Itchy skin? « Back to Group Discussions

[CherryBombMama]

My skin itches all over! We thought maybe I developed a sudden pregnancy-related reaction to the detergent, but that seems a bit far fetched.  Either way, I switched to our "newborn/cloth diaper" detergent because of how mild it is, and I am currently washing all my clothes in it right now. I haven't eaten anything new, no new lotions, I looked all over for bed bugs and found nothing.  I lathered coconut oil all over myself, but I'm still pretty itchy. 

I do have a SEVEN bug bites on one leg, but I itch everywhere, from my neck to my  belly button to my toes. I got these bites, I think, while putting my ds2 to bed, because I came back commenting on how itchy I was all of a sudden.  The next morning, I checked and saw the bug bites. I checked my ds2, and he is not bitten. Neither is my other one, or my dh. 

Then I though, maybe I'm just gaining weight fast and my skin is stretching which might be causing the itchiness and that its just a coincidence that I have bug bites? 

WHAT COULD IT BEEEEEEE???

[ReadingRenee]

My belly has gotten HUGE in the past two weeks and around that time it started itching.  Im wondering if  Im going to make it out of this pregnancy with no stretch marks.

But I think I have read that pregnancy hormones can make you itchy or rashy all over. I think because your skin can get really dried out?  I don't know about the bug bites though.

[thomatuttle]

Didn't someone on here recently say that they have PUPPS? Could it be that?

[flavorfull1]

I am really itchy and it fluctuates. I know when I was pg with DS I got bug bites if there was a bug within ten miles I swear!  It was horrible.  But yeah, I have the itchy all over thing and it seems to go with when DD is getting ready to go through a growth spurt then it kind of settles down.  It is also worse if I get even the slightest bit hot.  Makes me glad that I am living up north for a bit!  I hope you feel better, lotion doesn't help for me but the coconut oil sounds great!

[CherryBombMama]

No idea what this is, looking it up right now...

Originally Posted by thomatuttle 

Didn't someone on here recently say that they have PUPPS? Could it be that?

[saudade]

Me too. It's not PUPPS, it's common. I looked up itchiness and pregnancy at one point and it's normal.

[CherryBombMama]

Yeah the PUPPS seems super extreme. And anyways, I always have little red bumps on my butt and thighs  so that's nothing new for me. 

I cannot stand this itchiness, it feels worse when I have pants on, or when I'm under the covers.

[Marnica]

Yeah - Im pretty itchy too and my skin is super dry. Guess it's pretty common - never fear :)

[thomatuttle]

I have thankfully missed out on the super itchy and dry skin. But, I also slather myself with coconut oil in the morning after I get out of the shower. It really helps me especially in the winter when I am usually dry. The only real dryness or itchiness that I have noticed is in relation to my tinea versicolor. I finally got some prescription cream for I from my doctor though, so hopefully that'll clear up soon.

[jess in hawaii]

I've been using shea butter, mostly on my belly, but anywhere else that feels itchy/dry. It's very soothing.

[miss_honeyb]

Sounds like PUPPPs to me.  It can be "mild" (which I had with DS1) or really extreme (which I got this time around). But if you itch all over, not just mild tummy-stretching itchy, I would bet it's PUPPPs. Try starting some dandelion root capsules and drinking nettle tea. These help flush your liver, which is linked to the itchiness. After 5 days of 3 dandelion caps 3x day + 3-4 cups of nettle tea a day, mine cleared up almost 100%, and I had a SEVERE case this time. So I bet you'll see a lot of improvement. Otherwise there's not much you can do except wait for baby to come!

Here's a great resource as well:

http://www.naomikritzer.com/motherhood/PUPPP.shtml

[Christy1980]

I have had a 3" line that itches like mad on my right knee.  I was treating it w/ an antifungal cream and it seemed to be going away, but came back all of a sudden worse than before.  And now my hands have a red bumpy rash on them that is also driving me crazy.  I'm going to the walk in clinic tonight b/c I got no relief last night and I just want it gone!  Tried to post a picture, but it didn't work. 

