What relieved the itchiness of prurigo of pregnancy? How soon after birth did it go away?

Q. If you've had prurigo of pregnancy, what relieved the itchiness? And how soon after giving birth did it go away?

Thanks!

A. I'm sorry you have this. I gave birth to my son in Sept 2009 and I had PUPPs (prurigo of pregnancy) from July to August of last year.

Please note that also, cholestasis can mimic certain symptoms of PUPPs.This normally only makes your palms of your hands, and the soles of your feet really itchy, and oftentimes it's the only symptom.This is a serious disease affecting your liver, and is dangerous for both you and your baby.If you have PUPPs symptoms, your dr. should also do a liver function test, as well as a bile-salt test.

Over the Counter Remedies:

Hydrocoritizone cream-From my own experience, this didn't really help much past the first 1-2 days of having PUPPs.Put in the freezer and go stand in front of a fan after putting it on.

Price:This is about $4.00 at CVS or Wal-Mart


Benadryl-Again, this is also a subjective remedy.It does make you drowsy,so pay attention to when you take this.I think the Benadryl/calamine lotion combo works better than the Benadryl pill.If anything,the pill will help you sleep.

Price: $5-8.00

Sarna Anti-Itch Lotion-The active ingredients in this are camphor and menthol, which give you a cool tingly feeling to alleviate some itchiness.It has to be reapplied often, and if you've scratched yourself raw, do not put it on! Trust me, I gave myself contact dermatitis this way.Take a cold shower, then put it on

Price:$11-14.00

Doctor-issued remedy:

Corticosteroids: I was given prednisone, 5mg a day for 10 days.Does help alot (I barely have any hives left) but i'm still itchy, but not nearly as bad.

Price:Your insurance should cover it, but I paid $4.00 at Wal-Mart because I didn't have my card on me.walgreen's and cvs charge $15.00.

Comfort-oriented remedies:

Cold showers- several times a day. take one as cold as you can stand it. hot water dries out and irritates your skin further

Oatmeal baths- Aveeno makes this godsend of a product, but there's generic brands too.dump it in lukewarm water, and within 5-10 minutes your itchiness subsides.until, 40 minutes after you get out of the tub and dry off,anyway.

Price- approx. $1.25/per bath solution packet


dress loosely-the more roomy clothes you're wearing, my dr says that your skin "breathes" better. Personally,yoga pants and a tank helped me.Jeans=hell.

Herbal Remedies:

Dandelion Root- this is a pill recommended to me by a friend's midwife. taken 2x/day, it supposedly helps. a tea made from this plant works too.

Price: $8.00


Vitamin K- Studies have shown women with PUPPs or cholestasis BOTH have lower levels of this vitamin.Ask your dr. if your prenatal vitamin needs some help.

Price: unsure


Vitamin E- break open the capsules and apply

Price: $4-8.00

Original Question

Has anyone on birth control pills experienced itching all over your body (cholestasis?

Q. Also, if you've ever been pregnant, did you have itching all over/cholestasis (ICP) during your pregnancy? I had ICP during pregnancy and OB says I can never take pills b/c it can cause same itchy problem as I had while prego.

A. Hi! I had ICP with my first pregnancy, it started at 28 weeks. It's horrible, isn't it? After my son was induced at 38 weeks my doctor put me on micronor, a progesterone only pill. I didn't itch at all, and it's a good pill to be on if you plan to nurse. I had no problems with my milk supply, and my fertility returned at about 9 months.

Rarely women do report itching while on the pill. Yahoo has a great group, itchymoms, who helped me alot.

24 weeks, 6 days and no sign of ICP yet (knock on wood).

Original Question

37 weeks, Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (now in control), What complications my baby can face?

Q. Hi,

Doctor detected Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy, on 32 weeks and now it is controlled by medicines. Now no more itching, but i am still on medicine.

I am 37 weeks pregnant and exited to see my babay soon. Please suggest me if i need to consider anything for my baby as i my pregnancy is Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy.

Thank you
Regards

A. Congrats for the expected baby. In part of my research of all the things that could happen while pregnant, I found this website that could be helpful for you.

http://www.itchymoms.com/

Original Question

Is it possible to have cholestasis of pregnancy if you've had your gallbladder removed?

Q. I had to have my gall bladder removed when I was 6 weeks pregnant due to gallstones and elevated liver enzymes. I am now 31 weeks pregnant and having symptoms of cholethasis but was wondering if that was possible seeing I've had my gallbladder removed?

