Crazy itching - advice please!

[soontobemrslizzy]

Hi ladies

I was hoping to get some advice on remedies for itching - I have been itching uncontrollably since last night. I saw the doctor this morning and she's done blood tests to check for obstetric cholestasis and gave me some steroid cream but I can only take it twice a day and the itching is killing me. Last night I had some luck with a bath with bicarbonate of soda but today that's not working! Is there anyone who's experienced this who has a good remedy? I'm only 36+4, I don't know how I'll hold out until her due date at this rate! Also, if it does turn out to be obstetric cholestasis, she said blood tests take 5 working days, so I'll be 37+3 ish before they come back. I know it has an increased risk of stillbirth - is there anything I can do while waiting for the results to minimise the risk? Or do I just keep an eye on baby's movements?

[ifgrandmahadawilly]

I forgot about this thread.

Hope your second test comes back negative and hope you get that baby out of you soon, OP!

N.B having a rash doesn't necessarily rule out OC, as some seem to believe. You can actually suffer the delight of having both PUPPPS and OC at the same time (that's actually how my OC got missed for so long).

I second the idea of scratching with a soft nail / exfoliating brush rather than your fingernails, if you are still itchy. It will stop you scratching holes in yourself.

[soontobemrslizzy]

Tesco have aqueous cream without menthol, that worked really well for me! I hope you find some, it's a life saver!

I really hope so! At my last appointment, baby was only 1/5 engaged but I feel like walking got a lot harder. I'm probably just having some wishful thinking though! Fingers crossed!

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

Sounds like your body is gearing up at least!
I've been really struggling to walk today as well but I just generally rather suddenly feel 'huge' so not sure what it means.
I'm due 16th so quite close to you!
Boots sodding well didn't have the aqueous cream with menthol so I'm trying the Aveeno, which so far hasn't been much use. Grr. Feel like I have a shaving rash around the tops of my thighs and top of my bikini area, so annoying! (I don't, last time I shaved was a while ago.. This pregnancy hasn't seen much glamour..)
Anyway, good luck and keep us posted!

[4yoniD]

Sorry, not read all posts. I was terribly itchy with both pregnancies, all tests negative.

Only thing which worked for me was anti-histamine tablets. If you are english then they are not safe to take when pregnant, but if you are american then they are safe. Wonderful fun. I discussed with my doctor and took them with her knowledge (rather than consent) having researched it.

[soontobemrslizzy]

I'm hoping I won't have to put up with it for much longer - I am feeling a bit odd today, crampy low down with lots of discharge and I'm pretty sure I lost some of my plug. Baby is moving a lot and I'm totally wiped out and really struggling to walk, so maybe she's going to make an early appearance!

[harrasseddotcom]

its the smalls things chandelier :D

[chandelierswinging]

Harrassed- that had just made me roar!!!

[harrasseddotcom]

probably not good for you but the back combing brush from avon is heaven for itching. Not as harsh as sharp nails but just divine to itch. Sorry doesnt cure itching but sometimes only the thought of getting home to my brush to itch myself stopped me from half stripping myself in the middle of the street and scratching myself into oblivion

[genericusername1]

Coal tar soap works as well as pine tar soap and you can get it in a lot of supermarkets here for a fraction of the price of pine tar soap. People look at me like I'm crazy when I tell them about it but it really does work

[MazzleDazzle]

PEP/PUPP is HORRENDOUS!

I had it with DD2.

Order Pine Tar soap from Amazon ASAP.

I used to stand at the sink and lather it with cool water and a puff and scrub it all over my body, leave it on for 5 mins then rinse.

Also, you need to keep yourself COOL. Wear light weight, floaty clothing (black leggings were torture for me!).

The best tip of all is to leave your bath filled with cold, clean water. Throughout the day, each time you get the itch, get into the bath. I remember getting up 3 times a night to dip into the cold water!

It truly is awful. You have my sympathies. I'm 35 wks pg now and it's the one symptom I'm dreading.

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

If the itching stops they won't bother to re-test as it's only if you're symptomatic that they do (as far as I'm aware). Also if you have a rash that explains the itching it's unlikely as well. Glad it's going away!

Wow that was indeed lucky sepa! Both overhearing the comment and being tested on a week when your level was slightly up.

To both - hope the rest of your pregnancy goes well

[sepa]

I did mean it for both of you.
I went into DAU for swelling one Monday (funnily enough my mum was paranoid about it not me as it was in my face) and I overheard the midwife say to someone about itching so I asked if itching was bad and she said it can be OC so I said that I had very mild itching on my hands and feet (not enough to drive me crazy and not keeping me awake) so she said go for bloods as I was there anyway and to call in after 3hrs. I was lucky that the original test showed me as just above as had it of been the second test i probably wouldn't have been retested!

I'm very lucky with my hospital though, but OC has been linked to quicker aging of the placenta which is why it's very important to get checked out. I would at least insist on a blood test in 2 weeks to check especially if the itching continues

Hopefully neither of you have it, but with OC it's better to be safe I think.

