Purple, white and red nipple after feeding

[tincia]

I have had a milk blister that i can't seem to get rid of and has been causing a lot of pain, but lately I have noticed that when i am finished feeding, my right nipple is purple with the whole tip white except the edges of the milk blister there are blotchy, cherry red marks and the nipple itself looks wierd..hard to even explain..like snake skin or something if that makes any sense!?!
What could be causing this and how should i treat it? I should mention that i have had persistant and recurrant bouts of thrush.
Also, i have had so many issues that i can't even remember what it SHOULD feel like..the other nipple seems to finally be in good shape but does hurt for the first 30 sec or minute, but then feels perfectly fine. It also hurts as the nipple becomes very sensitive during letdown and the pain intensifies briefly..is this normal?

[EmTheWife]

For the milk blister, try massaging your nipple with milk after each feed, and also in the shower under warm water, as they're usually caused by a clogged duct outlet.

As for the nipple pain and discoloration, it sounds like Raynaud's, which, if it's not causing problems, is not a problem, though if it's bothering you, you should see and IBCLC who may be able to help.  Raynaud's is a vasospasm (constriction of the blood vessel in response to cold or stimulation), and usually presents as a sharp pain at the beginning of a feed and a burning sensation after a feed, and the discoloration as you described.  It is possible that increasing your intake of magnesium and or vitamin B6 may help, but you should really get it checked by and IBCLC before taking anything.

I hope all your issues are resolved soon, and that you continue to breastfeed successfully!

[gemasita]

Does sound like vasospasms or Raynaud's.  There is also a prescription, nifedimine, that can help.