# Painful mastitis with high fever - would you take antibiotics??



## mquade (Feb 6, 2008)

I woke up this morning with an extremely painful case of mastitis in my left breast. My temp so far has gone up to 102.4. My doc prescribed antibiotics - 500mg of Dicloxacillin that I am supposed to take every 4 hours for two straight weeks! My DS is only two weeks old today, and I am so worried about the antibiotics messing up the developing flora in his system. He is just getting to the point where he is starting to be able to pass some gas and burp some on his own. I have only taken one pill so could stop now if necessary, but I need to decide quick, since I'm supposed to take the next one in 2.5 hours. FYI, I am also applying heat to the breast almost constantly, and nursing DS from it as much as possible. And I will be resting all day today, and probably most/all of the weekend.

WWYD re the antibiotics??? And if I continue to take them, can/should I also take a probiotic to balance it out, or would that just cancel out any "good" the antibiotics would do?? I appreciate any advice.... TIA!!!


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## kate3 (May 4, 2007)

Please consider taking the antibiotics. Mastitis can progress very rapidly and you could end up in the hospital on IV antibiotics.

I hope you feel better soon.


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## hipmummy (May 25, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kate3* 
Please consider taking the antibiotics. Mastitis can progress very rapidly and you could end up in the hospital on IV antibiotics.

I hope you feel better soon.









: and that could destroy ypur bf relationship. Take them and keep up with pro biotics.


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## N8'sMom (Jun 25, 2007)

nak

yeah mastitis is not fun...take the antibiotics AND probiotics...the probiotics won't cancel anything out, but it will help your gut flora


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## polishprinsezz (Dec 31, 2006)

that really bites. i hope you feel better soon.


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## AutumnAir (Jun 10, 2008)

I agree. Take the antibiotics and probiotics. You can get probiotics to give your LO too.
I had mastitis and it wasn't treated properly. Ended up with an infected sore on my nipple, couldn't nurse on that side, had to EP from that side for over 2 months before I finally got it resolved and have only just recently come off the long-term low-dose antibiotics I ended up needing because the mastitis wasn't dealt with properly from the beginning. I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.
So take the drugs - normally I'm anti - antibiotics but for bad mastitis it's worth it.
Hope you feel better soon.


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## Maggirayne (Mar 6, 2007)

I suggest take an ibruprophen and give it a half hour to work, then soaking your breast(s) in really hot water and putting a bowl on the table on a towel and leaning over and starting at the chest wall and pressing hard all the way to the nipple.

I put a book or a magazine on the table so I had something to read while soaking. I just squirted into a bottle then kept it, since it didn't look weird or anything.

I second or third the probiotics. I was fighting yeast when I has plugged ducts, and I refused totake antibiotics, so I took loads of garlic and Vit C.

HTH


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## gabysmom617 (Nov 26, 2005)

I had repeated horrible mastitis and treated it with lots of raw garlic or garlic pills.
The difference was, I felt it coming. I never waited until it got bad...and the garlic kept it from getting horribly bad. If I was in the worst of it, I might consider taking antibiotics and then probiotics.


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## Datura (Mar 18, 2005)

I'm usually really anti-antibiotics as well, but literally sped down to the pharmacy to get them when DS2 was 2 weeks old. The fever was unbelievable and the pain was atrocious and was worsening by the minute. Those plugged ducts can progress to abcesses that have to be surgically removed. Not worth messing around with.


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## heidirk (Oct 19, 2007)

BTDT! It probably will mess with his gut flora, but mastitis is nothing to mess with. Get some rest, and see if you can't get some probiotics for your little guy too.









Someone reccommended the homeopathic remedy 'bryonia' for mastitis, but I could never find it.


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## PatioGardener (Aug 11, 2007)

Quote:


Originally Posted by *kate3* 
Please consider taking the antibiotics. Mastitis can progress very rapidly and you could end up in the hospital on IV antibiotics.

I hope you feel better soon.









:

Plus it can morph into an abscess.

Hope you feel better soon.


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## Yuba_River (Sep 4, 2006)

I agree with everyone--take the antibiotics, but also follow the steps laid out here: http://www.kellymom.com/bf/concerns/mom/mastitis.html

Feel better soon!


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## MilkTrance (Jul 21, 2007)

I agree with what everybody else has said.


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## SquibsNCrackers (Oct 21, 2005)

I had severe mastitis when my third child was 5 months old. I did not take antibiotics, used many natural remedies and ended up with an abcess (not the fault of the natural remedies - more the fault of my waiting too long to respond since I felt it was coming on and ignored it). Anyway, long story short, boy did I wish I had taken antibiotics as soon as it was clear the home remedies were not doing the trick. The abcess was horrendous to get through ... I won't go into the gory details. Fortunately my baby was fat and strong and 5 months old, and we both survived. If you're still in pain and fevering you might want to go for the antibiotics and then do everything you can to re-flora your gut and baby's.

Hope you feel better soon!


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## Barcino (Aug 25, 2004)

I would for sure take the antibiotics!


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## mquade (Feb 6, 2008)

Thank you so much for all the replies - they really helped.







I decided after reading everything and doing other research to keep taking the antibiotics, and also take a probiotic. We called our ped also and he said the amount of the antibiotic getting into DS's system is negligible, so hopefully it will not affect him.


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## Nan'sMom (May 23, 2005)

I had that with dd1 and a remedy prescribed by my homeopath took care of it pretty quickly. But if I didn't have access to a homeopath/remedies I thought would help I'd definitely consider abx. I hope you feel better soon!


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