Blue black discharge and mammary duct ectasia

[gaiagirl]

Yes, it is good to hear that someone else has blue discharge from their breasts.  I have had it in both breats and in several of the ducts for about 9 years now.  Sometimes it's black, blue, or aqua with a pearly look to it, and it is usually has the consistancy of translucent sticky hand cream, not watery. I noticed it after I had been doing heavy garden work, and my sweat smelled of breast milk, and it actually felt like my milk was "letting down".  I did a self exam and went to my OBGYN who had never seen it so she sent me to a specialist who was very patronizing and said I was low risk -even after I read all the myths about breast cancer in the loby!  Then I went to a ductologist, she couldn't tell me much, but she wasn't worried.  I was sent for a mammogram upstairs, and then I was actually brought into an vacant office (used as a storage room) where 4 or 5 doctors all stood around while I produced the discharge for them... I felt like a circus freak.  The mammogram turned out fine.  Now I'm looking around and I see mammary duct ectasia.  When this started I was only 27, and it was 1 1/2 years after nursing my son! Now I'm 36 and I haven't had any other children.  I can't be near menopause! I did come down with mastitis in both breasts while nursing shortly after having a severe reaction to the antibiotics from the C-section. I now FINALLY have health insurance and am scheduled to go back to my OBGYN.  Any thoughts?  Who should I go see?  Any other avenues to look down? Thanks!

[gaiagirl]

THANK YOU!

[CCF-RN,MSN-rf]

Dear gaiagirl:  Many women have some type of nipple discharge or fluid when their breasts are squeezed, and its normal. Squeezing the nipple sends message to the brain and the pituitary gland responds by increasing prolactin levels, which in turn produces discharge from the nipple. The discharge can come in a variety of colors - gray, green and brown as well as white. Some women are more prone to more discharge including women on; birth control pills, certain blood pressure medications or on major tranquilizers. These medications increase prolactin levels in the body. There is also certain life periods when a person is more likely to get discharge than others: there may be more discharge at puberty and at menopause than the years in-between.

The time to worry about nipple discharge is when it