My wife is 34 weeks pregnant and has developed PUPPP (Pruritic Uticarial Papules and Plaques of Pregnancy) which is incredibly itchy (and apparently benign) skin condition - she is covered in a nasty rash and is having a very difficult time sleeping.
Has anyone had experience with this condition before or have any ideas that may give her some relief from the itching?
Oooh, I had this, from about 19 weeks until week 41, when I was expecting Littlest Matata. I found that skin products including colloidal oatmeal (best-known brand = Aveeno) were very soothing. Oatmeal baths, skin lotion, even the baby bath (instead of soap products) kept me more comfortable than I would have been otherwise.
Beyond that, my only other advice would be to stick with skin-friendly clothing and detergents. I use(d) Arm & Hammer unscented detergent, and made sure to wear soft fabrics (without itchy threads - Why the heck do manufacturers use nylon thread to stitch together silk garments?!?)
Best of luck - I hope someone comes along to offer better advice soon!
I thought this might be about itching to get pregnant… I would definitely have that itch!
My husband’s cousin had some itchy rash towards the end. I’m not sure if this is what she had, but she was pretty uncomfortable at her shower because of it. She said she was using oatmeal (like Lacunae Matata said). Whe it got really unbearable, she would use a little hydrocortisone cream. But you have to be careful with that because it’s a steroid cream, which should only be used sparingly. It is safe, however, to use once in a while when it is really bad.
As always, talk to your doctor. They might have more ideas. If they don’t, ask for a referral to a dermatologist.
I had the worst itch in the middle of my back JUST where I couldn’t reach. I had it lower too…but the not reach it was the worst!
A wee little old lady said (I forget how I came to be talking to her about this…perhaps I asked her to scratch my back…har har) that I would certainly be having a boy, because the testosterone makes mamas itch. My doctor said it was a load of bull.
The Boy is four now…I have no idea if there was any truth to it or not.
Just a quick update. My wife had an appointment with her ob. today. He took a look at her “spectacularly disgusting” (his words) rash and immediately referred her to a dermatologist colleague (who was able to get her straight in).
The dermatologist was quite excited by the rash and had taken a biopsy. He strongly suspects that it will confirm his preliminary diagnosis of Pemphigoid Gestationis, which is a rare autoimmune disease. Essentially antibodies produced by the placenta are attacking her skin, causing blistering lesions. For the rest of the pregnancy she is allergic to her own skin. This occurs in about 1 in 50000 pregnancies.
The specialists have prescribed some steroidal cream and antihistamene, as well as an oral steroid only to be taken if the lesions begin to blister.
Apart from the extreme discomfort, the condition is benign. The bad news is that it is likely to stay for the balance of the pregnancy, but the good news is the doctor expects Rudy to drop in about 4 weeks.
Given our pregnancy history, my wife and I are thankful that this condition shouldn’t affect the baby, and D is bravely putting up with the discomfort to see a health baby at the end.
I haven’t told her yet that my googling indicates that the condition repeats in 92% of subsequent pregnancies, and usually earlier and with more intensity. We’ll cross that bridge later on.
Criminy! Well, I feel terrible for your wife, but I’m really glad it’s benign and treatable. Has anyone suggested the possibility of early induction? My OB told me that some women find PUPPP so unbearable that docs induce them at around 37 weeks, and I can only imagine this must be even more unpleasant. Good luck to you both!
Oh wow, I’ve never heard of this condition. Your poor wife! I hope she can endure for the remainder of the pregnancy. Best wishes to you both, and the new wee one.
Also, I’m moving this to MPSIMS, since no opinions are being sought. Perhaps you can keep us up with her condition and pregnancy there.
Ellen Cherry
Moderator
(pregnant lady suddenly feels unbearably itchy)
(ponders not using the internet any more until she gives birth)
My wife had a reaction to the the fetus’ poop (can’t remember the name of the stuff.) No rash like your wife, thank goodness; that sound awful. Basically my wife had an all over body itch for the last 4 months of her pregnancy. Like wearing wool. I would spray her all over with benadryl twice a day and she tool a lot of oatmeal baths.
I’m not pregnant but I have chronic hives. It may also be an auto-immune thing. Im on an antihistamine and ranitidine, they’re supposed to work together, but I still have breakthrough hives. Anyway, I have found that cold packs on really itchy spots helps a little. Cool baths might work for all over itching.
When I was in being induced (for being overdue), the lady in the bed next to me was being induced for PUPPP. I’m not sure how many weeks she was, though. It certainly seems like something that would be reasonable for your wife given her extreme condition, everything else being well with the baby.
Wish your wife good luck for the rest of her pregnancy - it truly sounds like a form of torture, on top of all the other usual late pregnancy discomforts. The poor thing!
Really? Huh. You learn something new every day. I never knew that my antacid of choice was also good for hives.
By itself, I don’t think it is. It’s supposed to work in conjunction with the antihistamine, hydroxyzine, I’m not sure if it works with other antihistamines. Anyway, it has something to do with the ranitidine being an H2 blocker. The H stands for histamine.
Itching is sheer hell - I’m sorry your wife has to live with this! On the positive side, she’s just got a few more weeks to go. On the negative side, every day of those few weeks will seem like a month :(.
Depending on the areas affected, a hot shower - as hot as she can stand - should give temporary relief. I’ve got a neurological issue that occasionally manifests itself as intractable itching in the feet / ankles, and the only thing that interrupts it is HOT water. Short-circuits the itch sensations, or something.
I’m glad it’s “just” PUPP vs cholestasis (liver involvement) which can manifest as itching of the hands and feet, and can sometimes require early deliver of the baby. I had a bout of that last winter, due to gallbladder problems, and it was a HORRIBLE few days until it passed. My hot-water trick didn’t help, either - made the itching worse.
ETA: I see it’s no longer “just” PUPP. You never want to be the one the doctors are excited about!! Blech.