Goodness gracious me

[ailbhe]

We pootled off to the doctor, and now we've pootled back.

I handed him my leaflet from the Breastfeeding Network and he said "Hmm, yes, well, there's some debate about this." He can't prove it's thrush, he isn't sure that people get thrush in the breasts, and he's not going to treat me for it. I am to take paracetemol and he will talk to the Health Visitor.

If he gets a good Health Visitor, she might persuade him to let me have the drugs. Otherwise, I'm stuck with self-treatment - so far I have paracetemol, ibuprofen, and Canesten cream intended to treat vaginal thrush.

Grr. No real research. Only anecdotal evidence. It's always the same, with breastfeeding. (He even said "I'm not going to suggest you stop breastfeeding, but -" and I interrupted him with "No, I'm not going to do that.")

ETA: I will be pootling into town tomorrow to talk to the pharmacists in the two Boots and the one Superdrug until I find someone who can suggest something. My local pharmacist isn't particularly helpful. And the Canesten cream is fantastic.

Comments

[hfnuala.livejournal.com]

Maybe the sort of canestan that comes in a pill will help?

[more-musings.livejournal.com]

I don't know if it would work at all, or be suitable whilst breastfeeding, but would something like Diflucan be a possibilty?

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

Diflucan is what the leaflet ailbhe took along recommends, but to treat ductal thrush you need to take one of those capsules that cost £10 a pop every single day for two weeks. And the baby needs to be treated as well (with liquid diflucan) or she will just cross-infect. So its possible, but not practical, to treat it with OTC diflucan.

[tammylc.livejournal.com]

How absolutely ignorant a doctor he is. Grrr. If it wouldn't take far too long to arrive in the mails, I'd send you the extra Diflucan I have sitting in my upstairs cupboard.

"People don't get thrush in their breasts" - what is the man smoking?

[ckd]

He's probably smoking a big dose of "well, at least I never had that problem". Twit.

[uitlander]

On the occassions I have had to deal with thrush, usually whilst on fieldwork in the back end of nowhere, the hedge history solution of natural yoghurt has worked wonders. I have no idea if this can help with anything relating to breastfeeding (and I almost certainly will be squeamish at the details), but it is a trusty backup solution that works when its found 'in the other place.

*sympathy*

[artela.livejournal.com]

Get an a capsule from the pharmacy (but check with them if it's safe to breastfeed if you take one). They work wonders as they're systemic. Lloyds pharmacy do their own version, so I'd be very surprised if boots don't do their own version too.

[ailbhe]

The capsules are fine, it's just that the full course to treat systemic thrush in a breastfeeding mother and child is 2 weeks, and that's going to be expensive. *IF* I can persuade a pharmacist to sell it to me all in one go. The liquid for Linnea will be the hardest bit to get without a scrip.

[buzzy-bee.livejournal.com]

/me thinks he needs to update his knowledge and you need a new doctor! It might be worth contacting BfN or LLL or ABM locally for a recommendation.

[ailbhe]

This is one of the best GP surgeries around. There is one doctor there who has prescribed it properly - for my NCT local contact, in fact - but there were no appointments with him free.

I'm going to start doing it privately (ie OTC) and hope the NHS kicks into gear within a day or two, before it gets *really* expensive. Yes, this means buying the damn things one at a time and not treating Linnea properly. It's better than *no* treatment.

[rosefox]

You interrupted a doctor?! Good for you!

[ailbhe]

He threatened my daughter. I got all primal and snarly.

[rosefox]

Glad to hear it! I hope you get in the habit of interrupting windbags who don't know what they're talking about. It makes the world a much nicer place. *)

[bopeepsheep.livejournal.com]

You are entitled to request an appointment with any NHS GP, regardless of where you are registered, AIUI. (The worst they can do is say no.) Can you ask around (LLL etc?) for a better GP just for this issue?? I'd say come to Oxford and see mine (who definitely does believe in it and prescribed various useful things for me when I had it) but it's a long way!

[thereyougothen.livejournal.com]

Grapefruit seed extract (gse), i think it is also known as "citricidal", it's a powerful antifungal.

my breastfeeding mother's herbal quotes Dr jack Newman extensively on this, and he recommend taking internally, if that doesn'thelp you can apply it to the nipples. L is not a tiny baby, so you have more options here.

the herbal also suggests echinacea and garlic as they are antifungal as well, and both boost the immune system while you're at it.

there's more in the book but I have to go and get TT from school!