What can I take for swelling and itching??

[Cazzybaby]

Itchy swollen feet and really hot feeling hands, can I take piriton or anything? Have tried running hands under cold tap and taking off shoes but no help!!

Sorry pheebe but that is completely incorect. OC is characterized by itching only in the hands and feet -sometimes spreading up into arms and legs. Itching all over is common on pregnancy -skin strething and all that - but such localised itching can be indicitave of OC and should definately be checked out.

Piriton is supposedly safe in pregnancy (ie, no known side effects, but they haven't done full clinical trials on pregnant women) but if it's OC piriton will have absolutely no effect as the itching is due to excess toxins in the bloodstream rather than an allergic reaction. It can have a sligtly sedative effect whih can help you to sleep (OC itching is often so bad that you can't) but if that is a major problem you would be better of with a standard sedative. See here for the latest definitive medical practice for OC, and do go to your doctor asap and ask for LFT's and Bile acid tests to be done.
And don't worry - even if it is OC, there is no danger to teh baby at this stage, and very little risk at all in a properly managed case.

Prufrock I'm afraid you are wrong. OC itching can be all over but is often worst in the hands and feet. No one knows why. The itch associated with OC is usually persistent and typically gets worse over time. Many pregnant women experience mild itching along with hot and swollen hands and feet and this is a perfectly normal and harmless side effect of pregnancy. However, in a small number of cases it can indicate OC or pre-eclampsia or other circulatory problems and so should always be evaluated by a health care professional.

how are you today cazzybaby?