cholestasis of pregnancy

[jessmoss626]

Im just wondering if anyone has any experience with cholestasis of pregnancy. It's not a common disorder, but I just took a blood test for it and I've heard it takes about a week to get a result. If anyone hasn't heard of it, it is a liver disorder, apparently sometimes during pregnancy your liver will create too much bile, the bile salts will rise to the skin and cause severe itching. It mostly starts in the hands and feet and is worse at night, it can spread to your entire body, causes no rash, and sometimes causes jaundice. Apparently it usually starts in the 3rd trimester.

  I am 35 weeks pregnant with my 2nd child. On Friday night (of course I saw the dr. that day) my palms started itching a lot, they got very red from scratching. I went to bed and woke up around 5 AM with horrible itching all over my body. The worst of it was on my hands and feet. I had no rashes anywhere. When I was busy during the day I was still itching but not as badly. By that evening my back looked like a cat had attacked me from all of my scratching. Like I said, the worst is in my hands and feet and they not only itch but are VERY hot. I've had "burning feet" throughout this pregnancy and am wondering if they are related.

    The itching hasn't stopped yet. It continues to get worse at night and in the morning, as long as I stay busy during the day it isn't unbearable, but it doesn't really stop. I am an impatient person in general and am not looking forward to waiting a week for my test results. Has anyone else ever had itching like this and not had cholestasis? I know it can be a very dangerous condition and I am hoping that there is some other non-serious cause!

[SunWorshiper_26]

I hadn't heard of this before but wow I'm going to ask my OB about it bc I'm taking benadryl almost daily for my itching. It isn't PUPP the OB said but this is insane itchy itchy itchy!!!  Good luck I hope that it comes back with good results :)

[jessmoss626]

Maybe they'll come faster than a week, I really hope so. I'm really hoping this is just some weird stress related itch that has similar symptoms. I know my doctor is already thinking I will go into labor early on my own and I'd like to avoid an induction, but if my test results aren't what I'm hoping for I'll go for it. 37 weeks for induction seems to be pretty common for cholestasis based on what I've read, Thanks!

[therese101]

O wow a week for test results? I had mine back the same day! Try not to overheat yourself, keep clothes light, preferably cotton. I had no way of relieving the itch sorry i couldn't help, the ice packs deff did help! I was induced at 37 weeks! I was diagnosed at 34 weeks and ended up at a day assessment unit every 2nd day for monitoring of baby and repeat blood tests! Good Luck

[jessmoss626]

Thanks, I was just saying I need some ice. I tried oatmeal baths, it helped the first day or so, but now it seems to just make me more itchy.

[alaysha]

Oh and use hypoallergenic soaps and lotions.

[alaysha]

I had it both of my pregnancies. The first pregnancy it was misdiagnosed as PUPPP. Waiting for the test results suck but it will show how risky it is for you. This pregnancy they were only slightly elevated and I delivered at 39 weeks. Best thing to do to help the itching is ice packs.