URGENT - PUPPPS or PEP relief urgently needed! Itching driving me crazy.

[missjackson]

I've had the rash since Sunday night (4 days), and it's getting worse - have been to the Doctors twice now and been diagnosed with PUPPPS, I'm only 22 weeks so if this goes on for another 18 I simply can't cope.

I'm taking Piriton which hasn't seemed to help, and have been bathing every 2 or 3 hours in either oatmeal, salt or Oilatum -- they all give some short term relief but I wake up an hour or so later scratching. The hives are all over my tummy, arms, legs, shoulders and back (thank god not my face).

I've read that Dandelion Root can help, but how much should I take? My bottle says 1 520mg capsule twice a day but should I take more?

And does anyone know where I can buy Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap in London TODAY? I can order online (I'm just waiting till 9.30am when I can call the online places and see if anyone can deliver today!). That stuff is supposed to really help.

Would love to hear from anyone who has suffered from this, especially if it did clear up in a few weeks - I really can't bear the thought of this until birth, it is going to ruin my pregnancy and my sanity.

I really sympathise. I got a shortlived case of hives when I had a throat infection recently and it nearly drove me mad. I looked online for some tips and someone who like you had PEP fairly early on recommended Calamine Aqueous Cream (as opposed to the lotion). For me the hives were physically triggered so I found that not wearing any clothes that fitted tightly anywhere helped a bit. I hope it gets better.

Lots of sympathy from me - I had PUPPP but only from about 36 weeks and it cleared up around the birth. I used calamine lotion and cool damp flannels to calm it down and the doctor gave me some topical steroid cream which made a slight difference. Was incredibly itchy particularly at night so I struggled with sleep which is hard enough when pregnant anyway. Loose cotton clothing and keeping cool some help too. Hasn't recurred with my second pregnancy thank goodness...

I was told to take dandelion root but when the bottle arrived it had a big message "not recommended in pregnancy" on it.

Mine started all over my feet and has now spread onto hands and wrists. It's driving me demented! Cold water foot bath with salt in it eased mine a bit. And dunking hands in cold water.

I had this with dd (first child) it's horrible in the end I was prescribed Zertek which did help. I didn't get it until about 37 weeks though so really feel for you. I know it's hard but scratching makes it spread so try not to!

missjackson - could you try acupuncture? i had terrible itching for the last 6 weeks; i couldnt sleep uless i had iced face cloths in my bed and used to wake up crying.I had acupuncture which, while it didnt cure it, certainly took the hheat out of the itching.
i really feel for you, its horrible.

No advice but loads of sympathy - mine started at 38 weeks and gave me 3 weeks of absolute torture before disappearing shortly after giving birth. the GP was going to give me antihistamines but i decided not to take them for such a short time, but if i were you and only 22 weeks i'd go back to the GP and see if they can give you something else. i slathered myself in doublebase cream to try and get some relief but it was impossible to sleep for longer than about an hour at a time. x