2nd Trimester
i cant stop the itch!!!
Im 22 weeks and for the last two weeks all i do is itch every where!! nothing is working i switched all my products and nothing has worked! I started using creams to help relief me but nothing works! i cant sleep or sit still with out itching myself! and its my whole body! i now have a rash from it! anyone else have this problem or can offer me any advice??? thanks
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Re: i cant stop the itch!!!
This, and also try using an unscented soap and lotions.
Exactly. I should have mentioned I use a fragrance free body wash as well and an all natural deodorant. For hair, it's all natural/organic products. I seem to have had a reaction to so many things that this is what seems to work for me.
I had this and it was HORRIBLE!!! Mine didn't show up until super close to the end though. It started where stretch marks were and then spread. Talk to your DR. It is so early that they could give you something if it is this. If you wait too long and have PUPPS you can't do diddly, but once you have your LO it will go away. I had a c-section and it was almost gone by the time I left the hospital.
I don't have it now, if you are going to get it it is usually with the first pregnancy and you don't get it again, but my eczema is going haywire. My hands are pretty crappy looking.
Good Luck! Nothing worse than being itchy!
Yes!!! I have been dieing. I take one benadryle at night and oatmeal baths everyday. I use Eucerin itch relief cream and cortizone like its going out of style. The heat isnt helping much. I am 31 weeks. I was also tested for a more serious condition where the baby's bile can get into your blood stream which causes itching everywhere. You should tell your doc and ask to be tested. Mine came back neg - so i am pushing through the final 9 weeks. I have also used Baby Exzema cream - which seemed to help a little.
Benedryle is your best bet - but take it at night as it makes you sleepy. It is a class B drug and can be taken during pregnancy.
Good luck!
I feel for you! I had the same issue. It just started out of no where and lasted about 5 weeks. I went to my OB who gave me a steroid pack and sent me home. She told me if it doesn't go away then I should see a dermatologist. After a week it still hadn't gone away so I went to see the dermatologist and that was a big waste of time and money. He looked at me for 2 minutes and said I have a pregnancy related rash and they don't know what caused it but I will probably have it until the end of the pregnancy (at the time I had 12 weeks left). I went home and cried. He said it could be anything from my detergent to bath soap or a certain food I am eating. A few weeks later I changed my shower gel (I had been using the same shower gel & scent for years leading up to pregnancy and through my entire pregnancy). I changed it to Aveeno fragrance free. Within a week it had cleared up. I think it was just a freak thing that happens to some people during their pregnancy. With all of the changes to your body you develop sensitivity to certain things. Here are some of the things I did over my 5 weeks of misery.
Oatmeal bath - didn't work for me, Benedrayl - didn't work for me; the only thing that worked is a hot shower which helps to open your pores and then apply Gold bond anti-itch lotion. I was taking 3 - 4 showers a day to get through it. It allowed me about 3 - 4 hours at a time of relief. Like I said, eventually it just went away. I don't know if it's because I switched my shower gel or if it was something else. I am still using Aveeno shower wash because I am not willing to test the theory, just happy to not be itching.
I have had a lot of itching since I've been pregnant, too--I itched so much that I made myself bleed a couple of times from the scratching. Some things that have worked for me are:
-using baby laundry detergent and sensitive skin fabric softener to wash all my clothes
-using Basis sensitive skin bar instead of soap/body washes (the Aveeno oatmeal bar worked, too, but I didn't like the smell)
-using Aveeno body lotion with oatmeal
I've heard that the Aveeno oatmeal bath is helpful, too, but I haven't tried it myself.
Good luck!
I experienced the same problem. Definately see your OB - itching can be a sign of kidney issues. There is also a condition that involves a rash related to pregancy.
Once you are cleared for the above by your OB - Benadryl Gel works like a charm. I enrobed my self in it twice a day.
I had it bad with both my pregnancies the worst was not being able to sleep at night. It could be several reasons for your itching (pregnancy hormones, skin stretching, products, pupps ect..) If changing your products & using lotions not working you should see your doctor. Your Dr should be able to help you get some relief especially if you?re not sleeping at night.
I had Cholestasis during my first pregnancy (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy), and it causes unbelievable itching EVERYWHERE - palms of hands, soles of feet, in the ears, eyeballs...
You may want to ask your doc about this. It's very rare, so many will refuse to even consider it, but it is life threatening to baby if you go untreated. It doesn't hurt mommy other than the discomfort and risk of hemorrhage (I hemorrhaged during delivery, but everything was fine), but baby cannot survive full-term in most cases. If you have it, you will be put on meds and induced at 36-37 weeks.
