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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

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Original poster

Severe body itching since 13 weeks pregnant

52 replies

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 04:49

I have very bad itching on my whole body. During the day it's there but not as bad.but at night I go mad scratching so badly like crazy. I got rash on my back because of it. I'm crying now coz I can't live like this till my due date. I'm hardly sleeping. Every 2 weeks I'm doing blood test and I don't have obstetric cholestasis as my bile acid levels were okay. But a level is raised from the liver function test. Midwife said my levels are coming down. But I still itch so hardly every where. I'm also taking allergy tablets and using lotion. Nothing is helping. If I speak to Midwife and ask that I want Baby delivered early will they agree?
I heard with cholestasis they induce early but since I don't have that they won't take it seriously. I can't explain how my nights are going soo difficult. Is anyone else experiencing something similar.
My sister had itching in her pregnancy but only on her stamoch that was after 30 weeks. Mines started way too early. My hubby is saying maybe I sometimes eat spicy food.
Is there any advice from anyone 🙁

OP posts:

ForgottenNurseryRhymes · 21/04/2023 04:57

Speak to your gp/midwife. I can't remember the name of it but itchiness can be a sign of liver issues when pregnant. Congrats btw!

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 05:02

Thank you
I have spoken to her about it getting worse. She said they can't give me anything else.

OP posts:

DeeCeeCherry · 21/04/2023 05:10

I suffer from this generally and have done for years. I can keep it under control by taking an anti-histamine every few days - It has to be Loratidine, nothing else works.

Shower with Ketaconazole shampoo instead of usual shower gel/soap - bliss

As you're pregnant OP im not sure you can do any of this. But tbh if I were you I'd see a private GP. Yes you have to pay but the advice is much more thorough and detailed. Thats what you pay for I guess. I used to be against going private but not anymore. I've known people who've been going back and forth to GP for ages, and it took going to a private GP to get issue resolved quickly.

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 10:42

Thank you DeeCeeCherry
I might do that.

OP posts:

Babykingincoming · 21/04/2023 13:39

@Princess2022 I feel for you!

I'm 23 weeks now, and have suffered with the same since about week 16. It started just on my legs, but in the past two weeks spread to almost my entire body. I'm covered in a very sore rash from my neck to my knees!

I've been diagnosed with Puppps but not given treatment for it other than to continue lotion 😢 they did prescribe some strong antihistamines to help at night which make me drowsy but I don't get more than four hours of sleep.

Try maternity triage, they were better at diagnosing than my midwife who wasn't at all fussed. Pine tar soap helps some women, and dandelion root helps others (neither helped me!)

Stay strong fellow itchy Mumma we got this ❤️❤️❤️

Bluelightbaby · 21/04/2023 14:16

I had cholestasis with my second daughter. The itching was insane. Had she not of come early they would have induced me anyway because cholestasis can cause still birth.

my DD is now 15 but I still bare the scars from constant itching !!

SocksForceFive · 21/04/2023 14:22

I had PUPPPS rash. Try coal tar soap and layers and layers of double base cream. It took a few days to work but mine did clear up.

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 14:31

Thank you ladies
I'm 22 weeks now and I'm so disturbed by it. My next blood test is on Tuesday at triage. They monitor baby's heartbeat aswell. I am so afraid of bloodtests since many years. I faint and feel dizzy sometimes. I start to panic and cry when they about to do it. I did about 5 tests already because of the itching. This baby is giving me a hard time. The chlorphenamine tablets I take makes me drowsy but not working on me.

OP posts:

Spottypillow · 21/04/2023 14:36

I get itchy in pregnancy too but I’m also allergic to alot of things. My consultant for allergies said pregnancy messes with your body and you can become more or less allergic to anything.

If you can’t get anywhere with the GP / Midwife i would strip back everything you are using (my shampoo use to make me itch) and keep a food diary. I developed a cows milk allergy in pregnancy.

mathanxiety · 21/04/2023 14:39

Stop using chlorphenamine.

Use Clarityn (loratidine).

Go to a private GP.

