*Please Read* Obstetric Cholestasis

[DebbieF]

I have been on the Urso for a week now and my itching has not improved. They also prescribed me some sedatives to help me sleep, but as expected they aren't helping either. Every night around bedtime I just break down and cry. I can't wait until this is over..

 

[Becka79]

That sounds horrible Debbie

I hope you are doing better now.

My itching sounds nowhere near as bad as yours, its just consistently on my palms and soles, so Im worried!

 

[Perplexed]

Hey ladies...I wasn't sure where I could ask this.

Is the itching from OC constant or do different women get different symptoms?

Last night I was up for hours scratching the lower half of my scalp, ears, cheeks, front and back of my neck and parts of my back, even my surrounding eye area was itchy. By morning the itching was better but I was left with the burning feeling after having scratched too much. No visible rash.

I wouldn't have considered OC except today my arms, backs of hands and fingers started getting itchy. The sides of my feet as well. Not constant but noticable. There's no rash just redness from the itching.

Is the itching from OC constant or does it come and go? I'm seeing ob on tuesday so i will ask then but not really finding much info...

 

[DebbieF]

Hey ladies...I wasn't sure where I could ask this.

Is the itching from OC constant or do different women get different symptoms?

Last night I was up for hours scratching the lower half of my scalp, ears, cheeks, front and back of my neck and parts of my back, even my surrounding eye area was itchy. By morning the itching was better but I was left with the burning feeling after having scratched too much. No visible rash.

I wouldn't have considered OC except today my arms, backs of hands and fingers started getting itchy. The sides of my feet as well. Not constant but noticable. There's no rash just redness from the itching.

Is the itching from OC constant or does it come and go? I'm seeing ob on tuesday so i will ask then but not really finding much info...

It can be different for everyone. At your appointment you should ask for them to check your liver function numbers and bile acids. They are both simple blood tests. The liver numbers come back fairly quickly but the bile acids can take over a week to get back. I am starting to feel like an expert on this subject..

This is a very good website ~

https://www.icpcare.org

 

[Perplexed]

It can be different for everyone. At your appointment you should ask for them to check your liver function numbers and bile acids. They are both simple blood tests. The liver numbers come back fairly quickly but the bile acids can take over a week to get back. I am starting to feel like an expert on this subject..

This is a very good website ~

https://www.icpcare.org

thank you

 

[SurpriseBub]

Hi ladies,

Just wondering what your latest bile acid results were? Or what were they? And what are they now?

...I started itching at 35w, got bile acid result of 10. My dr said anything up to 19 is normal. So, i was largely placated then. The itching also passed after 4ish days.

Now this weekend (just shy of 37 weeks) the itching is back with a real vengeance. My dr took tests again today, and I am really worried I am hoping it isn't oc- and really scared of some of the problems of oc late in pregnancy. I just want to have the baby and stop all the worrying.

What does your itching feel like? Mine is all over... I will itch my leg, and then my neck will itch... as soon as I touch there some other area crops up. And on and on... I can go for a while without itching if I am distracted, but in bed it gets pretty miserable.

So nervous about the results... and just wishing at this point that I would go into labor.

 

[DebbieF]

Hi ladies,

Just wondering what your latest bile acid results were? Or what were they? And what are they now?

...I started itching at 35w, got bile acid result of 10. My dr said anything up to 19 is normal. So, i was largely placated then. The itching also passed after 4ish days.

Now this weekend (just shy of 37 weeks) the itching is back with a real vengeance. My dr took tests again today, and I am really worried I am hoping it isn't oc- and really scared of some of the problems of oc late in pregnancy. I just want to have the baby and stop all the worrying.

What does your itching feel like? Mine is all over... I will itch my leg, and then my neck will itch... as soon as I touch there some other area crops up. And on and on... I can go for a while without itching if I am distracted, but in bed it gets pretty miserable.

So nervous about the results... and just wishing at this point that I would go into labor.

I was told anything below 19 was normal as well. It is in non pregnant people. Anything above 10 during pregnancy is considered Cholestasis. My first Bile Acid test came back at 11, my second was 9 and I am still waiting for my 3rd test results (It has been 2 weeks now!) My itching was horrendous in the beginning, It was so bad at night I think for a few weeks I got no more than 2 hours of sleep a night. I finally was referred to a MFM doctor and he prescribed me 3 different types of meds that help me tremendously. If your levels come back over 10 you should push for induction immediately. I have been told a million times that after 37 weeks they are safer out than in.

Good luck!

 

[SurpriseBub]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

 

[Incubus]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

Don't stress and don't Google, if your results show oc they will call you in to give you mends or possibly schedule induction. I had oc and wasn't induced, I went into labour naturally and he was born at 38+5, I didn't want to be induced.

 

[SurpriseBub]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

Don't stress and don't Google, if your results show oc they will call you in to give you mends or possibly schedule induction. I had oc and wasn't induced, I went into labour naturally and he was born at 38+5, I didn't want to be induced.

What were your levels? (If you don't mind me asking?) I realise that a 10 at 35w would be mild/borderline. I am just not happy to take that chance and my instincts say to get her out if anything is raised. I also doubt me not sleeping from itch/worry is doing her any good.

 

[Incubus]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

Don't stress and don't Google, if your results show oc they will call you in to give you mends or possibly schedule induction. I had oc and wasn't induced, I went into labour naturally and he was born at 38+5, I didn't want to be induced.

What were your levels? (If you don't mind me asking?) I realise that a 10 at 35w would be mild/borderline. I am just not happy to take that chance and my instincts say to get her out if anything is raised. I also doubt me not sleeping from itch/worry is doing her any good.

