# all over body rash after c-sec birth (on me not baby)?



## firsttimer1

hi ladies :flower:

had my little dude 5 weeks ago - and 2 weeks after my emergency c-section i broke out in a rash all over my legs. Its now on my arms and back and looks like ive been stung by nettles. its soooooooooo itchy and horrible.

asked my HV and MW and they said they were not sure why i have it and werent worried - but it itches like heck so would like to do something about it!!!

Im seeing the doctor next week for 6week check and will ask her too then... but did any of you also have this rash? maybe its linked to c-sec?? :shrug:

any ideas / rememdies?

:flower:


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## Ozzieshunni

I would say it's a reaction to something, but what, I'm not sure :( Are you still on any pain medications?


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## AngelUK

I had this! My eyes swelled up as if I had been hit and I wanted to take my skin off my legs with my nails, I itched that badly! And of course scratching made me itch worse than ever! 
Are you by any chance still taking pain meds? Cause the only solution my GP could find was that maybe it was the Ibuprofen build-up. I read up on it and one of the negative side effects can indeed be a rash like that. My GP thought it could also be just from the red die they use on the tablets itself. I had been in A&E 2 days before seeing him and they recommended Piriton which helped zero! My GP prescribed Fexofenadine Hydrochloride, which I took for 3 days but I think stopping the Ibuprofen was what really stopped the rash.
Hope this helped and that your rash will subside soon xxx


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## firsttimer1

Ozzie and angeluk - Thanks or replying ladies..... but unfortunately i stopped taking all meds about 1 week after c-sec as i was very lucky and felt fine pretty quickly xxxx so im guessing its not that :nope:

Its driving me insane :cry:


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## Ozzieshunni

Have you tried taking an antihistamine? Like Benadryl?


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## firsttimer1

i havent tried anything yet as i kept thinking ''give it another day, it will go'' .... so here i am still itching! LOL

is benadryl ok to take when breastfeeding? x


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## Ozzieshunni

Yes :)


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## Jaylynne

I had it on my thighs and belly. Little bumps that itches so bad! They went away pretty fast though.


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## firsttimer1

Thanks ozzie! will give it a go and also talk to doctor.... what a nightmare.


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## caz_hills

I had this all over my body for aboiut 2-3 months after my delivery which was an emergency c-section. The doctor said that it's the hormones after birth and that it can last ages and to be honest I was itchy for a long time! But it calmed down - but my hubbie still calls me scratch sometimes as I was itching all the time - it was horrible. I tried some steroid cream and some streroids from the dr and they helped - got them at my 6 week check up I think. x


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## kaiser246

It could possibly be a bacteria of the skin that was picked up from the surgery! I have the name at the top of my head but I just can't seem to bring it to the surface. And yes I am having a mental block! :haha:

I was also going to say that my DD had surgery about 2 months ago and did pick up MRSA, a bad bacteria from the surgery. She had to go back in about 2 weeks later and stay there a another month heavy antibiotics. She is at home now but she is still on the antibiotics! And no, MRSA ws not the name that I was trying to come up with! :D


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## firsttimer1

Caz - thanks hun xxx but wow, not sure i can take another month of it :( fingers crossed benedryl or some steroid cream etc helps x

kaiser - yeh ir read about the bacteria but the symptoms didnt seem to fit :shrug: 

guess i will wait and see what the doc says :hugs: thanks ladies xxx


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## RebeccaG

I had a terrible rash when pregnant from all I can think of was taking penicillin. I then had it again after LO was born as I had a difficult birth and ended up on loads of drugs and drips etc. Anyway! When pregnant I was told by a friend to wash with baking soda - sounds weird I know! But it sort of helped the itchiness! Was much better I found than anything else that I tried - and I tried a lot! Hope you sort it soon, it was just unbearable when I had it! Ice cubes helped as well! xx


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## kaiser246

RebeccaG said:


> I had a terrible rash when pregnant from all I can think of was taking penicillin. I then had it again after LO was born as I had a difficult birth and ended up on loads of drugs and drips etc. Anyway! When pregnant I was told by a friend to wash with baking soda - sounds weird I know! But it sort of helped the itchiness! Was much better I found than anything else that I tried - and I tried a lot! Hope you sort it soon, it was just unbearable when I had it! Ice cubes helped as well! xx

^^^^That was also what I was thinking! I also had a friend that after her c-section had an awful rash! She did use baking soda and said that it helped a bit!


