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Infant feeding

Get advice and support with infant feeding from other users here.

Original poster

mastitis? or what?

11 replies

crazycanuck2005 · 28/02/2011 17:46

i've been on antibiotics for mastitis twice now - b only 11 wks old - and i can feel the tell-tale pain starting again ~(i finished my antibiotics last night!!!) i'm not sure that it is mastitis or that the antibiotics work...

i'll try to describe my pain and if anyone can help w advice, that'd be great. basically, i have a really strong pain in my nipple- usu about 5 mmin aft a feed... but the waves then continue up until the next feed... the nipple feels like its being gripped in a vice or pliers... and the pain radiates/shoots back into my breast... i feel it sometimes as far back as my shoulder blade or spine. been to drs 2x... just anti-bio and then it comes back... any ideas/ help?

OP posts:
Eachpeach80 · 28/02/2011 18:56

If the pain comes 5 minutes after a feed (not sure if this is what you meant) then I don't think it is mastitis to be honest. Have the antibiotics helped at all? You say that it comes back so I am not sure what you mean.

japhrimel · 28/02/2011 18:56

Mastitis involves having a temperature and signs of inflammation in the boob. And even if you did have mastitis, not all cases of mastitis benefit from ABs.

I'd be very concerned that you actually have thrush, especially as ABs make you more prone to it when bfing. Shooting pains deep within the breast and vice-like nipple pain sound horribly familiar from a recent bout of thrush I had.

The BfN have a great leaflet on treating thrush.

mum2oneloudbaby · 01/03/2011 08:50

Sounds nothing like mastitis to me more like thrush or as a long shot latch problems.

Check out the BFN website or speak to BF helpline.

Had mastitis twice and it's more like having flu and having a boiling hot boulder strapped to your chest.

Original poster
crazycanuck2005 · 01/03/2011 13:54

Well... The abs DID help as long as I was taking them and dr says thrush would've become far worse on abs so he's convinced it's an infection of some sort and not thrush. But on that, after a feed, The end of my nipples goes totally White - this is when the pain is also worst; but as soon as the colour returns, the pain subsides. Again, thus isn't permanent. And on the left boob - it happens too minus the pain.

And I've never had fever, but really achey muscles.

I had seriously cracked nipples (half the nipple was an open wound) which have only healed fully over in the last 2 weeks. So it was hard to differentiate which pain was what.

Her latch is great. Initially, my positioning of her head was causing some problems. But when on abs this last week, I enjoyed pain free bfing for the first time in her life so I don't think it's latch. Today, I've started feeding her from the sore boob each feed- every other one, I limit her a bit so she eats from the other as well; so here's hoping.

Thanks for the advice; happy to accept more.

OP posts:
blueberryboybaitonSafari · 01/03/2011 13:59

Crazt - I have reynauds of the nipple and your description of the nipple tip going white and painful then the colour returning and pain subsiding sound exactly like me. have a look here

blueberryboybaitonSafari · 01/03/2011 14:00

crazy - sorry for name mistake 1 handed typing due to feeding.

louby78 · 01/03/2011 14:53

Agree not mastitis - sometimes thrush can be confused with a bacterial infection or they come together. When I had this I was prescribed something for the thrush at the same time as AB for the infection and it worked wonders.
Feel for you as nothing worse than going through all that pain when you just wanting to do the best for your baby. Well done by keeping it up - you've come this far so keep going and hopefully you will see something on here which will help you decide what it is and go armed with advice to your dr! Good luck.

japhrimel · 01/03/2011 17:41

That sounds like a vasospasm (Raynauds).

mum2oneloudbaby · 01/03/2011 21:22

Sounds very much like vasospasm (I've had this too) really freaky looking when your nipple goes white and v.v.painful. BFN have a good leaflet on that too.

Is there a possibility you could have a combination of infection and vasospasm making it difficult to pin down?

Good luck with getting it sorted it is hard work when things aren't working 100% hope you get sorted soon.

Original poster
crazycanuck2005 · 01/03/2011 21:28

Thanks. I have been wondering if both can happen together. (and I've experienced raynauds on my hands lots in the past... So that was an interesting bit of info). I am super aware of my breasts and I don't want to become hypochondriatic about this.,,, going to look into possibility of thrush... ESP as nipple is increasing in soreness on these new abs. Oh when will it end.

And on that... Isn't it a shame that we have to do the research ourselves BEFORE going to the dr- who presumably should know more about this stuff than we do? I get asked NO probing questions- and drugs are SO Easy to come by in this country!! I wish the drs were more of what it's referred to: a PROFESSION! But that's a rant for a different day.

OP posts:
mum2oneloudbaby · 02/03/2011 11:54

crazycanuck I could join you in your rant. I am in the process of changing GPs because mine has been so useless and way to easy with the prescriptions. There are some good ones though just a shame I had to leave mine when I moved house.

Hope you get sorted soon and at least if you have the info you won't be fobbed off by your GP.

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