week 30 and onset of intense skin itching from head to toe - can anyone help?

[Biw]

Hi
I'm in week 30 now. A few weeks ago I started to itch uncontrollably from top to toe. It's everywhere, scalp, hands, feet, back, belly.......particularly bad at night. Feels a bit like hives which I experienced occasionally before I got pregnant but this time there's no rash or lesions.
GP referred me to Obs, they run a liver blood test to rule out cholestasis, prescribed the antihistamine Pririton and sent me home saying the itching was just a "pregnancy symptom" That's all very well but I am in constant discomfort, struggling to cope. Piriton isn't helping at all (except to make me drowsy and help sleep).
Can anyone help? They thought of having to live like this for another 10 weeks is very frightening indeed.
Thank you

Have you tried a bath in Dead Sea Salts (available from Boots)? That's what my children do when their skin is itchy.

I had the same problem in my first pregnancy and am dreading it happening again this time. GP suggested I keep moisturiser in the fridge which gave a bit of instant releif but prob only enough to get to sleep combined with the piriton. Sorry - not much help but lots of sympathy

Turns out the first (junior) doctor I saw made her diagnosis too early before full blood tests were back. After several more days of itching hell I went back and demanded to be seen again - it transpired I have bile salts in my blood and I have now been diagnosed with Cholestasis - potentially dangerous in the final couple of weeks of pregnancy. Been prescribed Urdox (spelling!) acid and I'm praying it helps - I haven't slept for a couple of weeks - absolutely exhausted.

I've been itching badly too, had the tests for cholestasis and I was luckily negative. But still itching like mad,

Have you tried the aqueous cream with menthol for relief? I find it really soothes me. And numbs all the itchy areas.

Sorry for your discomfort though, it's a nightmare condition.

are they monitoring you (and baby) regularly ? Are they considering admitting you towards end and/or inducing you early. Make sure you know what plan is -as you say can be dangerous to baby in last few weeks.

BLW, After reading your first post I was going to say 'get your bloods repeated' as it can take a while for the liver function to become deranged after the onset of itching.
I'm glad you went back, are they keeping a close eye on you now?

Hi! I had severe itching in my first pregnancy, it was awful. As OP says worse at night. I know this sounds daft but I used calamine lotion. I would go to bed without problem but wake an hour or so later with the itching. I would stand in the bath and just completely dowse myself in the calamine lotion and it did the trick for me. I think you can get calamine aqueous cream nowadays rather the messy milk stuff that I used. I hope this is of help.

Thanks ladies. Yes, I am being monitored with regular liver tests. Was admitted to hospital for 3 days, they did nothing to help my condition then sent me home. I have scratched my skin raw/bleeding. The plan is to induce me at 37 weeks as my symptoms are so severe. Even so struggling to cope, can't see how I can survive another 4 weeks before cracking up. I'm actually pushing for an earlier delivery - 35 or 36 weeks but they're having none of it. Haven't had more than an hour's sleep a night for the past month, it's completely taken the joy of pregnancy away from me. Thighsmadeofcheddar, if your itching persists make sure you get tested again for bile liver salts and liver enzymes (known as AFT) - as others have pointed out it can take a while for the illness to show up in blood tests.

As my mum always says - women know how to suffer