CURE for puppps! Long, but worth it.

ash.antkowiak

I haven't seen a PUPPPS post on here recently, but I know I've seen them in the past so I thought I'd share my experience with you all.

 For those who don't know, PUPPPS is a skin rash that 1 in 150 pregnant women develop late in their third trimester (mine started at 36 1/2 weeks).  It itches horribly (like, you have no idea how bad it is until you've experienced it) and made me unable to even sleep for several days.  

 Doctors say that the only cure is to deliver the baby, and the rash will go away within a week or two.  Well at 37 weeks I was NOT ready to deliver my baby (I'm not a fan of induction unless it's medically necessary) and wasn't in enough pain to seriously consider that yet.  I told my dr. that after I tried some natural remedies we could talk about it again.

I found a site that said the way to cure PUPPPS is by taking Dandelion Root freeze-dried capsules.  PUPPPS supposedly happens when your liver is being overtaxed and your body has to find other ways to release toxins.  The Dandelion Root is a liver cleanser that helps it function more efficiently. 

I got the capsules and took only the recommended dosage (1 pill 3 times a day).  I also bought some Dandelion Root tea which you can brew in such a way that it has medicinal qualities. 

For temporary relief from the itch, I washed with this stuff called Grandpas Pine Tar soap.  It smells a little funky, but helped me get comfortable at a time when i didn't think that was possible.  

 I started itching on Tuesday January 5.  It started on the stretch marks on my belly.  By Friday it had spread to my hands, arms, legs, and feet.  I found the Dandelion Root suggestion on Sunday the 10th  and started taking it then.  *Let your Doctor know that you want to try it - if you're taking other medications you want to make sure they're compatible. At my next appointment on the 12th  my Dr. said I could take benedryl to help me sleep.  I kept taking the pills hoping for relief by Friday the 22, and found that my itching had gone away by Thursday the 21st! I'm still taking the pills in hopes that my rash will disappear completely by this Tuesday, the 26.  By then it will have been 10 days since I started taking the pills.

 PUPPPS is miserable, and I hope that I can help some of you through it with these suggestions! Please PM me if you've got any questions about what I did. 

ladybutler

I just started to get a rash and my doctor just told me yesterday to watch it cause it could be PUPPPs.  Thank you for this information!!

MrsRebecca

Just make sure you always check with your doctor before taking anything.

Coley_Oley

I SWEAR by the Grandpa's Pine Tar soap!!!! I'm 35 weeks, and I've had the rash since before Christmas. It's mainly on my back. I tried every lotion and oatmeal wash, then stumbled across another forum where most of the posters said they loved the soap. It stinks, especially right out of the box, but it rinses off fairly clean and you don't smell it as much as the day goes on. I found it at the local health-food market...I don't think it's something you can walk into Target and get. It started working almost immediately and has kept the horrible itching at bay as well as stopped it from spreading to other parts of my body. I'm also taking Benadryl, which the doc said is almost necessary to take in order to sleep at night. Haven't tried the dandelion root (hopefully won't have to!), but I'll keep it in mind. Thanks for the info. I wouldn't wish this on my worst enemy!!

momtotom

That's great that you found a natural remedy that worked! I was diagnosed with PUPPPS around 30 weeks and my OB sent me to a dermatologist who confirmed the diagnosis. He gave me a prescription steroid cream and a prescription for a stronger version of benadryl. I put the cream on only at night and took the medication only at night too since it zonked me out. It only took the three days for the rash to completely clear up. But then it came back about 2 weeks later. I did the same routine and it again went away after three days. When I didn't have the cream on, I used Eurcerin anti-itch lotion, which helped. I didn't like the idea of using a steroid cream, but I was so miserable and not able to really function at all, let alone sleep at night. It never returned after the last bout, thank goodness!