Could I have PUPPS???

Hi All

I'm hoping someone can help me... Yesterday morning I woke up with a rash all over the lower half of my belly which is very itchy and today it seems to have spread up higher to now cover all of my belly.

I've been doing some reading and it says this generally occurs in the third trimester and I am only 19 weeks today, but as I'm having twins my belly looks like I'm about 28 weeks along. It also states that it seems more prevelant in twin pregnancies and if you are having boys... Snap on both counts here...

I've been using sudocrem to try and reduce the itching and redness as I don't know of anything else that would be safe during pregnancy. It is just scary to think I may have this until the twins arrive (in another 19 weeks) and I still have the heat of summer to deal with as well.

Does this sound like PUPPS and if so what remedies would you recommend. I don't have my next OB appt until 17/1.

Thanks in advance

I'm not sure hun. I had pupps in the third trimester of my last pg and it was truly horrible so I feel for you! My rash was red lumps/spots that spread along my stretchmarks. The itching drove me insane. As hard as it is try not to itch it as it spreads the rash and can cause scarring. I found icing the area and aloe vera cream the only things that helped. If it is pupps I think it will only go away after you give birth so fingers crossed for you that it's not! It's probably worth getting it checked out at your drs to be on the safe side. :hug:

Hi Kelly, another twin mummy here too! I woke up on Tuesday with exactly the same thing - on Monday I thought I was starting to get stretch marks and then on Tuesday, it was soooo itchy and covered in red bumps. I used paw paw ointment on mine and spent most of the day with my top pulled up. The next day it was gone, thankgod. If it hadn't, I was definiately heading to the dr's or at least giving the midwives a call to see what they thought. The itching was awful. My sister rang the pharmacist she works for and he said you can use cortisone cream if it is driving you really loopy but use it very sparingly. The paw paw did the trick for me, although just typing about it is making me itchy again :lol:

Thanks MrsC & Claire

MrsC: there don't seem to be too many twin mum's to be on here (or maybe I can't find them) and I'm finding this pregnancy so different to my one with DD with some of the things I am now suffering from or just the fact that everything happens sooner as your tummy is so much bigger so much earlier.

The red bumps have seemed to have gone done today after lathering myself in sudocrem but the itching around the stretch marks that are forming around the bottom of my belly is so irritating although I've been good and have avoided scratching. If it keeps it up I'll head off to the chemist tomorrow to see if I can use anything else...

oh and MrsC the belly shot in your sig looks so petite compared to mine and I'm about 7 weeks behind you....

I had urticaria during pregnancy. I really hope it's not PUPPS - it sounds really awful. Urticaria was bad enough. I found sudocream made it worse. I ended up taking Polaramine and it worked. I hated taking it but was told it would be OK. I also found having lukewarm baths with baking soda helped. The main thing for me was to avoid heat.

I'd see your doctor. If you're worried, called Rodney Whyte at Monash Medical Centre - he's the go to person to ask about drugs during pregnancy.

GL

Went to the chemist today and he told me to use Pinetarsol on the inflamed area (so I now smell like really old Pine disinfectant) and he told me that I can take Claratyne wihile pregnant to help reduce the itching. So I'm going to take for the next couple of days and hope it helps. He seems to think it might be PUPPS which has been aggrevated by the hot weather on NYE - great I still have all of summer to go - hopefully these remedies help so I can get through summer without too much discomfort on the rash front, dealing with the heat will be another thing.

Glad to hear he gave you something to help out Kelly! Mine started itching again last night, but with no redness so I used paw paw again and it's settled down. I think it has alot to do with the heat as well. Thankgod this summer hasn't been too bad so far!

I'm finding twin pregnancy is - while very exciting - also a bit nerve wracking for me too. So many different things have happened that didn't with DS and you are always wondering 'Is this a second pregnancy thing? A twin pregnancy symptom? Luck of the draw?" :rolleyes:. I've found the Twin book by Louise Ryan and Katrina Bowman to be really helpful with all the little things that go on.

As for my belly - well, I started getting really paranoid because people kept saying to me "There can't be two in there. There can't be" which is the last thing a twin mummy wants to hear but I talked to my doctor about it and he says I am measuring exactly as I should be. I think it's because I vomited everyday for the first 15 weeks so I had to actually gain back the 5kgs I lost when I could actually eat again :D and I am carrying really low, kind of like a basketball stuck up my top. I also really little irl so praying I don't get too big because I think I'll just topple over. That photo was taken about 2 weeks ago and I have really popped over the past week (too much Christmas pudding prehaps ;)). Your bump is gorgeous - even if it is making you itch!

I was wondering myself if I have PUPPPS?

I woke up this morning with a red rash type thing on the top right hand side of my belly button around the size of a 20c piece (an odd shape tho) and have put savlon and a bandaid on it while im wearing clothes and it seems to be helping. It feels a little tender and when hot water touches it, kinda hurts. its not itchy tho? Anyone have any ideas? (sorry for hijacking!)

I woke up last night sweating like a pig, so I wonder if that is the cause. If it is not gone in a few days I think I might see the Dr about it.

Good Luck finding out if it is puppps.

MissM: I don't know if what you have is PUPPS or it could just be a small heat rash. Mine started as a rash covering the whole bottom half of my belly and by the next day is had spread to all over my belly and now I have it starting on my forearms and wrists as well.

It seems the Pinetarsol and Claratyne have done nothing so far so I've gone back to sudocrem as at least this takes the redness out and does help with the itching for a while.

MrsC: I agree about the differences in this pregnancy and also find myself thinking is it because it's my second pregnancy or is it because it's twins or is it because I'm having boys. I am noticing however that symptoms I had with DD's pregnancy I haven't had this time around (yet) and I have been getting things I never had with DD as well. It seems the complete opposite each pregnancy.... I hope i didn't offend about your belly size, it just makes me realise how big I actually am although with DD I carried all out the front as well but only put on 6kg's in total. It seems this time around as well I'm carrying all to the front and to date have only put on 3kg's, however I'm carrying much lower this time around ie: They are in my lap where with DD she was really high and right up under my rib cage.

Oh Kelly, I had puppps in 3rd trimester with last PG and it was sooooo awful. Drove me insane as I found no relief from it except cold showers and it was in summer too.

I've noticed this PG I am getting a slightly itchy tummy again and it's freaking me out as it's earlier this time :o

I had a couple of days of extreme itchiness in my pg with DD, I found Calamine lotion was nice, cool and soothing, I kept it in the fridge and put it on. x

Hope the itchies have cleared up for you! You definiately didn't offend me at all about my belly size! :) My belly is in my lap too - very hard when DS wants to sit on me and have a cuddle.

MrsC: Thanks for checking on me... No the rash is still there although I resorted to going back to the sudocrem to help as none of the other topical recommendations worked. At least the sudocrem has dried out the red lumps and they are now just little spot and the worst of the redness has gone away now as well.

It still gets itchy but I've been good with not scratching and fingers crossed it will be gone in a few more days time...

Ah, yes the lap and a toddler... when DD wants to sit on my lap for a hug I have to place her around my tummy so she fits onto my lap and I now am finding that it is very hard to carry her on my hip as my belly is now spreading wider and my waist is vanishing. This is so hard for us to manage at the moment as DD is still not walking so needs to be carried around...