Dear Jan:  I think there are MANY cases of undiagnosed eczema of nipple and
areola.  In my exper. they are labeled "thrush" and treated forever with few
results.  I think it only makes sense that if you treat thoroughly for
candidiasis and you don't see a cure, you have to try another approach.  I
always ask the question:  do you have any other patches that look like this
elsewhere on your body? and Do you have a history of allergic dermatitis,
eczema, etc?

I refer you to Lisa Amir's excellent article from a few yrs back in Journal
of Human Lactation.  I use this frequently.  She describes topical use of
cortisone and  topical use of bactroban (prescription antibiotic) to treat
 secondary bacterial infections which complicate eczema.  A referral to a
dermatologist is a sound recommendation when you have tried common approaches
and they have failed.  It IS often hard to get in, though.  Perhaps
establishing a relationship with a dermatologist would help.  Maybe you
couldn't get same-day service, but I have such a relationship and can usually
get a woman seen in a few days.
Barbara Wilson-Clay, BSE, IBCLC
priv.pract. Austin, Tx