I'm back - been in hospital - advice from OC sufferers pls

[jendav81]

*Edit* I am on Ursodeoxycholic Acid (looked at the packet for the correct name).

Hi ladies,

Sorry in advance for the long post,

I've been away for a while as I've had quite a crappy week.

Some of you may remember that I had been complaining of itching a few weeks ago and was waiting on bile acid/liver tests for OC back.

Well on Sunday night I woke up with really severe itching all over my body especially on arms and legs, I went into the GP on Monday morning and they were able to get my bile acid results back and they were clear, so they sent me away with calmine(sp) lotion and Eurax steroid cream (wouldn't give me antihistimines grrr). The itching got worse throughout the day until I broke the skin on my legs froms scratching so much.

I called the midwives unit at the hospital and they told me to come in.
They did a trace on the baby and he was fine, as was my BP and temperature. They gave me an antihistimine and I had to wait for an hour for that to work - it didn't. The comsultant wanted to do fresh liver function tests for OC and I was told I would have to stay in until they got the liver function results back. My husband left at 11.30pm and then I tried to get some sleep, I was up for the whole night again as the itching wouldn't stop. I lasted until 5am and then I buzzed/called for the MW who said my liver results had come back but they were normal and I'd have to wait 2 weeks for the bile acids to come back as they had to go to Glasgo!!!!! At that point I burst into tears as I couldn't imagine being this itchy for 2 weeks with no sleep. I phoned my hubby and he came and got me (I discharged myself). I was still itchy.... so they sent me away with antihistimines, but they didn't work and I was up all night on tuesday night as well, but managed to get a few hours sleep during the day on tuesday as I was so shattered.

I had a routine appointment with my community MW on Wednesday and she took my BP felt fetal heart rate and all were fine. By this point the itching had spread to my left palm as well as my entire body. I'd been on the antihistimines since monday night and they hadn't done anything except made me feel really drowsy.

My MW arranged for me to see the consultant at the hospital on Thursday, I went to see them in tears as the itching still hadn't calmed down and my skin on my legs was red raw, they said that they have to wait for the bile acid tests to come back from Glasgow next week and sent me away with antibiotics for an unrelated UTI and also pills for people with gall stones they said that these should calm the itching, but guess what, they haven't.....

I am at my wits end as I have had the sensation of ants crawling under my skin for nearly a week now and it's really getting me down. I can't believe I have to wait this long for the results.

The main thing is that the baby is fine, still getting lots of movements, in fact I think he has moved down/turned because I have the feeling of pressure on my lady bits (TMI.. sorry!!)

Does anyone else have OC? And if so, did the itching stop once you got the correct medication or did it contintue for the rest of your pregnancy?

Thanks for reading my mini novel, I'm just going insane with this itching

 

[leckershell]

I think g3m did but I could be wrong... my memory is pretty rubbish at the moment..

 

[leckershell]

http://www.pregnancyforum.co.uk/forum/v ... hp?t=60770

 

[Gem & Leland]

Hi

I had OC and hellp syndrome which is very rare ! but the itching didnt stop till i gave birth but that was at 34 weeks .

i think its weird u cant get you bile results ! OC can be dangerous for baby and if you have it you prob wont make term , most OC babies come early or your induced , i was induced at 34 weeks because of Hellp tho and not oc , hellp is fatel if your left for it to devolp into eclampsia.

i was on vit k for Oc tho , and anithistamins too , only way i could help myself was to keep cool , have cold flanel and ice at hand and that helped , if i got hot it was awfull and because of hellp i was very hot !

if you havent packed your bag , id do so now , im not saying it to scare u but i was admited at 32 weeks and didnt have a thing packed , i went to get bloods for OC and never came out till 5 days after birth !

 

[sarah2807]

Sorry I don't have any advice ...I just wanted to give you some of these..
Poor you hun, it sounds dreadful, pregnancy symptons are bad enough as it is without something like that on top.
I hope it goes soon and they find you the right medication. xxxxxx

 

[Charlie:-)]

No advise sorry but hope things start to improve for you sounds awful

 

[jendav81]

Thanks, you're not scaring me, I've read up on the net and it's much scarier there! I have all my bags packed (I packed them when I got home from hosp on Tuesday) and we are finishing the nursery now so that way if LO is early we are prepared (well as prepared as we can be!).

I should hopefully find out the bile acid tests on Thursday when I go to see consultant (but it may not be till next monday as that's when I had the tests done and they said it takes two weeks).

I just want to know what it is as soon as possible to start treatment for baby if needed. I'm still itchy though... but it wasn't as bad last night as I took a cool bath and had the bedroom window open.

Thanks for all your replies and I'll let you know when I get my results xx

 

[mum2A&L]

I had OC diagnosed at 29 weeks. the meds didn't seem to do a massive amount. Even on them i still itched. a few days after having alice it seemed to go completely. i still suffered with hot hands and feet for a few months after though.

I was able to get my bile acid results the folllowing day!!!! the hospital did tell me 1 week to start with, till my doc kicked off and they got them done that day!! go to your GP, say you are suffering sleepless nights over the worry of the blood test results, and i recon they should be able to speed them through

cold damp flannels helped loads (i used to keep one in the fridge wrapped up in clingfilm!)! plus pop to your chemist and get a pot of aqueous cream. camolie lotion was suggested to me as well.

my hospitals procedure for OC is to induce at 37 weeks, daily traces, weekly bloods, fortnightly scans, and a lovely mixture of meds (i think i was on 17 a day at one point).

there have been a few suffers on here, and loads of happy lovely little bundles of joy at the end of it all!

make sure you keep us updated! take care of yourself and LO