Itching like crazy...

mstopka

My hands and feet are itching to the point I want to rip my skin off! Did anyone have this? How did you deal with it? I googled (bad idea, of course) and found something called cholestasis, did anyone have that? Any information would be appreciated!

oct92004bride

being retested for it waiting for results 1st test came back negative but that was about a month ago.  The itching is horrible, took a benadryl for 1st time last night at least it let me sleep through the night w/out waking up to scratch!

UsedToBeGoldie

i went through  a period where the palms of my hands itched like CRAZY - for a couple weeks- then it was gone.  So don't stress too much about google stuff- but do mention it to your doc.

Breenie29

I had cholestasis, it was brutal! I would definitely mention it to your doc!

They can run some blood tests to see if you have it and there is some medication to treat it. I remember while I was waiting for results the nurses gave me a menthol lotion to use, which helped a bit - but I wouldn't use that without speaking to your doc first. They also gave me Benadryl, but I found that didn't do much to help.  Good luck!

smeyer

I had cholestasis. When I mentioned the extreme itching to my MFM he kinda laughed (it's a really rare condition) but sent me for bloodwork. I did indeed have it and I needed meds (ursodiol to be specific) for the remainder of my pg and a couple weeks post-partum. Definitely mention it to your dr as cholestasis can cause complications for the babies. Hopefully you don't have it and your dr can suggest a lotion or something to help - the itching is brutal!

LucyRicardo3

 I am being treated for cholestasis.

At first I thought it was allergy related or just dry skin but it continued to get worse. Benadryl seemed to help for a few days and then the itching was keeping me up at night. All over, but mainly on my hands & palms, ankles, soles of my feet and all over my toes. But it was also my scalp, face, neck, pretty much all over, except for my belly which is typically where i get itchy in my pregnancies. My hubby brought all kinds of lotions which did not help.

My MFM ordered bloodwork to rule it out and it took a few days to get it back.  Turns out, it is cholestastis.  Yes, it is rare, but it is very serious. He explained it as the itching is a sign of a more serious condition where your bile acids are elevated and your gall bladder can't regulate it, so basically your body is trying to flush it out through your skin. This can cause complications with an unborn child if left untreated and it is recommended that you don't go past 36 weeks.

He prescribed Ursodiol (actigal sp?) and it has helped.  Upon later research, his colleagues have found a recent study showing a link between prometrium, which I'm also taking, and ICP, and they have discontinued my prometrium but will continue to keep me on ursodiol until a few weeks postpartum and then redo the bloodwork to make sure it's not another underlying problem unrelated to the pregnancy.

A helpful website that another MoM referred me for cholestasis info is itchymoms.com.

jamdonut

There are several of us who have cholestasis and it is not fun. The itching is intense and worse at night and nothing topical ever helped me. Make sure you get your doctor to run a blood test to check your liver function and bile salts. There is only one lab in the US that runs the bile salt test so results take a week. I started on Ursodiol as well and it took a few days but the itchiness has gotten better but not gone. My test results came back extremely high and because of that our MFM doc has scheuled a c-section to deliver the babies earlier, just after I am 36 weeks. I hope you don't have it and can find some relief soon...keep us posted!

zsvendsen

My itchiness was in a different spot (belly, legs, arms) but it turns out that it's PUPPS for me. I had to get diagnosed by my midwife, but she prescribed clobetasol (sp?) a prescription hydrocortisone cream. I put that on twice a day and it is a HUGE relief. I also take a plain benedryl in the morning and at bed time (same time I put on the cream) which doesn't help a ton with the itchiness (takes the edge off), but it DOES help keep it from spreading.

Definitely set up an appointment with your provider - the itchiness is maddening.