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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

itchy hands and feet

24 replies

the3ks · 29/10/2006 02:16

for 3 days my hands and feet have been so itchy and on fire its ureal, worse at night and cant sleep (as u can tell by time!) im 40 wks now and have never had this problem.
some1 suggested i ring the mw as it could be dangerous, the only one i could speak to was at a drop in clinic, so rang them to be told to take piriton, when asked if this was ok, was told the chemist could tell me what to take, so off i go to chemist who gives me bite cream!! obviously im wide awake scratchin so it dont work!!
im gonna call the out of hrs gp tom morning but do you think its serious, surely if mw wasnt interested n seein me it couldnt be.
but its driving me mad and im in agony!!

OP posts:
Lizzylou · 29/10/2006 07:16

Please seek medical advice asap, there is a liver condition which is potentially dangerous (but treatable) which displays itchy hands and feet as a symptom. I'm sure you're OK, but it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.

Please call NHS Direct or your maternity ward and get yourself checked out, bet it's nothing, Good luck!!

Lizzylou · 29/10/2006 07:16

Please seek medical advice asap, there is a liver condition which is potentially dangerous (but treatable) which displays itchy hands and feet as a symptom. I'm sure you're OK, but it is always better to be safe rather than sorry.

Please call NHS Direct or your maternity ward and get yourself checked out, bet it's nothing, Good luck!!

dueat44 · 29/10/2006 18:46

Oh please do call your midwife! There is a condition called something like 'cholestasis', and it can be dangerous. The itching is ferocious but there is no rash or redness. My SIL had it and needed a (slightly) early Caesarean.

Mum2FunkyDude · 29/10/2006 18:51

Yes do not delay if it is cholestasis it can be detrimental to your baby, a woman that gave birth at the same time as me had a c-section at 34 weeks because of the possibility of fetal death.

Do not want to scare you though seeing that you are very close to birth anyway!

pupuce · 29/10/2006 18:54

I do think it sounds like OC and YOU MUST tell the MW sooner rather than later. Luckily you are 40 weeks but it won't go until you give birth though.
There is no real evidence of it harming either mother or baby though OB use to think so.

pupuce · 29/10/2006 18:54

Until recently it had been thought that obstetric cholestasis caused an increased risk of stillbirth. However, a recent analysis of the figures show that the rate of stillbirth in women with obstetric cholestasis is little different to those without obstetric cholestasis. If there is a risk of stillbirth, it seems to be a very small risk. There is also thought to be a small increased risk or premature labour, and distress during childbirth ('foetal distress'). However, the studies are not conclusive and there may be no increased risk of these things developing with obstetric cholestasis.

xena · 29/10/2006 18:57

pupuce i know you are more of an expert than me but when pg with my 4th this year I had colistatis and they said that for safety for the baby I needed to be induced at 38wks.

pupuce · 29/10/2006 18:59

Xena- I know plenty of women who get induced for OC... the question is... what is the evidence ? Is it up to date?

xena · 29/10/2006 18:59

X posted with your last one. Having had 3 normal labours my advice would be to avoid induction if at all possible (the pain below was far worse!!)

xena · 29/10/2006 19:01

The trouble is that most of us don't know who to trust - if you can't trust the consultant they it is a sad state.
But then I could harp on about that right across the board in the NHS - if you don't know all the facts, symptoms then you are at a disadvantage imo

pupuce · 29/10/2006 19:02

You can still ask... what evidence he has that it is the most current way of dealing with the problem !

cadbury · 29/10/2006 19:17

You need to get some blood tests done for obstetric choliosis (or something like that) - that is a common symptom. You are allowed to take piriton (I am on it and 6 months pg) but it might knock you out so don't go near it if you can drive.

Good luck

Prufrock · 29/10/2006 19:39

pupuce -where is that research? - as you know I have a pesonal interest in this subject and would be really interested to read it - the increased risk of not having a safe delivery is one of the main reasons I am not currently intending to have a 3rd child.

