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What Causes Severe Itching In The Body During Pregnancy?
Question: I have two daughters. Elder one 4 yrs old and younger is six month old.Since second month of my second pregnancy I have been facing itching problem all over my body. this problem still exists till date.this never happened during my first pregnancy. Itching starts all of a sudden (mainly at night time) at a certain part of the body(more commonly left arm or right thigh) and ends only after I take a cetrizine. when I was expecting my gynae told me it can be a side effcet of the medicines i am taking( daily : iron - Orofex-XT, Calcium vit D3, vit - Evion 400, susten 200 ) (susten injection-weekly)to take a cetrizine for this. which I had to take everyday.but still my problem persists ands i have to take a cetrizine evryday or face itching uncontrolably.
Brief Answer:
Need more information
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I am dr.kakkar(dermatologist). I have gone through your query and i have noted your concern.
It is a common practice to assign itching in pregnancy to pregnancy itself and it is usually accepted by the patient. Pregnancy related itching should subside after delivery. The same would have been expected if drugs, you were taking durung pregnancy, were implicated. Therefore neither of these seemed likely explanation since the problem is still persisting.
I would keep a possibility of either scabies or urticaria or eczematous dermatitis and I would like to gather more information from you in order to be able to guide you better.
Does anyone else in your family too (including kids) has itching? Do you notice any skin lesions?or rash?or patches?
Any history of thyroid?
Regards
Need more information
Detailed Answer:
Hello. Thank you for writing to us
I am dr.kakkar(dermatologist). I have gone through your query and i have noted your concern.
It is a common practice to assign itching in pregnancy to pregnancy itself and it is usually accepted by the patient. Pregnancy related itching should subside after delivery. The same would have been expected if drugs, you were taking durung pregnancy, were implicated. Therefore neither of these seemed likely explanation since the problem is still persisting.
I would keep a possibility of either scabies or urticaria or eczematous dermatitis and I would like to gather more information from you in order to be able to guide you better.
Does anyone else in your family too (including kids) has itching? Do you notice any skin lesions?or rash?or patches?
Any history of thyroid?
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
thanks for your prompt response. No one in my family has any such problem or rash. My baby takes out a lot of saliva which elders say happens when baby faces itching in the body(m not aware of this old womans logic; just got reminded due to your question).
for me when i scratch , marks of nails which are red occur on the skin which subcide after few hours.
No family history of any such problem but yes my mother has tyroid problem and is on medication for it.
for me when i scratch , marks of nails which are red occur on the skin which subcide after few hours.
No family history of any such problem but yes my mother has tyroid problem and is on medication for it.
Brief Answer:
I would suggest symptomatic treatment with loratadine
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
My advice would be to take a tablet of loratadine (Alaspan 10mg) once daily in evening for 3 weeks. Topically you may use a soothing lotion e.g calasoft lotion.
Please try to notice if the itching is more severe in the second half of menstural cycle??if yes, it could be a case of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis; serum levels of progesterone are higher during second half of menstural cycle. I would consider this possibility because your problem started during pregnancy when progesterone levels are usually high and the drug which your gynae gave i.e susten is also progesterone! If established as a cause, definitive treatment of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is to inhibit monthly ovulatory cycles by contraceptive pills so that circulating progesterone levels are inhibited! So kindly try to notice that do you itch more during second half of menstural cycle i.e days 14-28 of menstural cycle?
Regards
I would suggest symptomatic treatment with loratadine
Detailed Answer:
Hi.
My advice would be to take a tablet of loratadine (Alaspan 10mg) once daily in evening for 3 weeks. Topically you may use a soothing lotion e.g calasoft lotion.
Please try to notice if the itching is more severe in the second half of menstural cycle??if yes, it could be a case of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis; serum levels of progesterone are higher during second half of menstural cycle. I would consider this possibility because your problem started during pregnancy when progesterone levels are usually high and the drug which your gynae gave i.e susten is also progesterone! If established as a cause, definitive treatment of autoimmune progesterone dermatitis is to inhibit monthly ovulatory cycles by contraceptive pills so that circulating progesterone levels are inhibited! So kindly try to notice that do you itch more during second half of menstural cycle i.e days 14-28 of menstural cycle?
Regards
Note: Hope the answers resolves your concerns, however for further guidance of skin related queries consult our Dermatologist.Click here to book a consultation
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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