Mastitis or IBC?

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Hi all ladies

I am new to this forum. My name is Joanna and I have a lovely 9 weeks old baby that I am breastfeeding :slight_smile: It all started with a nipple pain when the baby was latching on but I thought it was due to the poor latch as he couldn’t do it properly. After three weeks I had mastitis ( it could be, I had the symptoms, fever, redness in one-third of the breast, it was gone after antibiotic). After that I went to see GP because I found a lump in my breast but I thought it was plugged duct or something. The doctor said it feels like a fibroadenoma and referred me to the hospital to see a breast specialist ( next Wednesday, 29th). In the meantime I got strange rash on that breast, the nipple was red and swollen and some parts of the breast were red and swollen as well. I went to E&A and I’ve been told I have mastitis again and have been given some more antibiotics because apparently previous mastitis wasn’t healed properly and now it came even worse. Could it be possible? I have no fever, no pain in muscles… And rash is not typical for mastitis… I feel something strange under my armpits, like I can feel that something is there. I am on antibiotics for two days now, no improvements, it’s getting even worse, except from the swelling - it’s gone, however the redness and rash seem to be so strange. Should I be waiting three more days to my appointment at Breast Clinic or look for help somewhere else? I am so scared it’s IBC… I know doctors keep mistaking those two diseases, I’ve been told I can’t have it because I am young and breastfeeding :frowning: I can’t sleep, I can’t eat… :frowning:

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Hi Asienka

Why not give our free Helpline a call?  0808 800 6000.  They can answer any of your questions and so often it really does help to talk fears and worries through with someone.

Best wishes
Anna
Digital Community Officer

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Thanks for your reply :wink: it’s really not worth to google such things as you only got scared by it. It turned out there is no lump in my breast. I have been seen by a breast clinic doctor and he said it’s a bad breast infection. Antibiotics do help a lot, no redness, a bit of swelling, no pain. Rash has developed into a big patch, it was red, now it’s only slightly pink and dry. If it was ibc, it wouldn’t get any better, am I right? It’s all so confusing when you are breastfeeding… When I said it to doctor that I am worried about ibc he looked at me like if I was out of my mind. Wonder if he has ever seen someone with IBC. I think it’s better to go private as all the NHS doctors treat you like another patient only, not like a single person. However I am having another appointmet in two weeks, I hope it all will be gone till this time. Thanks a lot, that’s the only google site that made me feel so much better !

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Hi,

I am still worried about the rash or the place on my breast when the rash was. I am on my 10th day on antibiotics and everything is gone, no pain, no redness, no swelling. The rash that I had with it was so strange, it looked like white spots, like acne then it developed into red looking rash and made like a big red patch. It was itching. After antibiotics it went away, however that place has strange colour, more like pink. No itching, no pain. But it still makes me worry. The next appointment is in 1.5 week. Should I be waiting? Did anybody from you have a rash like that? I keep worrying about it, I don’t know why I feel so negative about it. I keep hoping it’s due to cracked nipples, the doctors said I caught it when I was feeding my baby. I know it’s a good sign that it went away but this pinky patch is still making me worry…

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I was worried that it could be an early sign or something. But you are right, I shouldn’t be worried if it’s improving. This forum is so great! ;)thanks! :slight_smile: