Dealing with Mastitis

Hi there... I'm 20, and for about three weeks now, my nipples have been hurting. They're swollen, cracked, red, and just incredibly painful. I was hesitant to see a doctor at first, so I tried some herbal remedies—a topical ointment and some evening primrose oil—but nothing seemed to touch it. This morning, a swelling appeared under my right nipple, even larger than before, and I ran a fever of 100.4. Finally, I went to the clinic. The doctor said it's mastitis—basically, severe inflammation of the milk glands. He told me to use cold compresses and prescribed antibiotics and Canesten. It’s worth noting that I’m not breastfeeding or anything... Just a regular girl. I was wondering if anyone else here has dealt with something similar? Is this dangerous? How many days does it usually take to clear up? And should I ask about getting an ultrasound? I tried searching for a thread on this, but couldn't find one... Thanks in advance.🙂

Maybe try checking out the Parenting subreddit instead. I know you aren't breastfeeding and haven't had kids, but there are plenty of moms over there who have dealt with the exact same issues you're facing. They might be able to offer some solid advice even if it doesn't apply to your situation directly.

I wish I could do more to help. You might want to search our local forums for "sore throat" threads too; someone else might have posted about something similar there.

melloworca6 said:Maybe try asking over on the Parenting forum. I know you aren't breastfeeding or a mom, but there are plenty of moms there who have dealt with issues just like yours... they might be able to offer some advice even if you aren't in the same boat.

I wish I could do more to help. Maybe check the forums here for a thread on "sore throat" or general inflammation... someone else might have posted about something similar.

Well, thanks anyway. I'm feeling a bit better... I've been taking two different antibiotics and using some Clotrimazole cream. The swelling has gone down and I don't have a fever anymore. It still hurts, but much less than before. Overall, things are looking up...🙂

Hey everyone, I was wondering if there’s anything else out there for dealing with mastitis besides just taking antibiotics? I’ve been stuck on them since this past summer, and I haven't even gone through childbirth yet. Has anyone else dealt with something like this, or does anyone know of any other options? 🙂

Laura Jackson8 said:Hey, thanks anyway. I’m actually feeling a bit better now. I’ve been on a course of antibiotics for two days and I'm using some Canesten ointment, which helped the swelling finally go down. No fever anymore, either. It still hurts, obviously—I'm not exactly out playing football yet—but the pain is significantly less than before. Overall, things are moving in the right direction.🙂

Hey there... how are things going? Listen, I’m reaching out because I just gave birth and I’m currently dealing with a nasty case of mastitis. Honestly, it's miserable. Has anyone actually managed to clear this up? I'm looking for any advice on how you dealt with it. 🙄

I’ve been diagnosed with mastitis. I don't have a fever, but honestly, there is quite a bit of pus visible in my nipples—just this white discharge. At first, I actually thought it was just milk, but it clearly isn't... 🤣
The reason for all this is that during my ultrasound at a private clinic, they told me my glandular activity is heightened and ordered some endocrine testing. Well, I went through with it. Apparently, it isn't a hormone issue.
So, it looks like it really is pus.

I’ve been taking a massive dose of amoxicillin for eight days now (1 gram, three times a day!!), which has given me terrible diarrhea, and I've been told to keep going until Sunday. On Monday, I have a follow-up with a surgeon, and they’ll decide if they need to perform an incision and drainage to clear out the infection. It'll probably be necessary, because I don't exactly feel like things are improving much compared to a week ago... maybe a tiny bit, but it's hardly enough... I'm scared, to be honest.

Now, here is my question: Has anyone here dealt with that kind of procedure before? How long does the drainage process last, and how long does the wound stay open? Who handles the daily bandage changes? Where does the pus actually drain to (do they give you some sort of small collection bottle or something?) And how does a wound even heal if they leave it open like that? Are there any risks of complications?

Thank you all so much in advance for your help... I am waiting for your replies like a kid waits for summer break! 🙏

Important disclaimer here: I’m not even lactating, so there is zero breastfeeding involved. My glands just suddenly became inflamed out of nowhere. To make matters worse, my surgeon tells me he hasn't the slightest clue what could be causing this... Truly encouraging, isn't it? 🙄

Brenda Johnson68 said:I’ve been taking massive doses of penicillin for eight days now (3 grams a day!!), and it's already given me diarrhea... they told me to keep going until Sunday. I have a follow-up with the surgeon on Monday, and then we'll see if they need to cut it open to drain the infection. It probably will be necessary, because I don't really feel like things are getting any better than they were a week ago... maybe a tiny bit, but... I'm scared, it doesn't feel like enough...

