No PUPPPs with second pregnancy

My first pregnancy, I had PUPPPs. It's this godawful disease that has no lasting impact on mother or baby and normally ends with birth, and so therefore no dollars get spent on figuring out why the heck pregnant women get it, why the heck only pregnant women get it, and what can be done to prevent it or relieve it. It just makes pregnant women (and only pregnant women) miserable for weeks or months at a time, completely unable to enjoy their pregnancies. Again - no lasting impact. No dollars. No one really seems to know what causes it. Ugh.

For anyone who stumbles on this entry looking for help with PUPPPs, check out this page for a very comprehensive list of remedies. For me, the only thing that helped was cold - ice packs, cold baths, etc. And once the cold was removed, the itching came back. Others have found help with dandelion and flaxseed and in the more severe/early cases, steroids.

Here's a pic of what my hand looked like at my firstborn's birth:

You just can't stop itching and so you create open sores all over most of your body. Like I said, godawful.

Anyway, here I am at 39 weeks 6 days... and no PUPPPS this time! I was reminded of this happy fact today when a mom who had PUPPPs with her first and is 29w along with her second emailed me asking if I got it. I feel like I dodged a big bullet and I need to celebrate. I think I'll celebrate by having a baby today!

Comments

[PUPPP]

When I was about 30 weeks pregnant, I noticed that I started itching in the stretch mark area below my belly button. I made an appointment with my OB, who said to go to the pharmacy and buy the Aveeno Oatmeal Bath, Aveeno soap/body wash, and their lotion (as it is much thinner than others on the market). I tried all of the above, and no changes. Two days later, the itching had become more unbearable, so I made another appointment and that time they told me to take Benedryl throughout the day, and to use 1% Cortisone cream. That also didn't work. I tried to make another appointment only a few days later, and my doctors office refused to see me. They thought I was just making things up I guess. At this point it had spread from just the stretch mark area, to my legs, knees, arms, feet, hands, neck, back, butt. I called the dr office again the next day to demand an appointment. A nurse called me back to tell me that they would fit me in. When I arrived for my appointment, the doctor came into the room immediately asking to see the rash. Within seconds she said I had PUPPP's. She perscribed Prednisone for 2 weeks, and assured me that it would not harm the baby, as well as taking Claratin once a day and Benedryl at night. The first week I was on Prednisone, there were no results. When I started taking the second week, I felt like WONDERWOMAN!!! Now the only problem is that I am 35 weeks and 6 days, and the itching has returned. The doctors will not refill the prednisone again, as I have taken as much as they will allow you to during pregnancy. I feel for all of you out there who are suffering with PUPPP's, and I wanted to let you know that no matter what, you have to argue until you are blue in the face to get an appointment right away!!!! You are not crazy, even though this rash can make you feel that way along with very depressed. Just remember especially if this is your first pregnancy, as it is mine, that if you feel like this isn't normal, you're right! It is not normal for you. On another note, when I realized it wasn't normal for the first time, it was when I couldn't stop itching uncontrollably, my belly started to bleed all over, and I was crying everytime I started these itching fits....I have still not found relief...but hopefully between me and my mom we can talk the doctor today into inducing me....Good Luck to all of you out there!

[8weeksofitchy]

I had PUPPPs really badly in my first pregnancy, it showed up at about 36 weeks and spread like wildfire. they say that you're not supposed to get it on your hands, feet or face, but i had it EVERYWHERE. they also said it was supposed to go away at delivery but lucky me it lasted for a full 5 weeks after i delivered my little girl. it was aweful. i wanted to die. i had welts two inches wide all over my body, i have scars all over my arms from peeling scab after scab off in my sleep with nails cut so short they bled. for anyone that is diagnosed with this, START MEDICATION EARLY. DO NOT MISS PILLS/CREAM APPLICATIONS. i went away for a weekend and forgot all my meds at home and by god, was i miserable. i'm now 9 weeks pregnant (with twins) and the second i get itchy i'm driving to the hospital and camping out in the OB ward until they give me the stuff i had last time (extra strong benadryl and prescription extra strong hydrocortizone cream). GOOD LUCK IF YOU HAVE THIS!!! Oatmeal and cold baths.

