You'd think, after breastfeeding for over five years now, that I'd know what's going on, that I'd have seen it done it all by now.... I have what looks like a burn on each of my nipples, off to one side, actually on the areolas rather than the actual nipple. It's just a couple dime-sized perfectly round spots, where the skin peeled off and it's red and shiny and oozy, and looks for all the world like someone put a cigarette out on me. No warning signs, just showed up really bad all of a sudden-like. I have no other symptoms of candidiasis, like I usually would. Itches and burns like crazy, just like thrush, but I've never seen anything that looked like this before, ever. I can't stand to wear a bra, or even most of my shirts right now. I took an old sport bra and cut two holes for my nipples to poke out... and am wearing the thinnest, most threadbare tshirt I could find. I'm fairly certain it is thrush, my raynaud's is acting up, and that doesn't happen unless I have low supply or thrush, and I quit taking the progesterone and have more milk than I did a month ago, I know that for certain. It's just really really odd. Maggie, have you seen anything like this before? Now I understand why some women quit nursing when they have thrush!!!! This is pure, unrefined, agony!
This is a stupid question since you seem to be into all-natural "stuff," but have you bleached any of your clothes lately? I had a very similar reaction after my mom came over to help me with laundry and bleached all of my whites (including my bras!) love, mom
The itching, burning and INSANE sensitivity is what makes me think yeast. I guess it's dumb to ask if nursing hurts at all. Ya know, that lovely "shards of glass" feeling? OUCH! I can remember it so vividly.
that's what makes me think it's yeast, too. Oddly enough, nursing doesn't hurt any worse than ever. M has been especially careful and gentle, though. She was actually hesitant to nurse last night at bedtime because she knew my nipples were hurting, tried to go to sleep without nursing but it didn't work out so well and I talked her into nursing and she was out like a light.
no bleach, ever, and I hand wash all my bras (especially those expensive Jeunique bras I recently bought!). But... kids did help me wash them last time, might have gotten some soap or something on them, and I am very sensitive to certain chemicals.... hmm....
Wow, it sounds painful. I don't know if it is thrush. Thrush is usually all over the place, when I see localized lacerations, I think bacteria. You could start with Dr Newman's Triple Ointment, and go from there. If there is any pain IN the breast, it may be thrush, too, but could also be the bacterial infection invading the ducts. This will cause a fever, body pain, headache, nausea, light sensitivity and all over breast pain. Also, red mottling of both or one breast. If you see a red line or a red dot, you are getting blood poisoning, and immediate treatment with a good antibiotic is recommeneded, but in this day and age of more and more doctors being more aware of mastitis, we don't see this as often. Use Dr. Newman's triple ointment One Part Antibacterial OINTMENT (like Bactroban or Polysporin) one part antiyeast creme (the 3 day kind for your vagina) and one part Hydrocortisone, as the inflamation will impair healing, and treating all the possible causes at once will give you better coverage. Make up enough for a day or so, apply it with either a clean finger PER breast, or a cotton swab, and use it after every feeding. If the child is only feeding occasionally, then use it about 6 times a day or so. Ibuprofen is amazing for nipple pain. 600 mgs every 4-6 hours can make a big difference. I take it with some Pepcid, so you don't get a belly ache, and make sure you take it with a full stomach. I hope you feel better. I am going to be in Haight Ashbury for a little while, leaving later on today. Druminmama is here as usual. Take care ladies. See you after our fun. I hope you feel better, boogie, if it DOES develop into full blown mastitis, Dicloxicillian or Cloxicillian is the best treatment, and Amoxil is the worst. If it surely thrush, then treat with Dr Newman's Ointment, and if it doens't get better, look into a week or more of Diflucan or Gential Violet. (There is a stickey with the directions.) I hope you feel better.
that sounds an awful lot like ringworm. It's a strange place for it, but ringworm can happen anywhere. Does it look anything like this? http://dermatlas.med.jhmi.edu/derm/IndexDisplay.cfm?ImageID=461117656
My Dad was a wrestling coach. Until he made the school buy new mats and replace the floor, his guys kept getting ringworm. (He inherited a FUNKY old wrestling room and mats, no matter how hard they tried they couldn't get rid of it.) My brother even got it too, it's pretty contagious I guess. Do you have cats? They can carry it too. That is if it IS ringworm. I'll ask my dad but, I think they just put over the counter fungal cream on it and it went away. No biggie. (Well, it IS a biggie when your nips hurt like all holy hell!)
yeh, it looked kinda like some of the pictures of ringworm I saw following the link above, but a much smaller spot involved. My nips seem to be getting better now, but I feel overall icky and sick. Maybe some sort of combination fungus plus bacteria, I'd guess at this point, but it does seem to be going away. eeeewwww! It's not like I've been with any funky wrestlers (grin) or rubbing my breasts on the dog or anything, and we do not have any cats.... LOL
Hahaha! I have the image of you waggling your eyebrows and jiggling bare breasts fetchingly at the family pootch!
it's definitely thrush it's systemic, affecting everything yeast possibly can. that was just the first sign of it. bleh! :& You know it's bad when grapefruit seed extract or pau d'arco tea actually tastes good to you.... At least my nipples don't hurt so much anymore. wonder how long before the sores will heal, though?
I'm so sorry it's so bad. With my 3rd baby, the first one I successully breastfed, I had a most wicked case of thrush. I need 21 DAYS of oral Diflucan at $150 a PILL! Thank God for insurance and a savvy LC who convinced my insurance company to pay it. It took all of that to successfully treat it. I had already tried Bactroban, Gentian Violet, acidophilus, sulphur, vinegar washes..none of it worked. I hope it gets better soon!
doc gave me two of the three-day diflucan pills. It's much better already. Still itchy, but doesn't burn like the blazes anymore, thankfully!
I'm glad you figured out what it was and got treated. I also like to use Dr Newman's Ointment, even with Diflucan, as there can also (and often is) bacteria along with almost any lesion in this area. Did your dd(s) get any treatment? If you had it, anyone who is nursing will be carrying it. Hope you feel all the way better soon. It takes, in most womyn, 2 to 3 weeks for a moderate laceration on the nipple to heal AFTER the reason for the problem has been treated. Feel better, honey.
I was using the dr. newman ointment, but switched to gentian violet because my little nursling didn't like the taste of it. And yes, I did paint her mouth purple, too. plus, every time she nurses, her mouth becomes purple. She said she likes the purple nummy nipples, it makes her mouth stop hurting. The gv seems to be working better than anything else did, actually. Not 100% yet, but itchy is much preferable than the incredible pain I was experiencing before... I'll just continue to wear my black nursing bra for a while, at least I *can* wear a bra without crying now.
Gentian can be really effective. Some strains of yeast respond better to this than other topical antifungals AND it has some antibacterial action, so it good stuff. Purple nummies. That's cute. Take a picture, just so you'll remember how adorable she looked with the purple mouth. I am glad you found something that helped you feel better. Pain like that can just consume you, you think of nothing else, ect. Blessings and healing thoughts on your continued healing.