[soontobemrslizzy]

Littlemouse, don't worry at all! I will see how I get on, I doubt they'll test again if the itching stops? They don't seem very proactive about tests although I will ask if I'm still worried. I'm curious how you convinced them to do more tests, sepa, it seems like they don't really bother unless you have a symptom here. Given the rash though, I'm pretty sure it's pupp/pep. I googled photos of it and my rash looks identical (although it's going!! Yay!).

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

Ps didn't mean to make that about me! I'm sure sepa was aiming that at op too..

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

Thanks sepa, I definitely will don't worry, I'm quite anxious when it comes to pregnancy related health stuff. My levels today were 4 but I do understand from what I've read that things can change fairly quickly and I'm grateful that the DAU are being proactive in monitoring it.

Sounds like you've had good monitoring too, esp if it was picked up by chance! Hope things are going smoothly now.

[sepa]

Please make sure you do go for the re-tests. My first bloods showed mild OC (just 1 over the limit) next test a week later came back in normal ranger but by the third test had shot up to over double the normal level!
Also, i don't really have that much itching so really only by chance mine was discovered

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

My bile acids came back normal too, phew! They want to test again next week if still itching but I think it's just monitoring really (and suits me as my midwife is on hol so hopefully they'll give bump a quick squeeze to check still head down! ) might have even engaged as today I've hardly been able to walk! Between itching and hobbling I look so goooood

I'll definitely try that aqueous cream then! Sounds promising.

Hope you enjoy visiting the new baby this eve!

[soontobemrslizzy]

RRpj, that sounds so awful! I'm so sorry you had to deal with all that! Glad your little one was OK though; that makes up for a lot I'd bet! I'm hoping that the fact of getting the rash is some kind of indication that labour is near, but that's probably wishful thinking!

[Rpj16]

Soon I actually went into labour the morning I was due to be induced thank god. And all through the labour I tried to remember how painful the itching was, although, I kind of forgot about all that through contractions ;)

It really wasn't so bad when it came back, just annoying as it was the final straw in a lot of other post-pregnancy illness. I also had an infection and then mastitis so was on a lot of antibiotics and painkillers after which may have contributed to the return of the hives! I have a wonderful baby as reward!

Glad its clearing up for you!! icecubes and frozen muslin squares are also your friends!

[soontobemrslizzy]

Littlemouse, the aqueous cream is the best, I think. My dh raided the pharmacy and bought everything and then had me try it all systemically (he's a computer programmer ;). E45 was next best but the aqueous was far and away the best, especially after I put it in the fridge. I hope they get your results quickly. I don't actually know if they did bile acids for me or just liver function but the fact that it's improving is a good sign. I hope you find out and get some relief!

I got the all clear - no oc. The doctor wouldn't diagnose anything, didn't even think it was necessarily pregnancy related but she gave me some antihistamines and I'm doing a lot better. I think the third round of steroid cream this morning combined with antihistamines made a big difference - most of the welts are gone and only a few places are itching now. I managed to wear real clothes, do some housework and not sob in bed while being in pain, so a productive day! We're going to see brother and sister in law's new baby tonight so hopefully it stays under control!

Rpj, I hope it doesn't come back! Did you get induced in the end? How awful for you!

Frangipani, I saw aveeno in the pharmacy while I was getting the antihistamines and got some, I've heard it's good!

[LittleMouseontheDairy]

You poor thing. Maybe it is that PEP/ PUPP thing after all if you now have a rash on the legs? Hope they are able to help.

Annoyingly when I rang for my blood results it transpired the midwife had forgotten to request the bile acid test. They still had the sample so have requested it and I'll have to phone again this afternoon for that. The midwife I spoke to said my liver function and other parts of the blood tests looked good so that's a good sign. But the bile acids are the diagnostic part (for OC) as far as I understand it..

I coped ok last night with Bio Oil, no hot bath and freezer packs for the itchy bits. But might try and get this aqueous menthol cream...

Good luck with your appointment!

[Rpj16]

When it reappeared, it wasn't so itchy and lasted about 4 days so not as bad- the cream helped a lot as I didn't use the first time round.

[frangipani13]

Aveno cream is amazing I suffered with terribly itchy legs during pregnancy and this sorted them out. They also do a fantastic shower oil that helped too

[Rpj16]

you poor thing:( I had exactly this, horrible horrible itchy hives everywhere, merging together. Visited triage about it and they wanted to induce me after ruling out oc as it was interfering with my sleep. Disappeared after labour but (sorry) it reappeared 2 weeks after. But aqueous Calamine really really helped. Its in an orange tube. Also lush dream cream.
Wear leggings to bed, as loose floaty just brush against and irritate.

Really feel for you, I was in this situation very recently. It has got better though. I felt like it would never go, but it did. You'll get through this!!

[ILostItInTheEarlyNineties]

Oh you poor thing. You're going to be getting through a hell of a lot of aqueous cream at that rate! Good luck at doctor's..they can prescribe some anti histamine that are ok to use. Might be worth asking.