# 12 weeks diagnosed with PUPPP



## livebychance

so i am 12 weeks today with a high risk pregnancy as it is, i have had 3 premature babies all having to stay in the nicu, due to a unstable uterus. well today i was diagnosed with PUPPP or Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, normally i know your not supposed to get it until the end but lucky me i got it in the beginning, and i know the only cure is delivery which i am still ways away from , benadryl and antihistamine lotions arent helping....anyone have any suggestions?


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## Want2bMum

livebychance said:


> so i am 12 weeks today with a high risk pregnancy as it is, i have had 3 premature babies all having to stay in the nicu, due to a unstable uterus. well today i was diagnosed with PUPPP or Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy, normally i know your not supposed to get it until the end but lucky me i got it in the beginning, and i know the only cure is delivery which i am still ways away from , benadryl and antihistamine lotions arent helping....anyone have any suggestions?

I am so sorry to hear this hun,

old people in my country say that when people got this a long time ago before antihistamines were invented they would boil the leaves of mallow plant (not sure this is the right translation...) and then put some cloth or cotton in the water and on the skin. They could swear it worked...
I am not sure as I don't know anybody with this problem but i can say that since we were little, when we had some itches or rubeola, our mothers used mallow and it worked for us...
if nothing else is working you could try this...
:hugs::hugs:


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## Maybump2

Hi Hun,

I had PUPP's, so i am sending you sympathy! I had several cold showers a day, was prescribed antihistimines and steroid cream from the Dr (wouldn't use over the counter without checking first) and cool spray (it's like an ice spray in a spray can). I also bought an exfoliation brush (you know the slightly stiff brushes that you get your circulation going with from the body shop) i used that to brush the itches rather than scratch as i was ripping my skin... calomine lotions and the like did nothing, it really is like torture so i hope these things help and your pregnancy goes well xxx


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## DarlingMe

livebychance, I had fifth disease or slapped cheek or parvovirus (goes by different things if different areas all the same) I had a full body rash when I had this a couple years ago for about a week (not pregnant at the time). The first day or 2 I took benadryl every 4 hours and slept the whole time. 

The doc told me to also take pepcid (over the counter generic famotidine), the stomach medication. It also works as a histamine blocker but doesnt make you drowsy. It is safe during pregnancy and some women take it for heartburn. My doc recommended taking it twice a day. It wasnt a dramatic change but it definately helped at didnt make me sleepy. It took a couple doses to start working too. Can the doctor write you presription for a cream that is stronger?

I hope you feel better and this is only a temporary thing! When I had the rash a couple years ago it was awful! Oatmeal, baking soda (bicarbonate of soda in UK I think?), and milk baths might give you some temporary relief too. Is it a hydrocortisone cream you are using? I know benadryl makes a skin cream too with benadryl in it. I am worried about getting PUPPPS too for some reason, it makes me cringe thinking about it. I feel awful for you. I am itching just thinking about it! I hope that it doesnt stress you too much and you have a safe LO growing!


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## kdea547

So sorry hun. I feel your pain. I've had puppps since about 17 weeks (immediately after getting over my morning sickness!). Unfortunately, the only thing that made the rash better for me was oral and topical steroids. I did two rounds of oral steroids and while it didn't make it go away completely, it did make it better for a few weeks. I am using a topical steroid until I run out of refills or until the rash goes away. I also take a Zyrtec and Pepcid AC every 12 hours, which really takes the edge off of the itchiness. Here is a list of other things I've tried:

Dandelion root capsules: heard that this has worked miracles for some women, but it did nothing for me.

V8 juice (veggie or fruit blend): again, this has worked for other women, but not for me. However, some women were drinking an entire bottle a day. I couldn't drink that much because I have gestational diabetes and can't handle all the sugar from juice.

Ranier Soapworks PUPPP Relief (Soap and lotion): This gives me about as much relief as anything. It feels good, but doesn't stop the itch for that long.

Grandpa's Pine Tar Soap: Same as above soap.

Gold Bond Lotion: I slather this on right before bed really thickly and just let it soak in on its own. It usually gives me enough itch relief to get to sleep.

Benadryl: I took this to help me sleep. It really did nothing for the itch and it made my little girl pretty sluggish. I prefer Zyrtec, but if (when) you get to a point that you really need to get some sleep, this works for that. It is safe during pregnancy, but I didn't like that my baby didn't move as much when I was taking it.

Prayer: If you swing this way...I have been praying like crazy for healing/relief the last few days and some of my rash is clearing up. Just a personal thing!

Good luck hun and hopefully you don't go crazy like I did for a while. I still have crying fits over it. I'm not having an easy pregnancy and it's high risk because of the gestational diabetes, but I will gladly suffer everything I have so far twice over if I didn't have to deal with this rash anymore.


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## Lee37

Hi ladies! Just wanted to let you know that I found something that worked for me. I read so many forums and a couple times came across stories where women suggested vitamin d and sun. I have had Pupps since early on..maybe 16 weeks. It got really bad at 24 weeks and needed to try something since dandelion root and all the natural things I was trying really didnt seem to relieve it for me. So I have gotten just a little natural sun (I personally dont feel that tanning beds are the safest and avoid them all together) outside each day (careful not enough to get heated or to tan (just to get some sun on my white belly) and made sure to take the recommended amount of vitamin D each day and my rash is gone after 3 days!!!! :happydance: Im no dr, i just wanted to let you know what worked for me, make sure to consult your physician or midwife as everyone's health situation is different but I hope all of you will get relief soon. I wish you all happy and healthy pregnancies! :hugs:


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## Ella86

Just realized this is an old thread - but thought it was worth posting in case someone new reads - I was diagnosed very early on as well - BUT, it ended up sorting itself out over a couple-few months. Maybe it wasn't true PUPP, but it certainly met the description basically to a T. I do think it was a reaction, but my body adjusted over time. What helped me was pine tar soap and keeping my skin very very moisturized with coconut oil and pure Shea butter.


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