I have been reading LACTNET for many months now, but this is my first posting.
I have been a private practice lactation consultant  and nutritionist for
thirteen years, but have never come across a patient with this problem.
MJ delivered a healthy full term 7#15oz boy in late April 1998.  Mom has had a
chronic breast infection since ten days postpartum.

Hx;10 days postpartum Right breast pain, fever and chills.  Doctor treated her
5 days penicillin and aspirin for pain.   Six days after treatment, developed
fever 101.4 and flu like symptoms and right breast pain.  Same doctor treated
her with 7 days cephalexin.  Breast pain reduced, but never absent.  One week
later, breast pain returned VERY PAINFUL again.  Another 7 days cephalexin
prescibed.  Three days after this new round of cephalexin, another doctor
(doctor #2) prescribe 21 days of dicloxicillin and ibuprophen for pain.
After 14 days pain subsided enough to D/C ibuprophen.  At end of 21 days,
doctor prescibed another 10 days of dicloxicillin since breast was continuing
with the redness and pain.  At this time, Mother was seen by a surgeon (doctor
#3) who used needle probe to detect absess, none found.  Ultrasound was done
and showed nothing.  Mother has been directed to an infectious disease
specialist (doctor #4) who recommends 1 month :"suppression dose" of
penicillin by injection each month  while she nurses.

Mother does not want to stop breastfeeding as her infant is THRIVING on her
milk and weighs in at 14#4oz at three months.
We have tried all the usual and not so usual bed rest, fluids, healthy diet,
extra vitamin C, echinacea, lactobacillus bifidus for infant and lactobacillus
acidophilus for mother without results.
If anyone out there in LACTNET LAND can help with other suggestions, mom is
willing to try most anything.!!!!!!!!! She is hesitant to take more
antibiotics since nothing seems to work
Please respond asap here or directly to me [log in to unmask]
Thanks so much ahead of time
Connie Marcy M.S. IBCLC