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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Going mad with itching - pregnant

38 replies

BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 16:04

I've posted in pregnancy before and peeps advised me to go get tested, which I did, but all bloodwork keeps being fine. AIBU to be going mad??? The whole "it will go away once you have the baby" is NOT helping as that's 7-8 weeks away! Help!

It is NOT cholestatis and NOT iron deficiency - repeated bloodwork 3 times all normal. It started at week 29, I am now 33 weeks.

I slather myself in anti itch creams every night but it gave me prickly heat - apparently being always covered in thick cream plus being hot and sweaty do not mix well (I live in a warm climate but in aircon almost 24/7 really as I run so hot atm). Prickly heat now gone and still itchy.

No rash whatsoever, itches all day but worse at night. Not itchy on hands and feet.

I haven't had a good night sleep in 4 weeks. Dr gave me piriton which does nothing for the itch. It knocks me out to sleep for a few hours but I am so drowsy the next day, I am totally useless. And it only gives me 3-4 hrs of sleep anyway.

Calamine lotion does v little. Aloe vera helps but very short lived, for like 1-2 hours.

This is making me really depressed, I'm SO tired and itchy all the time, it's driving me mad.

Please, any tips?

Constant bathroom breaks in the night don't help as I obviously wake up and feel the itch so can't go back to sleep.

OP posts:
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MadameMaxGoesler · 15/07/2024 23:43

Just to add that OC (obstetric cholestasis) is the same as ICP (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy).
I had two ICP pregnancies - undiagnosed in the first. ICP Support, then a helpline, was incredibly supportive and ensured I got good care in the second pregnancy.
I was a trustee of ICP Support for a while and contributed (placenta & cord blood from second labour, family samples including children) to the various research projects they support
Again, please do contact them.

TakingTheHorseToFrance · 15/07/2024 23:37

I had cholestatis itch with 2 of my pregnancies. It drove me to the brink of insanity. I was on the ICP Facebook page and I remember one woman writing she used to go outside in the middle of the night and rub (tear) her feet off rough concrete steps and the pain of that was better than the itch itch. Obviously not recommending to do that but it gives people who aren't familiar with it a sense of how awful it is. When I read her comment it made complete sense to me

Try calamine lotion or Apple cider vinegar on the skin. On ds1, 23 years ago, I thought the minute I had him it would be gone but no I was stuck in the hottest hospital roo. And it was torture. Could you get signed off work early, it will be difficult to do your job when dealing with it.

UpgradedTitanCameraMan · 15/07/2024 23:24

For the immediate itch now before you get your hands on the above lotions and potions to hopefully help. Try slapping it. I have awful eczema, will scratch until I bleed unfortunately. A jolly good slap can replace the insatiable itch with a sting and bring some relief in the short term.

Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 23:19

Thank you all! You've been a huge help. It's an oat bath tonight and will try a few more of the suggestions here too over the coming days. I'll push to keep testing for ICP.

I feel less crazy as well, which is half the battle.

OP posts:
MadameMaxGoesler · 15/07/2024 23:17

The best advice on here is from @EsmeSusanOgg. Do get in touch with ICP Support. They are very knowledgeable and will help you to push for repeat LFTs including bile acid tests.
Speak to Jenny Chambers at ICP Support - she really knows her stuff.

ILovePie01 · 15/07/2024 23:09

I was very itchy, my bloods didn't spike until 37 weeks and were sky high overnight, induced for OC straight away. Not much to suggest but I had 2\3 baths a day which helped.

Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 23:08

ZogZig · 15/07/2024 22:57

Another shout for Dermacool menthol cream, it saved me

@ZogZig thanks! I need to lay off the thick lotions for a bit as they clogged my pores and gave me prickly heat all over but I'll go buy this to use in a few days

OP posts:
Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 23:04

@EsmeSusanOgg I don't know how to explain to my manager I have a horrible itch and can't sleep so can't do my job? Aaahhh. I was probably exaggerating about losing my job but my performance is taking a hit (my brain isn't working) and I'm up for promotion when I get back from mat leave and this will definitely count against me.

OP posts:
ZogZig · 15/07/2024 22:57

Another shout for Dermacool menthol cream, it saved me

Dotto · 15/07/2024 22:56

A topical cream with lidocaine anaesthetic in it? I know you can use bonjela and anusol in pregnancy, maybe something you can spread on your skin like that..

YouCantTunaFish · 15/07/2024 22:55

I use this and it doesn't clog the drains/ leave a residue and helps my itchy skin

amzn.eu/d/04gGjlTf

Apileofballyhoo · 15/07/2024 22:54

Have you tried eating low histamine foods?

EsmeSusanOgg · 15/07/2024 22:54

@BigCuteBaby567 how many weeks are you?

With my oldest, I itched for weeks before it showed in my bloods.

Also had gallbladder issues, which can also cause itching (yay) and can be triggered by pregnancy.

I was much less bad with youngest. But I'd had my gallbladder removed. While not a treatment I less your BAs are very high anymore, I was given a low dose of urso to help reduce the itching. Only any good if it is your liver playing up though!

Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 22:50

@EsmeSusanOgg I actually had to push to have blood tests repeated, my consultant just said results all clear after the first set and was going to leave it at that at week 29. And I said I read online that the itch can come first and then the bile can spike later, can we please re-test. But 2 more sets of bloods show nothing and I think they won't test anymore.

