Breast Ultrasound ordered :(

[westy]

Hi ladies,

I have had an issue going on for the last month, more like 5 weeks now with my right breast so i took myslef off to the dr as it was not getting any better and she has sent me for an Ultrasound - i have a red mark on my nipple that actually looks like it's filled with milk ( a blocked duct ??) and it's causing me some amount of pain, the pain comes and goes but when it's there i cant touch my breast at all

Dr thinks its a blocked duct and i will basically just have to put up with it (her words) until i finish feeding, my question is -Is this right ? From what i have googled it says a blocked duct usually only lasts for 24-48hrs , im into my 5th week so could it be something else? Why would she be wanting a ultrasound? Could it be something more serious ? Oh i dont know i'm at a loss, i have no idea what i can do to help this so if anyone has any information they could share i would be extremely grateful.

Regards
Westy xx

[MummaSue]

I have no idea hun, I just wanted to give you some

You know where I am if you need anything, right?

[westy]

Thanks Sue

I'm sure she just wants to check and make sure everything looks how it should , but she also said it can be hard to do an ultrasound when your Breastfeeding so not sure why i'd be sent for one - unless she thinks it could be something more!

Hope your all well xx

[SunnyRain]

Probably checking to see if it's an abscess, if it's full of fluid, if there's blood flow, If it's solid...

I had an ultrasound on my breast with a massive lump. They were concerned about cancer and they do ultrasounds on young women rather than mammograms.

My lump showed nothing but normal breast tissue, I guess damaged milk ducts but I got no answers.

I'm sorry to say but it sounds like an abscess. They'll have to drain it. I know one woman who had an abscess and it was not fun.

Best of luck.

Sent from my Desire HD

[westy]

Thanks Kuraiza,

I have heard they sometimes they need to drain them, but wouldnt the Dr have known if it was a abscess when she looked at it? Its not huge by any means and its not a lump, it only about 3mm - but very sore.

I guess though with breast cancer in the family it's best to get it all checked out properly - better go book that ultrasound.

Glad yours came back all ok.

[MummaSue]

She's probably just being thorough but if it's the Dr that I am thinking of, she is very handy with prescriptions and referrals and often reluctant to diagnose anything herself

Definitely go and get checked out though babe, just for your own peace of mind.

[westy]

I dare say it is the Dr you have in mind - i really like her but i guess in this case it's safer for her to send me off and hope for a more accurate diagnoses (?) rather then just saying 'it could be this' or 'it could be that' ykwim.

[MummaSue]

Definitely!

[Kmn]

You may get lucky here - one of the more effective treatments for blocked ducts is actually ultrasound (usually done by physios), so you may find that the diagnosis helps fix it too.
Other things that can help include lecithin, and ensuring that the breast is really really well drained - hot pack, feed baby, pump, hand express, ice pack - until it clears. But if it's been there for weeks it may be more permanently stuck.

After you've got the ultrasound results you might also want to see a lactation consultant to see if they have any suggestions on draining it.

[westy]

Thanks Kmn,

My little man is almost 16 months and has dropped to max 3 feeds a day which has me wondering if this is what has caused it to happen, he used to feed heaps more up until the last 2 months so maybe he isnt draining it as well as what he used too. I can't seem to get much out with the pump anymore its far easier to hand express .

Thanks for that info i'm hoping i get lucky

[HotI]

hope you get some answers.

[Kmn]

The blasted things can happen at any stage - I had to get one zapped at the physio when my DS was nearly 3 .

[HotI]

COuld it be a wolverian duct (i'm not sure that is the right name, something wolf like that i heard about here). mine get blocked all the time and can get quite painful