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Infant feeding

Nipple thrush - treatment not working and totally depressed

11 replies

Stilts · 02/04/2022 18:18

Hi all,

I've got a 6 week-old and we've both recently been treated for thrush. We had a 7-day dose of fluconazole 200mg with a 400mg loading dose which finished a couple of days ago. I've also used Daktarin after every feed, and little one has had Nystan 4 times daily. The symptoms initially got loads better, but they have started creeping back and today I'm really sore again.

I saw the doctor yesterday (a different doctor than before) and he was totally patronising and dismissive. He clearly doesn't understand the condition at all as he gave incorrect advice about symptoms and because there's now nothing to see he said the thrush is gone and the pain now is just "because breastfeeding hurts". This is my second baby and I know what breastfeeding feels like, this is not what it feels like. It's definitely thrush as the pain is exactly as it has been throughout.

I obviously need to go back and see another doctor but wondered if anyone has experience of fluconazole not working? Im also on probiotics, grapefruit seed extract and am washing hands, boiling bras etc etc. I'm so miserable and it's really affecting my mental health. Breastfeeding is brilliant otherwise, I would hate to give up because of this stupid health issue.

Thanks in advance

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FusciasBright21 · 02/04/2022 18:24

Not my own experience but a friend had similar, got her nipples and/or breastmilk swabbed and it wasn't thrush but a different infection. I think best practice is to swab before treatment anyway but think few GPs actually do. I know I wasn't swabbed when I had it!

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Stilts · 02/04/2022 18:36

Hi Fuscias, thanks for your reply. I wondered this too but just to confirm we were swabbed and both mine and l/o came back positive for thrush, so it's definitely that.

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marplemead · 02/04/2022 18:43

I completely feel your pain. It took months for mine and my baby's thrush to clear as my GP was reluctant to prescribe the tablets. It was my second baby too, so I knew that the pain wasn't normal. Fluconazole eventually cleared it for.me. I was really depressed by that point, so I'm so relieved it worked. We are now feeding pain free and the thrush is a distant memory.

Please ask your GP to prescribe another course of the tablets. The gels and the creams just don't work.

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FusciasBright21 · 02/04/2022 18:44

Ah how frustrating! It can be so miserable, so sorry your GP wasn't more helpful!

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ohCARP · 02/04/2022 18:46

I had nipple thrush for what felt like months. The Nystan made fuck all difference so eventually the prescribed daktarin gel for the baby's tongue which cleared it up much quicker. I used to get those cotton buds with the flat tips and really wipe it over her tongue after every feed.

Ignore the ignorant doctor. BF can hurt but that doesn't mean it should! I hope you feel better soon.

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RenegadeMrs · 02/04/2022 18:54

I had this! Nystan is crap and does NOTHING but it is all the GPs perscibe. So frustrating because its so sore. I feel for you.

You need Daktarin for you and daktarin oral gel for baby. Apply a thin layer on baby's mouth after every feed and cream on you after every feed. Cleared mine up in days after 6 weeks of agony. I was advised to do this by the breast feeding support people who also told me that the NHS won't perscribe the thing that works because there is a choaking risk if you put globs of it in baby's mouth. So obviously don't do that, but do use a tiny layer. Works a treat.

You can get daktarin oral gel over the counter so you don't need to go back to your useless GP.

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Stilts · 02/04/2022 22:25

Thanks everyone. The solidarity helps a lot. Will call the GP on Monday and try to get a different doctor to give me some more pills and the Daktarin gel.

Did anyone try Gentian Violet out of interest? Some people seem to swear by it, it's the only thing we haven't tried yet.

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Moody123 · 10/04/2022 10:11

I hope your better by now OP , I found it was breast pads that were giving me thrush
So I started using LilyPadz (Amazon) they really helped !

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Stilts · 29/04/2022 08:23

Just wanted to return with an update for anyone else who stumbles on this thread. Baby is now almost 10 weeks old and we're finally clear of thrush. So 8 weeks in all to get rid of it.

As other posters suggested, the winning combo was a course of fluconazole tablets alongside Daktarin cream for me and Daktarin oral gel for little one. I saw a lovely new doctor who has her own young kids which always helps. Note: she still wouldn't prescribe the Daktarin gel for under 4 months so I had to lie to a pharmacist to get this myself, and apply very thinly and carefully to his mouth.

I also had underlying Reynauds which is now being treated - this is commonly misdiagnosed as thrush but I had both.

Bottom line: getting the right GP and the right combo of meds is key.

One more thing to note: there is a lot out there online about cutting yeast, starch, sugar, alcohol and dairy from your diet to beat thrush. I took this way too seriously at first, cutting everything completely and risking good nutrition when breastfeeding, but also frankly sacrificing the little joys that get you through hard days and nights of early parenthood. It was only when I relaxed, reintroduced these foods in moderation and focused on my own wellbeing that we kicked the problem.

Thanks very much to all posters for your advice

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NewKidOnTheBlock99 · 14/05/2022 04:54

Hi @Stilts just wondering would you mind sharing your symptoms? Worried I’ve got thrush also. Currently have burning & stabbing pain in breasts plus occasionally a feeling in my nipples like someone is shoving a pin in there!

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Stilts · 14/05/2022 08:13

Hi @NewKidOnTheBlock99 of course. Really sorry to hear this. My symptoms were burning, stabbing, needle like pain, shiny and flaky bright red nipples and white patches in baby's mouth. Sounds like you should definitely get a swab to see if it's thrush. There were no visible symptoms for the 1st week with me, just the pain.

I also had colour changes to my nipples - they would be white after feeds, then purple, then back to normal - but this was a symptom of Reynauds not thrush. The pain of the two can be quite similar but the visual changes are different.

Really hope you feel better soon.

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