Itching (maybe TMI!)

[MB34]

Two weeks ago I started itching all over, so I had a liver function test to rule out cholestasis and it came back as normal.
Then the itching in my lady bits got worse so I thought I had thrush. I went to the doctor who gave me the pessary and cream - this helped for a day or two then the symptoms came back.
I went back to the doctor again, who took a swab and gave me more cream and a 3 day course of pessaries. However, the swab results came back as normal!

So I don't have cholestasis or thrush, yet I'm still itching all over and it's 10 times worse in my lady bits.

Has anyone else suffered with this and could maybe shed some light as to what it may be? Also, will using the canesten 2% cream, even though it's not thrush have any benefit or will it make it worse?

The midwife is saying that maybe I'm just an itchy person at the moment and to carry on doing what I'm doing to relieve it (using aqueous cream with menthol on some of my body and tea tree cream down there!)

I'm 37+2 today and it's driving me insane!

[MB34]

Bump

[MightBeMad]

Have another blood test - my bile salt levels fluctuated between normal and v high. That is not usual, so don't panic, but it may be worth getting checked again. Also, do you have any rash (PUPP?). Are you using any skin oil/moisturiser (Bio Oil made me itch like mad in pregnancy!). Your skin may just be more sensitive due to stretching and/or hormones (yes, even down there due to increased blood flow or water retention/swelling) . Try only very natural moisurisers eg olive oil, and avoid scented or chemical products for a few days (inc. not washing your clothes in biological soap powder) to see if that helps? If nothing else works, speak to your doctor again, there are some antihistamines that can be taken in pregnancy. I'm not a doctor but I hope that helps! Good luck!

[MightBeMad]

PS aqueous cream can cause skin itching in some people and is now not recommended for lots of eczema sufferers for example.

[drjohnsonscat]

I think get tested again. I was high risk for cholestasis and was tested weekly at the end and had extra monitoring sessions. My results fluctuated and in the end the baby was delivered at 38 weeks to avoid the risk. I didn't officially have cholestasis but my levels were not right either so baby got whipped out.

[MB34]

Thank you, I did get another lot of blood taken yesterday to be tested so maybe I should call tomorrow for the results.

might I do have a rash at the top of my bump and under my boobs, but the doctor said it was heat rash.
I've been using bio oil since about 8 weeks - morning and night - and I haven't had any itching before a couple of weeks ago. Do you think I could have become more sensitive to it?
I've also been using aqueous cream with menthol on my bump/chest as it soothes the itching (for all of 10 minutes!), maybe I'll leave off that for a while to see if it helps

[MightBeMad]

Mb I don't know, is the honest answer, but anything's worth a try isn't it? I would have though it's theoretically possible. Not sure how likely, but possible. I do know quite a lot of friends who didn't get on with bio oil, but I'm not sure any of them started it as early as you as luck would have it.

drjohnson that's interesting, the medics treating me were very confused by my fluctuating levels and said they'd never seen it before. Any idea what caused it?

[drjohnsonscat]

No they never got to the bottom of it but I was very glad to be in the hands of people who wanted to take no risks. The marker that was off for me was ALT (some liver enzyme - that's all I know) and it was up and down and all over the place. Unlike you I didn't have the itching but the fluctuations were sufficient to prompt them to deliver early.

I would demand a second opinion - I think you need to see an obstetrician to ensure that they are really ruling out cholestasis.

[MightBeMad]

Hmmm drj I didn't have the chola stasis itching either. But not answers here. And for me it was definitely bile salt levels they were concerned about.

Any improvement op?

[MrClaypole]

My consultant told me that for continued itching the blood tests for OC should be repeated constantly as OC does not always show up straight away.

It took 4 blood tests over a month to diagnose my sisters OC.