Who else is itchy - but not with Obstetric Cholestasis?

[Goannabanda]

OMG I am going insane. I am so itchy all the time! This is mainly a vent, but I am also wondering who else suffers similar "hormonal" itching that is NOT Obstetric Cholestasis?

It's like a hormonal / heat rash - mainly belly and upper limbs (both insides of upper arms and thighs like a heat rash, but also on the outer parts like around knees and elbows). Sometimes there is a red rash comes up, but usually it's just darned itchy and I go red and raw from the scratching. Some days are worse than others, with itchies right down to my wrists and ankles too. I end up scratching myself raw in places.

I've had a similar itchiness at every major hormonal change in my life - early puberty, starting periods, going on the pill, stopping the pill, pregnancy, hormonal treatments etc. The worst episodes were when I took clomid.

With DS' pregnancy, I had it from about weeks 8 to 18, and then again for about a month after I delivered him. This time around, it started around 8 weeks, and seems to be hanging around longer. I am hoping that it goes away soon - I need some sleep before I get to the "business end"of this pregnancy!

hmmmm, I really should have bought shares in the Ego factory - for all the Pinetarsol, Egoderm and sorbolene I've used over the years! LOL As well as shares in the Polaramine factory for the same reason (although I hate taking them as they turn me into a zombie...).

Vent over, thanks for listening. I am interested to hear other "war stories" and remedies from anyone else who suffers similar itchies...

[MeNThem]

I'm not pg now (well, thats another story, the tests tell me I'm not pg now... we'll see if that changes), but oooooooooooh boy when I was pg with the kids did I itch! My belly especially would drive me nuts... I don't remember exactly what times it was itchy, but I think most of it, particularly from 20-30 weeks when I was stretching a lot.

The one thing that helped to ease it at times was moisturiser... but then I was pg in winter and so my skin was naturally more prone to itching anyway (it does that at times now in winter).

I found that only certain body butters helped - especially ones with shea butter... normal moisturisers didn't cut it one little bit.

Hope you find a solution... ... other than waiting til you have bubs

[twistedsista]

yes Ive been soooo itchy lately, dont know if its because of the heat or what but it was horrible the other day I ended up taking some phenergan for it

[squashedfrog]

sounds like PUPPPS
Its horrible
I had it with both boys

I tried everything and nothing would stop the itching!

Until i stumbled across a website that had other suffers on it that swore by dandilion root capsules.
And they worked!
I got the from a health food shop.
They saved my sanity

[joji]

Anna, get your ob to refer you to a dermatologist. I developed horrendous psoriasis during my pregnancy (never had it before in my life) and it was just awful, I had it between fingers and toes, on the soles of my feet, under nails - basically everywhere except my face and belly.

The dermatologist gave me a steroid cream and advised slathering sorbolene several times a day, having very quick lukewarm (not hot) showers and not using any soap products. It got it under control after a few weeks although I had flares for the remainder of the pregnancy and now find that I have it postpartum which is very annoying lol.

Anyway, long winded but if you see a dermatologist they should be able to prescribe a cream that will help in some way - the one I saw got his MIMS out to prove to me that what he gave me was safe during pg because that was my main concern.

[~manda~]

I get it, but no rash. Mine is from the heat and swelling. If I can stay cool the itching stops.

[Bernie4817]

When I was pregnant with DD I had this really badly, mostly all over my breasts and stomach but also on my thighs and hands. It drove me insane and it was hard to sleep. My Ob gave me Polaramine to help ease the itching and also a cream (can't remember the name of it) to put on it also. And I had to try and stay cool. These things all helped but they didn't cure it, it went away after I had DD. Good luck, it's so annoying I know and the bad thing is that when I had it, it felt sooooo good to scratch!

[Mindy]

My Ob prescribed Avil tablets which is an antihistmine....
I took just one tablet each evening before I went to bed...before too long the itches were gone for good and it had the added benefit of giving me a great night's sleep as it makes you drowsy..

Maybe discuss the option of taking something like this for a short period with your care giver.

[Ellzie]

Anna - my itching (all the time whether pregnant or not) is the bane of my life so I'm happy to sympathise and share some tips! I have found that petroleum based products (most of the ones designed for itchy skin) don't work for me but Goats Milk Soap does. You can get it from health food shops. I feel worse in humidity so it's good to stay cool and have cool showers. Try putting a cup of raw oats into a stocking, tying up the end and swishing it around in a cool bath. It makes the water milky and sooths the itch. Wear cotton clothes. I second Joji's idea of seeing a dermatologist too.

[Lyn08]

Try Bio Oil -it apparently (lets wait and see) sorts out the stretch marks too. Its better than any other moisturiser Ive used, and rubs in really well.
I get it on my stomach too, and its aggravated at the moment by the tight maternity tshirts that have the gathering at the sides, so perhaps revise your fabrics and styles.