# Can mastitis resolve without antibiotics?



## Sotevenn (Jan 4, 2007)

Can mastitis resolve without antibiotics? I started feeling bad monday night, achy, but no fever, hot red spots on one breast that were very tender. Tuesday I was super tired & as the day went on I started to run a fever, breast looked about the same. Today I saw the doc & got antibiotics for mastitis, but haven't taken them yet. Now (wed evening) the tylenol has worn off, I don't have a fever, no aches, breast still red & feeling sore, but just feels a little sore when I first nurse. Did it resolve on it's own or do I still need to take the antibiotics?

Everything I find online sounds like you must take them to get rid of it, but I really think I'm on the mend. Then I read about abscesses & am worried I should take them anyway.

Thanks for any help!!


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## geishagirrrl (Jun 26, 2007)

i had it pretty bad and couldn't believe the symptoms and how sick/ill it was making me feel. the breast had a bright red pie shaped spot and i had a mega fever.

you definitely need to apply hot compress, pump, nurse, massage the breast. i did all that and with twins and the amount of nursing i do, i just went ahead and took some antibiotics we had in the cabinet. i called into the pharmacy and the pharmacist said very little passes through the breastmilk. i just took them for a couple days and felt soooo much better.

good luck. don't wait too long.


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## treqi (Dec 31, 2006)

no need for antibiotics mine cleared on its own. symptoms started fri night felt badish on sat totally bedridden on sun(really it was horrible) and didnt feel so hot on mon but all signs of mastists were gone ie breast pain, salty milk and redness. antibiotics make you weaker because your body doesnt "learn" the immunity.


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## studentmama (Jan 30, 2004)

I got mastitis quite a bit when ds2 was forst born(I had OALD pretty bad) and I always just treated it without anitbiotics. Basically I followed the natural treatment remedies on kellymom for mastitis and it worked fine.


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## studentmama (Jan 30, 2004)

Here's the link:
http://www.kellymom.com/herbal/natur....html#mastitis

I also wanted to say that my fever never lasted more than a day, if I had done all these things and a day or two later still had a fever I would try to get it treated with antibiotics, but I was always able to deal with it with the suggestions from kellymom.


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## attachedmamaof3 (Dec 2, 2006)

Yep, ditto ditto!! I've always been able to clear mine up without antibiotics, especially if I pay attention and 'catch it' quick enough!


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## Kindermama (Nov 29, 2004)

take homeopathic _Phytolacca_ 30C...3-5 pellets every 3 hours. stop as soon as symptoms improve

you can order from homeopathyovernight.com or try your local health food store


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## adtake (Feb 1, 2006)

Soak the affected breast in the hottest water you can stand while massage the hot spots. Either in a bowl and lean over or take a hot bath and get on all fours. Take tylenol if you need. Keep nursing, nursing, nursing!! Massage the spot while nursing. Get some rest and feel better soon!!


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## BaBaBa (Jun 30, 2007)

I got over my nasty bought within 24 hrs.

I stripped down with baby and stayed in bed as much as I could, encouraging DD to nurse. I also frequently took raw garlic, chopped into pill size pieces and popped it like pills. It has antibiotic qualities and makes baby nurse more.


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## RachelGS (Sep 29, 2002)

Phytolacca is a great help for mastitis. The best thing I ever tried, hands down, was very high dose Vitamin C. It worked better than antibiotics for my MRSA-caused, multiply-recurrent mastitis.


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## Sotevenn (Jan 4, 2007)

Thanks everyone, I'm much better today! I took the baby to bed with me & just let her latch on as much as she wanted all night & it's much better. I'm doing the heat & vitamin C too. I'll ask dh to stop at the store for the rest of the suggestions tonight, but I think i'm in the clear


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## herilane (Jul 1, 2007)

I had mastitis 3 times (or 2.5 really). First time was a week after birth, I was feeling so miserable and couldn't think straight so I started taking the antibiotics straight away. While they cleared up the mastitis and fever and everything, they totally messed up my digestion for WEEKS. So the second time I had mastitis, I thought I'd try and do without. Just rest, drink lots of water and nurse lots. And it passed just as quickly as the first one did, so the antibiotics probably didn't make much of a difference anyway... Third time I noticed it starting before it got really bad and nipped it in the bud.


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## luminesce (Aug 6, 2006)

I had mastitis and felt awful. I had a fever and flu-like feelings with a big red triangle wedge. I took tons of hot showers, massaged it, pumped and nursed like mad. I got the antibiotics filled just in case... but I got it to go away. I really didn't want to take the antibiotics. That said, if I had continued to feel that bad -- or had gotten worse over a couple of days, I probably would have taken it. You don't want to wait TOO long because it can be caused by an infection and could abscess - which would be nasty.

I have insufficient glandular tissue too - so it was ironic that I could get mastitis when I can't even make a full supply. But, if you have milk and you have ducts, I guess they can get plugged regardless!


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## rmzbm (Jul 8, 2005)

I really don't *know* as I've never had mastitis, but I DO know one mom who had it, did nothing, and it cleared. I have no idea how typical that is though...so it's _possible_.


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