🚨 Advance warning 🚨 This forum will be closing on 1st May – please see our pinned thread for more information.
In pain...help...
Hi ladies,
I'm really struggling with breastfeeding at the moment as I'm in so much pain. I've been breastfeeding for almost four months but recently I've had some blocked milk ducts. The first time it happened the blockage cleared pretty quickly but I was left in pain for a couple of days after that.
It happened again two weeks ago and since then my whole boob is hurting, feeding is extremely painful at the moment, almost makes me want to scream it's so bad, I did quite a loud arrrgghhh today which really scared the little one. It's like a burning pain, the nipple hurts but also the breast hurts, I'm getting quite sharp pains, it starts off really painful then gets a little easier, but after I've stopped feeding it still hurts and the whole breast is really sensitive. I've had to express from it tonight as it was too painful to feed from and the milk was pink which suggests there's some bleeding going on somwehere. The nipple looks normal it's no cracked or anything like that but on occasions it does go white.
My breast isn't red and I've not got a temperature but the whole boob is really warm, so don't think it's mastitis and there's no sign of thrush in my babies mouth. It's been going on for almost two weeks but is getting worse, any ideas what it could be and is there anything I can do. I'm going to try and get to the doctors tomorrow but wondered if anyone has had these symptoms or knows what it could be.
Thanks
Amanda
I'm really struggling with breastfeeding at the moment as I'm in so much pain. I've been breastfeeding for almost four months but recently I've had some blocked milk ducts. The first time it happened the blockage cleared pretty quickly but I was left in pain for a couple of days after that.
It happened again two weeks ago and since then my whole boob is hurting, feeding is extremely painful at the moment, almost makes me want to scream it's so bad, I did quite a loud arrrgghhh today which really scared the little one. It's like a burning pain, the nipple hurts but also the breast hurts, I'm getting quite sharp pains, it starts off really painful then gets a little easier, but after I've stopped feeding it still hurts and the whole breast is really sensitive. I've had to express from it tonight as it was too painful to feed from and the milk was pink which suggests there's some bleeding going on somwehere. The nipple looks normal it's no cracked or anything like that but on occasions it does go white.
My breast isn't red and I've not got a temperature but the whole boob is really warm, so don't think it's mastitis and there's no sign of thrush in my babies mouth. It's been going on for almost two weeks but is getting worse, any ideas what it could be and is there anything I can do. I'm going to try and get to the doctors tomorrow but wondered if anyone has had these symptoms or knows what it could be.
Thanks
Amanda
0
Replies
I definitely think you shoul see your GP if you haven't already. I had ductal thrush (as opposed to nipple thrush) which was excruciating. I hope you haven't got it but if you do you and your LO need meds to get rid of it - it took us over 8 weeks and was so bad I nearly gave up BFing - but we got through it and now totally back to normal, so if you do have it you can at least know that there is light at the end of the tunnel.
The pink milk thing was not related to the thrush - I was feeding him late one night and it was really painful and then he threw up everywhere - it was bright pink! I rang NHS Direct and they said to be safe we should go to A&E in case my LO had internal bleeding (he didn't). The only explanation they could offer was that he was sucking so hard he caused some superficial internal bleeding in my breast. It hasn't happened since but at around the same time his feeding times reduced quite dramatically (from 20 mins on each side to 10) so I think it was just his sucking reflex getting stronger or something.
Hope you feel better soon!!
C
Hope you feel better soon
get yourself to that doc!
I'm still having the same problems. I went to the doctors on Friday and she diagnosed mastitis, even though there are no visible signs, so she gave me antibiotics, I mentioned thrush and she said it wasn't that.
On Monday I went to a breastfeeding session and the lady there said it sounded exactly like internal thrush, so on Tuesday, with the antibiotics having no effect I went back to the doctors with a sheet of information from the BFN that the councellor had printed off for me. I gave it to the doctor (a different one from the first time) and he said in his 15 years of practice he had never heard of such a thing. So he's referring me to a specialist at the hospital next week. I'm taking paracetamol and ibuprofen as its the only way to "manage" the pain at the moment. Did any of you have these problems getting diagnosed, it seems like doctors have no clue about thrush if there are no external symptoms?
It was only because my husband did some research on the internet and found that BFN leaflet that we worked out what the problem was. I took it to my GP who read it and agreed. I was lucky that she was happy to prescribe me fluconazole and I also had daktarin cream for me and nystan oral suspension for my LO. I assume your specialist will give you the same (this is what is recommended on that BFN leaflet) but if not I would be interested to know what they give you. I didn't have to stop BFing with any of those meds which was good - as painful as feeding was, it was even worse if I didn't feed as I would get engorged as well, and expressing hurt just as much as feeding but with a lot of extra work.
It took us 8 weeks to get rid of it because my LO and I kept passing it back and forth. During that time I probably took my own weight in paracetamol and ibuprofen (not exceeding recommended dosage obviously!) because it was just so painful. Feeding was such an ordeal, I dreaded it and nearly gave up BFing several times. The only thing that kept me going was the fact that my LO was doing so well - he wasn't bothered by it at all (he actually seemed to like the nystan, lol!) and was really thriving so I didn't want to mess with anything by switching to formula.
The good news is we got through it and now I can BF painfree at last!! I am SO glad I persevered. I really hope that you can get rid of it quicker but in the meantime here are my tips:
1 - if you use a dummy, buy a whole lot more. If you have BFd your LO since he last used one, give him another one and wash and sterilise the previous one. We ended up having 8 dummys in the house to avoid endless washing and sterilising! This is really important to avoid passing the thrush back and forth - be religious about this if nothing else because the thrush thrives in the milk, tiny amounts of which can get trapped in a dummy. So you might get rid of it but then give your LO a dummy with thrush in it and you're back to square one.
