PUPPPs - feel in absolute AGONY but am I over reacting?:(

[Rpj16]

I have had a horrible horrible itchy rash for a week. Seen GP a few days ago and despite following advice and prescription, its spreading and getting worse. Apparently it won't go away until after I have had the baby.
I'm getting about 3 hours sleep per night and a couple of hours in the morning on sofa. I'm almost at 41 weeks pregnant so I know it wont last much longer, but how am I supposed to give birth when I'm so exhausted? And what if it doesn't go away straight away? Has anyone reading this had PUPPPS? Was there something stronger given after birth? Should I call oncall midwife over this?! I have absolutely NO labour signs.

I'm on a steroid cream at the moment, which I have to use sparingly twice a day. Not even helping.

Just to give an idea of the itching, its like having mosiquto bites all over your body, but about 5 times worse. And I mean all over. Started small area, but now has seriously spread. please please please somebody talk to me. nobody in rl seems to understand how frustrating it is!!

9Hi OP,I've no personal experience of PUPP but would an oat bath help? A cooling aloe Vera gel to soothe? It sounds awful, bless you!

Hiya, I've usually got a good tolerance for pain, its just so intense! Aloe vera sounds good. I don't have a bath, only a shower unfortunately. Might see if I can get a lift to a boots for some gel when shops open!

I figure if it feels nice for really itchy bites it might just work for you too!

What about laying cold flannels on your skin whilst your sitting watching TV etc, that might give relief for a bit!

I take it there aren't any anti-histamines that are ok to take when pregnant? Shame you can't dose up on piriton!

Oooh when you go to boots, ask the pharmacist if topical anti-itch creams would be ok? Not the steroid based ones, the ones with menthol and camphor in? Or just use vaporub!

I had this but mine appeared after birth (even less common than the pre birth version). It was horrific. I found that muslin squares that I had wet and frozen helped on the worse parts.

In had this around 36 weeks all over my bump. And one slight scratch and the whole area would set off. It was horrible but cleared up in a couple of weeks. Nothing helped but e45 urea cream soothed somewhat.

Hopefully it will go once you give birth

Can you take antihistamines? I can't remember if they are allowed

I had puppps, it was hellish. The itching was unbelievable and nothing helped at all. You have my sympathies. Mine went really soon after birth, the itching was worst all over my tummy, but soon as it was no longer stretched beyond belief, the itching went.

Thank you for the support
My mums coming round with paracetmol to tie me over until boots, I broke down crying on phone. And I've put some muslin squares in freezer for later. I think being tired makes it all so much worse.

It is the whole one scratch thing too - waking up stratching and un-doing all the hard work of not touching them during the day. I've had a cold shower now too.

god its overwhelming. did not see this coming. pregnancy is hard in unexpected ways :( Sorry to hear about others who have suffered. its so awful

Just an update. Did call midwife, and have to go in now for a check, bloods and scan :S

How did you get on? I hope you are ok!

Oh, it's horrible isn't it ? I really feel for you. Mine developed after birth and then I managed to develop it again a few months later. I was BF at the time so still couldn't have any antihistamines or string steroid creams. I found Salcura Dermaspray and/or Lush Dream Cream gave some relief. Both only contain natural ingredients so are safe during pregnancy and BF. Unfortunately though nothing really made it go away other than time.

All that's helped me so far have been cold showers (ice cold!) and wearing no clothes apart from underwear all day. I sleep on top of the covers with the windows open and rub ice on when it gets really bad.

Also been using pine tar soap (Amazon sell it on prime delivery) and the rash does seem a bit less angry. Apparently aveeno cream helps which you can get from Boots but I haven't tried that.

Steroid cream hasn't helped and for me any kind of moisturiser has seemed to make it worse... Drying it out and keeping cool has been the most effective so far.

Aaaw I just typed out what happened and deleted it all somehow!

Ok, so I went to maternity ward, they hooked me up to machines and took blood. Baby is great, bloods are fine so not the liver thing.

Two different doctors looked at my abdomen and legs and questioned me, prescribed me antihistamins and cooling gels. They decided I needed to go in to be induced Tuesday (tomorrow) afternoon. I was scared when they said this, but after an unsuccessful and painful sweep in the hospital, and another broken and itchy sleep last night, really its a blessing and I'm lucky for this. So much for water birth!