[Sara]

I am 4 weeks post-partum and just now recovering from a severe case of PUPPPs. It was all over my body except for my face. Even had spots on my hands, soles of my feet, knuckles and arm pits. My rash was aggressive and did not go away right after delivery as most literature states.

Here's what worked for me.
During Pregnancy:
Oatmeal baths with tepid wather
"Grandpa's Pine Tar" soap or body gel. (You can find at a health food grocery / pharmacy)
Lather up and leave it on for a few minutes before rinsing.
SARNA lotion - buy this stuff in bulk! It takes away the itch. It feels like noxema and makes your skin feel very cold. I went back to Walgreens a few times as I ran out.

Clobetasol(mild steriod , prescription cream). Most OB's will prescribe this for you during pregnancy. This works to stop the rash from spreading, but aggrevates the rash and makes it very itchy before it heals. it does not take away the itch when you apply it.

Post Partum
Meds: Prednisone - oral 20 mg tablets
Atarax ? Hydroxyzine - oral 25 mg tablets

take both pills for six days

I had to stop breastfeeding during this timeframe.

So sorry to all who are suffering from PUPPPs. It is one of the worst things I have ever been through.

[Heather]

I had puppps with my first pregnancy. I had it so bad nothing would help but freezing showers with OLD MAN PINE TAR SOAP. It helped only for a little bit, but any time not itching was priceless. It was so bad at the after dealing 2 weeks into it we set a date to be educed. I went into labor before that day. With in hours the PuPPPs went away and I could enjoy my new baby. I am 33 1/2 weeks pregnant and deathly afraid of getting puppps again.

[dlcbloom]

hi i am not glad to read that others have suffered this but am so relieved that it is far more common than the professionals told me it was, and not to be the only one...whom everyone thought was going mad.(driving people mad too) lol. i am in my 3rd pregnancy and have had this since week 24/25. where it says from week 35,so thats poop for a start unless i have a misdiagnosis? not just itching but male dna that somehow irritates us causes itching??!! completely weird not to be investigated! also it claims it starts on the abdomen which is not the case with myself as it started on my lower legs and eventually most of my body and my abdomen was less affected and last to be affected!? any way it has been an absolute nightmare that i could not enjoy my pregnancy until just b4 xmas 2010. since 3- 4 weeks tho i still have the rash...it is soooooo much milder and i can actually go a day without itching now. so eventually i have got to enjoy the last of my pregnancy. i was soooo miserable with this and it took so long to get diagnosed it was unreal...i was given antibiotics, antihistimene, steroid creams and had numerous blood tests that came back ok apart form elevated sed rate.which was 41 %. i cannot stress enough that this condition needs more aknowledgement and putting into pregnancy books. when i suggested this to professionals they just said it would only make women panic. wtf...no it would not it would make perfect sense as it is supposedly not dangerous so why would it make us panic? if u can write about severe conditions in books then why not the less severe ones. or why not just have a particular book that u can buy somewhere of common/uncommon conditions in pregnancy? someone has got to be arsed out there to do and write something surely. it would jut put soooo many minds at rest. as what to we all do any way....google everything which then sends our mind into overdrive! well thats my rant over with....it is obviously down to a woman who has had it to write about it or make an actual website designed for pregnancy u know like bounty etc only where women can write their common/uncommon problems of pregnancy and it gets moderated and seen by medical professionals to put an explanantion on each conditon that a pregnant woman comes on with.
my midwife just saw me last week and asked what my outcome of consultant test was...when i told her what it was she said she had NEVER heard of it???!! WHAT - a midwife is the one caring for u...how can they never of heard of it...i know they cannot diagnose things but to never of heard of a condition that affects pregnant women is ludicrous surely. well i have sat my puppps out as many others of u have been doing and am over the worst now and i look forward to my son being born.hope all get some sort of respite form their rash soon. gd luck.

