First case of mastitis after 30 collective months breastfeeding

[rebeccajm]

Background:

I have mastitis and have some questions about what is going on with me.

I woke up (lying on my stomach with my cell phone right against my left breast. How did my cell get in the bed with me??) after 4 hours of sleep Thursday night, immediately realizing I had a painful plugged duct, my first plugged duct with this baby, and he will be 1 year next week. I tried until 2:30 am to get it out with no luck. I began feeling achey and shivering, so I took some Tylenol and an amoxicillin I had on hand. I knew I'd have to work the next day, Friday. I tried the next morning and on my lunch break to get the plug out. No luck. I went to the doc Friday night and saw a female doc who had been hospitalized with mastisis before. She wrote me a script and told me to stay home from work the next day, and that I shouldn't have even worked that day.

I have been taking dicloxacillin 4 times a day. The swelling has gone down some, and I don't have a fever anymore.

Since this is my first time to have this, I have a few questions...

1. Is it normal for the breast to itch around the area that is healing?

2. I never saw the typical wedge-shaped place like I used to see when I would get plugged ducts with my firstborn. The swelling is farther back from the nipple. Can this be normal for a blocked duct?

3. The duct is STILL not clear, and it has been three days since I started the prescribed antibiotic. How long does it normally take? I only get a few drops of yellow mucus every feeding/pumping, but no milk. I have read that it will come out thick and stringy, but I've gotten nothing.

4. What are the chances that this is actually inflammatory breast cancer? My husband has been trying to settle my nerves regarding this, but I just can't help worrying.

Thanks for any information you can share.

[annettemarie]

Because this is (unfortunately) a more common breastfeeding issue, I am moving this out to the general forum.

[crystal_buffaloe]

Hi -- I don't have near the breastfeeding experience that you do, but I have had mastitis, and I thought I'd chime in.

1. I would be especially watchful for thrush with any itching. I got thrush after taking antibiotics for mastitis, and had to deal with both issues concurrently for a bit, and one of the very first signs was an itchy boob.

3. I have a friend who was able to kick mastitis in two days with frequent vigourus nursing, rest, and homeopathy. It took me two full weeks on the antibiotic and A LOT of manual effort before I felt better. I wouldn't say the mastitis was all the way cleared up until after the clog passed (it came out as a thick, long, stringy glob in the breast pump). I submerged my whole boob in a bowl of hot water prior to nursing/pumping, used massage while nursing/pumping, and even used the end of an electric toothbrush in the shower.

GOOD LUCK!

[memz]

I have had 2 mastitis and my DD is 8 months.... Both times I used homeopathy, taking hot baths and massaging the area, nursing on all fours with the babe underneath, always starting with that breast for nursing and then finishing with it again. I have also used cabbage leafs on the breast and putting a hot compress before breastfeeding and a cold one after for the inflammation. Both times it was gone in 3 days.... So I guess something in there helped.

I can't remember that my breast itched though. But the swelling was farther up from the nipple and has the duct cleared I could feel it moving towards the nipple. I also massaged the area constantly "playing" with it....to loosen it up..

And don't freak out....I'm pretty sure it isn't breast cancer.....good luck