Staph infection not candida

Hi All,
I was given finally listened to after going to 2 dr's and speaking to a midwife and given diflucan for candida after 5 weeks of severe pain while BFing. The dr I saw seemed to agree that I had all the symptoms of candida and took a swab, I was so looking forward to pain free feeding. I took the diflucan for 2 days and started an anti candida diet then today I get a call to say "can you come in, it's not candida, you have a staph infection in your breasts". I have stopped the diflucan for now and am now on antibiotics 4x per day and have to go back on friday to reassess. God I hope this resolves the problem. I am still obviously in agony and am still mainly expressing and giving Olive 1-2 formula bottles if needed through the day. Both breasts are red, both have cracks that won't heal despite being checked by a BF councillor and they are extremly painful. Has anyone else had this? I've already had mastitis twice but this feels worse as the pain radiates out from the nipple. Has anyone got any advice? I was also wondering if anyone knows of any lactation consultants in the Coffs Harbour area. Thanks

Hello I'm not surprised, I had a similar problem - except mine was a lot more 'invisible' and I laboured on for weeks and weeks before getting a script for ABs. In the end, the swab came back with nothing detected, but the ABs fixed the pain so that must've been the problem.

The good news is, since they have the swab, the ABs they've given you should be the perfect ones you need. I expect it will take a few days before they start to feel better. Get the dr to check again for candida, as you may develop secondary thrush from the ABs.

Sorry I can't help with the LCs, but I wanted to say, hang in there, you are doing a wonderful job, keep going back to the dr until it's fully resolved. You will get there!! :hug:

Hi,

Recent reasearch is showing now that, what we thought was "thrush" is actually the result of a Staph infection. When there are symptoms such as you describe - nipples that won't heal despite correct positioning, recurrent mastitis etc, your dr should always take a swab and have it cultured so that we know what we are dealing with.
There's every chance that this course of antibiotics will knock it on the head and you'll go on to breastfeed fine

Thanks for your advice and support Marydean and Barb Glare. Barb Glare I was wondring if you think I should bother trying to pursue a LC or should I wait another week to see if the antibiotics do the trick. I don't want to go through this again! and also how much does it ususally cost to see a LC. Thanks

Good on you Olives mum for sticking with it. At least you now know what is going on and hopefully the AB's start to work or you soon. I have an app on Friday at the Royal Womens Hospital as i still can't get on top of mine. It will be worth mentioning to them about the staph infection. I did have a swab taken last week but have geard nothing. I therefore thought that nothing was found. App the swab doesn't always come back with a result. I may just follow that up. Goodluck and hang in there, relief is just around the corner :)

Hi,

I still think it would be worth seeing an LC. You need all the support you can get. Prices for LCs vary. Usually around $100 for an hour or two - it is extremely cheap for the expert care they offer, usually in your own home. To me, this is exactly the support of care that our baby bonuses are best spent on - and saves a huge amount of money in the long run if breastfeeding can be sorted out.

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I did have a swab taken last week but have geard nothing. I therefore thought that nothing was found. App the swab doesn't always come back with a result.

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Ooopsa - That's what happened to me. I had two swabs, both came back nothing found, and yet it was only when I used Nilstat (antifungal) AND took Antibiotics at the same time that it finally resolved. I was months of pain and I'm sorry I wasn't more assertive with my drs before that. Good luck, I hope you can get this resolved, soon.

Thanks Marydean, i will keep you all posted on how my appointment goes today.
Olives Mummy: All my LC appointment have been free. I have been going through my local council and hospital. If your private health insurance i don't know if the hospital will be free but your local council may be.

Hi everyone,
Unfortunatly this saga continues... I went for my 6wk check yesterday and my doctor who has been on holidays was finally back, hooray! He actually looked in Olive's mouth and decided that she has got minor thrush on top of my staph infection so no wonder my nipples are STILL cracked and sore after 7wks. I have to put Olive back on Nilstat for 10days and put acilophilis powder on my nipples. He also changed my antibiotics so i'm now on my 3rd course. The doctor also explained that this could be causing Olive to be unsettled and i've read that it can cause excess gas, which she has and clicking noises which she also has which are some of the reasons I initially thought she had thrush, argggg. Oh well as long as it gets sorted I don't care! It's also worth mentioning that I have put her back on the breast exclusively for about a week and a half and even though it hurts it feels good, bottles are such a pita. I'm going to go to the local aba meeting on monday so hopefully I can also get my attachment rechecked. Anyway just thought I would keep you posted.

Far out! I saw you'd posted and was hoping it was to tell us it was all sorted! No such luck! I'm sure the combination of both meds will finally do the trick. Hang in there! You are doing so wonderfully well to have persevered all this time, esp when it's been painful and not easy. So give yourself a big pat on the back! I hope you find the ABA meeting useful and meet some lovely ladies if you haven't been before. :hug:

Hi Olive'smummy,

My wife went to a conference a couple of years ago and listened to a very interesting talk from a pathologist whose wife had lots of trouble breastfeeding that was blamed on thrush; he did some research himself and found the same thing, that often we blame thrush for what is actually a staph infection.

unfortunately, it can be a vicious cycle, because the antibiotics for the staph infection kill off your healthy bacteria as well, which means that you are more likely to get thrush. It's not uncommon for an attack of thrush to follow a course of antibiotics. I warn all of my parents now, whose children go on antibiotics, that they should consider some probiotics as well, to help reduce the risk of candidiasis.

Hi everyone,
Thanks for your support and votes of confidence. I just thought I would give another update. Nipples are still cracked and very sore so I went to see a LC. She thinks that I have also got thrush so I am back to putting daktarin gel on my nipples as well as the acilophilis powder and oral probiotics. My doc suggested that I go back on the diflucan but I want to give the gel a proper go as my system has been so pumped with meds. The LC also said that while Olive's attachment is good she has a high arch in her palette which she thinks is causing my nipple to get pinched so I have to try other positions to get as much nipple in as possible as this could be contributing to the pain. Does anyone know if I should continue Olive on the nilstat while I use the daktarin as she has nearly finished the 10 days? Also if anyone has used daktarin, how often did you put it on?

Thanks everyone
The LC I saw last week rang yesterday and referred me to another one closer to me who works as a middie at the local hospital and has just finished her training. I went up and saw her this morning and she was really helpful. She thinks that now I have treated for the physical stuff like thrush etc we need to work on the mechanical side of things as Olive is pinching the nipples during feeds. She has given me some nipple sheilds to try in an attempt to help retrain Olive's mouth to open wider and also gave me a referral to see a peadiatric speech patholigist/physio as Olive doesn't appear to flange her lips out while feeding, clicks her tongue alot, has a very high palette and has had a permanent sucking blister on her top lip pretty much since birth. I didn't know about any of that stuff.
Yah, feeling positive again. I wish I had of seen this LC from the beginning but I can't think like that - bring on painfree BF!!!:dance:
p.s got lazy and cut/pasted this from 'inspiration' thread

Hi there. Can anyone please tell me how I can get in contact with a lactation consultant in the Coffs Harbour area?

Kindest Regards
Jenny

Hi Jenny

You might like to check this thread, or post in there asking the same question. I take it you suspect a staph infection?

https://www.bellybelly.com.au/forums...33/index2.html