Breast Implants: Q&A

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Should I Remove my Implants?

I had saline implants done 2/07. Surgery went well. In 1/08, I started having strange physical symptoms...jolting awake with electric shock every 20 mins each night. Internal tremoring centered behind my sternum and radiating out my back, up my neck/shoulders, sometimes out my fingers and toes. Strange adrenalin like surges (not heartburn) in the same area around the sternum. extreme dizziness and almost feeling like I’m going to pass out. All the symptoms get worse at night. I'm unable to sleep from all the physical tremoring and have been living on Ambien since June 2008. In October 2008, I also started having intense pressure from the back of my lower head, moving up the sides, into the temples and then into the sinuses above eyes and below. Mostly intense pressure, but sometimes causes headaches. Extreme sensitivity to sound, light, touch and smell...but not pain, just more like electrical. The only pain I experience is in my back and up the back of my neck...more like burning muscle pain...I also have extreme concentration problems, I cannot focus, I am foggy, have an unclear head. With the head pressure in October came a loud "whooshing" noise in my right ear that seems to be related to my carotid artery. I started having ALL the tests done over the course of 2008. I have had urine tests, blood tests, MRI's of my brain, neck and back, ultrasounds of my upper abdomen, ultrasound of my carotid artery, EEG's and EKG's. I have had every test come out ok. Doctors have ruled out MS, Parkinson's or anything cardiac related. A couple of months ago, I started reading stories about women who have had similar symptoms and related them to their implants. I've talked to a plastic surgeon and he of course can only give me the prices to remove and tell me that I will be unhappy if I remove them. I would never really know if this is related unless I remove them and my symptoms disappear. I don't want to unnecessarily have surgery, but if they are causing all of this, then I have to entertain the idea of getting them out. All the medical docs are saying stress and anxiety...but I know my body. ALL of my symptoms are there 100% of the time and that has those same docs scratching their heads. I'm being treated with anxiety and antidepressants, but nothing changes the physical symptoms. I know stress is contributing but my gut is telling me that isn't what started it all. I was perfectly healthy until now without ever even having to take an Advil.

Can anyone offer me any advice or help on whether there can be a link to my saline implants and my symptoms?

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13 Doctor Answers | Asked by dollybaby in Thousand Oaks, CA

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Removing Implants to Try to Alleviate Symptoms

I am sorry to hear of all your symptoms. Unfortunately, no doctor would be able to diagnose the implants as having any relationship to your history of symptoms. Understanding how troubling all this has been, it certainly is reasonable to think about trying implant removal. Although it is very unlikely that you would see your symptoms go away, if you are desperate enough, it may seem worth a try. Please understand that most plastic surgeons would counsel you that there... more

Implants causing all those symptoms???

Hi dollybaby, Let me first begin by saying I feel for you for what you are going through. As the other doctor mentioned it really is impossible to say that all the symptoms you are feeling are related to your implants. However, saying that, I just can't say that 100% it is not your implant. What I can say is that it would be unlikely and very unusual for the breast implants causing all your symptoms. Having said that, the only way to tell is really to remove them and see how... more

Removing them is easy, make sure this is what you need

I'm sorry to hear about all these symptoms hope I can help you with these few facts: 1-Make sure ALL the physical causes of these symptoms are ruled out. The different causes of what you have could be a very long list. Do not exclude stress or any other psychological causes. 2-These symptoms started one year after your surgery. Something else happened after one year to make you feel this way. 3-Saline implants in general should not cause these symptoms. I heard of some isolated cases related... more

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Breast implants do not cause systemic disease.

Your constellation of symptoms do not add up to one specific diagnosis that I can think of. Anxiety would explain most of your complaints but it is only part of the differential. Your implants are not causing the problems directly. They may be causing problems indirectly by creating the anxiety. It might be best that the implants be removed if they are causing such distress.

Consult with your primary care doctor

Based on the information and history you have provided, you may want to consider consulting with your primary doctor. many of the signs and symptoms you are experiencing could not have any thing to deal with the implants. However, if you feel otherwise and would like to rul out the possiblity of that being the cause of your medical conditions, consult with your plastic surgeon as well or get an MRI done. You will feel a lot more comfortable with your implants and will also benfit from a... more

If you must remove the implants, you can

Hello, Although I am not sure why you have had the problems you have had, you can of course have your implants removed. Without seeing you it is difficult for me to tell you what you might look like afterward. It is highly probable that the problems you are having are not related to the implants, but it is your body.

It is not the breast implants

DollyBaby, It is very unlikely, if not impossible, for your implants to be causing the symptoms you are describing. However, if you mentally associate the implants with all of these psychosomatic complaints, then you should have the implants out so you can convince yourself that they are not causing your issues. It sounds like you are having several issues, so I hope that you are seeking the appropriate help. Good luck.

Anxiety attacks and insomnia not related to saline breast implants

Upon reading about your anxiety, sleep and physical symptoms I am sorry about your poor state of health. In my many years of practice, and research into breast implants I can assure you that there is no reason to consider the implants as a direct cause of the symptoms and must be removed. What I would suggest you do however is explore why you completed breast augmentation in the first place. I have had patients with anxiety and remorse after augmentation who did feel better after implant... more

I doubt the symptoms are related to implants

There have been numerous studies performed due to see if there were any relationship between silicone gel implants and the type of symptoms you are experiencing. While the studies were for gel, saline shells are silicone derived as well. The conclusions were about 5% of women without implants experience these symptoms, in the implant group, 4.8% had them (about the same). There have never been reports or associations of saline devices with these symptoms. With this in mind, I do not believe... more

Unlikely due to your implants

There is no evidence that your implants are causing these problems. As everyone else has said, the only way that you can find out is to remove them and see if your symptoms, not only go away, but also stay away. It is impossible to know before if removing the implants it will help you. This is why any reputable plastic surgeon will not encourage you to get them out but will only suggest it, if you feel strongly that the implants may be the cause of your symptoms. Good luck...

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