To take the receptionists advice...?

[CrispsAndDip]

I always get itchy boobs when I am due on my period, this month was particularly bad and I would wake myslf up scratching underneath my boobs.

I realised my boob was really quite sore where I had scratched the other day and when I took my bra off last night.. TOO MUCH INFORMATION KLAXON there was a little blood and yellow puss on it! Not a lot but still..

I thought I would just keep the area dry and hope for the best but I must have had this for about 2 weeks, hence it becoming a bit infected. It looks quite clean but angry.

I rang my surgery for advice as to whether to come in and when I described the problem she said Germolene should do it and did not offer me an appointment.

Sitting at my desk now and it really is stinging quite a bit. Should I overide the receptionists decision and see a doctor (I am being paranoid and imagining allsorts, sepsis etc) or just go and get germolene or similar (if anyone has any better ideas) after work?

TBH I have not really been paying much attention to the area as I didn't realise it was quite as bad as it is so maybe if I make an effort of treating it, it will heal quickly?

bit worried

The receptionist once told me, in a doubting tone, that she'd never heard of my symptoms before, and suggested I wait until my next appointment. I was pregnant with placenta previa and an unstable lie and was a couple of weeks from my due date!

Thanks. I did draft a long reply to prove her comments wrong but I couldn't be bothered to enter into a debate!

The pharmacist won’t care abour your bra. Honestly. Just nip there asap this evening and go into the private room so they can take a peek.

Thanks everyone. I am assuming I will be able to prepare myself in private? I.E. taking top off etc? I have major body issues!

Maia
That’s awful. I’ve never received advice from a dr surgery receptionist. The receptionist is there to book appointments, field queries, request gp call backs etc etc. Never to give advice!

heat,humidity,breasts sweating are all contributors to topical yeast infections.also heat rashes,living in tropical and subtropical climates learned this from a doctor who knew what he was doing.
do get it checked.the infections are horrendous if left too long.
www.stdzip.com/yeast-infection-under-breast/

not trying to scare you but since uk usually isnt so hot these things aren't well known.-not even by doctors-

I imagine you can ask them to leave the room until you are ready or to turn away. It’s your body afterall. But do remember much as you are a real life person, it is just a body and no one is going to judge you or laugh.

Naughty of the receptionist. germolene is horrible stuff!

Non qualified advice, told to me by a district nurse when caring for my Mum- anti fungal foot powder dusted under breasts works well, just a dusting, not clods!

I had similar in a different place and the pharmacist was brilliant. Hardly had to look at the sore skin but knew exactly what to give me to solve the problem.

If you can't face getting your boob out for the pharmacist and will definitely be able to get an appointment tomorrow, worth trying some very hot (hot as you can stand without burning you) salt water on a cotton wool ball.

Hold it on and then loose top, no bra overnight.

No I'm not a HCP but had same problem and that's what the prescribing nurse told me to do.

Next morning it had improved. Did it again that morning and then again in the evening and it was fine. I did need a plaster in the day to stop it rubbing again though.

Once you have it sorted out, please report the receptionist. She should not be offering medical advice!

mrjoe
Those look very sore. I know obese people are also prone to get this under the stomach skin fold.

Someone was talking about these the other day. Under bra sweat liners. Could also help maybe?

You should mention something to the practice manager about the receptionist. If she is giving out medical advice that has the potential to go very wrong and would reflect badly on the practice as a whole. It can have a 'for your information' tone, rather than trying to get her into trouble.

Good luck getting it sorted, it's really common and no need to panic about sepsis etc. It does need treating, but is almost certainly going to be just fine

Don't put germolene on it. Sounds like a fungal infection. The yeast/fungus (Candida albicans most commonly IIRC) that causes one is usually held in balance by the natural bacteria on the skin but sometimes (around period time is common) the balance is disrupted and the yeast can overgrow. Then comes the itching and rash.

If it is that and you slap germolene on it, it will kill more yeast fighting bacteria, make the area wetter and the rash will go fucking apeshit.

I made that mistake myself once, it was bad.

If it is not fungal, it's probably already past germolene's capabilities to be honest. It would likely be antibiotics if there's a lot of pus.

If you should be so inclined as to have a stab at getting rid of it yourself, I'd go for canesten cream (the same one you'd get for itchy foof) or it's generic version, Clotrimazole, which is half the price at £3.50ish and just as good. You have to ask the chemist for the generic one by name, it's usually behind the counter.

