Comments on: My struggle with Nipple Vasospasm – Lily’s story http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story Inspirational breastfeeding stories Sat, 04 Feb 2012 05:16:48 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 By: Lisa http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story/comment-page-1#comment-522 Lisa Thu, 29 Dec 2011 14:18:59 +0000 http://ibreastfed.com/?p=649#comment-522 Thank you everyone for sharing their stories. My daughter is 2 months now and I myself have been dealing with Vasospasm and cracked nipple (right breast) that doesn't seem to heal completely. I have seen LC's and midwives many times and she seems to be latching on properly. I have been treated for Thrush and I have been taking vitamin B complex along with Magnesium and Calcium supplements... nothing has helped me so far. Only way I can temporarily make the pain go away is pain killers like advil or tylenol. I hope I will find a solution soon. I will also give massages a try. Thank you everyone for sharing their stories. My daughter is 2 months now and I myself have been dealing with Vasospasm and cracked nipple (right breast) that doesn’t seem to heal completely. I have seen LC’s and midwives many times and she seems to be latching on properly. I have been treated for Thrush and I have been taking vitamin B complex along with Magnesium and Calcium supplements… nothing has helped me so far. Only way I can temporarily make the pain go away is pain killers like advil or tylenol. I hope I will find a solution soon. I will also give massages a try.

]]> By: Shannon http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story/comment-page-1#comment-416 Shannon Thu, 04 Aug 2011 16:16:20 +0000 http://ibreastfed.com/?p=649#comment-416 I too have vasospasms in my nipples. My left one was so painful that I had to stop nursing on that side. I would nurse my son from my right breast, then feed him a bottle of expressed milk and formula (I also have production issues). I hated being attached to my pump all the time. I tried everything that was suggested to me by my lactation consultant: warm compresses (a sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave), supplements, Nifedipine, etc. Nothing helped, until I contacted a La Leche League consultant when my son was 7 weeks old. She sent me a link to an article that had a suggestion I hadn't heard of: massage the chest muscles that are below the collar bone but above the breast. I did this while feeding on the left side, and it worked! The pain reduction was gradual, but for the past week and a half, I have been able to nurse my son on both breasts at every feeding!! I have had a few "flare ups" where my breast would start hurting again, but I would massage it throughout the feeding, and by the end of the feeding, my nipple was pain free. I was able to find a spot on my chest that seems to help the pain more so than any other spot. Here is the link to the aricle: http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-V-RP I hope this info helps some of you!! I too have vasospasms in my nipples. My left one was so painful that I had to stop nursing on that side. I would nurse my son from my right breast, then feed him a bottle of expressed milk and formula (I also have production issues). I hated being attached to my pump all the time. I tried everything that was suggested to me by my lactation consultant: warm compresses (a sock filled with rice and heated in the microwave), supplements, Nifedipine, etc. Nothing helped, until I contacted a La Leche League consultant when my son was 7 weeks old. She sent me a link to an article that had a suggestion I hadn’t heard of: massage the chest muscles that are below the collar bone but above the breast. I did this while feeding on the left side, and it worked! The pain reduction was gradual, but for the past week and a half, I have been able to nurse my son on both breasts at every feeding!! I have had a few “flare ups” where my breast would start hurting again, but I would massage it throughout the feeding, and by the end of the feeding, my nipple was pain free. I was able to find a spot on my chest that seems to help the pain more so than any other spot. Here is the link to the aricle: http://www.breastfeedinginc.ca/content.php?pagename=doc-V-RP
I hope this info helps some of you!!

]]> By: Felicity http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story/comment-page-1#comment-407 Felicity Sun, 24 Jul 2011 17:47:23 +0000 http://ibreastfed.com/?p=649#comment-407 I also had vasospasm of the nipple. I don't think I have ray aids though. Sometimes my left little toe goes white and crampy when it gets cold but that's about it. Anyway one thing that I did that improved my vasospasm almost to the point of non existence was going to a chiropractor. I noticed that as the vasospasm appeared so did some other joint pain and stiffness. Went to the chiropractor who adjusted me and prescribed heat packs/Rice socks for my back and shoulders while feeding baby and I hardly notice the vas spasms anymore I also had vasospasm of the nipple. I don’t think I have ray aids though. Sometimes my left little toe goes white and crampy when it gets cold but that’s about it.

Anyway one thing that I did that improved my vasospasm almost to the point of non existence was going to a chiropractor.

