Is "itching" a prego symptom at around 7 months???

[mama2be]

I am almost crawling out of my skin the past few days from itching...not really "belly itching", almost more like an allergic reaction due to it being around my ankles and wrist. I itch the tiny spots till they are raw they itch so bad.

We swtiched detergent about a month ago (but this is more recent), then worry about being allergic to the relatively "new cat" that I've had about 2 months becaseu she brushes up against my legs and I pet her (ankles...wrist)...and then I worry since I can't bend over and clean like I used to (my excuse) that it is dust mites. I swear it feels like what I would imagine dust mites feeling like. And then I wonder if it is grapefruit/oranges that are causing it. I have craved and craved pineapple, grapefruit and oranges for several months. Exactly a week ago I purchased two big crates of each grapefruits and oranges and am down to my last few I eat so many of them...maybe citrus causes this in excess???

OH I hope it is the pregnancy and not little kitty (the other gives me no problems, but shorter hair)...

Any advice???

[etwahl]

This probably isn't it, but do you notice your kitty itching at all? The reason I ask is because it is flea season, and even if you have an indoor cat, they can get fleas (and it's nasty when it happens). It happened to us a couple years ago, and our cat (at the time we had one and now we have two) was biting her back a lot and licking so much that she was pulling hair out. When we took her to the vet, we were shocked it was fleas. Our cat actually had a bad allergic reaction to the fleas and in addition to treatment had to get an allergy shot.

One way to check if there's fleas (if you can't see them on the cat) is to check her sleeping spots. You would probably notice little black flecks which is flea "dirt". I hope this isn't it, but worth checking out.

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Shirale]

It certainly could be that you are having some sort of allergic reaction- but most lilely it is the stretching of your belly...I too had such an itchy stomach I spent so much time trying cream after cream to find something that calmed it down....your Dr. may be able to prescribe you something if it is really unbarable...I ended up with horrible, horrible stretch marks (prob b/c I gained so much weight) and they itched terribly...sometimes cocoa butter or shea butter helps, but ask your Dr....

[mama2be]

The downside to that is actually my tummy is the least effected...it's more ankles lower legs...wrists and lower arms...

Tammy, the cats are both on flea/tick ect...preventitive year round, and she is not itching, but she was diagnosed with "ear mites" which of course the second I think about I start itching more. the vet claims it would not be on me...

I guess I need to call my doctor...it sounds awful "I'm itching"...DH thinks it's just "dry skin" from weather, which it could be I am not a lotion kind of person and probably need to try that too...

UGHHH...it's killing me...

[etwahl]

VERY glad to hear it's not fleas. Ever since our incident, we have our cats on year round preventative treatment as well. It's the only peace of mind.

I hope your doctor can provide some insight. Good luck!

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[Rachels]

I've actually read something about this. There's a condition called obstetric cholestasis which is pregnancy-related, not very common, but miserable. You might do a search and see if it sounds familiar. Definitely talk to your doctor /midwife!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[JMarie]

Neve, I just started this last night. I have a spot right at the top of my belly that looks like hives, and I have no pets and have used the same detergent for the past five years. I use cocoa and shea butter lotions two times a day and that STILL doesn't help. The only way I've been able to keep from scratching a hole through my skin is by using Aveeno lotion with menthol - it really takes the itch away. I also try to keep in mind that all that scratching could lead to a skin infection and I really don't want one of those at this point! I've also stopped taking hot showers - which I LOVE and now really miss - just because it can be so drying on the skin. Good luck and I hope you stop itching before February!

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher

[trumansmom]

You poor thing! For your sake, I really hope you don't have what I had, but it sounds alot like it. When I was around 7 months I had tiny bumps show up on my wrists and ankles, and then they spread to behind my knees, my belly, and all the way up my arms and legs. Basically everywhere except my breasts. (Thank God!!!)I would wake up in the middle of the night bloody from scratching. What I had was called PUPPPS. I can't remember what the initials stand for, but if you do a search on Google you will be able to find some more information. It's truly horrible, and no one knows anything about it. Most anti-itch things don't work very well, but the one lotion I found that helped was called Sarna. It smells awful and burns like Ben-Gay or Icy Hot. You can only use it a couple of times a day, or it looses it's effectiveness. But it's good for a couple hours relief. If that doesn't work, there is also a prescription strength formula that has hydrocortisone in it. Some ob's are hesitant to prescribe it, but if you call their offices crying often enough, in my experience, they will!! My ob also had me trying benedryl (which makes me and my son really, really hyper!) and also taking a Unisom every night. Frankly, neither worked.

