formula is starting to look pretty good...

Ok, started out with cracked nipples, then mastitis. Now I have a horribly
cracked and bleeding nipple on the same side as the mastitis. Some people
thought I might have thrush, so I went to the doc who couldn't really tell,
but prescribed my Nystatin ointment anyways. My symptoms include sharp
stabbing pain from nipple to deep within my breast while pumping, and a dull
achy feeling all other times. It hurts to bump my nipple or have anything
touch or rub it. The skin is cracked and there is a whitish look to the
cracks, but I think this is just the dead skin. It doesn't look like what I
think thrush should look like on a nipple. The doc said that since I am not
directly nursing, just pumping and bottle feeding, that it is highly
unlikely to be thrush, since this comes from the baby's mouth. I don't know
about this, but hope she is right. I put the Nystatin ointment on tonight,
then a nursing pad, but when I took the pad off to pump, all the dead skin
peeled away from my nipple and it hurt like an SOB. Then I started to pump,
and it bled like crazy. Now I'm not sure what to do...

Betsy

oregonchick wrote:
Ok, started out with cracked nipples, then mastitis. Now I have a horribly
cracked and bleeding nipple on the same side as the mastitis. Some people
thought I might have thrush, so I went to the doc who couldn't really tell,
but prescribed my Nystatin ointment anyways. My symptoms include sharp
stabbing pain from nipple to deep within my breast while pumping, and a dull
achy feeling all other times. It hurts to bump my nipple or have anything
touch or rub it. The skin is cracked and there is a whitish look to the
cracks, but I think this is just the dead skin. It doesn't look like what I
think thrush should look like on a nipple. The doc said that since I am not
directly nursing, just pumping and bottle feeding, that it is highly
unlikely to be thrush, since this comes from the baby's mouth. I don't know
about this, but hope she is right. I put the Nystatin ointment on tonight,
then a nursing pad, but when I took the pad off to pump, all the dead skin
peeled away from my nipple and it hurt like an SOB. Then I started to pump,
and it bled like crazy. Now I'm not sure what to do...

Betsy



Betsy, it sounds exactly like what I had happen to me. It took me a few
weeks to work out that thrush was what was stopping the cracks from
healing... once I used the daktarin oral gel on my nipples and in his
mouth, it went away in 3 weeks... Keep using the nilstat you were
given, treat all pump pieces/bottles/nipples/bras/breast pads as if you
have thrush for at least 2 weeks. You know formula isn't going to make
you feel better. You have the symptoms of thrush, and it definitely
doesn't hurt to treat for it, so that's what I'd do. Antibiotics won't
help the thrush, but they will help other nipple/breast infections you
might have. Right now there is a nice warm, moist, food-filled
environment for the thrush and any other bacteria to breed in, so tackle
it head on for a few weeks, try to keep your supply up, eat good
bacteria (capsules?), rest, drink...

And TRY not to fell depressed.

And know that in a month or so, it will be a distant memory

Keep in touch.

Jo

P.S. I re-read my reply to your other post, and I thought I sounded
really brash! Sorry - must have had other things going on.

try this too betsy

http://www.oz.net/~chotii/fighting_thrush.html

chris
"oregonchick" wrote in message
...
Ok, started out with cracked nipples, then mastitis. Now I have a
horribly cracked and bleeding nipple on the same side as the mastitis.
Some people thought I might have thrush, so I went to the doc who couldn't
really tell, but prescribed my Nystatin ointment anyways. My symptoms
include sharp stabbing pain from nipple to deep within my breast while
pumping, and a dull achy feeling all other times. It hurts to bump my
nipple or have anything touch or rub it. The skin is cracked and there is
a whitish look to the cracks, but I think this is just the dead skin. It
doesn't look like what I think thrush should look like on a nipple. The
doc said that since I am not directly nursing, just pumping and bottle
feeding, that it is highly unlikely to be thrush, since this comes from
the baby's mouth. I don't know about this, but hope she is right. I put
the Nystatin ointment on tonight, then a nursing pad, but when I took the
pad off to pump, all the dead skin peeled away from my nipple and it hurt
like an SOB. Then I started to pump, and it bled like crazy. Now I'm not
sure what to do...

Betsy

I have had both thrush and mastitis. Thrush on my nipples wasn't white at
all - it showed as a red ring right around the base of the nipple. My baby
also had spots in her mouth that were pretty obvious.

The preferred treatment for thrush is Daktarin gel for baby and cream for
you (drug name is miconazole) and if you have thrush inside the breast you
need fluconazole. Nystatin is an old fashioned drug for oral thrush and
didn't touch the spots on my baby at all. It's also very sugary which is
just the food the thrush likes the best.

Thrush isn't caused by incorrect postioning at the breast, it's just "one of
those things" but it might be worth seeing someone who can check your latch
once you're healed up.

I found the following leaflet very useful for printing off and showing to
the doctor.

http://www.breastfeedingnetwork.org....ion/thrush.php

Morag

"oregonchick" wrote in message
...
Ok, started out with cracked nipples, then mastitis. Now I have a
horribly cracked and bleeding nipple on the same side as the mastitis.
Some people thought I might have thrush, so I went to the doc who couldn't
really tell, but prescribed my Nystatin ointment anyways. My symptoms
include sharp stabbing pain from nipple to deep within my breast while
pumping, and a dull achy feeling all other times. It hurts to bump my
nipple or have anything touch or rub it. The skin is cracked and there is
a whitish look to the cracks, but I think this is just the dead skin. It
doesn't look like what I think thrush should look like on a nipple. The
doc said that since I am not directly nursing, just pumping and bottle
feeding, that it is highly unlikely to be thrush, since this comes from
the baby's mouth. I don't know about this, but hope she is right. I put
the Nystatin ointment on tonight, then a nursing pad, but when I took the
pad off to pump, all the dead skin peeled away from my nipple and it hurt
like an SOB. Then I started to pump, and it bled like crazy. Now I'm not
sure what to do...

Betsy

I second the oral gel. It is good because you do not have to wash it
off. I have also used it on thrush nappy/diaper rash, it is a bit
sticky but works well.

Also keep off the sugar! This I found the absolute best thing to get
rid of thrush, difficult, yes, but it helps alot.

Hang in there, you have been through so much, you are doing so well!

Larissa
Mum to DD feb 99
DS mar 01
DD2 dec 03
Happy new year!