Rash driving me NUTS please help!

[Janos]

Following on from having Sore and Itchy Stretchmarks which have now calmed down, thankfully...over the past week I've developed this horrible, dry, hot itchy rash all over my hands, arms, feet and legs. BTW for those who don't know I'm 36 weeks PG...

Anyway, I've been to the doctors and they've prescribed me a mild steroid cream but it doesn't seem to be making much difference. Two questions - Is there anything at all I can use to help soothe the itching? AND has anyone had this kind of rash before and does it go away (I really hope so)? ANother wuaetios (sorry I know that's three) will this harm the baby in any way?

Thanx to anyone taking the time to read this & amyone who can offer advice.

if its an allergic rash then i belive you can take some piriton whilst pregnant, tho will be best to check with the gp before you take any. have you tried a basic moisterisers on the rash as well as the steroid cream (what % have the given you?).

hope you feel better soon. i have devoloped ezcema on my arms with this pegnancy and its driving me mad. never had it b4.

Ouch misdee you have my sympathy. An ex BF suffered terribly with eczema (sorry if I've spelt that wrong)and I know just how aggravating it can be. Wonder if that's what I have?

The cream I've been given is called 'Locoid Lipozome' (just checked the tube). Ordinary moisturisers just make the rash worse so I'm not using them.

BTW sorry about my atrocious typing, it's these itchy hands I reckon!!

Oh Janos, you have my sympathy, I had exactly the same thing only it came on a couple of days after after dd (now 17 weeks) was born. I wish I could offer you a magic cure, but unfortunately all I can say is persevere with the steroids, ask your GP for a lotion rather than a cream as you'll get better coverage when applying it than with a cream. Initially I was prescribed a tube of cream which lasted about two applications as I had the rash over most of my body! Other than that, just keep rubbing in body lotion to stop it drying out too much, and see whether you can be prescribed an antihistamine for the itching. A cool bath, with some tea tree oil in the water might help too.

i had an allergic reaction about two months ago. since then my arms have been covered. my dd's have ezcema so i know what it is and how to terat it. i am just pinching their creams to calm the itch. was perscribed 1% hydrocortisone cream as well for it.

I have some tea tree oils so I will try that...I really do appreciate the advice cos frankly the doctors/midwives have not been very helpful. I don't mean that to sound ungrateful but they just weren't.

Check out for rash info www.parents.com/articles/pregnancy/1078.jsp

says some type of itchy rash could be result of liver probs. Don't want to sound alarmist but get it checked by your docs.

Hope everything is ok - best wishes

Cardigan thanks for the info - that is actually one of the first things that I thought of, being a natural worrier!

I did mention it to the doctor and they didn't think it looked like that sort of rash, plus I haven't had any other symptoms.

I had pregnancy rash as well only mine arrived two days after ds. I was rushed down to dermatology in case the maternity ward had to quarentine me! I was given an enormous tub of aqueous cream with menthol and a steriod creme. The menthol really cools the rash down - it 'burns' for a couple of minutes, but it did help with the itching. Took about three/four weeks to go. The skin doctor used me as an exhibit for his residents of a Polymorphic Eruption of Pregnancy or PUPPPS (This ) Just thinking about it makes me feel itchy. Go back to your gp it the steriod creme isn't working.
I had restless, itchy legs in pg and was given diprobase I think. It didn't really help with the itching! But I did have soft skin...

What I have sounds very much like PUPP, I hope that's what it is.

Can anyone recommend a good cream/lotion to use which will cool things down and soothe the itching? If you can I will be rushing out to buy it ASAP!

Keep it greased with something bland - like exzema it will feel worse if your skin gets dry. Try aqueous creme, your chemist/Boots/Tesco's pharmacy will stock it in great big tubs. And if it is a PUPPP, hold onto the thought that it WILL go in eight weeks...

Try diprobase if other cream sting, you can buy a 500mg tubs so you can apply in big quantities. And wear only cotton clothes until it subsides.

Here are some pictures .

