Thrush – just can’t seem to shift it from DD...

[Daffodilly]

Hope someone can help as this is really getting me down now. DD (7 weeks) and I have had thrush for several weeks now. She has the white coating on her tongue and I have had it EVERYWHERE as we didn?t spot it to begin with! Nipples, milk ducts, down below and to top it off athlete?s foot. Fortunately I seem to be clearing it from me with various potions and creams and combined with a herbal tea and grapefruit seed extract. I only really have it in my nipples now ? which are very red and sore.

DD has had Daktarin gel for 2 weeks which has made no difference. I have now started her on Nystatin drops to see if that is any better. I am also still using Daktarin cream on my nipples.

I have the prescription for Fluconzale, but I?m not sure this will help clear it from DD?

Does anyone have any suggestions? I had trouble getting BF going and now we finally have I really want to be able to stick with it and enjoy it ? currently it is painful and gets me down that I am always fighting to pump medicines down her after every feed.

Many thanks

Daff

I don't know much about thrush, but I wanted to bump this for you.

I hope you can get it sorted. Might be worth ringing one of the breastfeeding helplines to see if they can give you some ideas.

Hi. I sympathise - my dd had oral thrush from practically the day she was born (I didn't realise I had it until I went for my sweep and the m/w told me!) and dd picked it up during the birth.

I used the nystatin drops with her and it cleared up really quickly - use the whole treatment though, don't just stop when it goes away as it may come back again!

Stick with the bf - have you tried nipple shields? My hv tried to put me off them but they saved me when I was so sore. Once they had healed I stopped using them and I'm glad I stuck with it - the bf will get easier and she is only 7 weeks. You will look back in time and be glad you persevered...honest!

another vote for nystatin drops - used them with dd2 and then the daktarin gel on my nipples - seemed to clear it up in no time.

You can also take acidophilus supplements which will help. Also eating yogurt but the unsweetened kind is best.

Thanks for the suggestions and support. I will persevere with the Nystatin and hope it does the trick for us too.

Since I started using it DD seems to be dribbling a lot (not usual for her), licking her lips all the time and being sick more than usual. Not sure if it is anything to do with the medicine though, or just coincidence. Has anyone else found this?

Daffodilly - if you go to the Breastfeeding Network www.breastfeedingnetwork.org.uk/information/thrush.php

They have the best advice re. thrush. I am not a fan of Nystan, as I used it on DS for 4 days and it did nothing.

I was panicking because he did not feed for over 24 hours on one occassion when his mouth was really sore and I did not realise it was thrush until I started reading about it on the net.

I found the info. above and more on kellymom.com re. thrush and they saved us !

I also had thrush in my milk ducts but thankfully as I started treatment very quickly it never spread.

I highly recommend sticking with the Daktarin Oral Gel as recommended by BFN -clinical studies have shown it is better than Nystan. You need to stick with all the treatments though, I would say 3 - 4 weeks depending on how bad it is.

The treatment has to go on for at least 7 days after signs of thrush have cleared as it is a real bugger and it can come back even though you seem to have got rid of it.

May I also recommend washing all baby's stuff and your own bras, clothes, etc in a 50 degree or higher wash. Thrush only dies in very high temps. Thrush can cross from family members. Make sure everyone washes their hands thoroughly esp. after touching you or baby and use paper towels to dry hands. I found this to be very effective in preventing cross-infection.

Like you just as I seemed to have got the hang of bf and looking after baby, we got struck by this damned thrush. It does go away though and although it is hard work, if you persevere it gets better ! Thrush seems to be very common now among bf mums, almost everyone I know who has bf has got it as some stage.

Best of luck ; )

i just started to see white spots on my dd side of mouth...what are some signs i can look for on me that that is what we have? she doesnt seem to be bothered by them, and i dont have any symptoms...that i know of...what can happen if left untreated?

Nenen - do you have shooting pains down your breasts (these feel like they are very deep in the breasts) which occur AFTER a feed ? This is a sign that the thrush has moved into your milk ducts.

I would not leave it untreated. It can spread very very quickly and become increasingly uncomfortable for both of you. Baby may stop bf due to sore mouth.

Please check with gp, hv or even better with a bf adviser that it is defo. thrush and then treat immediatley if it is.

I recommend kellymom.com for signs of thrush as well as the BFN leaflet (I have given the link below) for effective treatment.

From personal experince as well as BFN advice, I would go for Daktarin oral gel for baby and your nipples, or Canestan for your nipples. Nystan I found very ineffective.

You MUST treat yourself and baby simultaneously. Many health profs. negelect to tell you that you BOTH need treatment otherwise you just keep cross-infecting.

sometimes i do get sharp pains, almost like wen your arm falls asleep, like pins andneedles...but i just thought that was my milk coming in...im not sure, but now im going to check out those links. thanks.