I've woken up this morning and the rash has spread even further up my belly, but it looks more like a heat rash now...slightly different, so maybe putting cream on isn't a good idea. I'll try and hold out until Tuesday now.
It's just soooo bad when I'm lying in bed doing nothing! Feels back of my mind during the day.

I've just had an ice shower an hour ago :) and I ran out of my lush dream cream a month ago, I was thinking that would have been nice. Might get an avocado and make a belly mask with that later to see if that cools it down.

Sorry for the essay. How much time did it take purple? and are you suffering now lbee?

I really can't remember to be honest, I know once the peak of intensity was over and the healing started it was a lot easier to deal with and creams to cool it down were enough by that point. It must have taken a few weeks to clear entirely though.

It really is horrible and I found that it's not that well known. When I asked the doc about it first time she diagnosed after pulling out an article she'd recently read and comparing pictures, she asked for a 2nd opinion too. When I told midwives about the diagnosis they'd never even heard of it

For something that causes such extreme discomfort I would have thought they'd have known at least what it was.

Yep still incredibly itchy but I would say it's calmed down a little bit. It appeared around 2 weeks ago and started initially just in my stretch marks but then spread from my abdomen all down my legs and hips and has seemed to have stopped for now at least.

I'm only 36.5 weeks so I feel like I potentially have ages left :( consultant said she will give me a sweep at 38 weeks but I know that often sweeps don't do anything anyway.

Day time is bearable now and I can at least wear clothes and get out of the house for a bit. I find it tends to irritate me more of a night and I wake up scratching which makes it worse. They have checked my bile acid levels to be on the safe side and results are due in today.

I also found that docs weren't that clued up on it. The first time I went she was amazed that it was only inside my stretch marks, it had spread much worse by the third time and a different gp said she had seen something similar before but they still just prescribed different creams as trial and error as they didn't really know what to do.

Good luck with the results :) when I went in, no one seemed to know what puppp was. The student Midwife did tho! They might want to hurry it along if it's affecting sleep. I hope I can sleep tonight. I may be too excited/nervous. Need to keep energy up!
Hope it clears up or at least doesn't get much worse for your remaining few weeks :) i'm sitting with a frozen muslin cloth on my belly and thighs. Feels so good!

Bile acid results were fine which is a relief. Yeah I don't think it's that common (although Google searches would make it seem otherwise).

They have said they want to induce me on my due date if I reach it due to excess fluid levels so if my 38 week sweep doesn't get things going I could only have 3 weeks left. But that's assuming they don't change their mind and that my fluid doesn't come down by the next scan I have at 38 weeks... Otherwise it could be 5 weeks!

Will they start you off with the pessary/gel first? If so and that works they might still let you get in the pool. I think it's only with the drip that you need constant monitoring, it's worth asking are you going in first thing tomorrow? Good luck! I hope it goes quickly for you (and you get lots of rest tonight)

I've read that sun beds can help after delivery if it sticks around (6 mins twice a week on stand up). I've found them really effective in small doses for skin conditions previously including shingles (dried them out in one go) so might be something to be aware of just in case.

Ohhh that's a brilliant idea! I stocked up on those today so have loads now. The best I've felt so far has been rubbing ice cubes on my skin so I'll get some muslins in the freezer.

Ohh, I had a frozen muslin and an icecube last night. It's bliss :)
It's probably obvious, but I didn't realise first time I froze one (preg brain) but, make the muslin cloth damp before you freeze it! I learnt the hard way...

Well I'm awake now, cant sleep through the itching, so painting my nails and watching Netflix until I'm tired enough to sleep through!. Maybe get a couple of hours in the morning. I'm gonna go in just before 3. I have no idea how they will start it off, I forgot to ask as I was too shocked by the news they would do this. I am very pleased they have decided to now though, as I am really struggling! Fingers crossed its the gel and it works! Thanks for the sunbed advice too!

Are you happy to be induced? I forgot to ask, is it your first baby? and is it a boy? common 'google' causes! I'll let you know how it all goes anyway just in case your sweeps are unsuccessful x

I said I'd update! I went into labour naturally yesterday morning. Didn't need induction, ds born at 6.30 this morning!!

Rash is a lot better too. Not so stretched!

Excellent news, congratulations!