Fever/Chills/Painful Breasts;anyone had this?

[cherrysodalover]

Okay so after leaving my son for 3 hours yesterday with a friend, when i returned my breasts were very very tender.

I assumed this was from them overfilling but I have gone this length of time before.

Then all of a sudden i just felt so ill- like when you get flu,a ching lower back, shooting pains through all limbs.

Managed to get to doc- she ruled out mastitis and an UTI ( which i am prone to) via exaam and urin test and sent me off with over the counter paracetomol suggesting it was a fever( which I had-101F) from overfull breasts and this happens. My heart rate was also 140 instead of its usual high 70s.

So I came home- took the paracetomol and went to bed. I have been in pretty severe pain since- have been unable to sleep due to pain. I have just resorted to take 2 vicodin left over from the c section a year ago to try and make me a little more comfortable. I feel ghastly.

No cold symptoms. This is almost as painful as appendicitus and I just do not know what the hec is going on.

Has anyone had this?

Doc said come back tomorrow if no better but to be honest what is she going to do that she could not have done yesterday.
Hubbie taken a day of leave to look after our son as i am too weak to and in too much pain.

ANyone have a similar experience?

Thanks

When I felt like this it was mastitis - I would get second opinion, maybe from another GP? Hope you feel better soon.

Hmm, my first thought was that it sounds exactly like when I had mastitis but you say this was ruled out? Is is just one breast or both? Is there any area of skin / breast that is red and more tender than the rest? Or feels more lumpy ie like a blocked milk duct might?

I would definitely go back tomorrow - first thing.

Poor you I hope you feel better soon

Thanks- she did a breast exam and siad they would be much much harder if it was mastitis- i had noticed a tiny red and white raised milk duct so was expecting it to be mastitis and being sent off with antibiotics.

Maybe i try and get another doc and go back.

It is my left breast kirsty but my whole body is in pain.

sounds like when I had mastitis except my boobs were also rock hard and leaking milk like mad and soooo painful (any of that sound familiar?). Don't leave it - get a second opinion tomorrow

I've had mastitis twice and the symptoms were just as you describe - the worst flu I've ever had. I had a lot of trouble with blocked milk ducts and never had hard breasts with mastitis, always just a lump that needed clearing.

You either need to clear the block or contact an out of hours doctor.

Well, if you have a lumpy bit in one breast and a fever, after going a while without feeding, I still think it might be mastitis.

There may be other things it could be though, but either way you can't be expected to just wait it out in that much pain!

I would go back tomorrow and see if you can get another doctor, or maybe a nurse practitioner if your surgery has them? (I use this as a way to get same-day service without having to wait for a doctor as they are much quieter - but they can call on the doctor if they need to! )

Disclaimer - I'm not a doctor but someone who has had mastitis a couple of times!

One thing to add - having mastitis doesn't mean you should stop feeding, quite the opposite in fact. Are you still able to feed off the left one? If not, or even if you are, can you express as well? The milk needs to keep coming to help the duct un-block. (In addition to antibiotics if it is mastitis).

You've just reminded me exactly how I felt with mastitis. As others say, get yourself back to the doctors to see another.

I was told to drink lots of water and get in the hottest shower you can bear, get your boobs in the water and massage them as much as you can bear, that will help to try and shift a block too.

I had recurrent mastitis and I don't remember the breast always being hard, sometimes it was.

It sounds very like it to me, I would go back. I found massaging and expressing in a hot bath with ginger oil quite helpful though when it was bad only abs worked.

Poor you. It's horrible. I hope you feel better soon.

That is my feeling too- there is a tiny milk duct that was yellow and raw- but she checked it out and said it was not. She said the breast would be very very hard not just swollen and it would be red which it is not- but the entire area over the chest is red hot and my heart rate is still up as is my temp.

Going to the docs now- it isnot right to be in so much pain you turn to your left over meds from the c section recovery..

Many thanks

mine wasn't red nor hard but was it was still mastitis. Try calling an out of hours docs stating that you believe you have mastitis, they should be able to get antibiotics.

has just realised the time in the UK but hopefully an emergency appointment will get you another doc.

it's definitely mastitis. I've had it four times so far and my boobs are never totally hard, just swollen and very hot. All your symptoms were just like mine, so you have to go back to another doctor. What really helped me was pressing down really hard on all painful lumps in my breast while feeding. i was shown how to do it by a lactation consultant because I can't keep taking antibiotics. It will hurt so much you will cry but it does helps speed up getting rid of the flu symptoms and might mean you can avoid having antibiotics.

thanks all for your help

okay so did the out of hours doc- infection showed up in blood- hight white cell at 21 or something. but urine had ni nitrates which is a marker for uti.

so sent straight into hospital for 24 hours

put on antibiotic drip,painkiller drip, iv fluids as i was dehydrated after vomiting started after posting here. also put on tameflu in case it is flu- results not back till mid week.

but the pain just subsided a little on the antibiotics which is not my usual response with uti- i feel better very quick.

so sent for chest x ray( came back clear) and then cat scan to rule out abscess on spine or gall bladder problem. The doc said he was just mystified why the infection level had been high but i was not responding to the antibiotics and the pain relief was not totally removing the severe lower back pain and aches in joints.

Urine started coming back clean so no UTi infection as originally thought- infection level in blood gradually came down.

So I left late last night and have been told to go back if i get a fever back or severe pain.

I am sure the 3 doses of tameflu i have had would start to make me feel better if it was the flu- i have no chest or nasal symptoms.

Okay sorry that was long but just updating.
Now I feel still ill, unable to sleep with aches and pains and slight headache but a lot better that 2 days ago when i felt as if my entire system was shutting down.

Don't suppose anyone has had flu/ tameflu before and can report on how quickly it kicks in.

I am wearing a mask to avoid infecting my baby for next 5 days.

I just wish they could have said exactly what it is. Not been this sick since my appendix nearly burst 10 years ago. In fact early labour pains would be preferable.

Gosh, what a nightmare for you. You poor thing.

If you are definitely improving then I guess the abs are doing their job, albeit slowly. Would you have a high white blood cell count with flu? I don't know if viruses work in the same way..

How is the breast and blocked duct?

It took me a good two days to start feeling better after abs when I severe mastitis though symptoms started to ease after 24 hours.

Hopefully you feel better soon and can rest and get people to look after you.

when I've had severe infections, the response to ABs has been slow. This has occurred when I didn't get ABs once suspecting I had a infections.

Like you (I have recurrent UTIs) the ABs if taking at the right time have a magical effect straight away.

Glad you saw someone who took you seriously and maybe speak to your practice manager about the doc who didn't give you any. With mastitis, as it can quickly snowball, should be treated prompted, even if there are some doubts.

Also since infection was so high, you may need a longer course. So once you at the end, don't feel shy about going back and just stating you don't feel symptoms have fully eased up.

Thanks guys. They stopped the ab s as there was no bacteria in my blood.Just on tameflu. Had another tough sleepless night and woke up in a drenched bed but I think I am on the mend despite the headache, pains and sporadic temp raise. Gosh I have not been this sick in a long while. So grateful to my husband for looking after me- although the house looks like a little and big andrex puppy ( i joke not as all toilet tissue has been unravelled and cotton balls sprinkled like seeds across the carpets) have been let loose after just 4 days out of action.........too sick to really care;))