Itching in pregnancy

[Breezy9]

I’m 16 weeks suffer with eczema anyway but it’s obviously got really bad. To the point I’m waking up with my top and pillow full of blood from itching through the night. The doctors and chemists won’t give me anything. They just keep telling me to keep it moisturised which I am doing. I am lathering myself in dermol numerous times a day but it isn’t really helping.

ive been tested for cholestatis (sorry if I’ve spelt that wrong) and it’s come back all clear.

it’s just really getting me down now. Just wondering if anyone knows anything I can buy or ask the doctor for which will give me some relief.

I usually use a steroid cream but the doctor won’t give me that anymore so I’m really struggling!!

thank you x

Try mentholated creams? Altho that might be more difficult if the skin is broken. Mentholated cream from the fridge may be even better. Could you see if you would be able to have an antihistamine?
also I’d be phoning the midwife to see if they could help you get something prescribed.

I'm sorry you're experiencing this, it really is torture from my experience!
I would phone your MAU and ask for their help - explain the GP has said they can't give you anything else and it's really impacting your mental and emotional health.
I've experienced terrible dermatitis in my pregnancy which eventually led to skin infections. It took a lot of self advocacy to get the medications and examinations I needed and the MAU have been incredible.
There are things they can do to help you, so please ask for help before you end up with infected skin. They may be able to give you a stronger steroid cream, and they will explain how to gradually reduce use over time to not set it all off again.
In the meantime all the usual stuff - wash only in water and emollients, no perfumes/deodorant, stop using fabric softener/stain removers - wash clothes with a sensitive washing powder, ice packs on itchy parts - try to keep skin cool, cotton clothing as light as you can manage. Skin like this loves to be moist - did the GP give you emollient ointments? If so, melt some of that in boiling water and add it to a bath. I soak once a day in a bath with Hydromol ointment melted in and that keeps me sane (just about).
Huge amounts of solidarity, there is nothing quite like the torture of dry, cracked, bleeding skin.

I’m sure I used E45 anti itch cream when I was pregnant. It can be expensive if you’re buying it though cos I’ve only ever seen it in small tubes.

It would be very early for cholostasis, so do bear in mind it coild still develop later. Where are you itching? I had such an itchy bump from the skin stretching and also get eczema. Baths with oats in a pop sock helped. I could then gently rub the oat bag on my bump.

I got an extremely itchy rash down my neck and the top of my chest when I was pregnant, I think it maybe originated from an insect bite. It was unbearable and the GP prescribed me an antihistamine, I only needed to take it for a few days and it calmed it right down.

I had this and I stopped eating dairy and it went away. Baby was born with a dairy allergy too

I had itching from about 30 weeks. Was checked for cholestasis a few times but levels never went high enough for treatment. I'd keep mentioning it at each appointment so they can keep checking bloods as my levels kept going up (until randomly at 38 weeks they dropped right back to normal levels). I took an antihistamine daily and used Deena cool, it took the edge off slightly

I had terrible itching with my first pregnancy. No history of skin problems to compound the issue, but it covered my whole body and kept me awake for weeks in the final trimester. I was ten days overdue before I saw someone willing to prescribe antihistamines, which dialled it down to annoying but bearable.

Lush Dream cream worked for me

Oh and Oaty Creamy Dreamy wash, also lush. I know some people hate lush though