2 - similarly, throw out any expressed milk in your freezer, unless you are absolutely sure you expressed it before you got the thrush. Don't bother expressing again until you are certain that you are rid of it, unless it is to give your LO a bottle the same day (in which case he would have been fed that infected milk anyway).
3 - use disposable breast pads and change them at every feed.
4 - give the nystan before every feed (at least during the day), not just 4 times a day. This will ensure that your LO gets at least as much as he's supposed to (some invariably dribbles out) and that he gets treated frequently to avoid recurrence.
5 - apply the daktarin after every feed.
6 - keep taking paracetamol and ibuprofen. take the recommended dose - it is perfectly safe for your LO and the paracetamol in particular has a cumulative effect so if you only take it every once in a while you won't get nearly as much benefit from it.
Um, that's all I can think of for now but if I think of anything else I will let you know.
Thinking of you - getting over ductal thrush was easily the hardest thing I have ever done but please know that there is light at the end of the tunnel and you CAN do it.
Thinking of you!!
C
I know giving formula is not ideal but there were times when I was literally crying with pain, and if having a feed "off" and giving formula meant I kept going, then I reckon that's a good thing. One bottle of formula every now and then is hardly going to do any harm!!
Hope you start getting some relief soon.
C
Having said that - cheezybird I also think it is totally OK to give up on BFing as well because this is not easy. In particular you are in a different position to me - when I started to get the pain my LO was only a few weeks old, so giving up BFing would have been quite a big deal for me as I had wanted to BF for the first 6 months. From the op it looks like your LO is nearly 4 months old now so you have already given him or her the best start possible and weaning is just around the corner.
If I were you I would give treatment a go but if you get stuck in a pattern of passing it back and forth it would be totally understandable if you decided to switch to bottle feeding - there's no medals for bravery in this mummy business!!
Good luck and I hope the specialist is helpful for you. Let us know how it goes!
C
unfortunately!!
cheezybird- we are all here and rooting for ya chick!!
I finished the antibiotics today and I'm still having the same problems. I'm still on the paracetamol and ibuprofen and still managing to feed her, but dreading each feed on that side.
OH is giving her a formula feed at the end of the day as I just can't take that one. LO is still thriving, took her to be weighed this week and she's bang on the 50th percentile, so she's doing well. I just can't wait to see the specialist to try and get it sorted, a friend has offered me the daktarin she was prescribed when she had external thrush which I'll try when I see her and I've started on probiotics to see if they work.
I know she's 4 months, but before this problem I loved breastfeeding her and she enjoys obviously it, she kicks up a right fuss when daddy comes at her with the bottle. I just hope the specialist can help.
I just can't believe some doctors haven't heard of this, that's two different doctors I've seen that have dismissed thrush as the cause, he looked at the sheet from the Breastfeeding netowrk that the councellor gave to me as if it was from some weird cult. If the specialist does diagnose thrush I'll be making an appointment with my doctor to "educate" him about this unheard of problem
I know there's no medais for this mummy business but if I can give my little one the best start I can I'll be happy.
Incidentally I was at the pharmacy the other day and spotted daktarin on the shelves as if it could be bought over the counter. I thought it was prescription only but could be worth asking if you need some to bridge the gap before you see the specialist - I hope they aren't making you wait too long for that appointment?? You need treatment asap and it really needs to be the good stuff (ie fluconazole).
Good luck, good luck, good luck and if you have any questions please don't ever hesitate to post on here!
C
Thanks for all the hints and tips though, and I hope it gets better for you soon cheezybird!
Good luck!!
C
Just to let you know that I went to the hospital today and it was a complete waste of time. The doctor examined me and sent me for an ultrasound scan, there was nothing wrong with the scan so he said he there was nothing they could do and I had two choices, to soldier on or to give up breastfeeding. I'm really not happy. I even asked him about the ductal thrush and he said he'd never heard of it. I'm so upset, would love to be prescribed something for it but other than keep taking the painkillers I don't know what to do now.
I'm really glad all you ladies have been able to get help, good luck with the treatment chubs113, please let me know how it goes
I think you should go back to your GP (or better still, another one rather than the first guy who hadn't heard of it) with the BFN leaflet again and ask to be prescribed fluconazole, daktarin and nystan.
I can't believe your medical practitioners haven't heard of it - my GP knew all about it and wrote me prescriptions immediately but maybe that's because she has 3 kids of her own??? Maybe see if you can see a female doctor who might have heard of it?
You definitely should not have to put up with this without treatment - a "specialist" who says you either have to put up with it or stop BFing is incompetent. I would actually consider making a complaint - the fact that you specifically asked him about ductal thrush and he dismissed it is outrageous. Did you show him that leaflet??? If not maybe you should see if you can get another appointment??
So sorry, I am just so angry reading this!!!!
C
It seems like there's quiet a few of us having similar problems
http://www.netmums.com/coffeehouse/food-feeding-555/breastfeeding-expressing-558/154375-thrush-while-breastfeeding.html
I'm going to try formula feeding DD for a couple of days and taking canestan and daktarin, if that helps it then I'm going back to the doctors to get treatment for her. I'm so angry and now I'm starting to dread feed time so if I take a couple of days off feeding and just express then hopefully that'll help me out anyway.
Thanks for your help