I've had more than my fair share of yeast fights over my eight years of
breastfeeding and it eventually led to weaning.

 

My first words are to caution you about using gentian violet.  I had heard
wonderful things about it and finally got my hands on a bottle, so excited
that maybe my itchy red peeling nipples would finally return to growing
healthy skin.  However it was so harsh that it led to numerous fissures on
my nipples, to add to the existing problems I was fighting.  It also caused
the skin on my areola to peel off in large plates rather than the dandruffy
flakes I'd been having before the gentian violet.  I have since heard from a
few LC's that gentian violet can cause ulcers in the very young baby's
mouth, which of course won't make breastfeeding very enjoyable for the
babies.

 

I found the following information from Dr. Jack Newman at
http://www.thenewparentsguide.com/breastfeeding-fluconazole-drnewman.htm: 

 

For resistant cases, a newer antifungal agent, itraconazole, can be used,
though it may not be the answer either, as it does not have a very powerful
effect against Candida.

 

I also wonder if there might be another source for the reinfection she
hasn't considered.  I read somewhere a woman realized after many repeated
bouts that she was reinfecting herself with her retainer.  Is she treating
her bras?  Is she boiling her toothbrush?  Has she taken all forms of sugar
(including fruit juices, artificial sweeteners, and fruits) out of her diet?
Is she able to air out her nipples between feeds and use fresh nursing pads
when she does need to wear a bra?  Could it be contact dermatitis from the
detergent in her bra or a lotion?  I read in the older edition of
Breastfeeding Atlas that a mom experienced a thrush-like rash anytime she
ate dairy; they realized it was the baby's saliva reacting on her nipple
after she ate any dairy products because her baby was sensitive to dairy.
She cut dairy out of her diet and the rash disappeared.  One mom in my local
LLL group fought thrush for weeks until she started taking several grams of
vitamin C daily; her immune system evidently needed it to fight the
overgrowth effectively.  There are of course several other supplements
designed to fight thrush, especially since it's so common with the "SAD"
diet of the US.

 

LLLI's website has a helpful protocol to fight thrush in the family:
http://www.lalecheleague.org/FAQ/thrush.html.

 

Finally, it crossed my mind that if she's pumping a lot, she may be using
too high of a setting on the pump which may cause similar sensations.  Lots
of moms think "a little is good, more must be better" when it comes to pump
settings.


Best of luck to the mom.  I really feel her pain!

Debbie Gillespie

LLLL

Tempe, AZ


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