Nipple thrush

[walkdowntheavenue]

Ds and I diagnosed with thrush. Treating with drops for ds, ointment for me, vinegar wash, coconut oil, changing breast pads and taking acidophilus.
Problem is the pain, I can't bear it and I'm sitting sobbing through feeds. It's left me entirely housebound and my dd is getting very upset seeing me crying all the time.

Anyone any advice?

[Romily]

I have this too ATM and the pain is dreadful so I will be watching this thread with interest.

[bluecheesefiend]

Sorry to hear you're both experiencing this - I had the same with my DS and it was toe-curlingly horrific.
I realise it's deeply controversial but I just quit. My DH, my cousin & my best friend all saw me feeding him in the 2nd week and all basically said "why put yourself through it"
In the end I pumped so that he had breast milk from a bottle and I supplemented with formula.
He is now a bright, strapping 2.5yr old, in extremely good health and bonding has never been an issue.
I breast fed my DD (who is older) for a few months and worried a bit that I'd cheated DS somehow, but a lot of that is down to all the pressure out there - you just have to do whatever is best for you and your little family.
I wish you all the best

[Longdistance]

We had Daktarin oral gel for nipple thrush. The nystatin didn't work for us.

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

Thrush is often stubborn and may need agressive treatment. Some of the remedies you are using have not been shown particularly effective, your HV or GP may want to prescribe miconazole or fluconazole for both of you is thrush is diagnosed.
The treatment need to be applied after every feed and important to treat baby too.
The thrush organism can linger in baby's mouth so anything in drop form is unlikely to be effective. Gel needs to be applied gently to the end of a small finger and applied around the baby's mouth, under lips, around gum lines, inner cheeks. Otherwise the yeast can flourish if left in a fold of skin then simply flourish and re-infect.
If the treatment is applied thouroughly and frequently then you should see an improvement within a couple of days.

It may be worth having your latch checked too- thrush is an opportunistic organism and will invade broken skin, so if your nipples have any small abrasions or lesions due to latch being not quite right , then thrush can take hold.

[geekaMaxima]

What twelve said.

In the meantime, ibuprofen helps and is safe while bf.

[walkdowntheavenue]

Thanks everyone. Twelve, will explore those options, thank you.

I get giving up on the bf, I feel very much the same after the last few days. I've already encountered nastiness about giving him a bottle, the fact it was breast milk didn't enter into the militant moms realm of thought!

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

walkdown how old is your baby?

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

Just wanted to ask because if your baby is very young and you are giving an artificial teat you risk running a little nipple confusion, which could make your own nipples sore, and allowing the thrush organism to take hold. Your latch may be fine, if you are giving regular bottles even of ebm your nipples may be tender.

[merrygiant]

I've had terrible trouble with systemic thrush that started in my nipples, spread to the breast skin and ducts and then invaded my gut. After a battle I managed to get a course of Fluconazole from the GP which helped but didn't clear it. The only thing I've tried which really got to it was Citricidal, a grapefruit seed extract, which you take orally and can also apply topically to the skin.

Be aware of what you're eating too, I was getting through the days with lots of sugary snacks, which definitely made things worse.

It sounds like you've just got it on the nipple at the moment, but just beware that its a bu&&er to clear if its allowed to spread.

[tequilacream]

Sorry to hear about your pain.

Have been there and done this. I was not able to last through the pain and expressed for a week until it was bearable to have my LO latch on again. Could not make the nipple shields work :(

Daktarin for both of us plus no breast pads as they create a NT friendly environment. Change of bra every day and was in 60 / 90 degrees with vinegar rinse (I'd sometimes boil my bras). This was my supplements list:

• Health Plus Acidophilus Probiotic Digestive Health Supplement
  
• Nelsons Candida tablets
  
• Total Candida Defence - 100% natural candida / yeast treatment - (60 Vegi Caps)
  
• NutriBiotic, Grapefruit Seed, Extract, 125 mg
  

Also cut down on sugary foods and those containing yeast (another fungus).

In addition bough Gentian Violet 1% solution, but as a last resource and not used it (stains everything).

You need to be patient and continue with the treatment for 2-3 weeks after the symptoms have disappeared as it has a tendency to come back.
Still keep small Daktarin cream (the athlete foot treatment) and sometimes use preventively if I can feel it coming back.

We all have the bacteria (fungus) in our bodies, but it flares up in certain situations.
Good luck fighting it!

[tequilacream]

BTW - it was different Daktarin for me and different for LO - speak to your GP.

[tequilacream]

Oh, me again - Fluconazole - can be harmful to baby, so would only use as last resort.

[42andcounting]

Iv

[42andcounting]

Drat it, phone & fat fingers... will try again tomorrow on the laptop. ..

[Liveinthepresent]

Fluconazole sorted me lit in about 48 hours.
Have you seen this leaflet for advice?

www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/dibm/Thrush_and_Breastfeeding_Feb_2013.pdf

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

tequila can you post links to the suggestion that fluconazole is harmful to babies? It is regularly prescribed and is of very low toxicity, although miconazole is the more commonly used.

Gentian violet however is never precribed for thrush for use with babies, it is highly toxic and may be carcinogenic. Please don't advise its use.

[Liveinthepresent]

Yes my GP was very positive about fluconazole and even gave me a repeat prescription when I thought it was flaring up again. The BFN paper I linked to shows how much can pass to. bF baby but no concerns about toxicity

[atthestrokeoftwelve]

Absolutely liveinthepresent- fluconazole has saved many breastfeeding relationships.

[42andcounting]

I've just got rid of nipple & ductal thrush after 10 weeks, and am firmly convinced I would have given up bf without Fluconazole. I had an initial loading dose, then 50mg twice daily which helped a lot but didn't cure. After 8 weeks the GP upped the dose to 150mg twice daily, which sorted it in a week.

The pain was initially unbelievable, I took the max dose of paracetamol & ibuprofen just to stay sane. Also found washing anything that came into contact with milk or vomit at at least 60 degrees helped. Good luck.

[42andcounting]

Forgot to say, the fluconazole is in line with the Breastfeeding Network recommendations, and had absolutely no ill effects on my LO.

[crossjoss]

I agree. Dc3 is 8 weeks old and having fed my other 2 with no problems I was really surprised at how painful it was this time around. Cracked raw nipples, incredibly painful, me in tears when feeding him or even when my nipple were touched by clothes etc. High dose fluconazole saved us - I was considering stopping feeding but this started to settle the pain within 2 days and a week later everything feels fine again. Good luck

[littleraysofsunshine]

Daktarin gel currently here too with 3wo