[Fern5Fern]

I had weird eczema on my hand during my pregnancy with DD, it was these weird bumps in between my fingers and some on my palms.  My friend who just had a baby had a similar rash.  

[CherryBombMama]

Originally Posted by Fern5Fern 

I had weird eczema on my hand during my pregnancy with DD, it was these weird bumps in between my fingers and some on my palms.  My friend who just had a baby had a similar rash.  

I had this early in my pregnancy! I don't remember how or when it went away...
 

[CherryBombMama]

Originally Posted by Christy1980 

I have had a 3" line that itches like mad on my right knee.  I was treating it w/ an antifungal cream and it seemed to be going away, but came back all of a sudden worse than before.  And now my hands have a red bumpy rash on them that is also driving me crazy.  I'm going to the walk in clinic tonight b/c I got no relief last night and I just want it gone!  Tried to post a picture, but it didn't work. 

That sounds awful! Your post says 8 hours ago, have you gone yet?

[CherryBombMama]

Originally Posted by miss_honeyb 

Sounds like PUPPPs to me.  It can be "mild" (which I had with DS1) or really extreme (which I got this time around). But if you itch all over, not just mild tummy-stretching itchy, I would bet it's PUPPPs. Try starting some dandelion root capsules and drinking nettle tea. These help flush your liver, which is linked to the itchiness. After 5 days of 3 dandelion caps 3x day + 3-4 cups of nettle tea a day, mine cleared up almost 100%, and I had a SEVERE case this time. So I bet you'll see a lot of improvement. Otherwise there's not much you can do except wait for baby to come!

Here's a great resource as well:

http://www.naomikritzer.com/motherhood/PUPPP.shtml

Thank you, I will look into this! 

(and sorry everyone for not multi-quoting.)
 

[miss_honeyb]

FYI, 70% of moms who have PUPPPs have boy babies.  =]

[flavorfull1]

Originally Posted by miss_honeyb 

FYI, 70% of moms who have PUPPPs have boy babies.  =]

I think that is interesting bc I had a rash on my hand that a dr diagnosed as pupps with DS and this pg I had a very very mild case of it but I have only had it around the first trimester then it slowly resolves.  This time I have had itchy skin on my back but nothing like how itchy my skin on my belly was with DS!

[Rasa]

Originally Posted by Fern5Fern 

I had weird eczema on my hand during my pregnancy with DD, it was these weird bumps in between my fingers and some on my palms.  My friend who just had a baby had a similar rash.  

Sounds just like the rash I got within 2 weeks postpartum with DD, was diagnosed (by multiple MD/ND's) as dishydrotic eczema. Google it and see if that's what yours looked like. MD's just threw steroid at me for years...ND seemed to instantly be aware of the link between that particular type of eczema and allergy to wheat. I got tested and was strongly reactive to (producing antibodies to) the wheat proteins gluten and gliadin. When i cut wheat (and other gluten) out, eczema went away. When I've eaten it, it has come back. Before I cut it out (before I suspected wheat allergy and was eating it all the time) I also noticed the eczema would flare under periods of stress.

[Fern5Fern]

Originally Posted by Rasa 


Sounds just like the rash I got within 2 weeks postpartum with DD, was diagnosed (by multiple MD/ND's) as dishydrotic eczema. Google it and see if that's what yours looked like. MD's just threw steroid at me for years...ND seemed to instantly be aware of the link between that particular type of eczema and allergy to wheat. I got tested and was strongly reactive to (producing antibodies to) the wheat proteins gluten and gliadin. When i cut wheat (and other gluten) out, eczema went away. When I've eaten it, it has come back. Before I cut it out (before I suspected wheat allergy and was eating it all the time) I also noticed the eczema would flare under periods of stress.

From the pictures that is absolutely what I had on my hands.  This is so interesting because I've been making an effort to eat less wheat because it seems to bother my gout......and my normal eczema (inside my elbows and knees) which I have almost chronically has been so much better lately.  I was attributing it to reducing my anxiety, I always flare up when I'm stressed out, but maybe it is the wheat......