Recurring thrush and cracks - which to treat? Advice or experience v welcome.

[hufflepuffle]

Hello! I have painful nipple due to recurring crack at base of nipple and thrush. Crack opened up due to pumping few days back. Had treated thrush well with daktarin but switching too quickly to Fucidin H and lansinoh (not at same time) has allowed thrush to return. Now pain is magnified in feeding.

Pumping not really an option. No longer hav medela and the Avent one I still have bloody caused this! Aperture too small and not best design for me. Intend to purchase another brand.

Treating thrush again with daktarin cream for me and gel for 9 wk old baby. But this will not really help crack. Doing best to make sure he is positioned well. V hungry fast feeder and can sometimes be a battle.

Going to phone out of hours GP this morning to check on if and how I can combine or alternate daktarin with fucidin H but not convinced I will get best advice on BF, depending on GP.

If anyone has experience or advice here I would really appreciate it. Hav had problems since day 1 with cracks, thrush, madtitis. Fed up and in pretty constant discomfort. But still prefer to BF and worried this current crack at base wont heal.

Thank you in advance.

You have all my sympathies. I had ducal thrush with dd1, so I remember the toe curling pain very well :(

I was never prescribed Fucidin H cream. Just had Daktarin oral gel for dd, and the cream for my nips. I would suggest air drying after feeding. I was told Lansinoh can help encourage thrush if used in masses. So try avoiding it for now, til the split is healed at least.

Can't think of anything else that may help, but I did use breast shells, and nipple shields. Both very fiddly, I bought both in Boots. The nipple shields helped protect the split, but had to clean them after every feed.

I use daktarin cream covered in a thin layer of vasaline and then a small piece of jelonet to try and cure the thrush and encourage the nipple to heal. Has worked well the past couple if times.

I had a terrible cracked nipple and was advised by a midwife to just leave it a few days and feed the baby off the other side. I didn't use a pump as found this very painful too but just expressed by hand to keep up the production of milk. The baby will get all it needs from one side for a short period of time and you'll heal and feel emotionally better. Have you got a breast feeding support group near you? Or travel to one. My ds is 8 months and I still go to mine, it's been amazing. You get support and feel like you're completely understood. Everyone can advise each other but there will also be someone who is trained. It's the best of both worlds. Or there are 2 helplines you can call. Just google BF helpline. They are very good. Good luck.

Thanks ladies. With a whole mixture of advice I am using small amount fucidin on actual crack covered with some Jelonet to keep moist then daktarin over thrush rash. Been doing this since about 2 pm yesterday and already feeling better. Still feeding as I find hand expressing gives very little milk for me. Wary of another bout of mastitis.

Thank you for advice, especially Jelonet as that sent me on a whole other successful dr google search!

I had to take a fluconazole tablet when ds2 was 2 months to break the cycle. i think the thrush just got to bad for the topical treatment to work. carried on with lansinoh for the cracks.

Yes, have you taken a tablet yet?

Yes, have you taken a tablet yet?

Took tablet when had first bout. Didn't know what it was and progressed quite quickly and became ductal. (3 sets of v strong post partic antibiotics!) but seemed to take a b bad reaction to it. Came out in rash all over body. So GP not keen for me to take again. Have since read about something called. PPU post partem urticaria. Unexplained rash. Think may actually hav been this as pattern of spread similar. But don't want to chance.

Thank you for checking tho!! X