PUPPPS, maybe???

[sbm1001]

The itching is driving me INSANE!!! I have a new rash that's started. In the past 24 hours it's spread fast & it's covering half of my chest, above the breast, & is now spreading up my neck & down between & under my breasts. My thigh & part of my upper belly is starting to get itchy, too. I looked up some pics of PUPPS & it looks kind of similar but it also looks the same as the reaction I get when I wear cheap jewelry, only I haven't worn any in a long time so it couldn't be that.

I can hardly wait for my mw appt next week!!!

I've been applying a comfry & plantain salve faithfully for the vaginal itching, though, & thankfully it's not as bad tonight as it was this morning.

UGH! I hate being such a downer. : Hopefully this is just a hormonal thing I can get under control in the next few days.

Shannon

[LizaBear]

I had PUPPPS when I was pregnant with Owen. What is it ? It's pure and total living H*E**L is what it is. It's wanting to scratch your skin to shreds because the pain is more tolerable than the itching.

It showed up around 32-ish weeks, and was mainly on my stretch marks - the rash that is - the itching was everywhere from knee to shoulder.

*some* says it's liver related (though, that's most likely a confusion with choleostasis - a liver condition that causes itching).

*some* say it's an allergic reaction to pregnancy hormones.

*most* say that the cause is as unknown as a verifiable comforting measure is.

It is more common in first-time mothers (not exclusively though), and in mother's carrying male children (again, not exclusively, and by a small margin).

You'll want your care-giver to take a look at the rash to rule out the liver condition, and let you know what is safe to use.

Keep your nails cut VERY short.

Keep a bottle of peroxide or a container of Oxiclean on hand (scratching enough to bleed - they're better at cleaning your clothes than plain detergent).

COLD showers helped me a lot (due in early September, sweating aggravated the itching). For as long as I was in the shower at least. Ice packs helped some. Heat was a nightmare. Sweating was really really bad - it agravated the itching, and stung the cuts.

Keeping dry helped - cornstarch baby powder, or gold-bond powder on ALL the time.

Calamine lotion helped for a short time, but seemed to lose effectiveness.

Aloe helped where I'd scratched raw.

Good luck (( hugs ))

[Naughty Dingo]

It sounds like you have what I have. Extremely itchy lesions over the shoulders and extremities.

I copied and pasted this from another post.


I have controlled my prurigo of pregnancy (a variant of PUPPS and related to allergic reactions) using EFA(as of now just taking on fish oil capsule daily) and high doses of probiotics (45-60 billion cultures daily = 3-4 high dose capsules). While the symptoms and itchy lesions are not gone, they are much quieter and it has allowed me to sleep and my skin to start healing.

Steroids, herbs, salves and balms did not help the itching or resolve the lesions for me.

This approach with EFA and probiotics reduces the overall level of inflammation in the body, and is a more global approach to treating the skin issue than just going with a topical approach.

I went to a conference on holistic medicine that had a large focus on nutritional approaches in dealing with chronic conditions and this approach was discussed at length. It made sense intellectually and has been the only source of relief for me in months.

The good news is that this skin condition resolves after birth.

Good luck ND

[~*~MamaJava~*~]

My SIL had that - it was awful, she was taking a hairbrush to herself in the middle of the night.

Oatmeal baths.