Need advice

[emkana]

I don't know what to do and am hoping for wise MN advice! The last two days I've had mastitis, feeling absolutely rotten on Tuesday (like really bad flu plus a very painful breast), and still pretty poorly yesterday. Saw the doctor, she prescribed antibiotics but said to wait a day and see if I could avoid the antibiotics if I felt better by myself. Now today I do feel better, but I still am a bit fragile, the breast is still painful, and I have a headache, but am improving. So shall I leave it, or take the antibiotics? Thanks for your advice!

have you tried hot flannels, preferably with something like chamomile or geranium...?

the warmth helps to releive some of the congestion/inflammation.

When I had mastitis my HV turned up on my doorstep with a cabbage. Her recommendation was to keep it chilled in the fridge and keep cool cabbage leaves stuffed down the front of my bra.

Go figure - but it helped.

emkana, no experience of mastitis but copied part of an article from the bbc health website for you - yes it says cabbage leaves too - HTH

" I can clearly remember the first time I developed mastitis. I was feeling particularly wretched, with my belly still baggy from the pregnancy, caesarean wound oozing, eyes dark and drawn by the exhaustion of sleep deprivation, and my brain barely able to string an interesting sentence together. So my health visitor's handy tip that I should tuck a few cabbage leaves into my bra seemed to be the final confirmation that life as an alluring goddess was all in the past. Squashy green leaves, cooled by a night or two in the fridge, might be a great way to soothe a sore and inflamed breast but surely science had something a little less whiffy to offer? (...although my more earthy pals insist that the leaves don't smell if you change them regularly.) But if you want a natural approach to mastitis, why not try the herbal remedies at www.egregore.com/diseases/mastitis.html"