). I may just be paranoid but it seems like this started happening after I began using this new deodorant. Could it be possible that I am having a reaction to the new deodorant, even though I have never had a problem in the past with any others I have used?

Thanks,
Karen

---

Dear Karen, I have medical issues Fibromyalgia, RA, OA,etc they say mine is coming from my Immune System being so low. I have ask two doctors and my pharmacist and all gave me the same answer (my immune system) however I have done a lot of research on the Sweat Gland Lumps and these are the following answers I have found|
Immune System, hair folical, deodorant, etc.
I hope this helps and makes you feel at ease. If you need to talk my e-mai l address is [email protected]

You might have Hidradenitis suppurativa. This occurs when hair follicles or sweat glands are obstructed (by, say, too powerful or too much Deodorant, as one possibility) and a secondary infection occurs. It's not the same as an ingrown hair and is Very painful. Do the lumps feel completely hard (like,say, a beebee) or hard at the 'base' or deepest point and kind of tender near the outmost layer of skin (like they are liquid-filled)?

I too just started using degree black dress deodorant and have developed a Large extremely painful lump under my armpit... I am wondering if it is that since I have never had a bump under my armpit and never had an acne problem. It hurts so bad now I have stopped using deodarant because it burns intensely when I do.

My sister and I have a similar problem that developed around the age of 40 (no problems before that for both of us) We found that using deodorant only NOT antiperspirant eliminated the problem. We initially did not use any product for a week or two (stay indoors and try not to perspire!) and the lumps went away.