Patterns in PUPPPs

Has anyone else noticed a pattern with their rash?

I've had PUPPPs for 3 months now, and I've noticed that once a month, it gets worse. For the most part, my routine keeps it under control, but it has peaked 3 times since the start. At each peak, a new patch starts in a new place! 

That makes me wonder if the inflammatory response in my skin is somehow related to hormone fluctuations. Anybody else experience this?

I Finally Made the Order

I did it! I ordered a seven star needle!

"What on earth is that??" You may ask?

Here's an excerpt from my "Treatments I've Tried" post...

Chinese Medicine 7 Star Needle: supposedly complete healing relief
This is a bizarre one! I recently found out about this treatment through puppps.org. It uses a Chinese medicine device designed to treat hives. Here's a pic...

Crazy looking, no? Apparently, you tap the hive until it starts to bleed, and then that hive NEVER itches again. The testimony on puppps.org is really compelling!!! Otherwise, I don't think I'd even consider this treatment! You can find videos on youtube if you want to see the treatment in action. I'm currently building up the courage to order one from amazon. I'll let you know!

Well, I finally ordered one! $5 on amazon with free shipping. That's pretty cheap if it truly gets rid of the rash. The shipping was abominably slow, sadly. It'll probably be 3-4 weeks before it arrives, but when it does, I'll test it on myself and let you know!

My PUPPPs Story: Baby #3

Baby #3 was my worst case of PUPPPs.

At 15 weeks, the first patch of rash started up in the exact same place as before. I knew what was coming. I couldn't believe it had started so early. I was distraught but still mildly hopeful that the dandelion root would kick it before it got bad.

The belly at 15 weeks, just as the rash began.

No luck. 

It spread, and it spread fast. At 17 weeks, I was in tears. I was bloodied from scratching and not sleeping. I could not perform daily tasks like dressing or meal prep without scratching. It was not something self-control could manage. Once again, I could not NOT scratch! It felt like bugs were crawling under my skin! I was puffy and red all over! I couldn't stand it when anyone touched me, especially my children. 

I could not fathom 5 months of it ahead of me. I was already close to losing my mind. 

So, I let go of any resolve I once had to avoid steroids, and I made an emergency appointment at the dermatologists. (See this post for more details on that.) I bet dermatologists don't get many requests for emergency appointments! 

After many curious staff at the office were sufficiently impressed by my predicament, I got my prescription for topical steroids. Triamcinolone was to be my rescue. And it was.

Mine looked a lot like this. This is not a picture of my tub-o-cream, just a very similar one. 

I went through more than one tub. 

After two days of intense introductory treatments designed to super-saturate my skin with the drug, the rash started lessening. I was beginning to feel relief and a touch of sanity returning. I was SO VERY relieved. The thought had crossed my mind that the steroids might not work, and I didn't know what I'd do! So, finding relief was such a relief!

I continued to use the cream daily throughout the pregnancy. My rash never completely disappeared. It was only tamed. However, I could function, and I could sleep, and I was content with that. I hated to be taking a drug that had no conclusive safety record in pregnancy, but I was sure I'd have been put in some kind of mental facility without it. No exaggeration. 

After I gave birth to my 3rd sweet little girl, my rash did worsen for a month before it cleared up. This was a first for me, but the steroid cream did seem to help keep it from reaching an intolerable state. It disappeared completely after that.

Baby Girl #3, tiny bundle of love.

As far as my body was concerned, I noticed very few side effects from the cream. My skin did become very thin feeling where I used the cream the most. It was delicate. It would bleed easier if I scratched too hard. But that was it. 

My baby, on the other hand, was another story. She was SO yeasty. She had yeast in every fold of skin. The worse areas were her underarms, neck folds, and diaper area. Red skin with a cheesy discharge. We tried quite a few different over the counter things, natural treatments, and one prescription. All of these were topical things and ineffective.  That yeast was stubborn! 

As she got older and had fewer skin folds, it got a little better, but it still hung on. When she started eating solid food, I began a special diet for her. I had researched a bunch and decided she needed gut healing. Babies are colonized with whatever bacteria mommy has in her and on her on their way out into the world. Steroids change your body chemistry and make a happy environment for yeast. While I didn't experience any noticeable yeast symptoms, I'm sure I was harboring a ton of yeast at the time of the birth. They made their home on (and in!) my unsuspecting infant. 

Since yeast is usually a problem that is not just skin deep (it loves the digestive tract), I decided we'd try to heal baby's problem from the inside out. We put her on the GAPS diet (GAPS stands for Gut and Psychology/Physiology syndrome). It's a grain-free diet that uses a lot of bone broth and probiotic food. You can find more info on the GAPS diet here and here. Please comment and let me know if you'd like a post with more details on how we did the diet. 

She remained on the diet for roughly 6 months, and her yeasty rash issues finally cleared up! It was not an easy fix, but it was worth doing.

 Happy yeast-free toddler just after her first birthday.

So, that's baby #3's story, from the beginning of the rash to the cure of the side effects from the steroids. It was quite an ordeal. 

With this current pregnancy, I really didn't want a repeat of the steroid experience. And I haven't needed them yet! At nearly 25 weeks along, I've had PUPPPs for 10 weeks now. I think I've finally figured out a routine that works for me, and I look forward to compiling a summary of it in another post with #4's story!

