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Infant feeding

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

Original poster

Just fell out with my GP over thrush...

52 replies

Emma7 · 17/05/2006 17:50

I nearly gave up breastfeeding (DD 3 weeks old)because it was so painful and all along I have been told to 'feed through the pain' by GP, Health Visitor and Midwife Angry. In the end I decided to go to a breastfeeding support group as a last resort before giving up. They were fab and prescribed me some cream for thrush which has made things a bit better. Today I went to my GP to ask for fluconazole as I read on another thread here and on a BFN leaflet that it was good for thrush. My GP said that you couldn't get thrush on your breasts and refused to prescribe the fluconazole - she said that the breastfeeding support people didn't know what they were talking about and offered to give me antibiotics (which will make thrush worse)she looked at me like I was s*it on her shoe. Why are so many GPs, Midwives and Health Visitors unaware of this condition. I am sure that it must lead to loads of people giving up breastfeeding because they are led to believe that the pain is normal and unavoidable.

Sorry to go on but feel better for that little rant!

OP posts:
damewashalot · 18/05/2006 12:31

Oh and drinking prebiotic drink things is suposed to be good.

Jasnem · 18/05/2006 12:52

I have had the same response from my gp, and the senior partner in the practice. The leaflet with the info was dismissed as "just stuff off the internet", and in addition to not being prepared to prescribe un licensed drug, he saifd he didn't recognise it as even existingShock
He couldn't suggest what may be causing all the symptoms I have, and suggestions were give up breast feeding or put up with the pain, oh and have I tried cabbage leaves?

Sorry I am no help at all, but feel better for a moan.

hotmama · 18/05/2006 13:00

I went to a crap locum who said I didn't need anything but prescribed nystan drops for my dd - and said this would sort us out! MY HV (who is very nice and good) rang the locum and pointed out his crapness and got me a prescription for me.

I tried Nystan drops for dd and nystan ointment for me. What eventually worked was daktarin gel for dd and nystan ointment for me (don't have to wash off when feeding). All these can be bought over the counter but as I'm on maternity leave with an exemption certificate I wanted a prescription so I didn't have to pay. HTH

Your GP seems an arse. Smile

moondog · 18/05/2006 13:57

Emma,I know some GPs have issues with this drug,but I believe it's not necessarily a prescription drug.
You can go and get it yourself from the pharmacist.

sleepingbag · 18/05/2006 14:02

You can buy floconazole over the counter, just one tablet though for vaginal thrush but don't now if dose would be suitable.

moondog · 18/05/2006 14:03

Should be..the BFN should stipulate doses...

KateF · 18/05/2006 14:09

Thuis is obviously an area of great ignorance for GPs. I was lucky to have a very assertive HV who diagnosed it and bulldozed the GP into writing a prescription the same day. It still took about a month to get over the pain but I am still feeding dd3 at 21 months. Without the HVs intervention I probably would have given up due to the pain.

Enid · 18/05/2006 14:12

gentian violet is supposed to be fabbo for breats thrus

Celery · 18/05/2006 14:17

I gave up with the GP and treated myself. I bought Diflucan One over the counter, which is brand name for Fluconazole. It was expensive but it worked. I was in such agony, first tablet I took cleared up the pain within a couple of days. It recurred twice more at roughly weekly intervals. I took two more Diflucan's and it cleared up completely ( so, three Diflucan's in total over three weeks ). At the same time, I treated baby with Daktarin oral gel, and my nipples with miconazole (Daktarin athlete's foot cream ) - cost me a small fortune, but worth it!

Aero · 18/05/2006 14:21

Have also suffered this and mastitis! Bl**dy awful. I just bought a fluconazole tablet over the counter on advice of a midwife friend. Fluconazole isn't licensed for thrush in the breast which is probably why the GP wouldn't prescribe it. Probably said it was for vaginal thrush just in case they refused to sell it to me! Blush

I also needed a course of anti-biotics for the mastitis which I got badly several times overthe 15mths I bf ds2.

acnebride · 18/05/2006 14:24

not existing! incredible

\link{http://www.nice.nhs.uk/page.aspx?o=277537\NICE guideline} - must say though that this only says antifungal cream which presumably is the Nystan

Celery · 18/05/2006 14:30

Oh yeah, I had to lie to the pharmicist when she asked me if I was breastfeeding ( roll eyes )

Celery · 18/05/2006 14:30

Oh yeah, I had to lie to the pharmicist when she asked me if I was breastfeeding ( roll eyes )

Celery · 18/05/2006 14:33

Oh yeah, I had to lie to the pharmicist when she asked me if I was breastfeeding ( roll eyes )

louii · 18/05/2006 14:34

I just told him it was for my fanny! lol

sleepingbag · 18/05/2006 14:36

if buying from pharmasist get non brand name(ie ask for generic version) is almost half the price.