So, here's the thing: has anyone dealt with this kind of procedure before? How long does the drainage and the open wound stage actually last? Who handles the daily bandaging? Where does the drainage even go (do you get some kind of little collection bottle...?) And how does a wound heal if they just leave it open...? Are there many complications to watch out for...?

I haven't gone through the surgery myself, but I've talked to people who have. The drainage and how fast the wound closes really depends on how much stuff is in there. Usually, they leave it open so it can heal from the inside out. They have follow-ups, sure, but you're mostly responsible for changing your own dressings. You just swap out the sterile pads whenever they get soaked. Your surgeon will give you specific instructions on how to do it. Honestly, it sounds scarier than it actually is, especially since the antibiotics should keep the risk of complications pretty low. In my opinion, it's better to let that infection drain out—it has to happen if the antibiotics aren't clearing it up on their own. You'll likely recover faster that way...

Since you're dealing with diarrhea, definitely start taking a probiotic. You really need them when you're on heavy antibiotics because they just wreck your gut flora...

As for that sudden increase in activity, since they haven't found the cause yet, I'd stay vigilant in case it happens again. You can catch it early if you just keep an eye on your breasts. Just remember those initial symptoms and keep digging for the actual cause...

@Melissa Sanchez8/">@@Melissa Sanchez8,

Thank you so much for getting back to me.

I went in today, and honestly, there’s just no progress. It’s terrifying. He feels terrible about having to perform another incision because he says it isn't even that severe anymore, yet the healing process is just dragging on forever... He feels bad that I have to suffer through an open wound for weeks when it shouldn't be this intense. It's just going nowhere. 🙄

...so I really have no idea what the next step is going to be.

He switched my penicillin and scheduled me for a follow-up in three days. Once again, it's Thursday morning—if they decide I need a procedure, I have to be ready to go... Ugh.

The mere thought of being cut open and dealing with weeks of agony makes me sick to my stomach, but part of me actually wants him to just do it so we can finally move past this standstill. Because from where I'm sitting, nothing is moving forward—or at least, nothing significant. I'm not even sure if things are getting better or if we're just stuck in the status quo.

Then there is the issue of the underlying cause. I brought up the possibility of a cyst, and he said, "Well, yes, a cyst could be the culprit, putting pressure on everything and causing the gland to react." I don't know... I just don't get the sense that my doctor is fully in control of the situation here. And then he asks, "Do you want us to drain the cyst immediately?" No, I don't! I'd rather let him treat the mastitis first, then deal with the cyst once everything settles down, so we don't trigger a whole new set of complications.

And if it *is* mastitis... what exactly is mastitis? I always thought it was just breast inflammation caused by blocked milk ducts... Now, I'm not even sure about that anymore. Oh, forget it. It’s clear I need to have a very thorough, serious conversation with him. There is inflammation, yes. But of what??? A cyst?? A gland?? Grrrrr... I cannot stand this ambiguity! 😢

I don't know, you're struggling through this without any real progress, whereas if that abscess had just been drained, you'd already be on the mend. Honestly, if you ask me, you're just burning through a ton of antibiotics for nothing right now (not that their prescribing habits are exactly rational)... and you'll end up needing them anyway once the procedure is done. People survive much more intense surgeries than this because there's just no other way...

It’s always an option to get a second opinion. There's absolutely nothing wrong with that.
There is some pretty detailed info on mastitis on this site:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mastitis/symptoms-causes/fsc-20375394

Melissa Sanchez8 said:I don't know, you're struggling just like this, and nothing has changed, whereas if that pus had been drained already, you would be recovering by now...
...
You can always seek a second opinion. There is absolutely nothing wrong with doing that.
There is quite a detailed breakdown regarding mastitis on this site:

http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/mastitis/symptoms-causes/dct-20555432

Gonzales, thank you so much for the link... I'm reading through it, but I can't really relate. The only part that makes any sense is where it mentions how milk ducts shorten and widen due to perimenopause. But even then, I don't fully see myself in it. I honestly don't know if I have mastitis or what on earth is going on.

Anyway, the decision is made. I’ve scheduled an ultrasound for tomorrow at the Mayo Clinic with the female specialist who took over my case (I’ve been performing ultrasounds there for several years now, and they handle everything so professionally), just to see what she has to say. Based on her ultrasound from two months ago, I started some endocrine testing first—though everything got delayed because of doctor shortages—so now I want to see what's actually happening inside, given that some kind of inflammation has developed. What kind? I don't even know anymore.

And I'm going to ask the hospital doctor to perform his own ultrasound too, just to see if his findings match up, or rather, to see what his take is... Because I've started to lose a bit of faith in him. He's a decent guy, but I feel like we haven't communicated thoroughly enough about this situation... or maybe he just doesn't get it.

So, there it is... the saga continues... good grief. 😢