Mastitis - advice please :(

[anna_r]

I've just come back from a and e, early stage mastitis, large hard lump on one side, red skin, have oral antibiotics. Feeling pretty rubbish, bit fluey etc. Taken first set of pills but just thrown up. Do you think I should take another set? How soon after taking antibiotics did it clear up if you've had mastitis? A and e were good, told me to go straight back if felt worse or didn't clear in 24 hours. But dont want to head back immediately and wont be able to ask on phone. Thanks x

[Saffron]

How long after you took the pills did you vomit? Did you have a large meal in your stomach when you took them, or was your stomach relatively empty? These two factors will greatly affect uptake from the stomach. If it were me, I would take another dose of antibiotics if the time lapsed were less than 1/2 hour (emptyish stomach) or less than 1 hour (fullish stomach). That's just me (not a doctor) of course, and even doctors will differ in their opinions, b/c no one can know exactly how much of the drug is in your system. Why not give the NHS Direct a call. I have found them helpful in the past.

0845 4647

http://www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/default.aspx

Mastitis is better treated sooner rather than later, so no one will fault you if you go back to the A&E today. Trust your instincts. If you would feel better seeing a physician today, then that's the right decision for you. xx

[sophiechristophy]

I have had mastitis 3 times this year. It is awful Anna - so sorry for you. I found paracetamol really helped with the flu type symptoms. also, I took a hot shower every morning and every night, putting the shower head on the affected boob.Afterwards, do a feed, or express until all the milk has gone. Then, massaging the area through the day, and making sure the boob is empty after a feed. The first two times I had antibiotics, took a week to fully go though. Third time I avoided the antibiotics, caught it early i think and used the method above. Good luck. Oh, and the most important thing, which as a mum I know is pretty much impossible, is to rest as much as you can. Take any help you can get, because rest and naps will honestly make a huge difference. xxx

[nikki73]

Poor you, so painful. if you can't bear going back to a&e i think there's a walk in gp open 8-8 called lister centre, close to peckham library

[jennyh]

Poor you, I had it in both breasts and it lasted a while but I just kept on the antibiotics for 2 weeks and it eventually went away. Putting hot flannels really helped, as did the showerhead as Sophie says. I also found trying to lie in a hot bath with the flannels over the breast was quite soothing. I do recall though that the most relief came from draining the breast as best you can which is obviously horrendously painful. My daughter didnt really need feeding much in the night when I had it but I made sure I got up to express every 2-3 hours to try and keep it empty otherwise all the work I did in the day would be undone by the swelling in the night. And lots of paracetamol!!

Hope you feel better soon.

[anna_r]

Thank you everyone. I took more pills after first vomiting as very close to taking them but not after second as had been over an hour or so. I have rung NHS direct who will call back. I will go and take a hot bath/shower too. If it gets worse Ill go back to hospital and ask for IV drip antibiotics. Just worried about husband will cope with two! X

[Fuschia]

I have had mild mastitis a few times and generally cleared by itself

Had s horrid abcess though and ended up on iv antibiotics, 6 weeks oral antibiotics afterwards and surgically drained 3 times I think it was ... Followed up by a mammogram

The breast clinic at kings, where I was referred by a and e us very good and thorough

I hope you don't have to end up there though

Which antibiotic do you have? A and e gave me the wrong one

Bacteria likely to be staph aureas iirc

[anna_r]

Antibiotics are co-amoxiclav and amoxicillin - chosen based on only trace getting into breast milk from them I think. Took them after Tongue tie snip early on as well for bacterial infections on surface. Erythromycin turned baby into a monster back then so hope these work. Mum died of breast cancer quite young so they were quite thorough at checking lump but good to hear breast clinic is good x

[Fuschia]

Pretty certain that's the wrong drug

Brest clinic were perplexed

Let me look it up

[Fuschia]

Hmm

Mr google bit inconclusive about what us advised first

I hope the co-amoxiclav is effective

http://www.livestrong.com/article/206040-antibiotics-used-to-treat-staphylococcus-aureus/

I think if you're not starting to improve you should go back

It can get worse so rapidly

Sending you some love and healing vibes

It was AGONY my abcess

Twin jumped on it one night in bed and I was screaming with the own ... Nearly called an ambulance at 3am!

[new mother]

Anna, he will cope as, like all mothers, he will simply have to.

You have to be well and painfree. This is not the third world where mothers need to suffer like this. Please out yourself first, insist on someone who provides the right a/bs and rest. You have to be well.

[jollybaby]

Co amoxiclav is a broad spectrum antibiotic and does provide cover for skin infections ie those caused by staph aureus so it should be ok. But as others have said if you keep vomiting and see no improvement within 24-48 hours do go back.

Flucloxacillin is another drug that is often used.

[Fuschia]

I thInk it was amoxycillin u first got in a and e and flucloxicillin I got switched to

Breast clinic also have ms a stronger prescription painkiller that was ok in beastfeeding

[Saffron]

Just thought of something else...Don't let the antibiotic wreck your digestion! Get your husband or a friend to pop in Holland & Barret or similar. Ask for acidophilus tablets with an enteric coating. These have a concetrated form of the good bacteria your degestive system needs. The tablet form is much more potent and effective than the little yogurty drink things. Hope you're feeling better soon.

