# Nipple & Breast Issues 9 Months After Weaning? Update Post #1



## Mulvah (Aug 12, 2008)

*UPDATE*

I wanted to update in the event others find this post and have a similar problem. I ended up calling for a sooner appointment and they surprisingly had one. I had to wait a ridiculous amount of time to be seen, but it worked out.

Despite my youngest weaning at least 7-8 months ago (if not 9 months, I'd have to check my records), my doctor thinks I have a deep yeast/thrush issue. She doesn't think the Diflucan dosage and time frame I was previously on was enough so she wants me to go on a two week, steady dosage. We'll see if that helps! If it doesn't improve, we will talk about a further course of action.

I will say, over the weekend, I expressed in a very, very hot shower. It helped the pain a lot. It also felt like I had glass shards in my breast while I did it. I think I had a plugged duct from sleeping on that side.

*UPDATE #2*

Just wanted to update this in the event anyone else reads this looking for a solution to their own problem.

The yeast medication didn't help much. I'm still struggling with cracking nipples. I went to a breast specialist for some genetic testing results and had her examine it. She said it looks okay and is probably eczema. I have a cream and have to go bra-less at night, something I hate doing and haven't done up to this point in my life. It is helping a little, but not completely. I will see her again if my breast changes in appearance, etc., but for now, I just have to see what happens.
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Maybe I should put this in the health forum, but I'm hoping for BTDT advice. For what it's worth, I do have an appointment, but it's a while out.


3 months ago I started getting a cracked right nipple, itching, and soreness in my breast.
I did have a short period of cracking in my left nipple, but it went away quickly and hasn't returned.
No noticeable lumps.
My nipple is cracking off and on...a lot. When cracked, it's open, raw, and red, right at the base. I use homemade APNO and it will go away, but it comes back.
I can express milk my right breast (not my left).
I took Diflucan to rule out a yeast infection. No change.

Is there anything I can do to dry myself up further? Also, what's up with the cracked nipple?


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## MeepyCat (Oct 11, 2006)

I'd want to go back to the doctor about the continued cracking. I'm maybe extra twitchy on breast weirdness. The ongoing soreness and the open skin worry me. Someone has to look at that. I don't think that a plugged duct would cause the cracking you're experiencing. 

I don't know what's in your APNO. The recipes I can find online suggest prescription ingredients - an antibiotic, and anti-fungal, and a corticosteroid - and at some point, I start worrying that you're killing off beneficial fauna on your skin, and then just drying out your skin really horribly. Personally, I'd coat it with lanolin or aquaphor and see if it gets better that way. As experiments go, it probably won't hurt to try. But call the doctor back while you're at it.


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## Mulvah (Aug 12, 2008)

MeepyCat said:


> I'd want to go back to the doctor about the continued cracking. I'm maybe extra twitchy on breast weirdness. The ongoing soreness and the open skin worry me. Someone has to look at that. I don't think that a plugged duct would cause the cracking you're experiencing.
> 
> I don't know what's in your APNO. The recipes I can find online suggest prescription ingredients - an antibiotic, and anti-fungal, and a corticosteroid - and at some point, I start worrying that you're killing off beneficial fauna on your skin, and then just drying out your skin really horribly. Personally, I'd coat it with lanolin or aquaphor and see if it gets better that way. As experiments go, it probably won't hurt to try. But call the doctor back while you're at it.


Thanks for your response!

I do have an appointment, but it's a while out, so I'm trying to deal with it in the meantime.

I actually explored further last night and I definitely have a plugged duct of some kind. I can squeeze a good amount of milk out and it almost feels like a razor blade is in there, though I can't feel a lump. My milk is thick and very salty and I'm wondering if the breast squishing at night is causing me to leak salty milk, which is cracking my nipple. Maybe the homemade APNO is making it worse. I'll try Lanolin tonight.

I cannot believe I'm having breast problems so long after weaning. >


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## Lisa N. (Nov 25, 2018)

I know this post is 4 year old but I hope to get some updates as I’m having the same problem. I have weaned my son 4-5 months now and my nipple would still cracked at the base where it meets the areola. I went to the nurse practitioner at the OB and she gave me some apno and the problem would go away when I apply the ointment but would come back when I stopped the ointment. Then I went to see a derm and he gave me some steroid cream and it would heal the cracked nipple but the problem appears again 3 days after I stopped applying the cream. I can see the area being moist as there are moisture coming out of the skin like sweat and it’s sticky to the touch. For some background, when I was bf’ed both of my breast irritated very bad and the same skin crack problem occurred and even irritated beyond the areola. The APNO helped a lot at the time and now all other areas are back to normal except one area of the skin folds at the nipple base. I’m not sure why the prob still going after warning. I’m seeing the derm again for a follow up in 3 weeks. Pray for me!!


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