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Aaarrrrgghh I spoke too soon, the itching is back!!!!!

Hello again ladies! You may have read my post about spending a few days in hospital due to my BP going haywire again. Well i also said about my bloods coming back as borderline high bile acids and ALT which is what they check if they think you have cholestasis. Well i did say that my itching had really settled down....
IT'S BACK!!!!! And big time, my hands and feet are simply ridiculous, my face is itching, inside my nose mainly, its going up my arms and legs, my head, just everywhere!! And nothing is helping at all. Before cold baths and magicool spray were easing it a little, but now its just not touching it at all :cry:
Have called the hospital, they said as i'm being seen on monday anyway to check the blood pressure and baby's growth, they'll take more blood and arrange for me to get the results that night, as obviously if they've gone up a lot i may need to be induced. I can't help but feel its a bit dodgy waiting all weekend, so am gonna call my midwife to see if she can write me up a blood request that i can go have done today and get the results tonight. Its sooo not fair, all i wanted was a normal healthy pregnancy! :\(

Replies

  • Hi,

    I would def speak to the midwife and get her to do the blood tests forms for you. As I had oc with my little girl, this was missed by the first doctor. It was only when I was sent for blood tests the following week that they picked up on it. I was called the morning after I had the blood tests and induced straight away due to the risk to baby. My little girl is now 4 weeks old and doing fine, I am still having a few problems with my liver levels, but they are gradually going down. Also keep an extra eye on the baby's movements, as if babes slowly down it is worth going down to the day unit so that they can put you on the monitor to make sure everything is ok. (ironically I spoke to my midwife after I had got home with babes and she told me that if I had called her she would have sent me for a blood test straight away).
    Hope it all works out for you.

    Jules x
  • I went up yesterday, they took blood and sent me home, then called me late last night to say the levels are ok, a little high but only one or 2 above normal according to midwife on the phone. I tried to ask exactly what, as i like to know, but she just said oh they're nothing major, doctor has said its nothing to worry about. So still have to go back monday, and will have more bloods and monitoring. It's eased off again a little now, last night was so bad i just didn't know what to do with myself, but this morning its copable again (apart from up my nose and my feet which are driving me crazy!!)
    Baby is still moving, she's never been majorly active, but she's not moving any less than normal. The only thing i've noticed is that my bump has shrunk, i mean its hardly there!
    I really hope they do something on monday, whether its put me on medication or whatever, i remember from last time they had me up for monitoring every other day, and i really don't want that again, especially with the BP probs aswell.
    QB good luck with your blood tests, how old is your little girl? I itched badly for 6 months after my little boy then it gradually eased off. xxxxxx
  • I thought that, but when i asked her exactly what the levels were she said, oh only 1 or 2 over normal range, nothing to worry about!!! As though that'll ease my mind! They'll get stuck in my notes on monday so i'll find out exactly what then. My hospital say normal is up to 40 so i'm assuming i'm at 41 or 42, so still borederline i guess. Last time they were about 38.
    God you poor thing, it must drive you absolutely crazy. I remember 6 months being bad, my doctor said its really really rare to carry on itching afterwards. But then i don't think many people get the levels you were getting so i guess its unknown territory a little bit! xxxx
  • Oh you poor thing, I really feel for you lynz! I've been itching badly too, for about 2 weeks now over a large portion of my body (not hands or feet though). I also have a rash, but I can't tell if it's a real rash or just where I have scratched, but my skin is very dry. I had liver function tests on Fri (ALT 35) and then again this Weds (ALT 29) so my midwife thinks it's probably not OC as it's going down not up. Fingers crossed, eh? I've got another liver function test scheduled for next week to check it keeps going in the right direction. I'm still itchy though and haven't slept through the night for 2 weeks.

    You poor thing, itching on your face! So far my face has been left alone, and I'm fervently hoping it stays that way. I'm only 27 weeks still (bad itching started at 25 weeks) so I really don't fancy putting up with this for another 3 months!

    I hope the itching dies down again for you hun.

