Really dry, itchy skin for mama « Back to Group Discussions

[PrincessSputnik]

Anyone else experience this or know what it is?

I wonder if it's diet related or if I've developed postpartum allergies or something. My skin has never been so dry and dehydrated and it's itchy and have some hives. I have sensitive skin to begin with, but this is definitely unusual.

I'm trying to stay as hydrated as I can.

Ideas? 

[CA Country Girl]

Wish I had some real advice.  I get dry itchy skin from time to time not related to PP issues; I use body oils instead of lotion, which seems to help.  My favorites are Kukui nut and Almond.  It helps to put them on right after you shower.  I have found that there all kinds of strange pp issues that you never thought about, though.  My knuckles are just a bit achy and although I cannot see any swelling, I can not get my wedding ring back on, so I think my knuckles are retaining fluid or something- very weird.  After DD1 was born, I lost a lot of hair at maybe 8 weeks?.  I have very thick hair, so it wasn't obvious to others, just alarming to me.  I am kind of anticipating the possibility of this happening again.  Wondering if others had any of these issues.

[AndtheStars]

This is not to say that this is what is going on with you but 3 weeks after the birth of DS1, I developed dyshydrotic eczema that hasn't gone away in 3 years except for when I was pregnant with DS2.  My dermotologist's theory is that its an immune response to the foreign DNA that is left in your body from your children.  There was an article about it (the foreign DNA thing) that I saw online a few months ago but I can't remember where it was. 

Anyway, I think that the heightened immune response could account for all kinds of symptoms that we experience post-partum.  Unfortunately, there's nothing you can do about it.

I hope, hope, hope that with some time and extra moisture, things get resolved but I wanted to give you my perspective that it might not be something that you can fix.   

[PrincessSputnik]

Thanks for your thoughts. 

I've definitely heard of the hair loss thing. My hairdresser mentioned it when I was still pregnant, suggesting I come in afterwards for a pp haircut that works better with less full hair.

AndtheStars, I think an immune response could explain what's happening with my skin, or it could be allergies that are manifesting, or it could just be stress.. Either way, annoying. I'm slathering on the jojoba and cocoa butter whenever I have a chance!

[thegoodearth]

omg! I can't believe someone else is experiencing this too. though i haven't had the dry skin, I have been having chronic hives since the birth of DD. they have been so bad that i had to see an allergist who put me on prednisone and an elimination diet. after the birth of DS i had eczema which only went away when i was pregnant with DD. so now it hasn't exactly come back - but now i just have raging hives all over my body and especially my face. i am pretty desperate to get this resolved... 

andthestars  -- where on your body did you get the eczema? was it an isolated area. that is a very interesting theory about the dna. i wish i could read that article! I AM  so glad that you ladies posted. this gives me a new angle on whats happening to me.

princesssputnik  -- i hope your skin feels better soon! i hope you get some answers and/or it resolves on its own. 

[AndtheStars]

Here's the link to the article I first read   http://boingboing.net/2012/01/03/cells.html

And here's the link to an article I found when googling to try to find the first article http://www.abc.net.au/science/articles/2004/02/12/996867.htm

The first one isn't very scientific but I bet with some additional googling or research, we could find something.  You know, cause we all have so much free time with two hands available for typing

Dyshydrotic ezcema appears on the feet and/or hands.  Mine is only on my hands, thank god.  It started three weeks after DS1 was born and only cleared up during the pregnancy with DS2 (which makes sense since your immune system is repressed so it doesn't attack the fetus).  It came back with a vengence three weeks after DS2 was born.  It starts as itchy little fluid blisters under the skin which pop and weep.  Then your skin cracks open and gets rough and scaly and your fingers get swollen because of all the fluid in them.  It's awful, painful, and I expect to have it for the rest of my life when Im not pregnant.  I only have it on my right hand at the moment but I have had it on both hands at the same time and its debilitating.  I bleed all over everything from the cracks, i can't bend my fingers because they are swollen, I itch at night in my sleep even when I wear gloves and creams don't do anything for me.  I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. 

thegoodearth, are you nursing?  Can you take prednisone while nursing?  I know that cortisteroids and prednisone are options but I'm so scared of the unknown side effects that I would rather suffer with a known problem then set myself up for unknown problems.  Is your elimination diet an anti-inflammatory diet?  I've looked at those but they seem to be pretty much how I eat now so I'm not sure how much it would help.  There is also a theory out there that ezcema is a symptom of a nickel allergy.  I found a research paper about it and emailed the guy for a list of the foods that are high in nickel for a nickel avoidance diet.  I have the email list on my computer at work (where I'm currently not cause of the bub).  If I remember and if you or anyone else is interested, I'll PM you when I get back to work for your email and forward it on to you. 

Whew!  I didn't mean to write a book about this.  I really wish that someone would do a study about this stuff so that I could be a test subject and maaaaybe, just maaaybe not have to resort to being constantly pregnant to fix the problem.  DH would probably walk out the door if I told him that we were going to have to have 10 kids so that my ezcema stayed away

[thegoodearth]

thanks for the links! that's interesting stuff. i think its the best explanation i've heard for what's been going on with me. 

yes, according to kellymom and the dr. prednisone is okay to use while breastfeeding. i was super hesitant to use it, but did b/c my hives were unbearable -- i couldn't stop scratching myself to the point that it was debilitating for all other aspects of my life. i was on it for a week - but i'm off now. it did help, but its not something i want to use long term. i don't plan on using it again. i'm not sure what type of elimination diet it is -- except that what i can eat is very limited. i can only really eat: rice, chicken, turkey, kale, apricots, peaches, lamb, carrots and some other vegetables but that is it. i hate it! but i'm desperate so i'll try anything. 

i've never heard of the correlation of eczema with nickel. that's interesting and something i'm going to google. please do email me the list of foods with nickel in it. before being pregnant with DD, but after giving birth to DS i developed the eczema all around my eyes. it was horrible. it didn't bleed like your hands but it burned and hurt a lot. it made me very self conscious too.

haha! i've joked with my DH that i need to be constantly pregnant. he didn't like that idea at all! 

[AndtheStars]

Returning to this thread because 1. I miss our group and 2. there was a really interesting article about autism in the New York Times

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/08/26/opinion/sunday/immune-disorders-and-autism.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

and at the end, there was info about TSO (helminthic treatment) that basically gives you an intestinal parasite as a way to temper your immune response.  It seems like it would be perfect for us nursing mamas because it doesn't introduce any medications or chemicals into you.  Anyway, with a little further research, it turns out that you can't get TSO in the states.  Awesome.  But I figured I'd throw it out there in case any one has amazing health care professionals who might want to start a study for TSO and ezcema or other immune response issues.

[thegoodearth]

I've heard about that on "This American Life" radio program. Absolutely fascinating to me. I'm still getting the hives - so am on claritin for my sanity. I've heard that the hives often stop once you stop breastfeeding. If after that they don't cease I think I would try the intestinal parasite.