Confirmed. It's PUPPs!!!!

Thanks to my friend, KC, he diagnosed me of having this rare condition called PUPP. This is my first time hearing about this condition as I've never encounter any of my previous pts with PUPP. I searched the net and found several websites that discussed on this skin problem.

Basically, PUPP stands for Pruritic Urticarial Papules and also known as Polymorphous Eruption in Pegnancy. These fancy skin lesion is actually one of the commonest skin dermatoses (condition) in pregnancy but actually statistically it not that common pun as it only affects less than 1% of pregnant women (and I'm one of the UNlucky few!).

It is normally found in the first pregnancies during the third trimester (tho it doesn't tend to recur in the subsequent pregancy, THANK GOD!), women who carry twins/baby boy (as in 70% of cases, they found male fetal DNA in skin biopsy). Why it happen? The underlying cause us unknown but basically blame it on the hormonal changes and the overtly stretched skin! Most importantly, it is harmless to both the mommy and the baby.

Just like me, it started of as a small red bumps (papules) around and on the stretch mark such as the tummy but always spare the belly button area. The small skin lesions starts to become bigger and later on spreads to the thighs, legs, buttocks, breasts and arms. It can be in a form of redness, tiny bumps or urticaria (macam kena gigit gegata). As for me, rashes ni only made their ugly appearance on my overtly stretched belly and swollen legs and it let me tell u, they itched like CRAZY especially at nite that I have become sleep deprived!!!!! Ive also bacame very irritable, cranky and felt like killing everyone..LOL!

Unfortunately there is no cure for it. Treatment is just symptomatic relieve including high strength steroid cream (i.e betometasone / clobetasol) applied 5-6 times a day to reduce the itchiness and prevent further spread (no wonder mine did not improve that fast as I only use em 3 times a day!). After that, u can change to lower strength steroid cream and use it sparingly once the symptom has improved. Oral steroid is reserved to those with severe itchiness. Oral antiistamine such as zyrtex, benadryl and antarax are less effective in control the itchiness but helps u to doze off when used at night. From personal experience, frequent warm (not HOT) baths do help and please avoid the sun as sweats will make the itchiness worse!

For those who wonder, this condition usually resolved after 1 week of delivery but s mall number of pt have the symptoms up to 6 weeks post partum (Nauzubillah).

Hopefully this answers your curiosity.Doakan that I get well soon ya!