*Please Read* Obstetric Cholestasis

[hersweetleaf]

does the itching have to just be on the hands and feet? because it started out as probable PUPPS on my belly, and now, im itchy everywhere...i want to go insane.

anyone out there help me? i dont have the headaches or blurred vision, or blood pressure problem...what the h can this be?!

 

[JuJuK]

I'm 36+4 and have been itching for 2 days. Been to the GP and he is sending me for a blood test tomorrow morning at the GP surgery.

Just been reading up on this and am now worried that my results will take too long to come back and if I've got it, it may be urgent as I'm nearly 37 weeks and that's when they induce you?

What should I do?

 

[alisha90]

Hi everyone im 35 weeks, my hands & feet have been itching like mad from i was around 22-23 weeks I hadnt even heard of OC before it was my sister that panicked and made me go see my midwife when I told her about my hands & feet being really swollen and itchy..
Since then ive had 4 LFT tests done, my ALP levels have been raising every time (the normal range is 35-120) the first time they were 124, 2nd time 141, 3rd time 150 & this time it has gone down slightly to 147 but still higher than the normal range.
Im getting very frustrated as I had to go to hospital a few times because the itch was literally unbearable and they were telling me that my LFT's were OK and then my midwife & a community midwife both panicked about my results and made me an appointment to meet with my consultant. Why am I being told 2 different things!!!
The consultant said I have all the symptoms of OC but it is not showing in my bloods but yet she gave me the URSO medication for the condition, should she have done this if they cant confirm that I have the condition?
I am due to meet with her again tomorrow for the 4th results but I have already rang the hospital and got them, the ALP is still higher than the normal range (147) and the GGT, ALT & Albumin are all lower than the normal range :/ The GGT & ALT levels have been low all 4 times (the normal range is 12-58 for GGT & 10-56 for ALT) but this 4th time they are both at 6 which is quite low.. But the bile acid test came back at 4 and apparently anything under 14 is normal..
Has anyone else experienced this with their bloods? Could I have the condition even though the bile acids are normal? I am going out of my mind!! I dont think I could cope with another 5-6 weeks of this itching if they arent going to induce me

 

[JuJuK]

it sounds crazy all the different opinions, numbers, waiting around....

my bloods came back normal so they dont think i have oc, but i've read it can take 2 weeks to show in your blood. so so worried. one of my results was 4 too so maybe that was my bile acids as well (she didnt go into details about all the numbers)

itchings getting worse

if i go to the hospital will i be able to see a consultant and what can they do?

i seriously cant cope with the itching

 

[hersweetleaf]

itchings getting worse


i seriously cant cope with the itching

tell me about it. i went to my doc for it a bit ago, she said it was a "normal pregnancy" thing and just a bad allergic reaction. BULLSHIT. she told me to keep taking benydryll (which doesnt do anything), and zyrtec, and take cold showers, use this ointment and that and blah blah. nothing helps.

it spred from my belly, to my legs, tops of feet, hands, arms, back. i look horrid. they checked my urine, and there was alot of protein in it, but when i went to the hospital to get monitored, there wasnt barely any protien in it. i dont get it. my feet are swollen so bad when i bend them it feels like the skin could split. the itching doesnt go away with any resolution she gave me.

my ob is out of town till monday, and i never have ever been so excited to see her than i have the past week. everything started happening the day she left for vacation. go freaking figure.

the itching has caused my legs to look terriable, i have these weird red patchy bumpy marks on my arms, im subconciously up at night scratching till i bleed, im losing sleep, im going crazy! and she said they wouldnt even think of inducing me till atleast 39 weeks!!! i couldnt handle another 2 weeks of this. no one but us knows what its like. i feel like those tweekers who are always itching and picking at themselves. i dont like it!!

 

[sailorsgirl]

I uope your itching eases...I know how you feel. My itchkng is unbareable now. Makes me want to sit and cry. I cant sleep because of it, when i do sleep it wakes me up in the night. Even if i wake in the night for a trip to the bathroom I cant get back to sleep for the itching. My poor hubby got home from a 6 month deploymeny in Libya 6 weeks ago and hes barely been able to get close , because im to fidgety, but its especially worse in the last couple of days because everytime he touches me it makes me itch. He only wants a cuddle. Im so tired because of lack of sleep and then people like my mum have a go at me for scratching...I want it to stop

 

[JuJuK]

It's horrific, if one more person tells me to stop itching I think I'm gonna stab them in the face Lol!!!!

I'm going to the Dr's at 3pm, apparently they can prescribe Piriton to ease the inflammation as my bloods are negative for OC.

Hope you all get sorted soon, it really is unbearable - big hugs (and scratches!) xxxx

 

[alisha90]

I went to see consultant again yesterday, surprise surprise she wasnt even there! Ended up just getting a scan done by a sonographer or whatever they are called and bloods took to test the LFT's again.. The girl rang me last night and told me that the LFT result came back normal and that she would get the doctor to give me a ring today to let me know if they want me to keep getting my bloods checked weekly..
I have a feeling they are going to try & pon me off and tell me not to come back but I have read up on this condition and although there isnt much research on it, the research that has been done so far proves that there is a high risk of stillbirth if you go over 37 weeks. The research also says that the condition can take a while before it will show in your blood but it also says that in some cases it will not show in the bloods at all even if you do have it.
I am convinced I have it! My hands and feet have been swollen & itchy for weeks now and nothing is helping ive tried numerous creams and piriton and even this URSO medication that is specifically for OC is not helping either. I also have the other symptoms of pale coloured stools, dark urine, loss of appetite and being tired all the time. I am really scared incase I do have it and its not going to show in my bloods as if I go full-term the risk of stillbirth will increase

 

[JuJuK]

I went to see consultant again yesterday, surprise surprise she wasnt even there! Ended up just getting a scan done by a sonographer or whatever they are called and bloods took to test the LFT's again.. The girl rang me last night and told me that the LFT result came back normal and that she would get the doctor to give me a ring today to let me know if they want me to keep getting my bloods checked weekly..
I have a feeling they are going to try & pon me off and tell me not to come back but I have read up on this condition and although there isnt much research on it, the research that has been done so far proves that there is a high risk of stillbirth if you go over 37 weeks. The research also says that the condition can take a while before it will show in your blood but it also says that in some cases it will not show in the bloods at all even if you do have it.
I am convinced I have it! My hands and feet have been swollen & itchy for weeks now and nothing is helping ive tried numerous creams and piriton and even this URSO medication that is specifically for OC is not helping either. I also have the other symptoms of pale coloured stools, dark urine, loss of appetite and being tired all the time. I am really scared incase I do have it and its not going to show in my bloods as if I go full-term the risk of stillbirth will increase

This is exactly what I was scared of and I felt like I was being fobbed off. Just because it doesn't show in your blood results. Like you, I've read that it can take 2 weeks to show and by that time my baby might have died.

No-one (medically) seems to give a shit tho and they say there is nothing they can do if my bloods are normal.

Well, I have the symptoms so why can't they induce me? I said to my midwife surely it's better to induce me (I'm 37 weeks today which is classed as full term) and me have a living baby rather than waiting another week or 2 weeks to do more bloods just to doubley confirm what they think and in the mean time what if my baby dies???

Apparently they dont induce as it's risky, but why would it be risky if I'm now full term?????

I feel like all I'm being told is to just wait all the time.

And obviously trying to deal with incessant itching whilst being mega stressed is not nice AT all.....

 

[alisha90]

I know that is exactly the way I feel too, Ive had all the symptoms for more than 2 weeks though and still nothing is showing in my bloods but the reason im confused is because they have gave me the URSO medication, they are treated me as though I do have the condition.. Im due to go back to the hospital tuesday so I am going to tell the doctor that I do not want to take the risk of going over 37 weeks unless they can confidently tell me that I dont have the condition.. Even then though I will still be worried, all they keep saying to me is the babys still active so theres nothing to worry about.. That means NOTHING!! Are they trying to wait until the baby is dead or something :/ They just dont seem to care

 

[hormonal]

I have been diagnosed with this but my hospital said there is no need to induce anyone early with this condition and they are not even going to test me again. Was very surprised after all I've read about it but they are adament they said research shows that if you are taking the urso medication then you are no more likely to have a stillbirth than someone without the condition. My levels 3 weeks ago were over 40 for bile acids and still 4 weeks to go.
Not happy about it but there is nothing I can do. Spoke to numerous midwifes plus a registrar and a consultant all said the same.

 

[sailorsgirl]

Ive had similar things being said to me now too, a few weeks ago the consultant said they would induce somewhere between 36 and 38 weeks, now the midwife has said on two occassions that they wont induce because the urso is controlling my bile acid levels. Im not sure how I feel now. Im afraid of something going wrong in those last few weeks...Im not sure wether to push for induction when we see the consultant on friday?

 

[louise1302]

when i had oc 8 months ago ideas were changing, so long as the urso is controlling the bile acids and they are regularly checked the risk of anything happening is no more than someone without oc, its the bile acids that can cross the placenta and harm baby, so long as these are in normal limits then the risk isnt a risk if that makes sense

hormonal have they not said they are going to check your lft and bile acids via weekly blood tests? if not id def ask again they need to make sure the urso is doing its job

 

[Crocus]

Hi everyone,

I was diagnosed with OC yesterday at 33 weeks + 2 due to elevated LFT after mentioning my itching to the midwife last week.

I am lucky that my midwife team seem to be on the case as my itching is not what I would term severe and is not restricted to my hands and feet. Also, my first LFT last week came back borderline normal. I am in good general health and not feeling at all unwell. If my midwife hadn't have requested I had a repeat test I would have let it go

I am due to start twice weekly monitoring + bloods at the hospital on Monday and I'm having a scan to check that baby girl is ok, she is a wriggler so I know she's fine so far.

I am very confused on the conflicting advice regarding early induction, my NHS trust induce delivery no later than 38 weeks for OC but I see that this is not recommended by all and that the RCOG report on OC is ambivalent on the matter. I can't work out whether it is riskier to induce or to wait for a normal birth. Any opinions gratefully recieved!

 

[Angelique]

Hi ladies... I'm glad I stumbled on this thread.... I'm 32 weeks and 2 weeks ago I went for a check and I had high BP. 160/100, and trace of protein in my urine. They ordered blood tests and it came back that my liver enzymes are high. They told me to come for weekly monitoring and non stress tests, but he didn't say anything about my liver. They did a scan and said baby measured right on.... but he also said he is sure I'm developing toxemia. Now...... my BP has dropped in the last week, but I've started itching like a crazy person. I'm about to use the cheese grater on my hands. They are hot, and red and itch, I also itch on my legs, arms feet and face. It feels like I'm chasing the horrible itching around my body. I have no rash, but just painfully itch. Something else.... my baby's movement is decreasing.... today he was very active but the last 2 days barely anything. I had to poke and wiggle and play music for him to move at all. That happens a lot and is why doc wants weekly nst done. But I'm worried about OC. I deliver by c section.... I don't go into labor in my own, does it sound to you guys like it could be OC? I go back on weds to see the doc. I'm gonna ask for a test. He seems very concerned so he may order one anyway. I'm just scared for my baby. Especially with his slowed movement.

Thanks

 

[glaciergirl]

I am 34+4 and was diagnosed with this today after a blood test taken yesterday. I have itching everywhere but it is very severe on my feet, arms and hands Today in the day assessment unit they checked the babys position, heartbeat and its doing fine. My bloods show a slight rise in two chemicals that signal OC, so I have been given Piriton to control the itching. I have another blood test next week to check whether those chemicals have risen. So far I am really happy with the care and advice I have received - I think if the levels rise then they may put me on some stronger meds. Thoughts are with all of you -this is a really horrible condition to have right the end of our pregnancies xx

 

[bumpyjo]

i have been itching really badly and going dizzy had a blood test last week and they told me to ring them so i may have this

 

[poasa]

Hi bumpy in my experience if my blood results were abnormal they called the next day and pulled me back up the hospital for review and monitoring. If your bloods are normal I think the protocol is to repeat them 7 days later. (thats whats happening with my hospital anyway!)

 

[Jchihuahua]

Grrr! I had OC in my last pregnancy (I made loads of posts in this thread at that time) and have been closely monitored, monthly LFTs and bile acid tests and consulatant led care but I think it is coming back . The palms of my hands have been so itchy during the night for the last few days. Last time I had it I would have to have a shower in the middle of the night as I was so itchy. I can't bear to have it again .

 

[bumpyjo]

they rang at work so got a voicemail asking to ring back but they had shut by then so im ringing them back tomoro am very tired and hot and itchy so worried it may be this x