Mastitis or IBC? Worried

catcherqt456

Hello,

I've had a lump right under my areola on my right breast for about two and a half weeks now and have used Keflex (an antibiotic) for it and have seen no improvement. My breast is swollen and very painful to the touch and just hurts basically 24/7. I have been experiencing nausea and chills--with only very slight fevers occasionally--and swelling also in my armpit and collar bone area associated with pain. I have seen both my gynecologist 4 times and my general doctor once and they are all confused as to what is going on. The lump, which is slightly above the skin as well as under, has drained and the top portion of my breast has been red intermittedly. I do not have children so the mastitis would be non-lactational. My doctors seem to refuse to do an ultrasound and merely keep giving me the answer, "I don't know what's going on, but here let's try this and see if it helps". It is beyond frustrating. I just want to hear some opinions. Also I am not one to jump to conclusions or overreact, but this is very painful and since my antibiotics did not work I am worried about IBC being the culprit.

Thanks!

Brittany

fayth

Brittany,

I was put on antibiotics 3 times for a similar problem. I was told it was a mastitis like infection and required antibiotic treatment. No doctor ever mentioned it could be breast cancer. The antibiotics worked, except for this last time. My 'new' Dr. was livid that a mammogram was never done. As it turns out, my pain, swelling and sore nipple was in fact cancer, not mastitis. I have a 4cm area of DCIS with one nodule undetermined at this point. We will know more after my mastectomy on Friday.

Do not let any doctor tell you 'it is nothing' or 'not sure what it is'. I hope that it is nothing for your sake, but make sure you go and insist they determine exactly what it is.

Keep us posted.

Kicks

Sounds like you have an infection of some kind.   Fever, nausea and chills along with drainage from skin suggest some sort of infection.  A culture of the drainage should let the Drs get the right anti-biotic to get it handled.  I am not a Dr but it does not sound like IBC but there are many other possibilities.