Treating mastitis without antibiotics

[inkstainedwretch]

Anyone been successful in treating mastitis (with fever) without antibiotics? If so, how? This is my third go-around with mastitis and I'd like to skip the antibiotics if I can. I don't know why I'm getting mastitis so often... never did with my first. My daughter is 13 months old!

No. I tried and got extremely unwell and unable to function at all. Take the bloody drugs!

Nope, you need to take the antibiotics! Why would you not want to?

Antibiotics always do a number on my ridiculously sensitive digestive system. Even WITH probiotics. Also, I just moved to the UK and just registered with a clinic today and there's a week's waiting time before I can see a doctor.

Yes. I did.
With DS3- now 10 mo. I had it a couple of times in the first 6 months. I recognised the symptoms. Had the start of the flu like symptoms. I took regular paracetamol, hot baths and massage, massage out of the bath also. And lots of feeding despite the pain.
I was feeling better in 12/24 hrs each time. If I hadn't I would have gone for the Anti bs.
I nursed on a breast surgery ward a few years ago. So perhaps had a bit more confidence to self treat?

No need for abs if your fever is part of an inflammatory response to your own milk proteins as they leak into your blood stream as you get over engorged. This is a normal part of mastitis.

Absolute need for abs if you have infectious mastitis BUT this is much less common, often associated with nipple trauma and massively over diagnosed.

With repeat mastitis you could either be prone to it through a slightly wonky latch, scheduled feeds, a tight bra etc or could have failed to have completely resolved the initial infectious mastitis.

Self help...get the milk out by feeding and expressing should bring relief to ordinary mastitis whilst infectious mastitis would continue to worsen, if this happens you NEED abs and the longer it is left the more likely you need them on a line or risk an abscess.

Check for blebs, get the milk out and hopefully you will feel better.

Interesting post MsMunch, thanks.

I had it 3 times and didn't use abs at all. DC had a very poor latch when she was born. I use to massage my boob whilst having shower and feeding a lot. Also ice packs on it will help

I went from fever to pretty delirious within the space of a few hours. Normally it takes longer but do be careful. I've had it a few times and there is a world of difference between 'a bit of mastitis' and full blown delirium. I needed an iv and quick admission too, so subsequently knew the importance of not letting it get out of hand.

With your doctor you will be able to see someone if you ring and ask for an emergency appointment or ask for an out of hours doctor at the weekend.

After several hospital visits, three operations and daily clinic visits for 3 months to pack the wound, I'd say take the drugs. But then I don't know how badly your stomach is affected. :)

I felt so horrendous with mastitis my temp was 104 for four days even with antibiotics. I was delerious and could nit get out of bed. The third time i get it i recognised symptoms earlier abd it was not nearly as bas. i would not consider not getting them even though it meant I then developed nipple thrush from them each time.

If you can't see GP then find a drop in doctors/urgent care centre/walk in centre.

Thanks, everyone! Especially MsMunch. I have started to feel better - just a low-grade fever now, and lump feels a bit better, so I'm going to try to keep on massaging etc. If I start to feel worse I will go to urgent care.

I've heard cold cabbage leaves in your bra helps.

Also feed from the infected side first & don't express!

Reason I said don't express is because you don't want to overstimulate your milk supply on the infected boob as it will only make it worse, just feed from that side as normal.

You also need to get help for the bad latch as that is probably what is causing the mastitis

Great that you got there in time inkstained.

You said you don't know why...check your baby for tt or lip tie...a lip tie especially if it goes into the gum line can make you more prone to mastitis. Could also be your bra, your bag strap...anything causing pressure. Consider taking lecithin as a supplement (holland and Barrett sell it) as it seems to help some ŵomen prone to repeat mastitis.

Hope you continue to feel better,the lump and bruised feeling will often persist for a while but you should feel better in yourself.

Hmm, a lip tie? Never thought of that. I've never seen anything looking odd under her lip, though I've sometimes wondered if she has a bit of a tongue tie. Her tongue does seem more securely attached than her sister's. Could that have anything to do with it? Thanks so much, MsMunch. I'll also look into lecithin.

I've never thought my daughter had a bad latch; at least my midwife didn't think so, but that was last checked when she was 6 weeks old and she's 13 months now. I don't know if there would be any fixing a latch problem at this point as it's probably well engrained. At this point I'm trying to prevent her from crawling all over me and trying to stand up while nursing.

I don't THINK my bras are too snug.

Had missed that she was so old:) wiggles bring their own bf challenges huh?! If her tongue seems more securely tethered there could well be degree of tt and yes likely to correlate with mastitis. Check for lip tie by just pushing up the top lip up and seeng if frenulum attaches near/on gum line.

3 times in 13 months is 3 times more than you want but not chronic...lecithin and being aware of early signs should be all you need. It's fascinating how different our experiences are with siblings.

Yes, I used homeopathic remedy belladonna 30.

I just had a touch of it - felt awful but fended it off with ibuprofen and lots of massage under hot shower and feeding through. Ibuprofen reduces the inflammation.

MsMunch - I just checked her lip and OMG, she DOES have a lip tie! I can't believe I never noticed! What do I do about that?

Fever seems to be gone today. I've been taking lots of echinacea and mega-doses of vitamin C, and using lots of hot compresses, massage, and cabbage leaves. Still sore and lumpy, but better.

I had mastitis twice in first 5 weeks of bf my dd. Second time around I recognised symptoms early an self-treated following advice on Kellymom website. Cleared up within a couple of days.

Good thy you feel better:)

Lip ties are normal, rarely cause any major problems. Ones that intrude into the gum line cause a little gap in the front teeth...in America they are removed but this is cosmetic only. They rarely impact much on bf other than to make a latch a little less strong, babies might be a bit windier and mums might be a bit more prone to blocked ducts.

There is no current research that suggests they cause a level of problem to justify minor surgery to remove them although a few private practitioners do revise them. Some of these practitioners believe them to be problematic but this view isn't accepted by most dentists, consultants, ent doctors etc

I could give you details of private practitioners who treat them if you are interested. If you check your friends' babies you will see others... Thy are more common than tt though babies often have both...then a higher palate too which again can make a difference to your latch.

2 of my 4 have them, haven t had them revised though face planting often does it for free...very common childhood injury.

Thank you so much, MsMunch! You've been so helpful! I feel fully recovered now. My LO does have a decided gap between her front teeth. I think she has both lip tie and tongue tie. But she's clearly getting enough to eat, since she's in the 95th percentile for height, so I won't worry too much about them. Ha, maybe there will be a positive side to all her face planting. She's trying to learn to walk now.