Everyone needs to know this about mastitis PLEASE READ

[marzipananimal]

If you are treated with antibiotics you should be given 10-14 days of tablets, not 7 days as three different GPs have done the 3 times I have had mastitis.

Kellymom, LLL, NHS and WHO all say this so I'm a bit baffled by the 3 GPs who treated me (any GPs on here shed any light on this?)

Having read that repeated bouts of mastitis are usually due to the original infection never having been fully cleared up I am incandescent with rage pretty annoyed with those 3 GPs and wanted to warn the rest of you in case it happens to you.

(By the way I'm now taking a 10 day course and getting better, fingers crossed it won't come back this time)

Has this happened to anyone else or is it just the GPs in my area who are doing this?

No, this happened to my SIL too.

Three bouts and was on the verge of giving up. She saw a private lactation consultant who told her that she hadn't beem given a long enough course of ab's.

Hope you get better soon.

This happened to me when I was bfing ds2.
I was treated three times before it finally went. The dr also told me several times that I would have to stop feeding Ds, as the mastitis would keep coming back if I didn't

Thanks for the warning! It's a shame that so many HCPs seem to know so little about BF :-( no wonder so many women give up when they have such rubbish advice and support.

bump

I wonder if the strength of anti-bio has anything to do with it.

My (female) GP gave me a strong dosage so that I wouldn't have to return. I got the feeling she was aware that many women with Mastitis do have to return and be given stronger ones.

My GP said exactly that yama - said she could either give me 250 mg or 500 mg flucloxacillin (as in, this was normal practice) but would rather give me the higher dose as in her experience, the lower dose didn't shift it. She also BF-ed her DCs, so is pro-BF and generally good for BF advice.

I was also given 14 days' worth. That said, I've had mastitis twice now... though the 1st time was my own stupid fault for wearing a cross body bag with a strap that bruised my breasts...

I didn't know that
I had mastitis for the firstbtime last month when DD was a year old
I only got a weeks supply
Thanks for the tip

Yes Barkfox, my GP had had Mastits herself so was full of empathy. She said the last thing I needed was for it to return.

I think mine had been caused by the bras I had been wearing - they were too tight. When I was fitted I said to the fitter in Debs that the 34 felt too tight and she said "Do you want stretchmarks?". I was re-fitted in M&S and needed a 38. It's far too big now but at the time was perfect.

I have mastitis currently and am coming to the end of my 7 day antibiotics. They are 500mg. Is this not going to be enough to shift it? To be honest I am feeling pretty achy again today but not as bad as when I first got it, could it be that it hasn't cleared up well?

NoTeaForMe - I had 500mg for 7 days and it cleared up. I did feel it coming back at one point so I took some Nurofen for a couple of days and massaged any lumps in the shower.

NoTea if I were you I would go back to your GP for more, especially as you're not feeling totally better. Is your breast feeling better?

Breast doesn't feel hot or particularly lumpy anymore. Still painful in general though, feels like it's been burnt internally and it aches. It's just today I feel a bit achy and under the weather again. Bleurgh! Any ideas?

Hm sounds like either the mastitis is still there or there's some other problem. Either way it would be good to get it checked out. Hope you feel better soon, it's horrible having a poorly breast!

Uh oh. I've only been given 7 days at 500mg (just started yesterday). Anyone have a link to the NHS guidance? I want to print it out and take to my own GP so I can get more!

hi yankncock here's a link (scroll down a bit to where it says 'Length of Antibiotic Treatment Course')
Hope you get better soon

That's interesting. I had mastitis twice when I was BFing and got a 7 day course of ABs both times.

That's great, thanks much, I am on phone trying to get an appt with my own GP right now!

Had it three times in four months. Was putting it down to bad luck and worrying about breast feeding baby due in May. Thanks for tip. Does anyone know an official-type article/study I can print out?

The link below is to the NHS Clinical Knowledge Service, which is based on the latest evidence and is for clinicians to use. I think NHS GPs would take that fairly seriously, at least my GP did this morning!

Thanks op have sent my friend a link to this thread, she went to GP today with mastitis.