Itchiness: Dry, flaky skin, Hypochondria or Cholestasis?

[indignantgirl]

I'm 36 weeks and I started having vague, spotty itching on my body a few days ago.  I already started all the liver herbs just in case it's cholestasis, but then again I have severe anxiety issues and a fair bit of true hypochondria so I always try to step away from things and assess them with as level of a head as possible.

The tickling sensation started on my belly the other night when I was spooned up with my 4 year old daughter.  The side seam of my shirt had twisted around and was irritating me where it was digging in.  I couldn't reach to scratch it without waking DD so I just lay there and the itch became all I could think about.  Then it started happening all over.  The fan would blow my arm hairs and make them tickle.  Hair from my head would tickle my face, neck and shoulders as it moved in the breeze.  And then I remembered about Cholestasis, the "all over itching" condition, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it since. 

I don't notice any tickling sensations unless I think about it, but as soon as I do I start feeling it here and there on my body.  I don't ever have to scratch, I just try to stay calm and ignore it until the sensation passes.  That works pretty well.  I'm also not having any itching on my palms or soles, which is supposed to be a tell-tale sign.

However, I'm still anxious about dismissing it as paranoia, as I have had some true occasional itching during this pg due to terribly dry, flaky skin on my arms, legs and face.  The flakes are really bad right now.  Also I have hyper-sensitive skin around band of my shelf bra and the waist band of anything with elastic (and anywhere I sweat).  I know logically that all of this is not likely to be related to something as severe as cholestasis, but pregnant with anxiety disorder does not make for logical thinking.  So maybe some of you moms can do the logical thinking for me.  Any thoughts?

[tzs]

oh thank g-d there are more of us out there!

for the last week or so i've also been thinking i have cholestasis....nighttime itching, soles of feet and palms of hands, keeps waking me up at night....and googling doesn't help. i'm also 36 weeks!

i love my OB because he is so laid back but i'd like him to be a little more proactive on checking this out. he recommended i try tylenol pm because it has benedryl. if the itching responds then it's not cholestasis. i still have to make thew trip to pick some up though. if it's still there then we'll do a liver test next week. but really, serum tests take a week or two to get back so by that time i'd be 39 weeks or so...i dunno.

from what i've read with cholestasis the itching is so severe that you literally can't deal. i'm not anywhere near there. plus, women are diagnosed much earlier and are often monitored for months until 37 weeks or so until they are induced. we only have a few weeks left as it is. so i'm trying to maintain a balance between calm and trusting intuition, yk?

[Peony]

I had the itching the last couple months of my last pg. Various body parts drove me nuts, hands, feet, arms, etc... My feet were really bad at night, I would rub raw patches on them from trying to rub them on the sheets. It wasn't constant, would come on suddenly and then leave. I actually did get tested, nothing, just pg hormones!

[jeninejessica]

My understanding is that it's more like a pp said-- so unbearable that you feel like scratching your skin off, or curling in a ball and crying. I know one woman who had it, and she was beyond beyond miserable, and I think I remember her mentioning at one point that it gets so bad you wish they could just sedate you, because you feel like crawling out of your skin.  I also do believe it's almost always diagnosed earlier on, closer to 25 weeks. 

I would try upping your water intake quite a bit for a few days, as well as slathering yourself in lotions and see if that helps. If nothing else, you should be able to get a good belly rub out of someone, right?

Deep breaths, it sounds like everything is fine, just normal pregnancy stretching and dryness.