BridieConvert · 21/04/2023 14:46

I had this from around 30 weeks and it was horrific, I can't imagine how awful it would be from so early! I had antihistamine (cetirizine is better than chlorphenamine and non-drowsy) and a menthol lotion. It was also the height of summer so I constantly had a fan on me!
We decided on induction but because my levels kept coming down and stayed in normal range they would only induce me at 39 weeks, ended up getting admitted at 39+5, so don't pin all your hopes on getting induced early!

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 15:19

Im going to read about Clarityn. Am I allowed to take that during pregnancy?
My sister told me to do an allergy blood test. I do think I am allergic to something. I never had itching before pregnancy.
My gp told me no lotions will work on me he said only tablets.

OP posts:

Babykingincoming · 21/04/2023 15:22

@Princess2022 my gp won't give me tablets! The 1% hydrocortisone cream helps a bit.

I've been told I can have Loratadine / puriton allergy medicine, I think you have to run it by them to be safe.

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 15:35

Ok Babykingincoming thank you

OP posts:

Gcsunnyside23 · 21/04/2023 16:31

I have chronic urticaria but antihistamines when pregnant weren't encouraged at all and I was going up the walls.
Not sure if the itch is under your skin on but the best relief I got was oat baths which will help your rash not so much if it's under skin(porridge in a sock and put it in a warmish bath (heat encourages the itch). And wrapping myself in wet coldish towels. Try to keep as cool as possible as that encourages itch

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 18:59

Thanks for the advice Gcsunnyside23

I do tend to feel hot at night even when heating is low and I feel more irritated then. I just hope it goes away itself. I don't like doing blood tests so often it frightens me. Once the baby arrives I wish itching goes.

OP posts:

Original poster

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 19:01

Look what it's done to me. That part itches more

Severe body itching since 13 weeks pregnant

OP posts:

Gcsunnyside23 · 21/04/2023 21:27

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 19:01

Look what it's done to me. That part itches more

Are they hives? I'd def try the oat water if so in it. I got terrible itch in my hands and feet and scalp at night. I used to sleep with a sheet to stay cool so the itch would die off or go put my feet and hands in cold water.

Original poster

Princess2022 · 22/04/2023 19:37

Hi Gcsunnyside23

I think coz of scratching in same place constantly it led to this rash.

OP posts:

IShouldBeSleeping · 22/04/2023 20:22

If it’s all over your body, try switching to non-bio detergents and SLS free shampoo and bodywash. Pregnancy seems to cause chaos with allergies.

Blamunge · 22/04/2023 20:30

This happened to me. I was so itchy when I was pregnant, I lay awake at night sobbing because I couldn’t sleep because of the itching, and I was exhausted. Nothing wrong with my liver, no allergies, no obvious cause. As soon as I gave birth it stopped. Sorry I can’t be more help, but at least it’s not permanent, it will stop when the baby is born.

Stuckundersleepymoon · 22/04/2023 20:32

I had intense itching during pregnancy. My GP didn't know what PUPPP rash was but after a quick Google decided it probably was that. I itched so much until I bled. It was also during the heatwave last summer 🥵 frozen flannels, oat baths and stay away from steroid creams (I was prescribed them but they were too strong and made the rash worse for me, you might have a different experience)

Im sorry, you have my sympathy. Most people just thought I was being dramatic. When in actual fact I was an emotional mess and was near mental breakdown because of it. Made worse because I went the whole 2 weeks overdue and that was the only time I got relief.

ZebraKid71 · 22/04/2023 20:33

Agree with pp about frozen flannels/towels, I have cholestasis and they saved me. Hope it eases off for you soon.

Jazsimone · 22/04/2023 20:50

Princess2022 · 21/04/2023 19:01

Look what it's done to me. That part itches more

This looks like shingles

FortyFacedFuckers · 22/04/2023 20:57

I had this from about 8 weeks and it looks exactly like yours mines started as a patch on my chest about the size of a 50p then one developed on my hip and they just grew and grew, by the time I delivered every single part of me apart from my face, palms & soles of my feet were covered in it it went away a couple of weeks after the birth, they never got to the bottom of what it was.

As a side note, do you know the sex of your baby?

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