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BR: I just can't catch a break! (long, sorry)
Over the weekend, my belly started itching, especially around my stretchmarks. The bebbehs have been stretching it a lot lately, so I didn't really worry about it much - just slathered on lotion and continued as normal. And then it got worse. And worse.
I had an appointment with my OBGYN on Monday and asked him about the itching. He said it wasn't unexpected since my skin is stretching soooo much right now, and suggested trying lanolin cream for some extra relief. So I did. I tried regular lotion, baby oil, lanolin, even calamine lotion - and it kept getting worse.
Over the last 2 days, it's developed into a full blown rash that covers my entire belly, parts of my breasts and thighs, and even some of my arms. And the itching...oh my god, the ITCHING.
Last night I completely melted down. Ben came home and asked me how my day was, and I just lost it. I can handle the pelvic pain. I can handle the gestational diabetes - the diet, the insulin injections. I can handle the back pain, the exhaustion, the sheer weight of the babies dragging at my body...but I CANNOT handle this. The itchiness is unbelievably agonizing. It's like the worst burning itch you've ever experienced, and it will.not.stop. I can barely tolerate a shirt touching my skin. Ben can't even put his hand on my belly, and barely on any other part of my skin lest it set off some kind of itchy chain reaction.
Today I saw my OB again, and when I showed him my belly, he made an unhappy face and said that he had been worried at my last appointment that this might happen, but hadn?t wanted to say anything just in case the itchiness really was due to the stretching only.
He mentioned Cholestasis of Pregnancy, which is fairly rare (only 1-1.5% of pregnant women get it), but from what I?ve read ? and yes I KNOW I?m not a doctor ? I think it?s more likely that I have PUPPP, which about 1 in 200 pregnant women get, mostly because CP doesn?t normally present with a rash but PUPPP does; plus, with CP the itching is usually concentrated in your hands and feet, but with PUPPP it often starts on your abdomen and then progresses to your legs, breasts and arms, as mine has.
They both cause intense itching, and for both of them the only cure is giving birth. CP, however, has significantly more risks ? it?s caused by bile acid buildup in the bloodstream ? including premature labour and stillbirth, so he may just be playing it conservatively by wanting to monitor me for this.
At any rate, as these things can only be treated, not cured, for now we're just trying to deal with the symptoms, so my doctor has given me Phenergan. This won?t take the rash away but hopefully it will help control the unbearable itchiness. If this doesn?t work, we?ll have to try steroid pills or creams.
I just....I am just so over this right now. So over it all. I know I only need to hang in there for another 3.5 weeks, but I've got to be honest...that is looking like a LOOOOONG freaking time right now. 
P.S. I just blogged about this too, so if you want to see an icky photo of the actual rash, click here (I swore I'd never post bare belly pics online, but I really wanted to illustrate this).
Re: BR: I just can't catch a break! (long, sorry)
Wow! Ouch! I sorta know how you feel....you may remember I had pretty bad hives for about a week early in pregnancy. I agree that severe, chronic itching is one of the worst feelings in the world.
I don't have a lot of words of advice, since I know as well as anyone that nothing really helps, at least not in the long run. But short-term (very short-term, but hey, I would have tried anything!) relief came from a colloidal oatmeal bath (Aveeno sells bath packets, or you can make your own). Also, Eucerin makes an itch-treatment lotion that cooled the area for me for about 5 minutes. Like I said, very short-term, but when you're desperate, ANYTHING helps!
Owwwwweeeeee! That looks firey hot and itchy. I hope the cream he gave you works wonders.
The only thing I can relate is my lake disease. We have a great lake in our area. My little monster will even jump off of the dock. We've done it for a few years. This year, I got red bump/blister thingies that itched so bad that I would have cut my skin off with a knife. I tried all of the usual organic remedies - from aloe to tea tree oil. No help. I told my H that I couldn't stand it anymore. It wasn't like the skin was itching - it was like a nerve pain, but an itch. I never had chicken pox. Google. Too big to be that. I checked every strange rash and every bug bite. No match. Desperate, I tried that stuff for babies/kids that numbs their gums when their teeth grow in. Grrr. I need an ice pick or a knife! H went to the store and bought every over the counter numbing cream, steroid cream and campho-phenique (sp?) With as many bumps as I had, I tried one of everything. No relief. I finally broke down and went to urgent care (weekend walk-in doc-in-the-box). He was baffled by what it could be. I said, "Please, give me prednisone and percocet!" haha, he thought I was serious and told me that was a little strong. He ended up prescribing a topical steroid cream. It worked overnight to relieve the itch. I don't know what it could have been, but I have scars. Oh, and I rarely scar (even where I've had stitches, it disappears to normal skin in a year). God bless that cream! I don't know what you can use while pregnant. Seems like some sort of topical steroid would fine in moderation.
Do you have Clarins there? They make a stretch mark oil. I wasted the $50-70 or so bucks... but, they give out small samples for free. It smells strong, like tea tree oil and some other herbal stuff. I hated the smell. If you can get a sample (or your H will pick it up), it would be worth a try.
That, or spray Solarcaine on it every 30 seconds
Newlyweds since 2007
Jaime & Brent
Oahu, Hawaii | Sept. 9, 2005
My Food Blog - Good Eats 'n Sweet Treats
yowza...that looks like it hurts! i hope the itch will contain itself cuz you're right 3.5 weeks of that kind of itch would seem like an eternity.
:::sending you a virtual virgin lava flow or the likes:::
Me too. I am so sorry Lisa...hang in there...once your boys are here this will all be a distant memory. I know it's not helpful now...I hope the medicine helps...how about oatmeal baths? I know that's the only thing that helped my poison ivy in my first tri.
TTC/PG Blog | Mommy Blog
Making this quick as I'm typing with one finger because Samara is in my arms and I gotta rush out and pick Maya up but wanted to say that I had this too.
Apparently Mylanta (rubbed on your skin) helps. I never tried it so I can't personally say that it DOES work but my doc told me about it and a friend who had cholestasis (sp) during her last pregnancy recommended it me also. She HAD used it and it worked to minimise the itching.
Cerclage placed @ 21w6d due to CI (IC)
Oh, yuck, how frustrating for you. I've been dealing with an itchy rash for a while, and even though it's been awful it sounds like yours is unbearable!
I hope your Dr. can find a topical that will work for you. If you want to stay away from steroid creams, my dermatologist put me on something that she said was basically a super-high concentrated Vitamin D serum with no steroids at all. Could you ask about something like that?
Oh yea my mom put milk of magnesia on my chicken pox when I was little and it worked wonders as well.
| Olowalu, Maui ~ August 6, 2008 |
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I am so sorry that you have that! I hate to be itchy..it's the worse. I follow this blog...she had it and treated it herself naturally. You should check it out.
Good luck!
that's what I thought too. They should be able to give you some steriods while pregnant though, b/c they gave me some for my bronchitis/asthma thing when I was 5-6 months along. I hope something helps soon!
Thanks so much for your support ladies! You just don't know how much I appreciate it...this is making me craaaaazy!
Thank you! Among other things, she used Sarna lotion..I've read about it in a few places, but have never seen it here...I'll have to see if it's available!