I can't remember sorry, I had a scan to check he was growing ok and regular fetal monitoring, I pretty much lived in hospital the last few weeks as I to go in for checks so often! I had urso, vitamin k and antihistamines, the antihistamines do nothing for the itching but they do knock you out so you can get some sleep.

 

[DebbieF]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

I had to get my husband involved, he was a tremendous help with getting the doctors on board. I was told that I needed to switch my laundry detergent, start using sensitive skin soap and that Cholestasis did not start as early as mine did. They basically called me a liar in the beginning. I was sent to a GI doctor first and then to my MFM doctor. I (MFM is on board with this as well) plan on being induced at 37 weeks, I'd rather him be out than in. It's just not worth the risk to me to wait to go into labor naturally.

 

[Incubus]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

I had to get my husband involved, he was a tremendous help with getting the doctors on board. I was told that I needed to switch my laundry detergent, start using sensitive skin soap and that Cholestasis did not start as early as mine did. They basically called me a liar in the beginning. I was sent to a GI doctor first and then to my MFM doctor. I (MFM is on board with this as well) plan on being induced at 37 weeks, I'd rather him be out than in. It's just not worth the risk to me to wait to go into labor naturally.

I can't imagine what you are going through right now, it was living hell having it for 3.5 weeks. Hope time passes as quickly as possible for you x

 

[SurpriseBub]

I don't know how to make that push. My next appointment isn't until next Monday, and I won't get my latest results until Thursday. I doubt if I call they will listen to me and/or do an induction or c/s. It is all really scary and I hate not being able to control/influence what happens.

I had to get my husband involved, he was a tremendous help with getting the doctors on board. I was told that I needed to switch my laundry detergent, start using sensitive skin soap and that Cholestasis did not start as early as mine did. They basically called me a liar in the beginning. I was sent to a GI doctor first and then to my MFM doctor. I (MFM is on board with this as well) plan on being induced at 37 weeks, I'd rather him be out than in. It's just not worth the risk to me to wait to go into labor naturally.

How awful. Why don't we get a bigger say in our care? I should get my next results on Thursday. If it is anything above 10 I am going to push for an immediate induction. If my dr says no can I really just turn up at l&d and try to see whoever is there? I called a couple of new ob gyn offices today. Nobody will take a new patient... so I feel very stuck.

 

[sophie.b]

hi everyone so my bile salts came bk today my lfts were normal but my bile salt was 16 so theyve started me on urso my next bloods will come bk thursday (bile salts) so im interested whether they will have risen or not. have iugr too so there considering starting me in the next couple of weeks anyway just hoping the dont rise causing me to be induced even earlier than 35 weeks (ill be 33 weeks monday)

couple of question's

after blood tests following week is it likely to raise drastically. they were taken before I started the urso as only started them today.

also what level did ur bile salt get to before they induced you due to there being a risk.

how quickly did you bile salts start to come down after taking urso?
.im on 250mg tablets three times a day x

 

[SurpriseBub]

My dr says that bile acids are unlikely to spike... But moms on threads etc seem to say that it can rise quickly. So, I dont know what to think is true.... I would suspect it might be true that they typically won't go up suddenly, but they can. So, the drs look at it one way, but we as mothers are more likely to be worried about that chance of something suddenly going wrong.

Similarly people argue about what level of bile acid is normal. There is a very good study that suggests anything over 20 is OC, and anything over 40 is severe OC (and it is at that point that risks get much higher). In pregnancy, anything over 10 is cause for concern.

This website/these links are a good place to start: https://www.icpcare.org/medical-articles---reference.html

 

[SurpriseBub]

Also- there isnt a proven link between diet and OC, but my mum suggested eating as low fat as possible... And that certainly seems to make sense to me!

Low fat and lots of water are good for the liver

 

[Jannah K]

Hi all,
I am 33 Wk preggo with baby boy. First pregnancy and it took us long time to conceive.
anyways, I had a smooth pregnancy until.3 wks ago when I started itching. It started mild and soon became severe where too much scratch caused me to bleed. Midwife did liver enzyme test but it came normal last week. Over wkd I started developing rashes n really bad itching throughout body....went in emergency appt yday and midwife was surprised to ses my red irritated skin...she did bile acid blood work...and also stared me on urso 300mg 3x daily...when I take med my itching goes down significantly but by 7 and half it return and I know medicine is wearing off...I m given prescription for just two weeks...results should come by next week and hopefully my Tuesday appt at 34 weeks, we will discuss the results. I m convinced I have cholestasis otherwise why would thks med work? Benedryl didn't work on me..cold showers n creams were temporary relief as well...
DH seem to think that I did something wrong to be at this position..event hough it's just my body hormone causing all this plus winter plus boy pregnancy. ..if I do get dx, I m going to push for delivery by 37 wks...stillborn, fetal distress really worrying me...I called nurse today and asked for biweekly monitoring since med is working but she said I have to.wait for results. ..let's see!!!
so thankful for this thread!!

 

[Sophiasmom]

Janna I'm so sorry for what you're going through. The way my mfm doctor explained ICP to me was that my liver was most likely affected by a virus I had as a child. On a normal basis my liver functions normally. Add a baby to the mix and the liver has to work harder and gets stressed. Which leads to ICP. There's nothing you could have done to cause any of this. I hope you get some relief soon!!

 

[Jannah K]

urs after 4th dose doesn't seem to very effective..3:40am I had to wake up due to severe itching and heartburn. ..I dunno what to do
My entire body seemed red n warm n itching only made me wanna itch my entire body until I bleed...