severe itching

[jessicalev8]

i cant stop the itching!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all night i was up scratching, it started out on my arms and hands. now its my entire body. lotions and creams only give relief for a few min. i cant handle it anymore! i feel like im gonna scratch my skin off. it even itches between my toes ahhh.

is this normal??

[LauraJane429]

Sounds like it could be PUPPPS. I had it with my 1st son and was miserable. Unfortunately, nothing really makes it go away. I hope, for your sake, that it's an allergic reaction to laundry detergent or something vs PUPPPS. Maybe look up PUPPPS online. Really, the only thing that helped was benedryl.

[jessicalev8]

is there a rash with puppps? because i have nothing! its so weird. my skin is red and irritated but thats just from scratching so much.

[CaliRoll]

If there's no rash, have your doc check for cholestasis. Do your palms and soles itch?

[Joyful Tie Dyes]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll If there's no rash, have your doc check for cholestasis. Do your palms and soles itch?

[CaliRoll]

There are two of us in the April DDC with cholestasis. PM me if you want. I have a thread on here somewhere that also links back to my last pregnancy.

[jessicalev8]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll If there's no rash, have your doc check for cholestasis. Do your palms and soles itch?

ugh yes!! my feet only itch if i stand on them. i got up to use the restroom earlier and was rubbing my bare feet on the carpet, dh thinks im crazy lol.

its an itch i cant scratch and its driving me insane. i looked up cholestasis and that definitley seems like the cause especially since my pee was a dark orange last night but i do 2 nsts a week plus full bloodwork and everything was normal on fri, could it pop up that quick?

[CaliRoll]

Originally Posted by jessicalev8 ugh yes!! my feet only itch if i stand on them. i got up to use the restroom earlier and was rubbing my bare feet on the carpet, dh thinks im crazy lol. its an itch i cant scratch and its driving me insane. i looked up cholestasis and that definitley seems like the cause especially since my pee was a dark orange last night but i do 2 nsts a week plus full bloodwork and everything was normal on fri, could it pop up that quick?

The blood work they need to run for cholestasis takes about 5 days to come back. It's a bile salt test. And yes, your bile salts can double in 24 hours so it can show up that quickly.

Call your OB first thing tomorrow and demand the bile salt test. It sounds like they're already monitoring you so that's good and hopefully they'll listen to you. A lot of OBs aren't knowledgeable about ICP and will blow the symptoms off. My OB for DD's pregnancy did.

When are you due?

[jessicalev8]

Originally Posted by CaliRoll The blood work they need to run for cholestasis takes about 5 days to come back. It's a bile salt test. And yes, your bile salts can double in 24 hours so it can show up that quickly. Call your OB first thing tomorrow and demand the bile salt test. It sounds like they're already monitoring you so that's good and hopefully they'll listen to you. A lot of OBs aren't knowledgeable about ICP and will blow the symptoms off. My OB for DD's pregnancy did. When are you due?

im due april 2, ill be 37 weeks tomorrow. i called labor and delivery, they called my doc and they have no clue what would be causing it and to just take benadryl. btw, benadryl doesnt work. they said if it gets worse to go to the er bc im "probably having a reaction" to something. im super frustrated now. i am not having a reaction to anything! its like an itch under my skin and ive been scratching so hard my skin is red and hot to the touch

[CaliRoll]

Originally Posted by jessicalev8 im due april 2, ill be 37 weeks tomorrow. i called labor and delivery, they called my doc and they have no clue what would be causing it and to just take benadryl. btw, benadryl doesnt work. they said if it gets worse to go to the er bc im "probably having a reaction" to something. im super frustrated now. i am not having a reaction to anything! its like an itch under my skin and ive been scratching so hard my skin is red and hot to the touch

Yup, typical response. I went to L&D at 37w with DD and a doctor never even came into the room. The nurse admitted it was probably cholestasis "but you need to suck it up because it's too early to give birth." DD came on her own at 37w4d. I'm very thankful that my body took over and did what needed to be done.

The best advice I can give is to print info on cholestasis from web sites like the March of Dimes and ItchyMoms.com and head in to either L&D or the ER. They can at least run the liver function tests. If it is cholestasis, 37 weeks is entering the danger zone, especially if its uncontrolled and untreated.

In the meantime, guzzle water like its going out of style, no fried foods, no fatty foods, and maybe grab some milk thistle from CVS.

And if its not cholestasis, at least you got it checked and ruled out, kwim?

ETA: When is your next NST? Did you specifically mention cholestasis when you called or just that you were itching? You may need to up the ante and tell them you haven't felt the baby move in awhile, even if it isn't true. Sometimes you have to play dirty.