30 weeks pregnant I have itchy palms and feet and now all over my body anything else it could be other than my liver or pupp??

[hyperharrii]

I'm trying to think of possible causes im 30 weeks pregnant I have itchy palms and feet and now all over my body and the doctor sent of blood tests three days ago for my liver which I've still not got results back but I'm wondering if anyone else has been having this problem and anything that's really helped??
I alsk have a rash but I have shaved my legs today which was a dumb idea but it was sunny and I was wearing shorts 🤷🏼‍♀️ and I've noticed little bit lumps that aren't red and also the itching can last hours and its distracting me from my work and I can't think straight because of it?..

This sounds concerning, please go and checked out or call 111/ midwife unit.

Call your midwife or MAI first thing in the morning. They can do immediate liver checks to make sure things aren’t becoming more serious.

Yep, skip the GP. This sounds like a hospital job.

I've already been to the hospital and had a test done but they haven't rang me to say what the results are and they gave me antihistamines and ointment but the ointment doesn't help my feet and hands itching

You need to follow up on the liver test results OP. This is a classic symptom of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, which is a serious liver condition. It can also indicate pre-eclampsia, which is also serious. Hospitals make mistakes and don't give results sometimes when it's urgent that they do. You need to be the squeaky wheel! Don't just sit around waiting for them to get back to you.

Hospital, now.

Just to say lots here to panic you, however I had the same, currently have severe ICP and have spoken with a consultant.

They did forget to give me my results initially but they have since done lots more. Tests come back within hours so worth calling and asking for them as they will have them if done at hospital.

what to expect / advocate for:

• retesting - even if levels are normal now, mine were but then rose very quickly after and now are deemed severe (over 100)
• increasing monitoring - ask if this is going to happen if levels are high. Pre eclampsia risk increases too so monitoring increasing for blood pressure and urine would be warranted. I already have increased monitoring for other things however I have also have baby CTGs when levels spike up.
• early delivery - depending on your levels they will likely look to deliver early. If you have ICP, check the support website as they let you know what is safest and when to expect delivery based on levels. Unfortunately it’s very rare so many aren’t 100% familiar in how to deal with it.

mostly - try not to panic, I have red marks on my hands and all of that but they have assured me the risk is mostly to baby and mostly when the babies are nearing full term like 40w, which is why they deliver early. Just be super cautious on movements and call up any worry you have and say ‘I have reported itching and now I feel movements reduced’.

hope this helps with what to expect but definitely call your hospital for the results and explain it has persisted too!

good luck!

If it's icp there isn't a lot that helps the itching.
Phone whoever ordered the tests for the results. Bile acids results can be back within an hour or so if out through as high priority but the following morning if lower priority

You can get the itching before the blood results show up as off so it's important to retest every 2 weeks of itching continues.

Icp itching isn't usually associated with rashes

They can prescribe sedation antihistamines to help with sleep if the itching is disrupting sleep.

If it isn't ICP it could just be a heat rash. I got these from 7 months pregnant in the winter months!! I hope thats all it is for you

I had severe ICP too and most probably HELLP too whilst pregnant in the summer.

I had udca prescribed which stabilised my bile acids at around 30-40 having been in the high 80s. They shot up again when I was 36+5 so I was called in for induction the next day.

The consultant prescribed it although the registrars all said it was pointless as there was no evidence it worked. It also calmed the itching down. I was still very itchy but in a scratchy for a few minutes way not continuously for hours until may palms were red raw way. It was when I told her I was lying in bed weighing up with covering my body in boiling water would be better or worse than lying their itching that she said it was worth trying.

I developed really severe fatigue with it which they are now thinking is due to the damage to my liver and kidneys from the combination of icp and hellp as I'm still struggling with staying awake 7 months on

If you call your local maternity assessment unit, I expect they can get a Dr to chec your results and call you back.
They might also give advise abiut other to go in and see them at this stage too.

@Superscientist gosh really? They told me it should return to normal after birth (not long after)

my levels have at points reached over 200, and are over 100 at the moment - very severe I know.

when were you diagnosed? I’ve only had it for two weeks so far I believe, just shot up super quick

Thank you for your replies! This has really helped I rang the doctors and she said that my results came back and it was a name with a p (a diagnosis before it affects my liver) just can't pronounce it - and I'm going in for tests weekly for bloods and ctg monitoring,I haven't had my bile results back yet but they'll be in next week but couldn't be any more thankful to have your replies!! ❤️

About 32 weeks I started with icp but two weeks later I developed severe fatigue where I was needing 4+ naps a day and couldn't stay awake for more than an hour. At 36 weeks my blood work started to suggest hellp..
Is that your bile acids at 200 or your ALTs? Bile acids over 100 usually means induction at 35 weeks. I had bile acids at 80+ but my ALTs were up at 7-800, they both stabilised on UDCA at 30-40 for the bile acids and 300 for the ALTs. At 36+2 weeks I developed haemolysis, ALTs had gone back up and I had low platelets. They retested me at 36+5 when my bile acids had shot back up again. I was called in for induction at 36+6, they retested everything as they did have space on the induction ward. It was no worse than the day before so they said it could wait until the next day but they did a sweep to see if that would start labour as I had been having contractions since 33 weeks.

My platelets returned to normal within a couple of days, my bile acids within 3 weeks but it has taken longer for my liver to recover and I have had high urates, high calcium, high phosphates, falling ferritin despite supplements and low thyroid function. I'm awaiting an endocrinology appointment as I'm still needing naps every day and struggling massively with fatigue. It all seems to be linking back to the combination of icp and hellp

@Superscientist gosh that is a whirl wind. Mine are opposite. Bile acids went up to 245 this week but have come back to 150 now. My ALT are raised but have been stable around 150-170- they aren’t worried about these though at present as I show no other signs of anything else in liver and I have nothing in urine, swelling or BP.

I have other complications though so they are planning delivery around 35 weeks anyway - add the bile acids it may bring it forward but I am currently on every day every week inside counts as a positive - this is not to worry anyone with ICP as this is to do with my other complications though!

they reassured me that just ICP shouldn’t have any lasting impacts on the mother - however they are sending for a liver scan to double check. This is something that used to be routine however it was stopped a while ago - midwives and registrars think that’s silly so can always ask for this if anyone is unsure too! It helps rule out any liver issues

My very high ALTs were probably the hellp. I had a liver scan too and that came back clear.
I wish they had induced me at 35-36 weeks as things did improve quite quickly after delivery but then stalled. They were concerned that I was going to be too unwell to give birth but also concerned recovery from a c section when I was bed bound. I was a high risk of pp hemorrhage because of the low platelets/hellp but also of blood clots because my mum had a stroke at 6weeks pp with my sister and my sister had a heart attack in the perimenopause.
Again for anyone else it was the combination of things alongside the icp that has been the biggest risk factors.

@Superscientist yes definitely not trying to scare anyone else here! Haha the good thing is that once they catch these things they look for them and monitor you - rather than being reactive to the unknown!

however I’ll definitely keep an eye for tiredness incase that happens as I’m only 31w now