What's the difference?

You'd think I'd know this by now...

On from last week, my right breast now is in pain. This time though it has progressed to a large lump on the underside, inflamed and red. I also have a bad headache and aches, but no fever.

Does this mean it is only a blocked duct and not mastitis? Is the fever the key with mastitis?

As per normal when I start to get mastitis I feel like I've been hit by a truck, just lacking the high temp.

Do I treat a blocked duct any different than mastitis?

Oh and as a vent *woe is me*

From memory when I had a blocked duct/start of mastitis I kept a wheat pack on it all evening and massaged it as baby fed. I forced her on the boob every time she moved lol.

I gave it a good massage in the bath, and it has slightly improved. Still really red though and swollen.

No fever yet, but still have the aches and headache.

Could it be just a blocked duct?

Do you feel fluish or like you're coming down with something, even without a fever? If so *could* be beginnings of mastitis. With my blocked ducts the boob itself got very achy but no general aches and pains and no headaches.

Yeah it's a generalised aching.

I just can't seem to move this lump completely. It gets smaller but then now because I've slept a little it's back big again :(

With DS1 I remember getting a red lump in my boob which never progressed to mastitis thankfully. Kept massaging, feeding , having warm showers and hand expressed till it was gone. Maybe keep at it and it will clear.

Yes, it sounds like mastitis. Mastitis can be infective, or not, so doesn't always present with signs of infection - fever, aches, etc. Treatment is the same as for a blocked duct, plus antibiotics if required for infection.
Often lumps take a while to shift completely. If it doesn't improve at all, or gets worse, then I would suggest seeking medical treatment even if you don't have signs of infection.

it sounds like a blocked duct to me, but Ive found that can turn into mastitis really quickly.