Cholestasis, anyone?

realisticdreams

dual post from 3rd tri, thanks!

My insurance nurse called me the other night for our normal check in and she asked if I had anything going on I wouldn't think to mention to the dr in the whole 20 seconds I see him...

Uhm..Yeah, my FEET ITCH!!!  Like crazy, wakes me up at night and I could make them bleed.  She asked if I had any gall bladder problems, I was supposed to get it out a few years ago and then I moved here and the surgeon didn't want to do it.  It was borderline for functioning normally but I have times where I have attacks on a daily/weekly basis, which are very painful. 

She asked if I had been having any pain lately, about a week and a half ago (right before the itching started, when I think about it) I had one of the worst attacks ever.  The pain radiated down my right shoulder blade and I was in tears.  It passed after about 45 mins and I went on with my day..Had it of lasted longer I would of gone to the ER. 

She then informed me their is a condition called obstetric/pregnancy cholestasis...the bile gets backed up in your gall bladder and the main symptom is itchy feet/hands. 

I felt like an IDIOT calling my doctor yesterday morning to mention this to them, but I did.  It can cause pre-term labor, still birth & makes you high-risk.  At 4, I had not received a call back..so I gave them my cell phone number.  Never got a call back.

I had childbirth class last night and I asked the instructor about some other doctors in town, she reccomended I switch to the MW's in my same practice.  The dr who I dislike is who actually cover's for one of the other doctor's I was thinking about seeing (that would have been akward). 

We talked for a while after class and i told her this same story, she said that she had seen it in the past and it is serious and I should call them again this morning.  So, I did.  The doctor who I like is back from vacation, thank god but I'm still waiting. 

 

scott&kim

I had it with my pregnancy and anticipate having it with any subsequent pregnancy.  I diagnosed myself as when I told my doc I was itchy she thought it was normal pregnancy itchies.  I was just able to control myself from not itching my skin off.  After some bloodwork and a trip to the maternal fetal specialist we confirmed that I did have cholestasis and started treating and monitoring the pregnancy.  I was about 30 - 32 weeks when I was diagnosed so we did several nst every week until delivery.  We also had an amnio at 36 weeks to see if the lungs were ready.  If they had been I would have been induced then but my DD wasn't ready so they wanted to repeat the amnio at 37 weeks and then induce regardless at that point.  My husband and I opted not to do the second amnio since the induction was imminent anyway.  We had a very healthy baby girl at 37 weeks.  

Depending on what you read you are anywhere from 60% - 90% likely to have it with subsequent pregnancies.

FYI...I have since had my gall bladder removed but based on what I have read this doesn't alter your likelihood of a repeat with this disease.

 

Good luck. 

realisticdreams

scott&kim:

I had it with my pregnancy and anticipate having it with any subsequent pregnancy.  I diagnosed myself as when I told my doc I was itchy she thought it was normal pregnancy itchies.  I was just able to control myself from not itching my skin off.  After some bloodwork and a trip to the maternal fetal specialist we confirmed that I did have cholestasis and started treating and monitoring the pregnancy.  I was about 30 - 32 weeks when I was diagnosed so we did several nst every week until delivery.  We also had an amnio at 36 weeks to see if the lungs were ready.  If they had been I would have been induced then but my DD wasn't ready so they wanted to repeat the amnio at 37 weeks and then induce regardless at that point.  My husband and I opted not to do the second amnio since the induction was imminent anyway.  We had a very healthy baby girl at 37 weeks.  

Depending on what you read you are anywhere from 60% - 90% likely to have it with subsequent pregnancies.

FYI...I have since had my gall bladder removed but based on what I have read this doesn't alter your likelihood of a repeat with this disease.

 

Good luck. 

My doctors office still hasn't called me back.  I'm getting upset because I called yesterday morning and I feel like this is time sensitive.  The amount of time it takes for all of the bloodwork to come back, etc.  I know chances are I don't have it and I keep telling myself that and then I want to itch me feet off and I need to know for sure. 

I called around 3 and asked why I hadn't gotten a call back and they said the dr who was supposed to call me was only in a few hours and they never gave her the note they left it for the doctor who i don't like and he hadn't been in the office all day yet. 

Grrr at them. 

I will most likely switch dr's and hospitals if I am diagnosed because the hospital that my doctor now goes to doesn't have a level 3 NICU. 

If their is a chance I will go early I want that, and their is another hospital in town that does. 

Did your doctor do the bloodwork even though he thought it was normal pregnant itchies?  Or did you have to ask for it?  I feel like they are going to blow me off.