My DH recently had this in his groin and on his nuts because of the sweating in this hot weather. His rash was a bit sore, itchy, red, wettish, a touch of pus, skin raw. Clotrimazole used very thinly got rid of it in 3 days.

I am not a doctor, just someone with personal experience of fungal infections.

I am shocked a pharmacist is considered qualified to exam and prescribe in the UK!!!! Here that would be considered practicing medicine without a license I believe.

I would wipe the area with a cotton wool soaked with strong isopropyl alcohol until you can see a doctor. The alcohol might just clear it up in the mean time.

Assuming you are not a massive hypochondriac I would follow your instincts. You know much more about your body than any medical professional let alone a receptionist. Book that appointment ASAP.

My Gran has breast cancer. It started out as a pinhole that itches under her breast, she ignored it and told no one. 9 months later she went to the doctor still not telling us why she was going and we would wait out side as she was always very private and we respected that. She got a hospital appoint the same day and went in as she always did on her own. 10 mins later the consultant called my sister and me in and said he had something to show us. There it was a cancerous ulcerated nipple that was swollen 4 times normal we know than with our words she was terminal. She said she was too embarrassed to tell anyone and was forced to go to the doctor when the padding she put in her bra wasn't enough to stop the leakage coming through her clothes. We were so shocked and are still not over it to this day. She died 4 months later when it spread to her brain and bones, aged 89 yrs. A lot of people don't go to the doctor early enough but the g p would rather see you and diagnose a rash than see you too late. So any worries you have must be seen by a medic and a reseptionist is not a medic so please get it checked if only to get some treatment for the rash. Just get it checked.

Charolais
A pharmacist will offer assistance and tell you if you definitely need to see a gp. They don’t prescribe a such. It’s more a try this otc product. If it doesn’t work in x number of days, make an appointment to see the gp. It is often difficult to get a same day appointment with a gp. They will also write a note to take the the surgery to say they deem a patient needs an urgent appointment, which the surgery will act on either by telephone or face to face consultation.

Charolais In the UK, pharmacists are considered a good source of advice for minor stuff, and they generally are quick to advise when someone should see a doctor or nurse.

They don't prescribe, they suggest over the counter remedies for minor issues, and also reiterate that no improvement means see the doctor.

Any breast changes need to be seen by a GP. A breast infection can take hold and get nasty quite quickly so go back and demand an appointment and write to the practice manager explaining what the receptionist has done.

Definitely go and see a pharmacist or practice nurse. It is not an uncommon problem particularly in this heat. Could be fungal or infection but either way easily treatable with the right cream.

In regards to the receptionist please complain. If this person is doing this to others without any medical knowledge and knowledge of the person. What if you were allergic to the active ingredient in germaline? What if you have another health problem which actually your presenting problem was part of. They can’t get away with doing this it has made me so angry. Please alert the surgery! It may sound dramatic but she could kill someone.

You don't need to get your whole boob out, just show them the wound.

I'm getting tired of this dont see a gp unless your leg is hanging off crap on here. This sort of thing can get nasty if left. A chemist might be quicker though.

pharmacists in the UK can recommend and dispense over the counter medicine and creams, they are extremely knowledgeable and helpful. I do not think anyone would recommend using alcohol on any sore skin, it dries and aggravates skin and would probably make it worse.

I would absolutely arrange to be seen by someone and inform the practice of the receptionist's dangerously irresponsible behaviour. If your breasts always get itchy around your period and you haven't noticed any other changes then your issue is probably a bit of infection but, as blueeyedbengal mentioned, itchy breasts is a sign of an aggressive form of breast cancer and the receptionist could be endangering people's lives with her ill informed advice.

I'm sorry but as a breast cancer survivor this has me raging.

Veterinari are you a GP receptionist too? That's quite smug advice, and why should the OP be treating with anti-fungals etc without a diagnosis? Nothing wrong with seeking an appointment for something that sounds quite distressing.

Nope but a HCP of sorts
The fact that the OP has waiting two weeks for it to get worse indicated to me that it wasn’t particularly distressing. I guess my school of thought is more along the lines of using appropriate over the counter meds in a timely manner, and seeking advice from qualified pharmacists for minor ailments as a first line, considering the stress the NHS is under. If that makes me smug then so be it.