Thought I had thrush but apparently not ... help

[AussieSim]

I went to the hospital on Sunday morning to see the gyno as I was convinced I had thrush. My DS (1yo) had a course of antibiotics about 2.5weeks ago to clear up secondary infection on his eczema. My nipples became quite painful and there was a white dry looking area on the tip of one and on Sunday morning I thought I saw white spots on the tongue of DS towards the back of his tongue. Two doctors had a look at me and said it didn't look like thrush to them and maybe it was some other kind of infection. They tried to have a look at DS's tongue but were obviously incompetent outside their own specialty. I was adamant that it was thrush but that it just didn't look so bad because I had been taking probiotics since DS started the antibiotics. I am worried that it is thrush but no one will treat us for it or it is something else - god knows what? I have been wearing the nipple shells and keeping them in the air and applying Purelan which is a lanolin based cream and the pain is decreasing but is still there. I am thinking of weaning DS from one of his feeds starting today just to give them more of a chance of healing - what do you guys think?

I think it does sound like thrush. Are you in the UK? You really need a second opinion from someone who can recognise thrush on nipples etc. Can you get to a b/f counsellor?

I wouldn't have thought dropping a feed would make much difference.

Honestly couldn't say, BUT, I had dry white spots on my nipples. Doc said it was thrush but i didn't believe her. It turned out to be blocked ducts, and caused me to get mastitis. I finally managed to clear the blockage by showering the breast with alternate hot and cold water and then expressing (feeding dd would have had same effect, but because I was expressing i could see the long 'spaghetti' type bit coming out and knew it had cleared) . Have you tried a breastfeeding helpline, because that's how I got the advice. Good luck in getting it sorted.

AS, you need to speak to someone who knows about bf and about thrush - painful nipples beyond the stage when positioning and attachment are an issue could well be thrush. It can't be diagnosed, or ruled out, by looking. If you have proper white spots on your nipples it culd be plugged ducts. But talk to someone - there are several telephone helplines for bf.

I'm not in the UK, I'm in Germany. The health system drives me mad here sometimes. I'll call my old midwife and make an appointment to see a friends gyno who apparently has good english. It is just like it isn't an issue here and they always err on the side of v little intervention.

All the bf lines can be accessed from outside the UK

I took my DS to the Pedeatrician this afternoon and she examined him and says he definitely doesn't have thrush. I am going to my Gyno tomorrow. If it is not thrush, and it is not mastitis then what could it be?

Tiktok - I think the sites I looked at have 'freecall' numbers which I can't access from here. Can you point me to an organisation or sit? Much appreciated.

NCT 0870 444 8708; BfN 0870 900 8787; LLL 020 7242 1278; ABM 020 7831 1481.

None of them are free call....think you must be thinking of something else.

Sorry tiktok, back home freecall is 0800 and so I saw the 08 and thought ... nevermind. Thanks!

I think you need to ask for the area to be "swabbed ".A nurse or doctor just wipes the area with a cotton bud and it gets sent off to be cultured.Within about 3 days the lab will say if an infection has grown and if so what antibiotics to use.Otherwise have you tried using anti thrush creams in between feeds (but washing off prior to feed ).Canasten is one, or natural yougurt or i`ve also heard zinc and castor oil ( but make sure its a brand free of arachas oil ).Good luck.

An update - my gyno said they are not infected and that what I've been doing for them is just the right treatment - leaving them in the air, putting the cream on them etc and urged me to continue. They are much better since I started treating them - I guess I will just cross my fingers that the pain goes away all together. Thanks everyone.

I am so frustrated! I took my DS back to the Ped this morning as he has persistent red spots on his bum, which I thought earlier were his eczema, but on the weekend started to suspect it was thrush. Yep - thrush. 2 visits to gynos and 2 to Ped and finally agreed with me. Meanwhile my boobs are heaps better- I have been doing Yakult twice per day. The Ped checked his mouth again and says she can't see any symptoms. Do you think just fixing his bum will be enough or should I try again to get treatment for my boobs and his mouth?

poor you aussiesim - sounds like a real pain in the neck! its great that your nipples sound like they are healing anyhow.
my ds had thrush first in his mouth, cured, then on his bum, cured, then finally I got it on my breasts at which point he didn't seem to have it at all. BUT the only thing that got rid of it once and for all was when I treated both of us at the same time and for about 10 days - him with drops and me with cream. I went against my doctor to do this but after a month of suffering it was all too much and it sorted out the problem for good. For us anyway,it seemed to be passing backwards and forwards and I've read that it is possible to have systemic thrush so it is in your gut but not in your mouth - perhaps ds had this?
anyhow, perhaps this will be of some help to you - although if you prefer to try more natural methods and it seems as though the yakult stuff is working, then good luck with that instead.
hope its all sorted soon anyhow -much sympathy -ouch!

I would recommend trying to get it treated properly if it doesn't seem to be clearing (see the I've had thrush for 3 months thread!!) - I've been doing the diet that wills recommended and it really seems to be making a difference - too long to type here but she's typed all the can and can't eats there - might be worth taking a look

Hope it continues to improve