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Can I Get Lidocaine for Nipple Sensivity After Breast Cancer Surgery?
Patients that have had a lumpectomy can have altered sensation of the breast or nipple. The vast majority of the time that sensation should improve over time. It is possible that increased sensitivity could be permanent but that is rare. Lidocaine injections aren't typically used to manage chronic sensitivity because the drug effect is short lived (typically 4-6 hours). Physical therapy can help with desensitization that doesn't improve with time.
Clinical Context
Nerve fibers in the breast and nipple can be stretched or cut during surgery, causing numbness, tingling, or heightened sensitivity while they heal. Most people notice steady improvement over 6-12 months as nerves regenerate, though sensation may never return to exactly normal. Desensitization therapy uses gentle, graded touch exercises to retrain how nerves signal to the brain, which can reduce discomfort when natural healing plateaus. Ask your surgeon whether it's appropriate for you.
