I've been going crazy for the last week while my stretch marks heal. This morning I Googled 'Postpartum itching' and found references for PUPPP.
"Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy (PUPPP), also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy, is the most common rash in pregnant women. It normally occurs in first pregnancies during the third trimester with an average onset of 35 weeks. Thankfully, PUPPP does not usually affect subsequent pregnancies. "
And also,
"The cause of PUPPP is unknown. It is not associated with preeclampsia, autoimmune disorders, hormonal abnormalities, or fetal abnormalities. Some investigators suggest that the rapid abdominal wall distension damages connective tissue and causes an inflammatory response. One study has shown that male fetal DNA can be found in skin biopsies of the rash. Since 70% of women with PUPPP give birth to boys, a new hypothesis is that male fetal DNA acts as a skin irritant. "
So that explains alot. Also, from what I read, its almost over. I'm going a little slightly insane from it.
Here are some of the things I have tried to help. Scratching- it only results in welts and scratches. Cocoa butter- it only makes me smell like chocolate. Bag balm- it makes me very greasy and alleviates the discomfort for a little while. Hemmoriod cream- gives me relief for most of the day. I've been putting it on in the morning after my shower and again before I got to bed.
Ironic and funny in a way... I didn't have hemmoroids while I was pregnant, but I'm using the cream anyway. As a sidenote; I had the stuff in the house because I had heard that it helps to heal stretch marks because it shrinks inflamed skin tissue. Right now I don't care about the stretch marks. As long as I quit itching, I will be happy.
3 comments:
ohmigosh, I missed a lot!
Congrats to you and Welcome! to Squirt =) Glad to see that he is doing well now. Sorry about the itching - no advice there, just hope it's gone (or subsided?) by now.
Hi...I googled postpartum itching and your blog came up. I delivered on 11/28/08 and 2-3 weeks later developed the same maddening itching that has yet to leave. I've even taken 2 rounds of steroids & antihistamines which only ease it while I'm actively taking the medications. Are you still dealing with the problem or did it go away? Please share with me any info you have...I'm a registered nurse and I've questioned several docs and they're all stumped. My email is zulalularen@yahoo.com
Thank you,
Monica
Hi Anonymous, I got PUPPP at week 37 on my stretch marks under my belly. My baby boy was delivered the same week and the red bumpy rash spread to my legs and arms at 2nd week postpartum.
I was prescribed Lyderm (fluocinonide steroid cream), Zyrtec, Claritin, Benedryl, these did not help me at all. Calamine with antihistamine only provided mild topical relief. Pine tar soap did not help me. Breastfeeding was hard as I didn't get any sleep due to itching. I was itchy everywhere and going crazy.
At 2 months postpartum I found out about dandelion root supplements through some people's stories on this PUPPP website http://members.optushome.com.au/westhoff/puppp/. I got Natural Factors Dandelion Root pills (125mg 4:1 extract plus 300 mg ground root). What worked for me was 1 pill every 6h (4 pills a day) with lots of water. It took about a week to see results. Also took 1 Flax Seed Oil daily 1000mg. 1 glass of unflavoured Metamucil daily seemed to help too. When the pills ran out (about 4 weeks) I switched to GNC Brand 550mg ground Dandelion Root pill, slowly tapering dosage to zero. Now I am at 4 months postpartum, don't need to take any supplements, still breastfeeding, and PUPPP free!!! As with everything, consult your care provider & do your own research. Thanks to all who shared their experiences online, it helped me get through this.
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