red & angry

[JillyD]

...okay...so that's my belly...and my legs, arms, and now my back. I have PUPPPS (pregnancy rash)...it's driving me nuts! Besides being all red & angry, it's incredibly itchy. Ugh....awful. I just have to vent a bit - it's really hard today. Up until today, I've been dealing quite well...but today, wow...so itchy. I feel like a dog with fleas.

I hardly feel like I am pregnant b/c all I can think about is how much I itch which bums me out b/c I love being pregnant - it makes me feel so beautiful. To think that the itch stays around until 1-2 weeks after baby arrives makes me crazy!!! i want to enjoy these last few weeks of pregnancy - not go crazy with the itching!

Anyone got any advice? Does it just get worse & worse or does it come and go? So far, I've only noticed it getting worse and worse.

[K&JsMaMa]

My friend had PUPPS...it seems terrible. I felt so bad for her.

I hope you can find some relief. I'm sorry you are going through that.

[lanielayne]

I don't have any experience with it but I didn't want to read and not post!

[nuwavemomma]

Have you seen this?
http://www.tcinternet.net/users/krit...aomi/PUPPP.htm

Particularly:

Herbal Treatments that Hypothetically Go to the Source of the Problem

In a midwivery mailing list archive, after the hives had mostly gone away, I found some postings about using dandelion root tincture to cure PUPPP. The theory here was that PUPPP is caused by your liver doing something it isn't supposed to do; dandelion root tincture is supposed to be a liver tonic. I got a bottle of dandelion root stuff at a local health foods co-op, but didn't notice that it helped (but then, the steroid ointment had mostly made it go away by then).

This is almost certainly worth trying, if you can get ahold of it. (Don't just go digging up the dandelions in your backyard, unless you're SURE they haven't been exposed to weed-killers. Dandelions won't hurt your baby — some people eat them as food — but herbicides sure aren't going to do either of you any good.) If there's a store nearby that sells herbs, or organic vegetables, they might know where you could get ahold of this.

Here are reports from a few fellow sufferers who tried the herbal remedies:

"Anyways, I decided to try to beat the systemic problem / the cause of the rash and itching instead of the result. I spoke with someone who worked in a nutrition store who made her recommendations. I started this a couple of weeks after giving birth and noticed some results quickly. The rash was gone by the second week of doing this. But because I have not kept up with it like I should, I still tend to itch tolerably a little bit, but have no rash.

Here is what I did:

Dandelion root pills -- three 3 times per day

Flaxseed Oil -- 1 tablespoon in a protein shake per day (This is to provide the Essential Fatty Acids that were apparently missing from my diet and lending to the problem.)

Apis (a homeopathy) -- 4-5 pellets 3 times per day"

"I wanted to let you know that I tried dandelion root capsules for my PUPPP (got them at GNC for $10.00) I have never used homeopathic medicine before and am generally skeptical of such things. But... I started taking them on Saturday. On Tuesday, my rash was noticibly less intense and today (Wednesday) it has actually begun to CLEAR UP in some areas!!! I got 5 hours of sleep last night! I have to say, the dandelion seems to be the answer - at least in my case. I'm taking the GNC brand, 500 mg. I've taken 2 tablets, 3 times per day."

"I then tried the flaxseed and dandelion root mix. I took 1 flaxseed vitamin 3 times a day and 2 dandelion
3 times a day. After about 2 1/2 weeks of this, the rash began to fade. By the 4th week, it was
completely gone. I still had dry skin which caused some itchiness, but at least the rash was gone."

One other fellow sufferer wrote in to say that she tried the dandelion root tincture but she started it at the sametime as she got a fairly heavy-duty prescription ointment, and while the rash went away, she thought it was because of the ointment, not the dandelion.

There are other herbal remedies out there that may be helpful. However, I just want to note that just because something is herbal does not necessarily make it safe. There are guides to herbal remedies that will tell you whether an herb is toxic, what the risks are, and whether any studies have been done on the herb. Pharmacists usually have these guides; there are other qualified people who may be able to guide you. I am not an herbalist, any more than I'm a doctor.

I've heard several success stories with the dandelion root, that's where I would personally start.

And your provider ruled out cholestasis just to be thorough right?

[DomerJen]

I have PUPPs too, but so far it hasn't spread beyond my belly.

I have found relief w/ the following regimen:

1. very hot shower (makes it itch like a mother f*er)
2. wash w/ Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap (you can get it at whole foods)
3. after shower while still wet, I put on Burts' Bees mama bee nourishing oil and pat dry (helps combat all the drying stuff I use)
4. I use Sarna lotion (can get at walgreens/pharmacy) directly on the rash to sooth the itch
5. I also have used Tea Tree oil directly on the rash, which also works but I like the Sarna better
6. I'm taking dandelion tincture 2x/day and nettle tincture 2x/day - not sure if that does anything though!

[mom2tatum]

FWIW, a friend of mine had it, too, and it went away on its own around 37-38 weeks for no reason...so you never know.