Speaking of cholestasis

[Llyra]

I know there are a few mamas on here who have some knowledge of experience with cholestasis of pregnancy. I'm waiting on confirmation of the diagnosis-- the bile acid test takes a week to come back. But in the meantime, I am literally in agony and I can't find anything that offers some relief from the itch. My OB says that as soon as we confirm the diagnosis, she'll prescribe Ursodeoxycholic Acid (Actigall) and she's advised me to significantly reduce my fat intake and to drink LOTS of water (which I was doing anyway), and everything she's saying is in line with what I've read is the correct treatment and precautions. But I've got three days to wait for the Actigall, and it's four days since I've had any sleep and I am rapidly losing my mind with itching.

I'm just wondering if there's anything that might help. Antihistamines appear to be useless; I've tried Benadryl and it only made me drowsy and grouchy and did no good. Baking soda baths, oatmeal baths, hydrocortisone creams, camphor gels and creams-- I've tried all these, and they're useless. The only thing that gives me any relief at all is ice water baths, and I'm gonna go hypothermic if I keep doing that, plus it doesn't help me SLEEP which I am desperate to do. I can't even put on any clothes, because they irritate the skin so much. And tomorrow, DH goes back to work after a vacation and I have full-time care of my 2 year old again, and right now I can't even move without starting to cry.

Maybe there really is nothing that can be done, but I thought I'd ask if anyone had any suggestions.... Thank you from a desperate mama.....

[mamaonthefarm]

Oh, poor you! I had cholestasis with my first baby, not with my 2nd, but here I am 15 wks along with my 3rd and alread itching mildly (and very depressed about it.)

Try this link http://www.quotidian.com/tara/icp.html
Hopefully it helps with tips on how one woman relieved her itching. She spead yogurt all over her body and other times, she just sat in a big tub of water. But you have to look after your 2 yr-old ... so can you have a relative or friend or babysitter help you out?

How far along are you? Also, www.itchymoms.com has some lotion that they recommend for this condition. Search around and see.

Poor you! Let us know how things go.

[jaye]

I'm so so sorry. :( Unless you've had it, no one can understand what we mean by "itching". It was the most difficult part of my twin pregnancy. Ugh - and I was trying to parent my 3.5 yr old at the time too. (he learned all about nick jr during that time.)

I would do the baths, then dh would load me up with lotion - sarna was the best - and I would sleep (HA!) w/ a bowl of ice & washclothes next to my bed and replace them all night.

This was a few years ago and I'm hoping they've come up with some better solutions. :hug

[MCatLvrMom2A&X]

I was going to put up the itchymoms link but mamaonthefarm beat me to it. That site has great information and if you email them you will get a responce back fast.

What helped me the most was staying in the bath as much as possible and for tyring to sleep I would put a big fan blowing on me as close as possible for some reason that helped so much.

I know what it is like and it sucks. :hug

[mommietime]

Oh Mama....you have my whole heart feeling for you. That is the only part of my body that doesn't itch.
I had cholestasis last year (oops, now it's year before last!) with DS, born to much relief in September......and here I am at the beginning of itchyland again! Trust me when I say I know what you are going through.
I am sorry to say that no amount of bathing, no lotion, nothing except scratching works for me. I was regularly in tears at night near the end. I slept with a dish sponge, and used the scrubby side for scratching. I will say that my skin looked amazing by the end, and was the softest skin ever!
DH and I have been debating the pros and cons of early induction, difficult even to talk about because it is a still-raw wound from last time. Internet info is hard to rely on...I found sites that have the old Milkiewicz study that have alarmingly high reports of stillbirth, and also sites that say now they believe it is a tiny percentage:dizzy: .
Just keep your head up, and know YOU ARE NOT ALONE!:hug

[TwoPlusTwins]

Oh my.. You have all of my sympathy too. I'm itching just remembering the hell of cholestasis!! I got it relatively late in my twin pg.. I want to say around 32-33 weeks and I delivered at 35w4d. My OB was pretty clueless about it. I had already Googled my symptoms and knew what it was but he told me that cholestasis was "rare as hen's teeth". To pacify me he ran a liver panel which was fine (it was early on) but never ran any of the other recommended tests. Fortunately, I know now, my twins were okay. I found the Itchymoms site during my pg last year and am now armed with information.

I wish I had more than sympathy for you. I used to have one of those foot massager thingys that I would just sit and run my feet on. I had a hairbrush for my hands. I was lucky in that it stayed pretty much to my hands and feet.

You try to explain the hell of the itching to people and they just look at you blankly. Nobody who hasn't experienced it can understand.

(((((((Hugs)))))))))) I hope you get some relief soon!!

[mommietime]

Llyra,
The only silver lining I can think of to tell you is that since it's twins for you, you will probably deliver early enough to avoid the hell of induction.
if you've never been induced, let me tell ya mama, avoiding it is a miracle from heaven!
keep your chin up, don't eat anything fatty or fried (my weakness) and get DH to scratch you with the scrubby sponge at night!