Nipple pain with cycle or trush???

[Care76]

I have had nipple pain through most of our BF journey. First it was because of my son's tongue tie and lip ties, which were all released between 3 and 11 months. My son does still have a small posterior tongue tie, so that could possibly make sore nipples feel much worse. Things have been fine for a while, but then became very painful again. Then they got better all of a sudden, like overnight. Then bang, they feel like they are beaten and bruised and when my son latches it feels like he is chomping them and he is not. They do not look sore or bruised (they are a bit purple on the bottoms and I was told I have vasospasm from poor latch), they just feel that way. They hurt when anything rubs on them, but not nearly as much as when I nurse.

The thing is the pain comes right around ovulation and gets better when I get my period (or just after). I know hormones can cause nipple pain, but can it cause that much pain?

Or I wonder if I could have thrush and it is being triggered by my cycle? I have been known to get yeast infections right before my period because it gets triggered by an estrogen surge. My son shows no sign of it.

I am not sure what it is or if there is anything I can do. But I am determined to nurse for at least another year and it will be extremely hard if I have to have this pain half of the month. Any tips would be greatly appreciated.

 

[angelandbump]

I have only been bf for 8 weeks so I cant advise but I didn't want to read and run. I hope you manage to continue and it becomes pain free! xx

 

[Girly922]

I've got thrush at the moment and its awful. I started getting symptoms before DD did, and it came on quick! She's now got a mouthful of thrush, poor mite. My nipples were agonising. I couldn't bare anything touching them, lanolin did nothing, the pain was continuous during and between feeds. I cried through feeds, and that's after taking painkillers before feeding!

I went to the GP first thing this morning and I've got canesten, DD has nystatin drops, and I'm already feeling some relief. I've managed to feed DD without being in actual pain, discomfort yes, but not pain!

Even if LO hasn't got any symptoms, it might be worthwhile just getting yourself checked for thrush.

 

[Care76]

How do they know for just the nipples since I might not have one down below? Did your nipples look different? This has been going on a few months, right before I got my cycle back. It just comes and goes for a couple weeks.

 

[Girly922]

I haven't got thrush down below, just my nipples. They start off turning red or pink, then can crack and bleed. But they mainly go on your symptoms. If you have pain in both nipples that continues throughout a feed, and pain between feeds, a burning sensation in your nipples, and pain that radiates through your breast.

 

[Care76]

I do not have pain that radiates through my breast. And no cracked or discoloured nipples. They are purple in some spots, but they are usually from my son's latch.

Anybody had very bad pain from ovulation or their period? I have had pain on and off most of our BF time because of tongue tie, but I thought we were past all that.