breast abscess now what? can i continue to feed, just as everything was going well, this happens :(

[papaya]

I have mastitus and its now turned into an abscess as antibiotics are not working. doc is trying me on some different antibiotics today for 3 days then if they have not worked/'helped any its off to hosp in his words for "surgery under general anesthetic".

does anyone know if having the abscess will affect feeding?? will general or local anestheict affect feeding? really dont want tto take ds int o hosp either....

does it hurt having it drained? Can i feed DS from the infected boob? will the absess harm ds in any way? I have no discharge coming from nipple or anything, its just milk. I am so gutted this has happened. Just as my latch is sorted and B'feeding no longer hurts this happens

[VictorianSqualor]

I don't know the answer to this but please call one of the helplines (listed on my profile) to ask their advice, hopefully someone there will know.

I think that the hospital is meant to make it easy for you to breastfeed when you go in for an operation, I don't know what this entails though, is there anyway you could get a private room and have him and DH stay with you? (don't know if you have other children so not sure how feasible this is) .

How old is DS?

[papaya]

thanks for your numbers and advice, ds is 4 weeks and our other DC is 3, Dh maybe could stay with us as my mum could possible have DD. I am praying these antibiotics will work, but it doesnt look hopeful, doc said its the last attempt to avoid going into hosp but he was 90% sure i will need to go in.

[ButterflyBessie]

Papaya

I had these with dc1, I feel for you they are v painful

Just a thought though, do you(or dh) have private medical insurance? I was seen at the local nhs hosp, who told me there was nothing wrong when there was , they did say though that if they were abscesses it would mean an overnight stay, gen anaesthetic and incisions in both breasts to drain the pus away.

I immediately returned to my gp, with my dh's med insurance details who sent me to the local private hospital the next day after putting me on a/bs. Consultant stuck a needle (albeit large) into each breast and drained at least 4ozs of pus from each one, the relief was instant. I def did not have a general and I cannot remember if I had local, but there were no stitches or talk of scalpels near my breasts .

I recall going back 3 times before I was better, and with subsequent babies I was terrified of them returning (they didn't)

HTH

[weasle]

papaya, how is it going?

if you do have a breast abscess, the correct treatment is as bessie describes, a needle aspiration perhaps with an ultrasound. An incision and drainage under general anaesthetic is very rarely required. however, many gps and non-breast surgeons are not up to date with this.

when are you going back to your gp? have you had any improvement with abx? what are you on? you say it has turned into an abscess; if so, abx are unlikely to fix it. where do you live?

it is simple to sort out once you get to the right people (your local breast unit). your gp should refer you, to be seen as an emergency that day to the general surgeon on call. another option is to present to a&e, say you have br abscess and bypass gp.

good luck, let us know how it is going.

[papaya]

Hi there thanks so much for your responses, I was on 10 days amoxy-clav (excuse spelling) now I am on distaclor (cefaclor 375mg twice a day) the latter of which I started monday, I go back to the gp on thurs morn (the same gp who told me to stop breast feeding immediately when i saw him for the first time a week last mon when he started me on the original antibiotics

Theres been no improvement at all with antibiotics, although now there is no redness over the whole of my boob, instead the redness is now localised over the plum sized bright red burning lump I have, exactly how my boob was yesterday when I went to the doctors and he said he would try me on some more antibiotics. I live in lincs. would going to a&e ensure i didnt have to have the i&d? I would much much much prefer to think all i needed was the needle aspiration, sounds much better than general anesthetic etc. When you say breast unit weasle, what do you mean by that? does every area have one? would i need to ask my doctor about this?

[emma1977]

Ooooooh.......sounds nasty, you poor thing.

Go back and see your GP tomorrow morning and ask to be referred urgently/admitted to the breast surgeons. Sounds like you need seeing urgently either as an inpatient or in a same-day clinic by someone who specialises in how to I&D breast abscesses. They would be far more likely to perform a successful needle drainage if they think that is appropriate than an A&E doctor.

If at any point overnight you develop sweats, a high fever or uncontrollable shivering, just get straight to A&E as you may need admitting for iv antibiotics.

Are you still managing to BF?

[papaya]

I am managing fine to breast feed thanks emma, luckily so far anyway!! NOt sure if its the antibiotics but DS seems to have awful wind and griping pains since starting them though feel a but guilty bless him ....speaking of which he has just woken up again bless him, he's very hard to settle at the moment

[papaya]

I am managing fine to breast feed thanks emma, luckily so far anyway!! NOt sure if its the antibiotics but DS seems to have awful wind and griping pains since starting them though feel a but guilty bless him ....speaking of which he has just woken up again bless him, he's very hard to settle at the moment

[weasle]

sorry, i didn't mean for a&e to drain abscess, just that they should refer you to the general surgical registrar on call. they look after breast abscesses and should be able to do aspiration, but you may need more than 1 go (ie a couple of dayd later), or if it is difficult may need ultrasound so then gen surg would get breast radiologist involved.
gp could also refer you.
you need to be seen same day (today or tomorrow if you can't get to gp today) and have this sorted.
what you describe sounds like abscess, it will not get better with abx.
sorry, i am in london, no idea of your local hospital set up.
if you get seen by the correct person who knows about this it is very unlikely you would have an I&D, if someone junior suggests this ask them to speak to their senior or a breast consultant.
well done for keeping going with the bf and i hope this can be sorted soon.

[emma1977]

How are things today, papaya?

[weasle]

how was gp visit papaya?

[blushingm]

i had an absess when i had dd. I tried 3 anti biotics none worked so i had to go and have it asperated at the hospital every week for 6 weeks with ultra sound scans too. They used a big needle and no anaestetic - it wasn't that bad though and it meant i could stay home with dd

[papaya]

hi all,
well this morning, the lump seems a fair bit smaller, and the purple colour has reduced in size as well. my gp said he thought it best to try the antibiotics until mon & reassess it then. I am feeling fine in myself still & still feeding ds fine & really want to avoid any hospital procedure if poss. although smaller, the actual lump (a large grape size now!!) is turning much harder though. depending on whats decided monday I may contact a local (private hosp) that offer needle aspiration. If the absess is going down surely this a good sign? but could it still need draining? is it possible for the antibiotics to clear it up completely?

thanks for everyones help xx

[papaya]

dont like the sound of a big needle blushingm!! but if it means no I&D etc then I will do anything! if it comes to it I hope thats what they offer me.

[emma1977]

Sounds promising.

Hopefully you'll get to avoid the needle!