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## firsttimer1

baking soda is it then!!!! :)


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## RebeccaG

It was the only thing that gave some relief! That and cooling it down. When pregnant I used to go to bed with hot water bottles filled with ice cold water and have them on me. 

Don't get too excited about the baking soda as it won't take away the itch completely just hopefully take the edge off it. I found calamine lotion did nothing. 


https://www.uptodate.com/contents/p...lin-and-related-antibiotics-beyond-the-basics

This is interesting if you think you have had an allergy though to penicillin. x


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## jenn2282

AngelUK said:


> I had this! My eyes swelled up as if I had been hit and I wanted to take my skin off my legs with my nails, I itched that badly! And of course scratching made me itch worse than ever!
> Are you by any chance still taking pain meds? Cause the only solution my GP could find was that maybe it was the Ibuprofen build-up. I read up on it and one of the negative side effects can indeed be a rash like that. My GP thought it could also be just from the red die they use on the tablets itself. I had been in A&E 2 days before seeing him and they recommended Piriton which helped zero! My GP prescribed Fexofenadine Hydrochloride, which I took for 3 days but I think stopping the Ibuprofen was what really stopped the rash.
> Hope this helped and that your rash will subside soon xxx

i have rashes and have been on ibuprofen for a couple weeks hmm, i'm never on it for more then a few days before being preggo, maybe thats whats doing it?


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## disney doll

I had this after my section it was a really itchy rash where they had put the iodine for op on stomach and top of thighs. I presume it was a reaction to that in my case.


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## SweetChilli90

I had this too, for about 6 weeks! I was going out of my mind, the doctor give me a prescription for piritze and cetraben and that helped a bit. Hope you fine relief soon:flower:


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## mrs_tickle

I had this and piriton is OK to take (GP prescibed this) I had a reaction to the antibiotics I was taking. Was not nice :-(


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## Ozzieshunni

mrs_tickle said:


> I had this and *piriton* is OK to take (GP prescibed this) I had a reaction to the antibiotics I was taking. Was not nice :-(

That's the name of the other one I've been thinking of! :thumbup: I took it as well for a cold.


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## BabyGO

Hi Firstimer1
Im new to this site and I am so relieved to find women on here with the same thing but sad at the same time. I thought I was the only one. My son is almost two years old and I have had this since a couple weeks after he was born by c section and its ruining my life! I have been to 5 different doctors, dermatologists, allergists, had skin biopsies, blood tests, used steroid creams, prednisone, prescribed body oils, and allergy pills. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING! Nothing is working. If this is a hormone thing how come the doctors never mentioned that and nobody seems to know what it is or whats causing it? The itchiness is all I think about I cant concentrate at work and because this happened after the c section I dont even want to ever have another baby because of the misery I have gone through for 2 years! Im hoping to find anyone on here who knows what it is and what the cure is! If its hormones and it takes ages to go away...I guess thats longer than 2 years??? Im so desperate you ladies have no idea.


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## BabyGO

firsttimer1 said:


> Caz - thanks hun xxx but wow, not sure i can take another month of it :( fingers crossed benedryl or some steroid cream etc helps x
> 
> kaiser - yeh ir read about the bacteria but the symptoms didnt seem to fit :shrug:
> 
> guess i will wait and see what the doc says :hugs: thanks ladies xxx


Hi Firstimer1
Please keep me posted on what the Doctor tells you.
Im new to this site and I am so relieved to find women on here with the same thing but sad at the same time. I thought I was the only one. My son is almost two years old and I have had this since a couple weeks after he was born by c section and its ruining my life! I have been to 5 different doctors, dermatologists, allergists, had skin biopsies, blood tests, used steroid creams, prednisone, prescribed body oils, and allergy pills. I HAVE TRIED EVERYTHING! Nothing is working. If this is a hormone thing how come the doctors never mentioned that and nobody seems to know what it is or whats causing it? The itchiness is all I think about I cant concentrate at work and because this happened after the c section I dont even want to ever have another baby because of the misery I have gone through for 2 years! Im hoping to find anyone on here who knows what it is and what the cure is! If its hormones and it takes ages to go away...I guess thats longer than 2 years??? Im so desperate you ladies have no idea.