    Astraad xx
    27+1
  • Queen Bee, I have wondered if it might be PUPPP, but neither the doc or midwife have mentioned that to me. From what I have read about it though, PUPPP tends to happen much later in pregnancy and women usually have their babies about 2 weeks after symptoms start. So I'm not sure it can be that since I am only 27 weeks. It's a mystery at the moment!
  • My bile acids were ok, that was 11 last week and midwife said it was unchanged. 2 weeks before then it was 1.3 or something, mega low, so i am worried that if it shot up that much it could do again but apparently the doctor said no point taking bloods again too quickly because it sometimes takes a while for the levels to rise(?) So just gotta wait til monday! It is frustrating, my hospital seem to have a really relaxed approach to it, even once its confirmed they don't induce unless baby becomes distressed. They still go by the old research which suggests the stillbirth rate is no higher so long as you're being monitored. I have heard though that one consultant is hotter on dealing with it than the others, so i'm thinking on monday when i go in i may just ask if i can sit and wait to see him instead of my usual consultant.
    Oooh i'm with you on the itchy ears and nose, i sneeze constantly! my lips are itchy too which is annoying because i end up chewing on them without realising, and now they're all sore and scabby which looks most attractive!
    Oh by the way, i joined your group on facebook, good work hun, its very informative! xxxx
  • astraad, i've been just like that! I keep starting to itch, then it stops, then starts again then stops. I don't have a rash as such, just red marks and little scabs from scratching. My blood results have been normal, even on the low side of normal, but the itching would be horrendous, and then i had a good week or so of hardly itching at all and all my levels shot up! I'm now itching badly again. All i can say is keep on at them, have bloods as often as you can to keep an eye on it, and whinge to us as much as you need to! My OH calls me flea bag now, he says i look like i have fleas cos i'm constantly scratching! Nice lol xxxx
  • I might ask my midwife about PUPPP when I see her next week for another liver function blood test. I haven't noticed a pattern related to eating, the only pattern really is that heat makes it worse, it's worse in the evenings and at night. I wake myself up scratching! I haven't changed washing powder or any skincare products.

    Yeah lynz, it's weird, my itchy patches are moving! It started on my bump and shoulders, but these areas are not so bad any more, the skin is healing up. But now my lower arms are worse and my legs look really awful - all red and blotchy down the sides. The legs are currently the worst for itchiness and they are what wake me up.
  • Astraad - that sounds like PUPPPs, which in some cases can start earlier than the third trimester - apparantly (on my notes) I started having PUPPPs with Ollie at around 28/29 weeks.... But I didnt start itching until 31 ish weeks, and went 1 week over (yes it did drive me insane and i tried every cream going :lol: )
    PUPPPs starts on your stomach and spreads out to your arms and legs, the only thing it really leaves alone is the face... does your rash look anything like this?
    http://members.optushome.com.au/westhoff/puppp/Gallery/index.htm
    Mine with Ollie looked slightly different and i can post a pic of that if you want...?
    either way, if you see the GP they can prescribe something to help with the itching for a couple of days - but keep on at your MW to keep taking bloods, even though they are pretty certain now mine is PUPPPs they are still taking bloods to double check for OC.

    Hope you both get some answers soon, I know how frustrating it is waiting for someone to do something and take your pregnancy/problems seriously.

    get your GP to have a look at it as they can prescribe a steroid ointment to help calm down the rash and the itching

    xxx
  • Thanks MummyStephe! My rash looks exactly like that - some spots and some big blotchy patches. The only thing I don't have is any stretch marks, even on my bump. My itching started mildly on my bump at aout 24 weeks. At 25 weeks my shoulders began to get bad and then from it's spread down my arms, round my hips and over my shoulders to my bum and back, and down my legs, especially on the thighs and knees. No problems on hands, feet or face as yet. My rash seems to appear at the same time as the itch more or less, which is why I couldn't be sure if I'd caused it by scratching. It really does sound very similar!

    I have tried antihistamines and 1% hydrocortisone cream both prescribed by the doc, but neither has made a noticeable difference to the itching. I am using aqueous cream all over morning and night to stay moist (my skin has got very dry) and during the day if I need to stop scratching. In the evenings and at night if I wake up I put on some E45 anti-itch cream which helps temporarily.

    Did yours stop as soon as you had Ollie? Currently mine is a little better (only woke up once last night!) but I have no idea if that will continue or if it's just giving me a rest :lol:.

    Good luck for your Monday blood test, lynz!

    Edit: I've been doing some reading, and it's also possible that what I have is called AEP (atopic eruption of pregnancy) which occurs earlier than PUPPP/PEP and can be associated with dry skin and a history of allergy (which I have). Hmm, neither description is a perfect fit!

    http://ibmi.mf.uni-lj.si/acta-apa/acta-apa-08-1/1.pdf

    [Modified by: Astraad on March 21, 2009 04:27 PM]

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