Janos. Is the rash raised, or is it just irritated skin becasue you are scratching so much. If raised it is likely to be PUPP. If not, it could be Obstetric cholestasis. This usually presents in the extremities. If it's not a raised rash, please go back to your doctor or the hospital and ask them to do Liver Function Tests (and get them put through urgently - you shouldn't have to wait more than 2 days for results) and a bile acid test (this will take 1 week to get back)
OC can be dangerous for the baby and normal neccesitates delivery at 38 weeks. I've written lost previously on here about it if you want to know more.

Regardless of which it is, steroids probably won't work. I found the best, in fact the only thing, that worked was keeping cool. This constricts the cappilliaries and so stops blood flow to teh skin, and therefore itching. Try to wear only cotton or linen next to your skin. The body shop peppermint foot gel is good for cooling, but don't use it on irritated skin cos it stings like hell. Cool showers, moisturise with a lotion rather than a ceam and then sit in front of a fan. Put cotton socks in the freezer before you put them on. I used to resort as well to sleeping with my hands wrapped in those wine cooler gel packs that you freeze.

Good luck

Prufock, the rash is raised, and is appearing in 'lumps' on my hands, feet, arms and legs - that is the best way to decsribe it. Some of it is like little white bumps.

Chandra, is diprobase available from a pharmacy, ie Boots, Lloyds etc? If so I will get some.

Thanks again to all who have posted.

Most probably pupp then. You might want to ask your doc to do LFT's just in case though.
You can get diprobase otc without a prescription, but I would try something evenmore liquid tbh, you don't want deep moisturisation, just a cooling liquid cover. E45 lotion is quite good

I had PUPP during the last 8 weeks or so of my 1st pregnancy. My gp was singularly unhelpful and told me to try calamine lotion (as if I hadn't done that already) and be thankful that my ankles weren't swollen (huh?). Anyway, I tried everything going and nothing worked except a powder that my parents bought in HongKong (it had been recommended by a chinese friend). It's called St.Luke's Prickly Heat Powder. It contains an antihistamine, boric acid, menthol and calamine. I would guess that you might be able to find it at a chinese herbal medicine place or an oriental food store. There is also a website listed on the can...it is www.bdlp.com. good luck. At least my rash disappeared within hours of giving birth and I didn't get it with my 2nd pregnancy.

Janos, you don't need a prescription for Diprobase but you will need to get it from a proper pharmacy. Though, considering the sympthoms you are describing I'm afraid that you may be having an allergic reaction to something rather than having dry skin caused by pregnancy. I think it will be a good idea to have it checked again (by another doctor if possible) as soon as you can.

I had the same thing about 3 months after DD2 was born, unfortunely for me it returns every few months, and got worse each time, up to last year. I had to have liver tests and a blood test last year as it wasn't the same as usual, turned out to be Scarlett fever!
Have had a few attacks since and they have been controlled by antihismines. Sometimes it gets so bad I can walk as the ball of my feet hurt so much, and the itchy hands are a nightmare. Hope you are feeling better.
BTW if its something like I had, and it happens again, the antihismines that would work this time may not work next time (I have gone through four different sorts, each time the doc. prescripting a stronger one)

Prufock, the doctor that saw me initially did think that my rash might be the result of an allergy. I have another doctors appointment early next week so I will mention it then.

SofiaAmes, thank you for your advice - and I know what you mean about the calamine lotion!! I will check out that website.

Hi all, am new to this so bear with me!
I am also itching like mad, have tried Bio Oil, but think it jsut irritated my itchy lumps. Also tried various moisturisers, but also think they made it worse, also much worse at night when trying to sleep, last night I put boyfriends socks (clean!) on my hands in the absence of any gloves! Today I got some calamine lotion, and am still itchy.
Now, onto something interesting, have read somewhere that dandelion root tea or capsules is supposed to be really good, capsules taken 6 times a day, 3 in the morning, 3 in the evening.
Tomorrow I am off to Holland and Barrett to get some, they don't have them in Boots...one more itchy night to go!