Friday, October 27, 2006

Itch Itch Itch Itch

Ok.

So getting poison ivy from my cat wasn't bad enough. No. When the poison ivy FINALLY started to stop itching and dry up, I suddenly began to itch a little on my back. Three hours later, my back was covered in a rash. The next morning, the rash had spread to my stomach, my chest, my tushie, my thighs, and my ankles. That was Wednesday.

I know what a flea infested animal feels like now. I itch. Constantly. Consistently. Without any reprieve.

I called my OB--- any time you develop a rash during pregnancy, you're supposed to let them know. I couldn't get in to see him, so he called me in a prescription for prednisone, a mild steroid. Day one of treatment was yesterday. I still itch today. I took my dose for this morning and promised Aaron that I would try not to scratch today. Ethan has orders to tell me to stop scratching if he sees me scratching. I am going to have to re trim my fingernails. One of my friends offered to duct tape oven mitts to my hands.

I itch. I want to go swimming as part of my exercising, since my back is really starting to hurt. But I'm afraid that chlorine will irritate my skin further.

The bad thing is, we don't know WHAT is causing this. One of my friends said she knew someone who had an itchy rash during the last half of her pregnancy. Cleared up when she gave birth. Another said it looks like hives. I have a feeling it is an allergic reaction to something, but I can't pinpoint anything that is recently new in our lives or routines. I told Aaron I could just walk around naked to avoid wearing clothing that may be contaminated with some allergen. We both decided that might not be a good idea, given how chilly and damp it is here now. Oh, and the whole indecent exposure side of things too.

So, meanwhile I am trying not to focus on how much I itch, and instead think about other things. Painting the futon, pricing carpet tiles for Ethan's room, getting rid of the stinky couch that Ethan is attached to, vaccuuming and laundry. I am actually afraid to clean anything using chemicals, for fear that it would aggrevate the rash. Which really stinks. Because when I want to distract myself, I usually go on a deep cleaning spree--- baseboards, refrigerators, walls, toilet bases, sink bases, stuff like that. Maybe I should just go shopping! :):) HA!

Ok, I'm off to take my shower. In lukewarm water. With Dove soap. And then to slather Eucerin all over.

Grumble itch scratch growl.

Hey, at least it is Friday! :)

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, no. Having had my first case of poison ivy this year I am filled with world of compassion for anyone who experiences the full-body insanity.

Not that you asked for anyone to tell you what to do, and I don't know if any of these are feasible for you, but here's what worked for me:

running very hot water over the affected areas, as hot as you can stand (it reawakens the itch and you will think you're going mad, but as soon as you shut off the water, you will have sweet crazy relief.

aveeno oatmeal bath powder stuff (pure oatmeal dust). aveeno oatmeal body wash. aveeno anti-itch cream with calamine.

claritin or equivalent store brand (loratidine) helps with all histamine reactions, and is a pretty mild drug, so maybe ask your dr. if you can take it?

squirting nasalcrom on the affected area. it's a nasal spray that stops allergic reactions in the nose, and has a similar effect on the mast cells in all skin. please note: I invented this! I spoke to my doctor about it and he sounded surprised, said this is not a known application of the product, but also said it made sense and was harmless. It worked WONDERS at instantly calming my skin. It's kinda expensive though - like $10 for a tiny bottle that might last me a day or two of heavy use.

band-aid brand cooling gel spray with camphor as the active ingredient

calamine spray


Uh so as you can see, it took a multi-pronged approach to be able to live with the itch. Some of these things work longer than others, and some stop working after a while, and some aren't practical to do over and over (you can't be in a hot shower ALL DAY). Having all these options helped keep me sane though. I hope some of them will work for you.

Anonymous said...

Aww... my little flea bitten Jenetter! Hopefully it is fleas! :-) (Did you ever think you'd hear that phrase?)

Anyway - whatEVER it is - I'll say a little prayer that it goes away or is quickly diagnosed. These kinds of things are annoying in general, but must be a little more annoying during pregnancy.

Are you naming this tiny chica Steak Diane?

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
Anonymous said...

PUPPS - plaques of pregnancy
http://dermatology.about.com/cs/pregnancy/a/puppp.htm

Anonymous said...

Okay, I thought I had it rough writing a paper today, but you might win out with the rash. I hope you start to feel better! Take care :)

Anonymous said...

Hi Jenette - Found your Blog as I was desperately looking for help with exactly the symptoms you describe. SOoooooo, I'm hoping for an update. Do you still have it? Was it diagnosed? Did anything relieve it? Thanks, Gwen