Is breast pain always thrush?

[ilovetosleep]

I've been having this sharp, stabbing pain deep in my right breast ever since DS was born 4 weeks ago. It's randomly through the day, not liked at all to feeding times and only between feeds.

It's not agony, but makes me wince and it's very short and sharp, there one second gone the next. But it can come quite frequently at times.

I don't think we have nipple thrush, my nipples are not really sore apart from a sometimes dodgy latch ( a far cry from the agony before Tt was cut). DS usually has a white tongue but ten he feeds v often still so is probably just milk?

What could this be if not thrush, and if it is hat treatment should I be asking for?

I think it's probably relevant to point out I had one dose of IV benzylpenicillin (sp?!) during labour for Group B strep and have een taking pro biotics since birth to prevent thrush but obv not fail safe!

[HihohihoItsBackToWorkIGo]

I had mastitis with DD - it started as you described and got worse. If you are worried I would talk to your GP or MW. My armpits swelled up and were stiff and pain isn't the word! Antibiotics cleared it up quickly.

[HihohihoItsBackToWorkIGo]

Have you been feeling ill as well? I had what felt like flu with hot flushes. www.nhs.uk/conditions/mastitis/Pages/Introduction.aspx

[iirc]

No, breast pain can be a few things.

Mastitis (if you're breastfeeding - especially in the early days or when weaning).
Strain - if I've stretched up high and pulled my chest muscles too far.
Another infection of some sort.
An abscess on/underneath the breast.
A blister on the nipple.

But it depends a lot on the symptoms.
Mastitis can often come along with a fever and/or raised temperature.
Strain is more an achey, muscley discomfort.
I've never had an abscess so not sure of this one.
A blister on the nipple is obvious, because you can normally see it so I doubt it's that.

By your description, I'd say it's most likely mastitis.
You can get antibiotics for this.
My sister had 4 bouts of it in the first 3 months.

[Jenijena]

My breast milk was tested and came up with a strep infection, not that I really understand what that meant. But I didn't present with any traditional mastitis signs, and ticked the 'thrush' box for my symptoms and my GP doesn't believe breast thrush exists which wasn't fun so you can have different signs. The pain was worse than contractions for me, para codeine helped though.

[Sunflower1985]

I was treated for thrush (but never totally sure I had it).
It felt like tendrils going from the nipple into the breast.

The breastfeeding network has information on it - especially the links

My pain did go at about 10 weeks, and I wondered if it wasn't all because of a bad latch.

[mawbroon]

I was reading this thinking that tongue tie was a possibility before I got to the bit where you said he has had a TT cut.

Some mothers of tied babies get pain, even after feeding. They are often treated for thrush because the pain seems similar, when in fact there is no thrush at all.

I would suggest that you join one of the tongue tie baby support groups on facebook and have a chat with some of the other mothers and knowledgeable folks on there. Often, revision of a tie is not enough on it's own.

[ilovetosleep]

I don't think it's mastitis - dont feel unwell and it's been on and off for 4 weeks. I have had blocked ducts before with ds1 and feels nothing like this. I don't really want to take anti bs on the off chance it is mastitis, and if it is thrash ten the anti biotics would just feed it, no? Is there a test for mastitis? Or thrush for that matter?

Doesn't feel muscular, and it's definitely not from a nipple blister. I'd be surprised if its an absyss as I'd imagine that I be agonising pain?

[hedgehogy]

Yes, with abscesses you're in agonising pain (speaking from experience).

I don't remember having sharp stabbing pains when I had mastitis but I do remember I had hot red patches and felt very fluey (hot flushes and sweating one minute, shivering the next etc). Mine developed into an abscess quite quickly when I wasn't given antibiotics.

I'd see your GP or HV.

[ilovetosleep]

Just realised I cross posted with mawbroon I had thought the same, I wonder if its the bad latch that is causing pain after and in between feeds. The latch is improving day by day but we're not quite there yet. Unfortunately I live out of uk and no one here recognises TT, I fact I had to fly to London to get it cut, so I can't see anyone to see if it's reformed. But it looks to me like it hasn't, so hopefully things will only get better.
The pain I am talking about though is different to the pain I feel/felt during a feed. It's more in the breast than the nipple.
I'll look at a TT Facebook group, thanks for the advice.

