You should immediately stop taking the pill if your whole body starts itching, why?

[fairyfly]

Would like to know what it is a sign of as i am really getting quite bad, anyone know?

allergic reaction? how long have you been taking it?

It is definetly a side effect as i only started taking it on Monday. I have got itchier ( is that a word?) daily. Today it is all over, from my ears to my thighs and i cant sit still. No rash though. I decided to look at the leaflet and see if it mentioned anything. What concerns me is they have two categories> Tell your doctor as soon as you can and tell you doctor IMMEDIATELY. If your whole body starts itching is in the immediately category. Sooooo, i was just wondering if it is a sign of anything major.

Don't know what it might be a sign of except an allergy but I'd stop taking it just to be on the safe side and maybe call NHS Direct today? I know they can be a bit crap but worth a go probably.

I'd ring NHS direct too - isn't itching a side of a liver reaction too? Or it could just be a normal allergic reaction but def. best to get it checked out.

I don't know either ff, but I'd ring the out of hours doctors if that's what your leaflet says.

Rang NHS Direct, they too didn't tell me what its a sign of. But is it liver damage?
They told me i had low blood pressure and to get checked for diabetes. A bit random i think. Anyway at least i know its not a weird emergency sign.

Agree with gobbledigook. In the back of my mind I'd worry about the liver/kidneys, which, if they're not working properly, can cause an all-over itching w/out a rash. (And I believe the pill can effect the liver in rare cases.) I'd think if it were an allergy you'd have a rash. I'm not a medical person, of course, but I think you should ring the practice that prescribed you the pill, and get one of the on-call doctors to ring you back, if that's a service that's available at your practice. I think you really should speak to a doctor about this; I think NHS direct will be of limited use.

it was pescribed from my local family plannig clinic, it is only open once a week so it will be impossible to speak to that doctor. I will go to the doctors first thing in the morning. I dont think it warrants emergency action does it?

I very rare cases the liver can be affected by taking the combined pill. Itching is a symptom of this.

It may be unrelated, but you must not assume so. i would Contact you doctor asap and not take another pill until you have an all clear.

It is a rare side effect but you should err on the side if caution

So do you think tomorrow morning will be ok?

hmb is right, it's the liver, why not phone NHS-Direct, to put your mind at ease?

i rang them, they didn't even mention the liver, asked if i had changed my washing powder etc.

Thanks for all your help and i am now cacking myself

If I felt otherwise well I'd wait till morning I think - if it got worse I'd go to A&E but I'm a bit of a panic merchant!

Id feel like a total nuerotic idiot going to casualty telling them i was itchy. Makes me laugh the thought of it. Sat next to someone bleeding with broken limbs and im scratching my ears.

I don't know enough to say when you should see your gp tbh. And I don't want to give you bad information.

Wgat I do know is that this is a rare side effect. It may well be that you have an allergy to one of the other components of the pill, that would be a more likely explanation.

But until you can exclude a probelm I would think it sensible to avoid taking another one. Do you have any other symotoms, like a yellowish tinge to the whites of your eyes or your skin?

And to be honest I don't think that the casualty dept would be able to do anything drastic anyway iyswim. I would think *and I am only giveing an educated guess here) that the gp will exclude other causes and if then necessary take some blood samples.

Since you have olnly just started this pill you will not be reliant on it for contraception yet? So missing just to be sure isn't such a bad thing to do. Have you taken any combined pill before, and did you have any side effects?

Slightly slightly yellow, not that you would notice but a very pale tinge. I am also a little light headed a feel a bit vague. I have been dettoxing though so i put it down to that. Started eating properly at midday.

Never taken it before, it was due to start working tomorrow! Going to flush them away and not bother with it again.

Don't flush them away just yet. Have a chat with your GP first. He/she will have access to your medical records etc and can give you much better advice than even MN

Just to say the same thing, it may well be nothing, try not to worry (impossible I know), see your GP first thing tomorrow (insist that it is an emergancy and get an appointment).

HTH

Oh and did you have any similar probelms is pregnancy?

FF, I'd only go to casualty tonight if itching was completely unbearable and absolutely all over because I'd know they could give me Piriton or something to settle it. Otherwise, no, I'd wait till morning but make sure I got an appt that day.

As hmb, more likely it's an allergic reaction than the rare liver one.

I was anaemic in preganancy, soooooo kind of loosely attatched to being jaundiced. You have been of great help. Will go first thing and ask for blood tests x

Not linked as far as I can remember. the live is involved with red blood cells but only in their break down at the end of their natural 3 month life span

When I was pregnant with dc3 I suffered from obstetric cholestasis (sp) which is caused by a reaction to the pregnancy hormones and I was told that for this reason I would have to avoid going back on the pill as the pill hormones work in the same way as the pregnancy hormones. so the itchyness could be caused by the pill, however this is quite rare, If the pill is the cause it will clear up reasonably quickly when you stop taking the pill and as far as I am aware you will not have any lasting damage. Hope this puts your mind at ease

I may be wrong, but I really don't think it's that serious a situation, FF. Personally, I really wouldn't worry at all. Just stop taking them & see a doctor/gp/whoever when you can.