I have an EBF 8 wk DD (my first) and have really struggled with breastfeeding pain from the beginning. First, presumably due to a bad latch (despite MWs, HVs, etc. saying it was fine), I had badly cracked and bleeding nipples. They were excrutiatingly painful, but I slathered on the lanolin and persevered.
The cracks gradually healed after a few weeks as DD grew and we improved positions and my confidence, but the pain continued - particularly intense at beginning of feed, but continuous throughout in a burning kind of way. Pain then spread into my breasts after feeding, also a burning feeling, and would last for ages.
I, a MW and the GP all agreed this must be thrush resulting from the original nipple damage despite no white spots on me or DD. For the last 3+ weeks, DD has been on Nystatn and I've been on Diflucan/Flucozanole (400 mg loading dose, 200mg daily thereafter) and have done almost all of the other things recommended on MN including grapefruit seed extract, eliminating sugars, etc. from my diet, taking garlic and acidophilus supplements, changing nursing pads frequently, washing clothes at high temp, with vinegar, etc. Nipples seem marginally better, but still extremely painful at start of feed and continuing (especially on the right side) at a lower intensity for most of the feed, boobs still sore afterwards, although at least on the left I think this is a little bit less. Sometimes between feeds, my boobs (but not nipples) feel kind of itchy from the inside.
Other thing that is happening, especially on right, is that after a feed (but not immediately - nipple looks fine coming out of DD's mouth), on and off for an hour or more, the nipple and/or the areola blanches - i.e. goes completely white and very painful for a few seconds before the blood comes back. While this is happening, my whole breast radiates a burning pain, out and away from the nipple. I've read raynaud's in the nipple can be result of thrush and was hoping they'd both go away with the above treatment, but this doesn't seem to be working. Was I wrong about it being thrush? Would raynaud's alone cause pain beyond the nipple? I'm taking B6 and magnesium/calcium supplements, but what else can I do about it? It's actually the worst part now.
Should mention that all through this, DD is getting loads of milk, very content and healthy and has been charging up the centiles with loads of wet/dirty nappies in her wake.
I have no intention of stopping before 6mos and would ideally BF at least a year. I could continue with the level of pain that I currently have, but would really rather not and daydream about the time when I'm not constantly thinking about treating/drying/not letting things touch, etc. my nipples or being conscious of my boobs 24/7 and just get on with it all. Any and all advice would be hugely welcome!