A. ask your Dr

Original Question

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Is itchy feet at 6 weeks of pregnancy a sign of cholestasis?

Q. My feet itched so much last night that I couldn't sleep. I'm quite alarmed because I read on the net that itchy feet and palms is a sign of cholestatis which can cause fetal death. But most women affected were in their third trimester. Am I worrying over nothing?

A. I had Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP) during my pregnancy with my son. I itched ALL OVER and it started towards the end of my 2nd trimester. Talk to your doctor about this, they can run a simple blood test to test your liver function. That will let them know if this is caused by cholstasis or not.

Its more then likely not just because its so early on in the pregnancy but you never know. Its better to be safe then sorry. Just talk to your doctor about it at your next appointment.

BTW reading things on the internet can make you go crazy!!! The doctors found a cyst on my son's brain and did some blood tests. They told me not to look it up but I did anyways. Worried myself to death over nothing. My son didn't have what they were testing for and was completley healthy.

Original Question

What is the name of the condition that pregnant women may get that causes the symptom "itching"?

Q. I just happen to be watching Discovery Health one day and saw an episode on the condition but forgot the name. I wanted to look it up. The only thing I remember is that the woman had itching over her body and fingers. I think it had something to do with the liver as well. I am currently having this itching symptom, and I'm 7 months pregnant.

A. What you are thinking of is called Cholestatis of Pregnancy, which is an itchy rash that is caused by a bile blockage in your liver. If you think you have it, you should definitely discuss it with your midwife or doctor.

However, it's also possible that you have another, much more common and less harmful rash called PUPPPS (Pruritic Urticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy.) PUPPPs affects women usually in their third trimester, and it's completely harmless to the mother and baby. It's a rash that spreads and is incredibly itchy, and unfortunately, the only cure is giving birth. I had PUPPPs, and it was awful, and it only went away two weeks after birth. You can consult a dermatologist, who may be able to give you something to speed the cure or reduce the itching.

People say that the difference between PUPPPs and Cholestasis is that Cholestasis is primarily in the hands and feet, but I had PUPPPs that was primarily in my hands and feet (until it spread) and it was definitely PUPPPs, and not Cholestasis.

I've included a few links below about both Cholestatis and PUPPPs for your reference.

The only thing that I found that helped was cooling the rash. People recommend Sarna cream, but I found that blue gel ice packs and cool baths, and soaking my feet and hands in cold water, was the only thing that gave me real relief. (I tried pretty much every cream and gel and ointment out there, and cooling the rash was the only thing that worked.)

Good luck!

Original Question

does being induced always work or is there more of a chance of getting a c-section anyways???

Q. I maybe getting induced due to me having gallstones and a poor working gallbladder causing my liver to have a back up of bile which leads to a condition called cholestasis and can cause still birth........
17 and 34 weeks with 1st baby! Its a boy!

A. if your body is not ready for labor there is a very very high chance of needing a csection.
just fyi that you may want to discuss with your doc, The current/newest studies on cholestasis is that the risk of still birth and other pregnancy complications are NOT any higher than the general popluation if it is being treated. Untreated has a slightly higher risk.
Sarna lotion helps the itching a lot, put it on and stand in front of a fan.

Original Question

what is the name of a rare condition in pregnancy that cause your liver to release toxins into the bloodstream

Q. this causes you to itch all over basically from the inside out. I know its not toxemia or preeclampsia.

A. INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS OF PREGNANCY (ICP)

What is ICP?
ICP is a pregnancy-related liver disorder in which there are abnormalities in the flow of bile (a substance produced by the liver that aids in the digestion and absorption of fats). These abnormalities lead to a build-up of bile acids (components of bile) in the mother's blood, resulting in symptoms such as severe skin itching.

What are the symptoms of ICP?
The symptoms of ICP can range from mild to severe. Symptoms usually start in the second or third trimester of pregnancy. The most common symptoms include:

Skin itching: Itching often is most severe on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet, but many affected women itch all over their bodies. It often gets progressively worse and may interfere with sleep and daily activities.
Jaundice: This yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes occurs in 10 to 20 percent of women with ICP (1). Jaundice is caused by a build-up of a chemical called bilirubin in the blood, resulting from the liver disorder and decreased bile flow.
A pregnant woman should call her health care provider if she has these symptoms.

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How common is ICP?
In the United States, ICP affects less than 1 percent of women (1).

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