So, is this a blocked duct or mastitis?

[BroccoliSpears]

I've had this a few times since ds was born and had it again over the weekend.

Blocked duct, so lump in boob which becomes angry, red and excruciatingly painful and tender.
Hot sweats one minute drenching my t-shirt, shivering freezing cold 10 minutes later.
Aching muscles. Not strong enough to pick up ds out of his cot. Fell over walking to the bathroom because I was so wobbly. Can't really turn my head as my neck siezes up.
Banging headache. Blurred vision. Nausia and vomiting.

But I feed ds intensively from the blocked side and it seems to clear up in 24 hours.

So, it must just be a blocked duct, if it clears up without antibiotics, right?

[BlueDragonfly]

sounds like mastitis to me although when i had it it did last much longer adn seemed to linger for a while afterwards

[shrinkingsagpuss]

bloody hell woman -you must be hard as flippin nails!!!
Mastitis. but you are certainly wierd if it keeps coming and going. no way a blocked duct cold be that bad (says she....). Get some anti biotics into you, and knock it on the head before you do your self an injury!

[LackaDAISYcal]

sorry to hear you have been poorly. mastitis is not nice at all. You can clear mastitis without recourse to ABs, unless it goes on for more than 24 hours.

more information from kellymom

[BroccoliSpears]

Thank you for that link LackaDaisycal. Have perused Kellymom before but missed the pertinent bit.

Definitely not hard as nails Sagpuss! The logistics of getting to a doctor in that state with 2 under three makes me quake.

Perhaps I've just been lucky in having it clear so quickly each time. Poor ds must have felt like a tassle in a strip bar trying to clear the last one - it's all I can do to lie damply in bed while he gets rotated round and round til it's cleared.

[LackaDAISYcal]

can you think of anything that might be causing the recurrent blocked ducts? bra fitting OK? sling too tight? lying in a funny position? pumping?

I was a martyr to them (and had a few bouts of mastitis as well) and got pretty good at spotting it in the early stages so could take all the preventative measures. I eventually narrowed the cause down to pumping. stopped pumping; no more blockages! I think it either wasn't draining me efficiently enough, or the too small for my boobs funnel on the avent pump was pressing on the duct (was always in the same place) and having a similar effect.

[LackaDAISYcal]

and lol at tassle in a strip bar