Disclaimer: I am not recommending the particular drug that worked for me. Please talk to your doctor before starting any course of treatment! 

A Silver Lining to the Common Cold

That's an unlikely post title, no?

I know this is my PUPPPs blog, but I'm living with the itch AND a cold right now, so I may as well tell you about it. 

It's a little crazy, but the fever, aches, sore throat, and completely plugged sinuses have taken my mind off the itching! I'm rather miserable, but less itching is definitely a silver lining.

So, here I am in the middle of summer, hunkered in my hoodie and fleece jammies...researching the common cold. Ironic.

Now, let's be logical, if you're reading this because you have PUPPPs, you are about to or already do have children in the house. Children, the little germ factories, are the main way adults get infected. They're worth it, trust me. But with children in the house, you are going to become quite accustomed to colds, so you might as well buff up on your sniffly knowledge. 

I came across a fascinating webpage all about the common cold from Cardiff University in the UK. Here's a link to the article: link

Here's the run down in case you'd rather skip reading the full article. 

• Incubation period for the common cold is 2 days. Super short!
• You are most contagious when you have the early symptoms (sneezing, coughing, runny nose).
• The virus is commonly present in your nose and throat, but it doesn't take root unless your immune system takes a dive (like if you get stressed). 
• Your mother was right! Getting chilled can give you a cold! A study took roughly a hundred college kids and chilled their feet in ice water for a while. Compared to the control group, they were statistically way more likely to get a cold! Researchers believe the chilling of the feet constricts the blood vessels in the nose and throat, thereby lowering your immune reponse (due to the lack of immune system cells that would normally be present with the blood in that area!) The gist? You get cold, you're more likely to get a cold. This is also probably the reason colds are more common in fall and winter. 
• There are roughly 200 different viruses that causes common cold symptoms. Awesome. This means you can get one cold right after another. Your body will be immune the first cold, but not prepared to fight off the second one. 
• Symptoms usually last 7-14 days. 
• You'll first feel sick where the first viruses attach themselves. If it's in your nose, you'll probably get a runny nose first. If it's in your throat, you'll get a dry scratchy throat. 
• Many infections don't cause symptoms. The virus takes root, but your body fights it off before you start to feel sick. Come on, body! Why didn't we do that this time?! 
• You can't tell the difference between a cold and a flu based on the symptoms. They can act very similar. A flu is often worse than a cold. There are some laboratory tests for the flu. 
• Your nose doesn't actually get blocked with snot. It gets plugged up, because the blood vessels in your nose swell up. It gets all inflamed in there, and then the tiniest amount of mucous blocks the rest. Lovely. 

(Image from the Cardiff University website for common cold info)

Well, after all that, I'd say our trip to the beach was our downfall. We all got chilly in that blissfully cool air. And then we all got sick. It sure felt good! Next time, I'll bundle up better. 

Greetings from the sick house

What do you do when you have PUPPPs, crazy seasonal allergies, and 3 kiddos with a nasty cold?

Not much. 

Sorry for the brief hiatus in posts. 

Skin brushing

File this one under humor. Or irony. 

I'm always on the look-out for itchy skin cures. I got a tip to look into dry skin brushing, and off I went to google. 

At first, I was rather intrigued. OooOooo, I thought. It's supposed to increase circulation and help move lymph? Well, that's great for detoxing! This could be an awesome addition to my PUPPPs treatment routine! And it helps minimize cellulite also? Bonus! 

Here's a link that describes it's benefit in more detail: dry skin brushing

Other itchy people even seemed to like it! Eczema sufferers were touting it's benefits: dry brushing for eczema

I did run across some skeptics. This article had a few quotes from dermatologists that were not super confident in the miraculous claims that the skin brushing fans were spouting: NY Times article

After taking it all in, I examined the nitty gritty more closely. And I laughed. 

Ok, so, step 1 seemed to be getting a naturally bristled brush (like my trusty boar-bristled favorite). Check. 

Step 2. Starting at the ends of your extremities, brush towards your heart. Hmm. Ok. Simple enough. I'm already using my hairbrush to scratch like crazy, so I'm half way there!

Then the cautions. Be sure to avoid current outbreaks of any rashes (like eczema...and PUPPPs!?) or sensitive areas. Haha! 

So then, where does the miserable PUPPPs sufferer have left to brush??? One's fingernails?? The tips of our noses??

Uh huh. 

Well, perhaps skin brushing to cure PUPPPs is out. I am curious if anyone out there has used it successfully in their non-itchy lives to good effect. Any miraculous cellulite disappearances? Anyone?

And that is how my evening of research turned into a wry chuckle. Goodnight, fellow itchy people!

Beating the Heat (and the itch)

At home, it's been close to 100 degrees. Heat & PUPPPs just don't mix. However, at the coast, it's been in the 60's. Yes, please!!

I wish it was possibly for all PUPPPs mommas to head to the chilly ocean for a stretch. I don't have much advice to offer in this post except the encouragement to stay cool this summer! 

So chilly we had to be bundled up. Yay!

Pelicans! 

Sea anemones. They closed up when you poked them. 

Starfish. I wonder who munched his 5th leg?

And the all-time beach fave, salt water taffy. Absolutely delightful. 

I'd like to thank the icy water and the brisk wind for their soothing anti-itch properties! Spending the whole summer at the beach sounds pretty nice right now!