thrush - what worked for you

[Pip82]

Hi, haven't posted here for ages, but I think I have had thrush on my nipples for quite a while that I can't seem to shake, there are no obvious symptoms in my DD but my nipples are shiny and red and sometimes there is a bit of white look like flaky skin after I have a hot shower. The GP reckons it isn't but that doesn't explain the intense pain I get when my DD starts feeding and I'm pretty sure it isn't an attachment problem. I've had three courses of ABs since I had DD (all due to mastitis) ad in hinsight I should have taken probiotics or something but it didn't occur to me.

What I would like to know is what worked for you - specific creams drops medications etc. Help!!

Thanks in advance

Pip

[Tinsel]

oooooh, I feel your pain! DD2 had thrush in her mouth from day one so I ended up with it on my nipples. The GP put us on Nilstat drops and that cleared it up fairly quickly but had to use it for about a week before it all went away. I've never had mastitis and the thrush was painful enough so I feel for you. Hope you find something that works and soon.

[Barb Glare]

Hi,

If you have treated for thrush and it's not going away, you probably need to consider that it might be something else. Do you have dermatitis? Eczema? A creme such as kennacombe, available on prescription from your dr has a 3 way action - an antifungal, antibacterial and a steroid, and it may help. If it's thrush then it should be treated fairly simply with daktarin gel.

[flossy17]

You poor thing i had the same prob, and because i wasn't treating myself (was told mine was excema) dd2 just kept getting it. I used the nilstat drops on dd2 and daktarin gel on my nipples. Think it only took a few days after that. gl

[Pip82]

Thanks for replies. Is nilstat a prescription medication? And is kenacomb safe for use pre breastfeeding DD?

[Kirley64]

my son had thrush and daktarin didnt work. eliminating sugar from my diet did. i had lots of pain too but i had vasospasm. i only have one hand atm so i cant type much but google it

[Taurean]

Does the pain hang around after a feed too or, sounds weird, but when your nipples are hot or cold? I was treated several times for thrush in the early days of breastfeeding and in the end it turned out to be vasospasm in my nipples! Basically it was a blood supply issue and I had to go on blood pressure medication to treat it. Thankfully the pain disappeared after about a week on the meds but I had to stay on them for about 5 months. My brilliant lactation consultant was the one to diagnose me.

I had tried everything possible to treat thrush, it's any wonder they didn't work! Google vasospasm and see if it sounds like your symptoms.

[Kirley64]

Does the pain hang around after a feed too or, sounds weird, but when your nipples are hot or cold? I was treated several times for thrush in the early days of breastfeeding and in the end it turned out to be vasospasm in my nipples! Basically it was a blood supply issue and I had to go on blood pressure medication to treat it. Thankfully the pain disappeared after about a week on the meds but I had to stay on them for about 5 months. My brilliant lactation consultant was the one to diagnose me.

I had tried everything possible to treat thrush, it's any wonder they didn't work! Google vasospasm and see if it sounds like your symptoms.

Haha thanks for typing that, i only had one hand before (bub was asleep in the other)....it can be really mild or really painful - i'm not on medication for mine and i still get pain occassionally but nothing like i used to. Just try and keep my boobies warm with layers of clothes

[Taurean]

Haha thanks for typing that, i only had one hand before (bub was asleep in the other)....it can be really mild or really painful - i'm not on medication for mine and i still get pain occassionally but nothing like i used to. Just try and keep my boobies warm with layers of clothes

LOL! I only just read your first reply! It's such an awful thing, isn't it! No amount of warming helped my poor boobies. My nipples would throb if there was a slighly cool breeze across my face or hands! I was so scared coming off the meds as I was sure the pain would return but my body must have adjusted to breastfeeding somehow as it was fine.

[Kirley64]

To start with i had the really deep pain at the base of my boobs - that hurt!! it got to a point i'd wake up crying in pain some nights....then it eased off and i only get it every now and then....then after my nipples healed initally from bubba my nipples were still so sore and i didn't know what to do; thought it was thrush but nothing worked...then i found out about vasospasam....
the warm water in the shower is nice but the water itself really hurts so i always drape a warm washer over my boobs...very frustrating...but what can you do....hopefully it disappears for me after a while also!

[Taurean]

To start with i had the really deep pain at the base of my boobs - that hurt!! it got to a point i'd wake up crying in pain some nights....then it eased off and i only get it every now and then....then after my nipples healed initally from bubba my nipples were still so sore and i didn't know what to do; thought it was thrush but nothing worked...then i found out about vasospasam....
the warm water in the shower is nice but the water itself really hurts so i always drape a warm washer over my boobs...very frustrating...but what can you do....hopefully it disappears for me after a while also!

Sorry, we are kind of hijacking this thread but it's related I guess...

Kirley, maybe you should try the meds I was on? I noticed relief within a couple of days and pain free (all the time!) by about a week. I'm not a big fan of taking meds but that pain was unbelievable and it made breastfeeding really difficult, I use to dread it. I was on Nifedipine. Like you, my nipples hurt so much in the shower but also when there was a gentle breeze outside and my nipples were fully covered, LOL! I was over trying to constantly warm my nipples. The medication worked a treat - worth its weight in gold

[MantaRay]

Pip, how are you going now?

Many mums find that daktarin gel works better than nilstat, and it is helpful to treat your baby too just in case. Barb is a Lactation Consultant - anything she recommends is safe for breastfeeding mums .

[Taurean]

Sorry, I should have said what I did use for thrush as well! We treated DD with Nilstat and I used that on my nipples too but it didn't help much at all. I then used Daktarin cream on my nipples but I had to wipe it off with a damp cloth before I fed DD then reapply after the feed. The gel might be better. I also put both DD and I on probiotics (I had the tablet form and I put the kids powder in DD's EBM bottles)

[Pip82]

Hi again

Things are going a bit better now, I think that it has gone. Thanks to everyone for their replies they were very helpful.

Pip