Cholestasis?

sunnybrook.

Last night was horrible. I kept waking up b/c my feet and palms of my hands severely itched. I finally gave up trying to sleep and googled it. It seems this is a symptom of Cholestasis, a rare liver condition that can occur during pg, esp with multiples. I called my Ob and they immediately ordered b/w to check my liver.

Has anyone heard of this or had it and have everything be ok? The effects it can have on the babies is frightening.

robynlesley

I'm not a multiples mom, but I happened to see this post.

When I was pregnant, my OB thought I had that and I was tested. I didn't have this, thankfully, and eventually the itching went away.

But when my feet itched (much worse than my hands) I kept putting baby powder on my feet to help, since Benadryl didn't do much. 

I hope it's just itchiness.... it's good that you were tested.

lolacake

I had it- it is AWFUL. I'm so sorry! The good news is: my babies made it to 36 weeks and all three of us were FINE. The bad news: I had several hideous weeks before they were born. The itching felt non-stop, I had trouble sleeping, and was intensely uncomfortable. My OB suggested Benadryl, but that did nothing for me, and honestly, I was afraid of the effects on the babies. The only thing that gave me ANY relief was keeping a basin of cool water filled with packets of Aveeno. I got up every hour during the night to soak my arms and legs.

A MoM from my twins group also had this and she was about as far along as you are now- her OB did give her a medication, but I can't remember what it was? Again- she and her babies are FINE.

 

Hang in there- the other good news is that the itching stopped the moment my babies were born!

Temp159135562506975

there was a week or two in my twin pg that the palms of my hands and feet were SOOO itchy - doc chalked it up to hormones (an online search i did said it could be a sign of an estrogen surge)... sure enough, it went away after a week or so... so i wouldn't stress that much -- esp since you say it's a RARE liver condition.

Breenie29

I had this during my pregnancy. My OB confirmed it by testing my bile salts. To monitor it they did blood work every other day to check my liver enzymes, but the itchiness is hell. They put me on a medication called Ursodial, and after being on that for about a week, the itchiness let up a bit. I also tried Benadryl, and Hydroxyzine, but they did nothing but make me tired. Other than that I had no long term affects from it, and my babies were all born fine, actually they delivered me because the pre-e got really bad, not because of the cholestasis. Good luck!

janjag

hope it is just regular pg itchies.  that's what i had... though a few nights it was so bad i got scared it was cholestasis, it wasn't.  a twin mommy on another board i visit did have cholestasis, and she was prescribed medicine (sorry can't remember) which did help somewhat.

hope you can get some relief.

shellshavintwins

I have had the itchies on and off the whole pregnancy, and it seems in my case to be when i'm having a hormone surge. I had the itching all over though not limited to just palms and soles. Apperently we also have more salts in our perspiration while preggers and it makes some of us extra itchy. For me using rags soaked in strong chamomille tea brewed and then cooled helps sometimes, and so does Aveno anti-itch lotion. But these don't always work, sometimes they at the least take the edge off. Hopefully you do not have Cholestasis.

sunnybrook.

Thanks everyone. I see the doctor tomorrow to get my results. You've given me hope that it may not be so serious and if it is, things may still be ok. I'll keep you posted.