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## NickyT75

I also had this its horrible!

apparently its pretty common but the doctors dont seem to know what causes it :shrug: (I was told it was possibly a reaction to the iodine but that didnt explain why it spread to my thighs)

I got some steroid cream prescribed but cant remember the name sorry, go back to your doctor hun xx


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## BabyGO

NickyT75 said:


> I also had this its horrible!
> 
> apparently its pretty common but the doctors dont seem to know what causes it :shrug: (I was told it was possibly a reaction to the iodine but that didnt explain why it spread to my thighs)
> 
> I got some steroid cream prescribed but cant remember the name sorry, go back to your doctor hun xx

Yeah I went through several rounds of the steroid creams. How long did yours last?
And it was strange for me it went from my c section scar to my stomach then my thighs...over time it moved to the backs of my knees then my arms and now its spread to my chest and neck. I cant believe that iodine would have such an effect after 2 years. But I will mention it to the doctor on Thursday.


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## caz_hills

Mine didn't last that long - I still feel a little itchy now but the worst of it was over quite quickly. I wonder what it is? How strange that so many of us have it. Hugs to you all and welcome to BNB BabyGO! xx


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## qpaulina42

just wanted to share my experience with postpartum itch though I did not have a c section or epidural (or anything else except pitocin for 15 min at the very end so I'm not sure if that might have been it). I got the itch about 5 weeks pp and it went on for about 2 or 3 weeks. I had lots of appointments and different blood work done and it turned out to be eczema. Steroids and various antihistamines did nothing. The only thing that helped was singulair which is another type of allergy medication. I was so itchy I could not sleep. I was bruised and bleeding from the scratching. So I totally relate! Midwives and obgyn told me that it was hormones and nothing I could do. I'm glad I insisted on full blood work because it showed I had high erythrocytes (I think that's what it was, forget now....) and the diagnosis of eczema and then we tried several meds and singulair is what did it.


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## firsttimer1

thanks ladies x 

babyGO - will defo update this thread wen seen doctor next week... think i see her a week today xxxx


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## redbubble

I had PUPPP during my pregnancy and only a course of steroids from the doc managed to shift it (eventually).
I had my lo just over a week ago by c-sect and the day after the section i started to get a rash on my legs. I thought it mightve been the detergent used by the hospital laundry on the sheets but it started to get worse after i came home.
Its exactly the same as the PUPPP i had during pregnancy and im back on another course of steroids again to try and clear it. It is meant to be rare to get it after birth but it does happen :o( Im just hoping it doesnt last too long this time as i was at the end of my tether before!!


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## roomaloo

I've got a rash all over my chest, got it about 4 weeks ago at 12 weeks pp. So so annoying and itchy, and the docs have no idea what it is so just prescribed canesten HC cream. Useless, that does nothing and i'm not happy putting it so close to where my baby's face goes (BF)

Be interested to see what the doc says. I didn't have a C sec either. It still seems to be spreading. GAH!


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## firsttimer1

rebubble - i just read today about PUPPP and it sounds like and looks like what i have :( will ask doctor :(


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## tickledpink3

I know this thread is sort of old but wanted to respond. I did get the itchies all over (uknown if it was a rash because I am brown skinned). I believe it was a reaction to the medicine they gave me in the IV during the section. They called it Duramorph which is also morphine. I didn't have a not so nice reaction to that. After the c-section, my mother and fiance had to stop me from ripping my bandage off and scratching. I was itching that bad. They gave me some form of benadryl in my IV, I don't remember what the name was but it took it about 10 hours before it started to work. It started with a N.


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