[dlcbloom]

continue of msg direct above (dlcbloom)...i forgot to mention that i am now 36 + 4 weeks. so have had this for a long time. none of the things they gave me worked...i am hoping my puppps stays at bay and that it is finally disapearing due to the fact i have had it for so long. at least i know if i get it back i might try some of the flaxeed/ dandelion and the soap thing some of u have talked about. i really wished i had seen those posts when i first started itching and stinging. why o why they did not give me prednisone and some of the other things docs seemed to have given some of u that have worked i dont know?! it is weird and annoying how different docs know different things or lack of and nurses and midwifes too. i just feel so relieved to finally have respite now and the only thing keeping me awake at night is a fidgety baby that makes me pee lots and some very weird and wonderful dreams. i didnt think i'd get to dream again when i could not sleep for so long due to puppps. also can i add tho i had it over my body it did not touch my face or my feet?! and tho i have some scarring left on my legs from such severe itching and scratching, i know my baby is worth it. again gd luck all.

[ClubPenguin]

I'm so miserable, but I've been to a dermatologist and we are trying to figure out a remedy that will help me get through it.

[Ade]

I had PUPP with my first pregnancy and so did my twin sister. She delivered her daughter nearly 6 months before I did so I knew what to look for. NOTHING relieved the itching for her at all, but I found a remedy online that I thought I'd try and IT WORKED. Its called Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap. I found it at a health food store in our town (I believe you can order it online). Before I found this soap NOTHING helped relieve the itching or stopped the spreading of the rash(my sister and I both tried EVERYTHING), but a few days after I started using this soap I noticed that the rash stopped spreading and it started to go away. It never completely disappeared until I had my son, but it definitely relieved the itching and stopped the rash from spreading any further. Having seen what my sister went through I had it easy. Just thought I'd let anyone else out there know that I actually found something that worked...give it a try! I am 34 weeks pregnant with my second and noticed red spots on my belly today...praying its nothing!! I don't want to go through that again, but at least this time if I get it I know there is something out there to help.

[D]

Sorry to all the ladies here who got puppps. I too am a victim of this horrible horrible rash. I can most relate to the above story from "YEN" I had high blood pressure,and I begged the doctor to induce me ASAP.. It started at about 36 weeks and I asked my mom if my stretch marks were suppose to be itching this much and she said yes at first until she saw me in action (like a dog scratching flees) I went in for an appt at 3pm at 39 weeks for the doctor to look at it and she told me to come back and she would induced me that night at 6pm. The night after I had her was probably the worst night I ever felt, I just started scratching uncontrollably in the hospital bed with my baby by my side in her little bed, unable to breastfed her.(saddest moment ever, having my bf give her formula) My boyfriend DID NOT understand and was very unhelpful, and didn't understand how serious it was. I just cried all the time and stood in the shower for 45+ minutes at at a time. I tried EVERYTHING I could, oatmeal baths, steroids oral and creams, benadryl, calamine lotion, regular lotion, cold packs, EVERYTHING, and NOTHING HELPED!! I am seeing a dermatologist and she is doing NOTHING for me but prescribing me steroids and lotions and creams that dont help.(thank god I am on my moms insurance and its only costing me 10 a prescription, but I think ive spent about 60/70 dollars out of pocket on a lot of stuff that didn't work and I still have full bottles and containers of) My Daughter (yes im having a girl not a boy) Is 3 weeks and I am still itching, not as bad as before but never the less I am damaging my skin, by scratching so much. When will it go away IDK, but I am terrified to have another child again especially if its a boy, my daughter is as beautiful as can be BUT if I got pregnant again I wouldn't be able to function well enough to take care of myself, much less a newborn. I hope they find a cure, because they say its not affective to the mother or child but I have spots on my body from scratching and I was very stressed which in turned stressed my baby and my family around me because I was so miserable. It was EVERYWHERE... from my hands, to my ankles, back, legs, arms, breast, stomach, and right under my neck, chest, sides under my arms. EVERYWHERE. (SMH) Too scared to have another baby now, actually make me cry to think about it, and know that other women have to go through this. I currently wear long sleeves and I live in TEXAS... where its 100+ degrees everyday. I have to stay out of the sun and the dermatologist says it will take 3 months or so for the spots to go away. Im glad its August because its starting to cool down, and I can wear pants but again THIS IS TOO HORRIBLE, words cant express how bad it is, you would have to have it to understand, and I dont want anyone to have this!!! Not even my worst enemy. Im more scared of the rash coming back, than actually going through labor, the contractions, and pushing is no match for the itching!! Pushing was the easiest part!!

[elliptical reviews]

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