Thrush? Plugs? Beginning mastitis?

[sarah04]

I can't quite figure out what's up with my breast. I've got shooting pains (shooting from the back of my breast to my nipple) just in one spot, where I do have some tenderness and lumpiness (which does not feel like a plugged duct - I've had that before).

Also, my milk supply is really down. This is really unusual for me - I pretty much always have an oversupply problem. And, I'm really tired. But both of those things could be from stress, as I moved two days ago.

Because of the shooting pain I thought it was thrush (although no nipple soreness), and did gentian violet (& acidophilus) for 7 days, but I still have the pain. Do you think maybe these are deep plugs? Or deeper thrush? Should I try vinegar in case it is thrush? Or will that not work if gentian violet was ineffective?

[marge234]

I hope others with experience will chime in here--I'm new to BFing but have thrush/yeast and have been reading a ton about it on kellymom.com and jack newman's web site. You can get yeast without nipple symptoms, and baby can have thrush w/out white spots. Everything I've read says you have to treat mom and baby.
http://www.drjacknewman.com/

Apparently, GV is sometimes insufficient to get rid of yeast. My midwife said if the pain feels like a rope burn on the chest wall the yeast might be bad, beyond gentian violet and require diflucan. Vinegar can't hurt anything but it probably won't work if GV didn't. Yeast in the breast requires taking diflucan for a lot longer than a vaginal yeast infections. Some docs don't know this and aren't comfortable prescribing the full course of treatment. Jack Newman and others talk about this on their web sites.

My case is itchy/burning nipples and baby has diaper rash. So, per our LC, we're following the protocol developed by Pat Gima, an LC who's adapted Jack Newman's protocol (which is on his web site.) It's a pretty hardcore plan but I'm hoping to avoid a protracted problem.

http://www.breastfeedingonline.com/yeast.shtml

Newman's web site has info pages that aren't really arranged logically, so read through the list. There's one on Fluconozole (Diflucan), one on GV, and a Candida protocol. There's also one on blocked duct mastitis.
http://www.nbci.ca/index.php?option=...id=5&Itemid=17

anyway, that's what i've got FWIW. GOOD LUCK MAMA!

[zulupetalz]

I have thrush right now as well, and I experienced shooting pains in one breast as well. That is when I first noticed it. The shooting pain has since subsided but my nipples are a mess. I've tried Gentian Violet, garlic oil and apple cider vinegar. I just went to the doctor today and he recommended trying Lotrimin AF and if that doesn't work , he will prescribe Diflucan. I don't have any good answers for what is a surefire way to get rid of it, but I wish you luck!

[natural4mybabies]

DS is almost 3.5 mos and I have had mastitis twice in the same breast, a third time I felt it coming back (just last week) but with lots of draining of the breast, Motrin, vitamins and rest, I was able to keep it at bay.

I also had the shooting pains and lumpiness/soreness. Then within a couple of hours I felt exhausted and starting feeling body aches/sore joints and when I had a fever, i knew something was wrong. By the third time around, i was very keen to the symptoms and jumped all over it because it comes on SO quickly. I also had an oversupply problem, would produce up to 15 extra ounces a day beyond what DS was eating. As it turns out I had a tiny crack in the nipple which is where the bacteria entered.

I just started back to work and all this pumping has given me cracks in both nipples...so I need to get these cleared up or I could be in trouble! I am feeling very fatigued lately so I think my body is fighting hard to keep the infection at a minimum. I really do not want to go back on antibiotics!

And yes, mastitis can eventually lead to supply isses!!!

[LorenaAZ]

I've had very similar pain. It came and went every few weeks and it was on both sides (but never at the same time). I never treated it. It always went away on its own. I think it was just because I slept on the breast and it became sore, or baby did it by pinching/massaging/biting. idk. I got it checked by an LC, she said it wasn't thrush, and no plugged ducts. Made me feel like an alien for having pain which she couldn't trace to any problem. Now at 6 months pp I don't get those pains anymore.