Some people suffer through this for months. I had a friend who had it until her son was a month old. I was lucky, and one day at about 8 and a half months, it just went away. In severe cases, some docs will even induce over it.

Oh, and now that I've scared you half to death, research has shown no harm to the baby, and no long lasting harm to the mother. I really hope that you don't have it. It's miserable.

Good luck. Feel free to email me if you have any questions. I hope I didn't scare you.

Jeanne

[mama2be]

Thank you everyone who responded...

It's interesting that JMarie just got this too because we are days apart in EDD...

Rachel and Jeanne I am heading to do my searches on the web now (wow how did we live without the internet before???)...I wonder if this PUPPPS is obstetric cholestasis. My gut is this is pregnancy related (though dust mites would make more since if you saw my house right now)...

I'll research and keep you all posted, if it's bugging me tomorrow I'll call my midwives or doctor.

Thanks again guys!!!! You all are the greatest!!!

EDITED after research: My midwfie jut ordered me off of the internet and not to research this becaseu I called cryig after reading this obstetric cholestasis info. they are going to see me tomorrow at 11:30 and draw blood. I so hope that it is this PUPPPS...what scared me is this OC is specific to the feet and hands and not really a rash just itching...I'm just thankful that you guys knew about these and that Rachel brought OC this to my attention becasue it sounds like catching it early is very important. I'll keep you all posted...

[Rachels]

Neve, I'm so sorry I scared you! I just called up a term I vaguely remembered, but I wish I had done some more reading first! I would have phrased things more carefully. I just read a bunch of stuff and just wanted to reassure you that the chances you have OC are so very remote. You will find out for sure very soon. If you do have it, you will do whatever is necessary to keep your baby safe. This is what technology is for-- it's a good use of it!!! You also are in great shape living by UNC and Duke Med, so the backup is there if you need it. But only 1% of pregnant women get this-- and that actually seems high. So chances are 99% or better that I've freaked you out for no reason at all. I'm so sorry. Please let me know what happens tomorrow. Or if you're anxious and would like to talk, please call me!!!!!!!!

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[Momof3Labs]

JMarie,

Cocoa butter MADE my belly itch like crazy - you might want to stop using that and see if you get better!!

Lori & Colin 9/28/02

[trumansmom]

I was tested for this as well. (After calling my ob every day for a week crying because the itching was sooo bad!) Like Rachel said, keep in mind how very, very rare this is. I remember reading about it before, and it is such a small percentage.

Hang in there! The odds are on your side!

Jeanne
Mom to Truman
11/29/01

[Rachels]

Neve, thinking of you........

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[mama2be]

My computer totally died....DIED....Thursday night. STeve was downloading, uploading something on the computer and it died....I missed you guys soooo much and all I could think about was my last post on this thing and worried more about Rachel when she saw my response, and knew I couldn't get back to her....

Anyway appears all is well...I was basket case Thursday night but come Friday and my appt the midwives didn't even want to draw my blood they were not concerned...gave me some scripts for itching (which didn't need a script), but said from looking at it they did not think it was OC or PUPPPS so did nothing else.

Anyway I have not given it a thought since and actually think the itching has supsided a bit.

Anyway I am sorry that I scared you...and I am very very glad that you guys gave me thoughts becaseu if it was one needs to know, and especially with OC it sounds like you have to be persistant with getting a work up, because it is so easily mis diagnosed...

Anyway off to a holiday party that I am very late for BUT had to check in the second DH got this up and running...

[Rachels]

Whew!!! I'm so glad everything is fine.

-Rachel
Mom to Abigail Rose
5/18/02

[trumansmom]

Good! I thought about you all weekend. I'm so glad you're feeling better!

