Excrutiating pain In left nipple/breast

[Dana May]

I have been breastfeeding my daughter for 11 months now and I remember always feeling a slight tingle in my left nipple but never thought nothing big of it. Well over the last few months its gotten so much worse it not only tingles but hurts to Im talking horrible excrutiating pain that shoots through my nipple and affects my whole breast at times. A couple weeks ago I experienced a large lump that was very painful and thought it was just a plugged duct so I kept feeding her more. Well then a few days later I notice these painful white looking cracks on the tip of my nipple along with redness and swelling. I went to the E.R and they said nothing was wrong to just keep feeding the baby o0 I was so mad!! The pain progressed so I went back thinking they will see what im seeing and put my on antibiotics for a yeast infection or something but they said it didn't look like yeast and to just start wheening and see what happens. Well I was already wheening her so I know that wont work. The pain is getting even more worse and so is the white cracks now they have puss coming off of them. NO one has answers for me I see my obgyn on tuesday but Im just in so much pain and at this point scared cause I don't know what is wrong with me. Does someone out there have any idea or maybe have experienced this type of thing before please let me know Im desperate. thanks so much.

[jgallagher66]

I'm not a lactation consultant or anything just a mom who's nursed 5 kids. It sounds like thrush is a possibility. Antibiotics don't cure yeast infections. They can cause them though. Do you have access to a ped or ob/gyn who has a lactation consultant on staff? That is the ideal but they are hard to find. We have a pediatrician with a lactation consultant and it is really helpful. So many doctors are not knowledgable about breastfeeding complications like thrush. You could try calling la leche league and see if you could get a local referral to a breastfeeding knowledgable doctor or try a lactation consultant who might have better local information for you.

Maybe someone more knowlegable will chime in with some ideas. Hope you feel better soon and get the support you need.

[Dana May]

Thank you for responding. I will talk to my obgyn on tuesday hopefully get some answers its gone on for to long and it is painful. I googled my symtoms which I know I shouldn't of done lol, However it showed a pic of what my breast/nipple looks like so I linked to the site and it was all about pagets disease which has me freaked out to say the least. I am just tired of Dr.'s at the E.R saying nothing is wrong when in the mean time I'm clearly just getting worse. Tuesday just seems so far away.
 

[jgallagher66]

I think it's good that you are getting checked out but I think Paget's Disease usually affects older women and since you are breastfeeding and thrush is fairly common in breastfeeding women, I wouldn't get too worried at this point. You definately deserve an answer though. You should not have to put up with that kind of pain and telling you to just wean is not helpful or good advice at all. I hope you get better help at your doctor's office.

[phathui5]

"put my on antibiotics for a yeast infection"

Have you had antibiotics since your baby was born? During the labor? I'm wondering if that might have caused a mild case of yeast/thrush that's getting worse now.

[Dana May]

I'm not sure. Its a good possibility I just wish that dr.'s could look into all of that they look at me and they say your not swollen along the breast and there is no red lines so there is no breast infection visible. The problem is not the whole breast in self but the nipple. I mentioned the possibility of yeast and they said no to that also they said its neropathic pain o0 whatever that is lol. I'm just concerned for its gone on to long and nothing being done so tuesday I'm hoping that my obgyn is able to figure out something so I could start some kind of treatment.