3ks please do call your labour ard and sat that you are experiencing symptoms that could be Obstetric cholestasis. Standard practice would be to admit you immediately for monitoring and possibly induce after blood tests. Whilst the new reseach pupuce mentions may say the risk is slight I do know of women who have had stillbirths when sufering with OC so it really is not worth risking.

Prufrock · 29/10/2006 19:41

Oh and whilst you are allowed to take piriton in pregnancy it will not help at all with OC itching - and that's an undisputed chemical fact accepted by everyone working on the disease - it just hasn't reached teh majority of midwives yet!

Best thing is cold - try ice packs on your hands and feet or cold water

EliBoo · 29/10/2006 20:06

I'm about to get some tests for OC too....though yours sounds much more like what I've read about (mine is more generalized, and only in the evenings/early part of the night - and occasionally on soles of feet but never hands). I've been told by wise MNers to ask for bile salt tests as well as liver function tests - the former are much more reliable as a diagnostic test, but not all doctors know that.

Wishing you lots of luck - and FWIW, I have two friends who've had OC and all turned out well. But it is important to get seen asap.

pupuce · 29/10/2006 21:02

Prufrock - I am searching

pupuce · 29/10/2006 21:12

Actually these latest guidelines from the Royal College of OB/GYN states that the risk of stillbirth is comparable to that of general population, there is an incidence of premature birth (increased) there is inconclusive evidewnce of a risk of meconium stained, liquor, caesarean section or pph....

That should be what consultants WORK WITH!!!! Not old data!

Also in there " Obstetricians should be aware that there are insufficient data to support or refute the popular practice of ?early?(37 weeks of gestation) induction of labour aimed at reducing late stillbirth. "

lollipopz · 29/10/2006 21:39

Hi another point totally, do you happen to have rhesus negative blood, i do and in my second preg i got inchiness all over at 40 weeks including hands and feet, in between fingers and everything, the hospital gave me a dose of anti d and this calmed it down, dunno if this could be what u r experiencing, anyways good luck x

the3ks · 30/10/2006 11:15

sorry left so long to update you. went to out of hrs gp who gave me piriton which does nothing!
im seeing the mw at 1 today to take some blood tests, although not sure how long the results take to come back. will keep you updated.
thanks for all the messages

OP posts:
pupuce · 30/10/2006 11:56

The 3KS - if they do diagnose OC.... make sure you have the current info on how to treat it now (link I posted below).

Prufrock · 30/10/2006 12:09

Thank you pupuce - othing really new, though it is interesting that meta-analysis of the studies done shows no significant increased risk of stillbirth. It is quite awful that women with OC spend their pregnancy worrying about sudden interuterine death if their chances of it hapening are no larger than that of any other woman. Still not sure I feel ready to risk it though.

3k - if your midwife is doing LFT's the results can come back in under an hour the likelihood of that happening at a normal midwife appointment is rare though. The main thing you need to do is keep track of the babies movemnets, and go straight to hospital if you notice any significant decrease in movement - but then that is standard advice for any woman at 40 weeks anyway. Also make sure your delivery midwife knows about the possble OC as they should monitor your Vit. K levels more closely as a reduced level can lead blood not clotting, but is v. easily corrected.

Good luck - and be reassured that the terrible itching will stop once you have delivered.

jalopy · 30/10/2006 12:47

That really interesting, pupuce. I had OC with all my pregnancies. My youngest was delivered at 37 weeks due to deteriorating blood results. She was meconium-stained, distressed, needing ventilation in ITU. I had a large PPH after my C-section with her. Needleless to say I wont be considering a 4th

Sorry, that wasn't to frighten you, th3ks. I was unlucky but outcome was good! Keep an eye on the itching.

hertsnessex · 30/10/2006 22:53

i had oc with my 2nd. hope youve got it chkd out.

cx

MaryBS · 14/11/2006 17:15

If you want up to date advice on OC, there is the new website:

OC Support Website

This is a brand new website, still under development, prepared by OC experts. On there it states "OC has been reported to be associated with an increased risk of spontaneous premature birth, fetal distress and stillbirth".

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