[mama2be]

You are so sweet thank you :)Don't know what it was but definitley not as "itchy" as last week....:) thank goodness...

Thanks again and have a great day!!!

[mama2be]

I think I found the culprit...

Since this post must say that my itching actually got worse and worse...I didn't want to whine and think I actually went into an internal panic about it that I couldn't describe...Steve at first poo poo'd my fears until he saw the damage I was doing to my arms and legs with all of the scratching. I literally have scars for life I think on my legs atleast. As you know the midwives did not draw my blood that next day to test for OC...my next visit as I itched and itched, and stayed awake at night itching (OC itching is worse at night...and so was mine)...I came right out and asked them to document in my chart that I feared it being OC and they felt it was not...well of course that got the blood work ordered. The blood work not only came back normal...but on the lower end of normal which was the best of the best news. Still itching all I oculd think about is 25% of OC babies are born still born.

The only thing I could think of that I had changed was a massive desire to eat pineapple thru out the pregnancy and grapefruit and oranges recently...grapefruit and oranges were easier and not such an expensive addiction so I chose them about 5 weeks ago over my "pineapple a day"...I felt certain it was not that, so did the midwives...

Well two days ago I ran out of my grapefruit and orange stash (I was eating a good 5 a day atleast)...have not itched since....HMMMMM...

[etwahl]

5 A DAY??? Wow! I'm glad you are feeling better. No more oranges and grapefruits for you :)

Tammy,
Mom-to-be Mar 8, 2003!

[mama2be]

atleast 5 a day...and want them so badly right now!!!! I bought some lemonade which has subsided the cravings. We had a party here last night and most of the gals said they couldn't dare eat any citrus while pregnant it made them ill to think about...I can't get enough of it...

[mamahill]

Ooh, I'm so sorry for your loss (the citrus, that is). I was an orange FIEND. I bought one of those big crates of oranges from Costco and would go through it in about a week. Nothing made me happier than to peel apart three of them and sit down to a big platter at lunch.

The week before I had Ainsleigh I hate 3 pineapples in 3 days, partly because I wanted to. Partly because I read somewhere that the acid in fresh pineapple can help bring on labor... ;)

About 2 weeks post-partum, Joel offered to peel me an orange (from a leftover crate) and I just about gagged. I couldn't stand the thought. He said, "Oh I'm so glad. I was really getting sick of eating oranges." (it was the only fruit I was buying) Now I'm back to a happy medium (I only ate 1 today!).

Hope you don't mourn too much :7

[mama2be]

funny you were the same way...I am mourning. That's what I did ,the crates,and before that I was on a pineapple a day...

I really really think that the acid made the itching...keep in mind it was large quantities. I have only gained 13 lbs as of yesterday so I also figured it has helped there, though I have never been accused of watching what I eat (I love food)...so it isn't because of worrying about my intake or figure...

I'm going to wait alittle bit before I try any and make sure...

[JMarie]

It actually might not have been the acid. If you're taking prenatal vitamins and eating all that citrus, you may be overdosing on vitamin C! I didn't even think of it before, but I have a friend who would just chew on Vitamin C tablets like candy. She developed this terrible, itchy rash, and finally her dermatologist caught her munching on the Vit C tabs and told her to stop. The rash went away in a week or two. I had gone through this period where I was drinking orange juice like water, so maybe that was my problem too! It's just amazing that something that is supposed to be so good for you can cause problems. I'm certainly no expert, but you might want to think about how much vitamin C you're getting in a day. It may just be your culprit!

JMarie
EDD 2/23/03
Aidan Christopher

[trumansmom]

That is too funny!

For me it was lemon in every beverage, cantaloupes and grapes. I remember being late for a meeting with our new CEO because I thought I would die if I didn't stop by the store and get some grapes first!

I'm so glad your itching stopped! Being pregnant is tough enough without all the scratching.

Jeanne

[mama2be]

Actually I assumed it was Vit C or the acid when I narrowed it down to those...still think they were the culprit because itch free on my third day now...

Your story actually makes me convinced that it is that though...I miss my oranges and grapefruit but very relieved that it appears that is all it was :)...

[mama2be]

I like the lemon too :)...