And yes, I had eaten.

OP posts:
EsmeSusanOgg · 15/07/2024 22:50

BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 22:28

I honestly feel I'm going to lose my performance bonus and my job over itching. Which is making me more stressed. Which probably makes the itch worse! Since this started, I haven't had more than 3 hours of sleep per night except last Thursday when I got 6 hours of sleep total (yay).

Are you in the UK? You cannot be treated unfairly in terms of performance bonus if you have been affected by pregnancy complications. Make sure your HR/ manager knows you are suffering from complications even if you are still working!

EsmeSusanOgg · 15/07/2024 22:48

With the cholestatis blood checks, have you made sure you have eaten before having the test? To get accurate bile acid results (which change very quickly) you need to have food in your system. Not fasting bloods.

These should be repeated weekly if the it hing persists, even if you are subclinical as your bile acids can spike very quickly (and often do after you have been itching a while).

There's some great advice from the charity ICP support on this.

DigbysMum23 · 15/07/2024 22:43

Omg same. 29/40 with twins, been itching since 24/40. Antihistamines help a bit but agree with you re side effects. Am an obstetrician by trade and have been swearing by mentholated aqueous cream which your GP can prescribe. I'm also anaemic so hoping starting iron helps!!

lawnseed · 15/07/2024 22:38

Try to get some Derma Cool menthol cream. I was like this during my pregnancies and it was awful. Went away within half an hour of delivering though.

Ohthatsjustalotofeffort · 15/07/2024 22:34

BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 16:04

I've posted in pregnancy before and peeps advised me to go get tested, which I did, but all bloodwork keeps being fine. AIBU to be going mad??? The whole "it will go away once you have the baby" is NOT helping as that's 7-8 weeks away! Help!

It is NOT cholestatis and NOT iron deficiency - repeated bloodwork 3 times all normal. It started at week 29, I am now 33 weeks.

I slather myself in anti itch creams every night but it gave me prickly heat - apparently being always covered in thick cream plus being hot and sweaty do not mix well (I live in a warm climate but in aircon almost 24/7 really as I run so hot atm). Prickly heat now gone and still itchy.

No rash whatsoever, itches all day but worse at night. Not itchy on hands and feet.

I haven't had a good night sleep in 4 weeks. Dr gave me piriton which does nothing for the itch. It knocks me out to sleep for a few hours but I am so drowsy the next day, I am totally useless. And it only gives me 3-4 hrs of sleep anyway.

Calamine lotion does v little. Aloe vera helps but very short lived, for like 1-2 hours.

This is making me really depressed, I'm SO tired and itchy all the time, it's driving me mad.

Please, any tips?

Constant bathroom breaks in the night don't help as I obviously wake up and feel the itch so can't go back to sleep.

Pupps- it’s genuinely the most distressing thing I’ve ever had. Giving birth was a doddle in comparison to it. It was like torture !!! When I had my second pregnancy I was prepared with the soap below and my GP
gave me some kind of tablet the second time. Just thinking of it now mentally scares me !!! It’s horrendous- I’ve had so many weird illnesses and pains etc in life and none so bad as that, including bed bound Lyme disease but pupps was worse!!

theres a soap grampa pine soap I think it is on Amazon x

HighHeelsOnCobblestones · 15/07/2024 22:33

With DS1, I had PEP on my stomach and what I think was dyshidrotic eczema on my hands and feet. The only thing that helped was cold; I'd wake up itchy and run my feet and hands under the cold tap and hope I could get back to sleep before it started again.

SuperGinger · 15/07/2024 22:30

Oats and ditch anti perspirant deodorant, I got allergic when pregnant

Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 22:28

I honestly feel I'm going to lose my performance bonus and my job over itching. Which is making me more stressed. Which probably makes the itch worse! Since this started, I haven't had more than 3 hours of sleep per night except last Thursday when I got 6 hours of sleep total (yay).

OP posts:
PiazzaAndProsecco · 15/07/2024 22:27

I had this in the last weeks of pregnancy, the only thing I found helped at all was Sudocrem but even that didn’t relieve it fully. You have my full sympathies!

Original poster
BigCuteBaby567 · 15/07/2024 22:25

haveatye · 15/07/2024 17:40

I had this, it's crap.

I found cool baths helped a bit (even if it's a couple of inches to sit in at 3am)

With oats, I used a coffee grinder to get oats to a fine powder then put a few teaspoons in the bath. It basically dissolved.

Because of itching, they had me on daily checks in last week or so of pregnancy - sitting in bed with a heart rate monitor strapped on, surrounded by other pregnant women having horrible things happen to them. Hope you avoid that!

@haveatye cold baths at 3am?? How do you go back to sleep after that?? Hats off to you but I'd be unable to snooze after that 😅 although I guess me staring at the clock until 6am when I need to get up for work isn't any better lol

OP posts:
Roserunner · 15/07/2024 17:51

I had this, like you all blood tests were fine and I wasn't given any explanation for it! My feet were the worst, especially at night. I'd run an ice cold bath to numb my feet then hop quickly back into bed in the hope I'd fall asleep before they got bad again.

It did disappear before I went into labour but I know that's not much comfort when you still have quite a few weeks to go. You have my sympathies it was horrendous!