Re mastitis , I don't have any red or hot patches so fairly confident it's not that.

How wld a GP diagnose thrush? Can they do a swab or is it all guess work?

[ilovetosleep]

The more I think about it the more it hurts! Argh!

[McBaby]

Let down pain? I only get it when not feeding its agony and feels like someone is stabbing pins in my breasts I don't get it when feeding in the same way. But comes and goes within 20 seconds or so.

[mawbroon]

The whole TT thing is such a blooming minefield

Who did the tie in London?

[mrsmugoo]

I've been having "Chinese burn" type pains in my boobs for about an hour after feeding and the feeling of needles stabbing my nipples when he's feeding - my HV said today as I had ABs for mastitis recently that this sounds like thrush. So off I go to the doctors tomorrow...

[ilovetosleep]

Its definitely not let down pain. I quite like that sensation :)

The pains are similar to how you describe, mrsmugoo, chinese burns, but not while feeding, only afterwards. I have just read the breastfeeding network info on thrush and it does sound like latch could cause these problems and that thrush is more unusual than I thought. I am worried that the tt may have reformed but I guess its more likely that he hasn't learnt how to latch properly yet, its been 2 weeks since it was cut.

[mawbroon]

It could still be needing to relearn.
Or it may have reformed.
Or may not have been released completely.
Or there may be tensions in the jaw/head/neck from the tie which needs a bit of work to release.

Or it may be none of the above!

[Jenijena]

Just to re-echo my post, I had an infection, no redness, no lumps, no temperature, so nothing apart from excruciating pain - but it took three lots of Antibx for the pain to go away. Each time a sample of my milk was sent away for testing, and they identified an infection - is this something you could ask for? It was helpful for me to know I wasn't imagining it :s

[girliefriend]

I had mastitis and it felt similar to what you are describing, I had no other symptoms and was also convinced it was something else. Spoke to someone on an advice line who advised urgent gp appointment. Gp agreed it was mastitis and I was antibiotics pronto.

[mrsmugoo]

Update from me - I have a weeks course of fluconazole to treat ductal thrush (resulting from having anti biotics for mastitis)

I think I'm done with my fair share of breastfeeding related painful ailments!

[ilovetosleep]

Sorry I took so long to come back! So, have ruled out mastitis and thrush as I spent all weekend diligentt working on latch and the pains have gone.

Bad news is that I do think the TT has either grown back /wasn't cut far enough.

I can feel a tight bit of frenulum underneath but quite far back, and I'm debating whether to get this done. It will be a huge ordeal to travel to get it re cut while at the moment, feeding is getting better day by day. BUT I'm very concerned about the future. DS is v sleepy at the breast and is only piling on the weight because of my fast let down. He hardly has to work and fills up after just 3-5 mins on the boob (all fore milk I guess). I know this kind of feeding woul affect supply once we hit 3 month mark. Also, he is stil incredibly refluxy and windy and am getting no sleep as a result.

Wha is te consensus for snipping TT as a preventive measure? I really really want to go on to feed him until he self weans. dS1 was 2 when we stopped and I wantto do the same again...

Sorry have gone a bit of topic..,

[mawbroon]

But it wouldn't be as a preventative measure. It would be an attempt to remove an underlying cause of the problems you are experiencing.

Were you given any advice on aftercare or any thoughts on what to do if the snip along did not resolve the probs?

[ilovetosleep]

Yes-lots of advice on how to handle the fast let down, such as feeding upright/laid back, letting fast flow drain into muslin first etc. a few tongue exercises but he doesn't seem to be able to or want to do them. I think we will look into getting it redone. Reflux has been horrendous the last 24 hrs. Am scared of putting him down at night :( but I know the TT revision won't help leg down so not sure it would actually change much. I'm just as concerned with potential problems weaning and speaking as I am with current bf problems tbh, although would be utterly devastated to stop bf if they is something I could have done about it.