thrush - what worked for you

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

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.

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.

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

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

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 :)

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.

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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.

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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 :)

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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 :)

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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.

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!

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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!

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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 :D

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 ;) .

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)

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