I noticed that as the vasospasm appeared so did some other joint pain and stiffness. Went to the chiropractor who adjusted me and prescribed heat packs/Rice socks for my back and shoulders while feeding baby and I hardly notice the vas spasms anymore

]]> By: Chloe http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story/comment-page-1#comment-206 Chloe Sun, 20 Feb 2011 03:29:50 +0000 http://ibreastfed.com/?p=649#comment-206 I can not believe it - your story is like reading my own story! I too had a hard labour and my 9 week old daughter chewed on my nipples during her first feed as I had no help with attachment. I had scabbed and bleeding nipples and the 2nd time I tried to feed her she actually stopped breathing and had to be revived. Fast forward past a horrid horrid 5 day hospital stay with appauling care from many nurses and midwives which I will never ever forget, and I was a new mum at home expressing to a constantly crying baby. After 7 weeks with undiagnosed nipple thrush and one severe bout of mastitis (apparently from over expressing and producing too much milk) very very sore nipples, I saw a 2nd lactation consultant to try to reattach to give the bfeeding a final try. She attached 'beautifully' according to the lc, although I kept feeling enormous pain? Get home, still painful me thinking she's not attached properly. See lovely lc again, and she has a 2nd look at my nipples and gives me a sympathetic look and diagnoses me with vasospasm. I'm bfeeding my daughter almost exclusively breast but am supplementing (hadn't done that prior) with formula when my nipples are just too sore. After expressing for 7 weeks and now bfeeding her for 2 weeks I feel cheated that I've persisted and the pain is just not going to ever let up!! I'm going to reassess my feelings at 3 months and decide if I am to switch to formula. Thanks for your story, it's really comforting to know I am not alone. I can not believe it – your story is like reading my own story! I too had a hard labour and my 9 week old daughter chewed on my nipples during her first feed as I had no help with attachment. I had scabbed and bleeding nipples and the 2nd time I tried to feed her she actually stopped breathing and had to be revived. Fast forward past a horrid horrid 5 day hospital stay with appauling care from many nurses and midwives which I will never ever forget, and I was a new mum at home expressing to a constantly crying baby. After 7 weeks with undiagnosed nipple thrush and one severe bout of mastitis (apparently from over expressing and producing too much milk) very very sore nipples, I saw a 2nd lactation consultant to try to reattach to give the bfeeding a final try. She attached ‘beautifully’ according to the lc, although I kept feeling enormous pain? Get home, still painful me thinking she’s not attached properly. See lovely lc again, and she has a 2nd look at my nipples and gives me a sympathetic look and diagnoses me with vasospasm. I’m bfeeding my daughter almost exclusively breast but am supplementing (hadn’t done that prior) with formula when my nipples are just too sore. After expressing for 7 weeks and now bfeeding her for 2 weeks I feel cheated that I’ve persisted and the pain is just not going to ever let up!! I’m going to reassess my feelings at 3 months and decide if I am to switch to formula. Thanks for your story, it’s really comforting to know I am not alone.

]]> By: Vivien http://ibreastfed.com/2009/01/my-struggle-with-nipple-vasospasm-lilys-story/comment-page-1#comment-148 Vivien Sat, 12 Jun 2010 11:44:31 +0000 http://ibreastfed.com/?p=649#comment-148 Lily your story and mine are so similar. My initial 2 days in hospital things appeared to be going well but by day 3 it didn't matter which way my son was attached it hurt. Even when I was being told it shouldn't hurt because he was perfectly attached (I started thinking I must be crazy when other people are telling me it shouldn't hurt).. Have also been doing the expressing thing but actually realised that I had a problem at 2 weeks when I got out of the shower and had massive pain and was looking at my nipples and saw them change to white and then purple. For me it was both nipple and full breast pain and excruiting. EZ with regard to nifedipine this drug is the mostly commonly proscribed but didn't work for me and doesn't work for all. I tried 20mg, 30mg, 40mg, 60mg, 90mg and 120mg - no improvement or relief. You may find if you aren't getting any relief and you should be by day 4 that you either need a higher dosage of nifidipene or that you may need a different drug. I'm now using methyldopa and this has been a god send. I've gone from constant pain to a whole day of being pain free. I worked up from half a 250mg tablet to current dosage. But even at half a tablet per day I could see an improvement within 2 days. The other thing I found helped was to wear wool on my chest. I've had a fractured foot and that was nothing compared to nipple vasospasm. Lily your story and mine are so similar. My initial 2 days in hospital things appeared to be going well but by day 3 it didn’t matter which way my son was attached it hurt. Even when I was being told it shouldn’t hurt because he was perfectly attached (I started thinking I must be crazy when other people are telling me it shouldn’t hurt).. Have also been doing the expressing thing but actually realised that I had a problem at 2 weeks when I got out of the shower and had massive pain and was looking at my nipples and saw them change to white and then purple. For me it was both nipple and full breast pain and excruiting.
EZ with regard to nifedipine this drug is the mostly commonly proscribed but didn’t work for me and doesn’t work for all. I tried 20mg, 30mg, 40mg, 60mg, 90mg and 120mg – no improvement or relief. You may find if you aren’t getting any relief and you should be by day 4 that you either need a higher dosage of nifidipene or that you may need a different drug.
I’m now using methyldopa and this has been a god send. I’ve gone from constant pain to a whole day of being pain free. I worked up from half a 250mg tablet to current dosage. But even at half a tablet per day I could see an improvement within 2 days.
The other thing I found helped was to wear wool on my chest.
I’ve had a fractured foot and that was nothing compared to nipple vasospasm.

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