Need Advice on Itchy Hands and Feet

Yes! Have your OB do a blood test that measures how your liver is functioning and also check for the amount of bile acids in your blood!! I had something called Intrahepatic Cholestatis of Pregnancy (ICP) which my doctor seemed to know nothing about, and led me to research it for myself. In my first pregnancy it started in my 34th week, mostly at night. I would wake up around 2am and the bottoms of my feet and the palms of my hands would itch like crazy. It was as though I was itching from the inside out. I tried Benedryl and whole gambit of other treatments but nothing would take it away. By week 36 I was absolutely miserable, I would literally scratch my body until it bled, and sit with my feet soaking in ice water at my desk during the day and trying to sleep while soaking them on the couch at night. I thought I was going to go crazy. My doctor finally did a liver function test and from those results she decided to induce me the next morning. I delivered a beautiful and completely heathy 7 lb. girl at 37 weeks. My itching went away immediately!

Before we decided to try for baby number two I did my research, I knew I didn't want to go through that madness again. Most of the information I found was on european websites, it was like no one in the US had figured it out yet?? But stumbling upon all the information I knew for a fact that ICP was the culprit. You need to do some reading up on this and decide for yourself if your symptoms sound familiar, for me it was all right on the target. If it is ICP you REALLY need to discuss some things with your doctor, as there can be some slight risks for your baby.

Before we got pregnant with baby number two, I did a full liver cleansing diet for a couple months and had my liver functions tested again. According to the research ICP most likely will reoccur in subsequent pregnancies and unfortunately begin even earlier. I wanted to do whatever I could to ward off any liver problems for both myself and for my child.

Once I found out I was pregnant with number two I brought all of my own research in to my doctor and discussed it with her. She had never had another patient with ICP (at least to her knowledge - I personally think it goes undiagnosed or diagnosed as something else) and she made a point of keeping on top of my liver elevations during the whole pregnancy. It wasn't until week 36 that the itching started again, only this time even more intense. It was about that time my liver function test made it clear what was going on. Because of the increased risks that can involve the life of my child, we decided to do an amniocentesis to make sure her lungs had developed fully and with those results we decided to induce at 36 weeks. I delivered another healthy and beautiful (almost) 7 lb. baby girl.

Here is a website I found this morning, it has information on some of the most common liver problems that occur in pregnancy, including ICP.

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/14332_14543.asp...

At the time of my pregnancies there was no medication available, it looks like now there might be something called Actigall. I can't stress enough how important this is to discuss with your doctor. Print out any information you find relevant and make sure you and your child are both monitored closely.

I would love to hear what your doctor has to say about it. Hopefully he/she is more proactive then mine was. Good luck!

Andrea

I had severe itching late in my pregnancy that was related to me feeling anxious about labor and delivery. I had a very traumatic time with my son's birth and apparently I was very stressed about what would happen the second time around! I didn't even know I was that worried until I sat down and thought about it. It sounds strange but it's true.
One poster suggested Sarna. I used that all the time. It was the only thing that helped. I tried Melaleuca but it didn't make any difference. You can find Sarna in Target or Wal-Mart in the pharmacy section.
Also, if stress is causing your itching I would suggest writing down all of your fears of labor and delivery (known and unknown) just to get them off your chest. I had a hard time admitting that I was afraid but finally I was able to explain it to my hubby and it helped.
Blessings on you!
-Anne

Hi L.-

I had this too - do you get the itching mostly at night? So bad you want to take an ice bath, etc?

For me - it was diagnosed as cholestasis of pregnancy. It's diagnosed with a blood test. It is a liver disorder that causes bile acid to be dumped into the blood stream - that's what causes the itching. My Dr. put me on actigall - it helped the itching.

Really important: the condition can be dangerous to the baby in later weeks of pregnancy, so I would encourage you to connect with your dr. right away. Delivery is usually recommended by 37 weeks with this condition.

H.

Try SARNA anti-itch lotion that's what my OB had me use.

L.,
Yes I had this problem during my last pregnancy. I just had my third baby on Sept. 12, 2007. I used Renew lotion from Melaleuca. It really helped!!!
Melaleuca also has other "green" products that are healthy and
and safe for you, your home, and family. Best of all they are effictive and inexpensive!!! If you want to know more about Melaleuca please call me at ###-###-#### or email me at ____@____.com.
Sincerely,
V.

Lots of lotion. But I think that I would also ask your doctor about it. Drink more water.