[bluesuperted]

Anna poor, poor you!! Sending you big hugs and get well soon, acidophilus tablets are for sale in health matters if you don't have any. Get well soon again and love to you all xxxx

[Fuschia]

And watch out for thrush...

[anna_r]

Good idea. Just dug my acidophilus out from the back of the fridge and found they're still ok. Last time these were used was ten months ago dealing with all the problems associated with Tongue tie and breastfeeding....

[Fuschia]

Not fair to get this too :-(

[Saffron]

Fellas, please look away now... Ladies, a natural home remedy for vaginal candidiasis ('thrush') is a fresh garlic clove vaginal supository overnight. Safe and very effective, also very soothing and starts to work almost immediately, but you will smell of garlic for a day afterwards!

[sophiechristophy]

Saffron, that was the best post I have ever read on here. I have always believed in the power of garlic, and now I have a new reason to love it! You rock.

[sgs]

I suffered from mastitis. Was prescibed amoxycillin which got rid of the horrible flu like symptoms but never really got rid of the painful lump in the breast. (Made it better though so I carried on breastfeeding). Got mastisis again, and again prescribed amoxycillin. Again, cleared up the flu symptons but not the lump completely. Later on, lump turned into horrendous breast abcess and I ended up via A&E to the breast clinic at Kings. Along with draining etc, they prescribed flucloxicillin, a much better antibiotic for mastitis. If I were you, I would go back to GP and ask to change to flucloxicillin straight away.

To note, make sure your iron levels are ok, and you are not suffering from anaemia at all. Being low on iron can also not help with mastitis and getting over it.

mastitis is so horrible and exhausting when you have a new baby to cope with too. Hope you get better soon.

[kiyoaki]

I have suffered from recurrent mastitis (had it for the whole 7 months that I breastfed my first son) and Fluclox was definitely the best antibiotic for me - a breast consultant prescribed it for me and I had to take it every day for months. Also Diclofenac acid for the pain (ibuprofen and paracetamol didn't come close for me).

Good luck!

[SBryan]

Don't worry, most mastitis is caused by a bug called staph aureus, which co-amoxiclav is effective at treating. Due to high levels of resistance to flucloxacillin locally, it is the first-line antibiotic in most London hospitals for any infection that gets in via the skin (including mastitis). The most important thing is to finish the course.... make sure they've given you a full 10-14 day prescription. Only if that doesn't clear it completely would I consider switching to flucloxacillin.

It might be worth getting a breast feeding expert to check your latch and positioning; it can be caused by incomplete emptying or cracked nipples and they should be able to correct these things. Don't worry, only 3% of cases of mastitis go on to form abscesses, often if they've been incorrectly treated, or if treatment has been sought too late.

Here's an information leaflet.....

http://www.patient.co.uk/health/Mastitis-(Breast-Infection).htm

Hope it gets better soon, it really is hideous.

(I'm a doctor who had recurrent mastitis due to a funny position feeding overnight when I was asleep... I eventually had to stop feeding on that side at night.... I know how horrid you must feel).

[anna_r]

Thank you again everyone. The lump has got a lot smaller and the redness has got quite a lot better - although for the first day of antibiotics it got worse - more red and a bigger lump - nhs direct told me that was normal. I have made an appointment to see the gp on thursday. My prescription was only for a week so will get a longer course. I will also discuss the fluclox but will first see if this continues to clear the lump. One thing I was not prepared for was how itchy it would feel while it was being trreated. I had not read that about mastitis and wonder if that was unusual? Fingers crossed but I think I caught it quite early so that was lucky. While it was definitely painful for the first night before i went to A & E it was nowhere near the continued and relentless pain I had with tongue tie/skin infections and thrush in the beginning.

I was actually just starting to think about how to go about stopping breastfeeding (although I hadnt yet cut down feeds) when this happened as my baby is almost 1 and I am feeling that for us it is time to start ramping down. Need

to watch out for mastitis while ramping down though as I know it can be a result of engorgement. No idea how we're going to stop though as daughter completely refuses all milk (breast/formula/cow/soya) via any other medium (bottle/sippy/sports cup/syringe) and screams bloody murder until she gets boob. I am totally exhausted though from a toddler + 1 year old + work + still waking at least twice a night, often for a couple of hours + doing every single feed for a year. Ah well!!

Bit of a digression there - hope this doesnt count as moaning on moan free day! Thanks again x

[crystal7]

Evening. Just bumping up this old thread as today I noticed hard, painful lump in 1 breast and feeling bit fluey. Called NHS direct who said paracetomal, massage and lots of feeding and it should pass in 24 hours but to see Dr if it gets worse. There are some great tips on here just wondered how likely it is to go without antibiotics. I am feeding from the affected side which is painful but not unbearable atm. Bit concerned as we're supposed to be going away tomorrow. Have just dug out pump but no bottles in house (other than the 1 attatched to pump)would prefer to avoid using as baby probably wouldn't take. Hope this is coherant!