Hi there. I had a mild case of mastitis (very painful although "mild") and I was treated with antibiotics. The pain went away in about 2 days and I remained fine until 3 days after I finished the antibiotic. I got engorged one night and woke up with the same pain as before. I called in after hours and a different doctor put me on the longer course of antibiotics (same antibiotic) I also kept emptying that breast which made the pain go away but my areola still hurt when the baby would nurse. Well last night I let that breast get full and all that pain came back even though I am on the medicine. I had to pump which was extremely painful but I felt better after. I went in to the doctor and he said based on my examination I do not still have mastitis. He said it could be a fungal infection but I didn't show signs of that either. But just incase I got some difflucan. They did blood work to check for signs of infection which he says is a very sensitive test. I also do not have any big lumps or anything so that is good. I am just taking motrin for the pain. He says sometimes women will have a lot of breast pain on just one side while nursing and they have to stop nursing. This is not acceptable. Something must be wrong because I didn't have this before the mastitis came on. I will get my blood results tomorrow. Oh and I do not have a temperature or redness in the breast. Any ideas? Maybe the ducts are still inflamed from the past mastitis so when my breast gets fell the pain comes back?? I don't want to quit nursing I only had my baby 4 weeks ago.

Don't stop nursing. Your doctor is insensitive, and dumb, if he told you you would have to. Maybe you should find another one, but right now, you have to feel better first. Are you sure you had mastitis? Did you have a red mark with red streaks on your breast? Was there a lump? Did you have a high fever? Did it come on very fast, and did you feel like you had the flu?

You could have thrush, since you described pain on your nipple. If this is the case, you can take an antibiotic, or treat it naturally. If it is thrush, your baby will probbaly have it as well, is his tongue white? Is his latch different, as if it hurts him to nurse?

I would get a second opinion. First off, don't let that breast get full at all, nurse on it like crazy. If it is mastitis, draining it will help. Don't lay on your belly when you sleep either, it can cause blocked milk ducts. But most importantly, don't stop nursing!!!

Both thrush and mastitis are yucky, I've had both a few times. Hang in there........just nurse a lot, and take a very warm shower, and rub the breast that hurts in a circular motion, to break up the blocked duct. I guess still take the antibiotic. Is diflucan safe to nurse with? I suggest getting the Breastfeeding Book, by Dr. Sears, it has tons of great helpful tips for all of these things, it's good to have on hand. i hope you feel better, let me know what happens.:angel:

Okay, I just re-read your post, I'm sorry I asked you some questions that you already answered. Honestly, it doesn't sound like mastitis. Mastitis is like the flu, you would have been VERY sick. it sounds like an ordinary blocked (but painful:() milk duct. Just keep warm compresses on it, and massage it. Some people are prone to them, myself as well, especially on a certain breast. I'm not sure if the antibiotics are necessary, I would probably not take them, but that's up to you. I hope you feel better soon, take care of yourself, being run down can make them worse.

It sounds alot like what happened to me when I got a blocked duct. First my breasts were engorged from traveling and the schedule getting off and then on one side there was a spot that just wouldn't empty. After repeated attempts to get it out with my baby nursing she finally managing to unblock it, but was full so I pumped for a while to get rid of the "hard" spot. I had PAIN in that breast for weeks afterwards. It was shooting pain from my nipple when she first started nursing that brought tears to my eyes. It happened at christmas and I am just now completely back to normal. I thought maybe it took so long to feel better because of the excessive nursing on that side and that I waited a couple of days before I went out and bought a pump (mine was at home). But maybe that is just how it is.

update.. I just got a call about my blood test which indicates there is an infection going on. He almost put me on 2 weeks of antibiotics before I told him my symptoms are so much better after taking the diflucan yesterday. He then said that yeast was the infection not staph which causes mastitis. So I have to take one more pill of diflucan on friday and hopefully I will get better!