Good luck!!
If it is PUPPP, and you're hesitant to try steroids (I understand they're not classed at all, and my midwives wouldn't prescribe them even though I begged unless this stuff didn't help):
https://www.rainiersoapworks.com/puppp_relief.htm
A disclaimer, though - it seemed like this company didn't keep this stuff made, maybe because PUPPP is pretty rare, but I paid for overnight shipping because I felt like I was DYING, and it took three days to arrive. It was overnight...from the day they sent it, not the day I ordered it. The soap and lotion combo worked really well for me; the itching was gone within a day and the rash was mostly gone within a few days. It smelled good too, like mint gum. However, I just tried to use it again because it was expensive and I had half a jar left, and it smelled good so I figured I might as well get rid of it, but it had molded in the six weeks since my daughter was born. Guess that's what you get with all natural...no preservatives...and that is also probably why they don't seem to keep it stocked...
In the end I was pretty mad about it because this stuff was expensive and the steroids would have been less than five dollars with my insurance...but that's what I get for using midwives (which is a different story altogether).
Hope you and your doc get it figured out soon, and that it is PUPPP and not a liver problem! PUPPP sucks but it's just itching, not system failure!
I'm loving my Palmer's stretch mark cream for the itch! my belly use to be itchy but i put this on everyday and it seems to stick around, althought it's dry to the touch, but when i shower i can feel it get slippery again. maybe this will help your itch, but yours does sound more serious than stretching skin itch.
good luck mama!
Hi,
I dont want to scare you AT ALL but I would recommend going to get your blood work done. I got cholestasis when I was pregnant and it started just like your describing and gradually got worse... from my body, then an uncontrollable itch on my hands and feet!! It is kind of early if it is ICP, BUT i would just be on the safe side just in case so you can begin treatment. They need to test your liver enzymes and bile acid.
Hopefully I am wrong... but I went almost a month like that, changing everything I could think of, detergent, body washes etc... nothing really helped... Finally after a night of crying all night long bc I couldnt take it anymore I went in!
I will tell you right now, you will look this up and your stomach will turn. DON'T! As long as there is early treatment, you will be fine! Good luck with everything... There is also a group on here that is dedicated to ICP sufferes called "Cholestasis of Pregnancy" - I would recommend just reading some of there comments to see if your symptoms sound the same!
Good luck with everything!
if it's eczema related try putting plain organic yogurt on it...helps to sooth the itch and take away inflammation. coconut oil and shea butter are really good for skin issues. nettles tea is a great blood purifier and it's really good for you when you're pregnant or not-has a lot of iron, calcium, vitamin c in it
i'm sorry you're suffering! hopefully it clears up SOON!
I've been itchy all summer. I finally went to the dermatologist and she thought it was just seasonal allergies. I've been taking Zantac and it's been helping. I wouldn't say I'm not itchy at all but I am MUCH better.
She also gave me a steroid cream to help get rid of the rashing that had occured from my constant itching.
Good luck!
Hi.
Sorry to hear you are struggling with this. I had terrible ithching my entire pregnancy but without a rash - mainly on my lower extremeties but it would keep me up all night. I saw several derms for this and we were never found out what was causing it and figured it was just hormonal. The day i gave birth the itching stopped...
Def have your MD check your bile salts asap to rule it out as others as suggested. I used per my derm Sarna anti-inch cream and cerave and found them somewhat helpful.
Feel better and good luck
Alissa
Not to freak you out, but you could have a liver problem. I had one with my first baby, it was called Intrahapadic colostasis (I'm sure the spelling is wrong). You need to let your doctor know asap!
It feels like you have sandfleas biting you all over your body.
it may just be normal pregnancy itching but please check out itchymoms.com to rule out cholestasis. I had it in my pregnancy and it is uncommon and potentially fatal to your LO. It is intense itching that usually concentrates on your hands and feet but can be all over. It's a result of your gallbladder not properly fuctioning and removing bile.
It's very serious, IF it is cholestasis warm baths will only exacerbate the situation, your best bet is to limit your fat intake, take cool baths, and talk to your dr asap. I went to OB sick call and when i finally saw a midwife/ nurse she try to give me lotions and said take oatmeal baths, when i put my foot down and told her what i thought i had they finally did blood work and it DID have IHCP, Or intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy. You're also at risk for pre term labor with this condition and it increases the risk of stillbirth. If you are diagnosed you will likely be induced before 36-37 weeks to keep your baby safer... I hope you do not have this problem but wanted you to be aware, no one i knew had even heard of this condition when i was pregnant, i think it affects only about 1% of pregnant women.