Lio · 18/05/2006 14:41

That is SO stupid and cross-making. Grrr! Can you print something off and drop it into the surgery to educate her?

Aero · 18/05/2006 14:47

Definitely don't take the baby in with you. Lol Celery - annoying isn't it.

Tatties · 18/05/2006 15:05

Poor you Emma. It makes me very Angry not just that GPs can be so ignorant regarding thrush, but also very rude when you go to them for help with it. When I went to one GP at my surgery she said that the tablet was contra-indicated while bf, so I went to see another one there who at first said the same thing, but then she did a bit of research and found that it was ok.
I think this is really undermining bf too, as so many people could give up, thinking that the pain was a normal part of getting used to bf - without even realising they have thrush.

Original poster
Emma7 · 20/05/2006 17:53

Thanks for your posts everyone. Feeding is definately getting better by the day - I can't believe that I can actually enjoy it!
Feel like phoning the GP and telling her: If it wasn't thrush then how come the creams have had such an effect eh! Grin
I didn't believe people when they said it would get better. I so nearly gave up but glad I persevered. Hopefully we are through the worst bit now Wink

OP posts:
fairyglo · 20/05/2006 21:38

Can I ask a follow up question on this? Just had a call from the hospital to say that a swab they did on me a week ago showed that I had thrush. Now I don't remember the swab but I think it may have been before i went into labour. Do I need to get this checked out given that I've had the baby now and lochia would make creams/tablets difficult and if I do still have thrush, is it likely to be passed to dd through breastfeeding?

Thanks

EmmyLou · 21/05/2006 20:22

Have only read first post on this thread but Emma7 YOU CAN GET THRUSH IN YOUR MILK DUCTS! I had horrendous problems and it was only when I saw a third doctor at my local practice and took in website printout with exact doses of fluconazole that third doctor, stopped, read and gave me the drug. I can give you name and number of my doctor if you want to press further! I too had been prescribed a double dose of TWO antibiotics as dickhead second doctor insisted it was mastitis. This was my third child...like I wouldn't know mastitis Angry. I couldn't bear anything to even touch my breasts, even the thinest blouse could cause hideous pain for an hour or so after every feed. Latching on made me cry in pain. The fluconazole works but loading dose must be high enough and the course must go on for long enough. I'm sure the website I went on was Breast feeding network. Google Pat Gima's candida reducing diet too if you want to go hard core. I cut out dairy (am now hooked on rice milk on my cereal and soya milk in tea) and sugar and yeast but it did take me ages to get correct treatment and then only thanks to good. unpatronising doctor who took time to read my printouts.

spidermama · 21/05/2006 20:25

Same here emmylou. I had it with my fourth child. Luckily my dr was willing to read BFN stuff.
Emma I am Angry with your doctor.

Original poster
Emma7 · 23/05/2006 16:04

Just spoke to my health visitor who said that she has heard other mums complaining about the same doctor - glad it's not just me then! Next time I go I will ask to see a different one (she is a locum not a permanent dr at the practice).

OP posts:
lorna3586 · 23/05/2006 19:44

hows the thrush emma? ive had it about 5 times and find the cream doesnt work as well as the fluconazole but what helped me best was washing all my bras on a hot wash after each time i wore them and changing my breastpads constantly. also using the daktarin cream as well as the fluconazole really helped. feeding with thrush was the most agonising thing to go through. all the midwifes and hv told me my ds was just latched on badly...they were wrong obviously. i even introduced formula because i couldnt take the pain but thankfully once the thrush had gone i upped my milk supply and my ds now 8months old is still being bf. sorry to babble on but it really angered me that no one realised i had thrush untill i read about it and self diagnosed myself.

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