Fungal infection and breastfeeding

[Itchymisery]

Hi,

I have both thrush and ringworm on my chest (so, so depressing) and am breastfeeding a six-month-old. I am in discomfort and feel totally disgusting.

I think he has a small ringworm patch on his chin and he has what looks like could be the beginning of nappy rash. It's not very red but there are some little spots that could be thrush. I'm treating both bits with a small amount of cream.

Anyway, the point is that I now have very mixed feelings about breastfeeding.

I have loved bfing him over the last few months but I feel like this could be the beginning of the end. It doesn't feel right putting him close to my skin when my skin is so horrible. I feel like I'm infecting him more with every feed. Plus he scratches me (though we do clip his nails), by rooting around with his hands. I could express and give him the milk straightaway (it's not advised to freeze in case you reinfect later on), but I don't get much from expressing and am worried about infecting breast pump too.

I first went to the dr over a week and a half ago and got cream. I got oral tablets too a couple of days ago. But the rash is now all over my chest and back and very sore.

I am interested to know if anyone else has been through something similar, especially if they had a large infected area as opposed to smaller patches. I have put a thread in health as well but wanted this to deal with the bf aspect specifically: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/general_health/1142967-Fungal-issues-possibly-thrush-or-ringworm-help

:(

[vintageteacups]

see if there's anything here that can help

[vintageteacups]

First of all, put some little cotton mittens on his hands when he's feeding, then he won't scratch you.

Sorry to hear how you're feeling; you must be down with all of that going on.

I honestly think you should go back to the doctor, because the rash is all over your back and sore and hasn't improved but got worse.

If you were given cream that long ago, I would have thought it should be on it's way by now (I'm not medically trained though so not sure).

I can quite understand how you are feeling about breastfeeding, especially as this has happened after a period of positive BF.
You are doing well though; continuing to breastfeed when you are in so much discomfort.

How is the baby being treated? Does he have oral thrush? I would defo go back to GP with the baby too.

[Itchymisery]

Hi Vintage,

The link is helpful, thank you.

I saw the doctor on Thursday so quite recently. He could see there were patches of ringworm both front and back on me and pointed out one section of thrush. I had been on daktarin (miconazale) and he changed me to clotrimazole cream and fluco-something tablets.

Baby was with me but not examined (not sure why). The previous GP gave me oral daktarin gel for him though, which I wasn't going to use when I thought it was ringworm alone but maybe I should start now. As far as I can tell my son doesn't have any oral thrush (yet, anyway).

I didn't go into whether or not my sore/red chest is part of the fungal infection or not as was rather flustered. I've been assuming it is but after reading that link and elsewhere online I am confused as people tend to talk about fungal in dark/moist places and it seems odd that a big portion of mine is on my upper chest where it is open to the air on a daily basis (from my neck to above my breasts).

I think I will have to wait at least a few days to give the tablets a chance but then the discomfort alone will probably send me back - I just don't understand how/why my neck is sore now. Argh!

[Itchymisery]

I just saw there was a similar thread here on thrush - silly me. The one thing I would say is that I have not had nipple pain or pain inside the breast. So far I think it is mostly ringworm that's actually near the nipple and thrush was inbetween my boobs (sigh...) and could be elsewhere too. Really hope I start to see or feel healing soon though as am feeling truly rubbish /pathetic-emoticon

[vintageteacups]

Okay - I think perhaps if your neck is sore, it could be because you're not in a comfy position for BF or if it's more a fluey-type feeling in your neck, then I would maybe go to an out of hours GP today if you can.

Is the ringworm inflamed?
<a class="break-all" href="http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?imgurl=hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/pictures22/tray/TinCorp06.jpg&imgrefurl=hardinmd.lib.uiowa.edu/ui/tray/TinCorp6.html&usg=__yh3ZbsfmeomX1OExZpM7yyB7OE4=&h=340&w=600&sz=19&hl=en&start=0&sig2=hx-g97-0m3rug2sYvlZL_g&zoom=1&tbnid=reDUC1tV_rLdDM:&tbnh=99&tbnw=175&ei=pyFNTZvsD-qShAfUtZGtDg&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dpictures%2Bof%2Bringworm%2Bon%2Bchest%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DN%26rlz%3D1T4SUNC_enGB374GB374%26biw%3D1345%26bih%3D584%26tbs%3Disch:1&um=1&itbs=1&iact=rc&dur=374&oei=pyFNTZvsD-qShAfUtZGtDg&esq=1&page=1&ndsp=20&ved=1t:429,r:1,s:0&tx=115&ty=66" rel="nofollow noindex" target="_blank">is it like this?

[Itchymisery]

You are being so helpful, thank you.

Sorry - I meant my neck sore as if the rash was spreading, not sore to turn or move.

The ringworm is not as big as that. It started out as small circles that never got quite so inflamed. They are now dry and scaly (and itchy!) so I'm hoping they're healing.

My chest is red like sunburn, I suppose, with no clear defined edge. I guess it could be a giant ringworm (I saw a pic of google images of one on someone's back), or perhaps it is just irritated, in which case I don't know if anti-fungal cream is helping. It is quite rough/scaly and does seem to be spreading.

[Itchymisery]

Reading some more it probably is 'just' a case of ringworm. It is difficult to keep breastfeeding though when everything I read bangs on about how contagious it is - I feel like my son will end up covered in it!

Thanks again - I will go back to the doctor on Monday or Tues if no improvement.

Maybe I will try expressing a few feeds in teh meantime.

[vintageteacups]

If your baby catches it (which he might not because you're BF) then they will just give him treatment and hopefully it won't be as bad as yours.

Try not to worry (I know you will though) but you're doing so well to carry on feeding him when you feel so bluegh.

Hope you get better soon

[Itchymisery]

I've just this moment decided to stop feeding him on one side as it's so sore - not pain in the nipple sore, but skin sore and broken around the breast :(. I'll keep expressing from it while I can and will try to feed solely from the other side (which is currently not so infected) as much as possible and hopefully my supply won't be damaged too much.

I was thinking of changing to formula when I go back to work in a few months anyway, so if it does happen, it's not the end of the world. Have just sent DH on shopping trip to buy some cartons as back-up.

[nitnatnaboo]

Hi Itchy
Just to let you know - I had to stop feeding on one side as I had an accident with a cup of boiling water and ended up with one burnt breast/nipple.

I carried on feeding on the other side quite happily.

Hope you feel better soon. Sounds horrible.

[vintageteacups]

Yes - it's very possible to feed with only one breast and more women than you imagine do. Good luck with it all