Suggest Treatment For Body Itching During Pregancy?

Posted on Mon, 7 Apr 2014

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Mon, 7 Apr 2014 Answered on

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 Last reviewed on

Question : I am currently 35 weeks pregnant and started itching on my soles and palms and I thought it was due to swelling. Now I'm itching all over especially at night and I can't sleep! I finally went online and found info on cholestasis...I went to obgyn and asked about cholestasis and they drew blood to test for uric acid (serum), my levels came back normal at 3.5....I'm still very concerned because I was under the impression that they need to do a bile acid test to specifically rule out cholestasis and am concerned for my baby's well-being. Should I request that they do bloodwork to check my bile acids? I have an appt this week...

Answered by Dr. Dr. Soumen Patra (1 hour later)

Brief Answer: FOLLOW THE ADVICE. Detailed Answer: Hello, Thanks for writing to us. According to your clinical presentation, it is mostly suggestive of Intrahepatic Cholestasis of Pregnancy (ICP). Here, I suggest to undergo Liver Function Test (LFT) and serum Bile Acid test to confirm the diagnosis. TREATMENT: Drug like Ursodeoxycholic Acid or Cholestyramine is usually given to treat ICP. These are quite effective to reduce intense itching. Kindly, consult with your Obstetrician for complete prescription. Hope, it helps for your information. Kindly, close the discussion if you don't have any other query. Wish your good health and successful motherhood. Regards, Dr Soumen For future query, you can directly approach me through http://doctor.healthcaremagic.com/Funnel?page=askDoctorDirectly&docId=63326

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar