A solution for PUPPP Rash (Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. Also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy)... The treatment 'they' claim doesn't exist!!!

So you are pregnant (or have just recently given birth) & have a strange rash that began around your belly button & spread outwards? (And Intra-hepatic cholestasis/Obstetric Cholestasis of pregnancy, herpes virus & other similar conditions have been ruled out).

It itches & stings like you have been rolled in a bed of nettles, whilst simultaneously being stung by a swarm of angry wasps & had hot lava poured all over you?

Your doctor or midwife has told you it's PUPPP (Also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy PEP) & that there is no cure?

Medical practitioners have fobbed it off as something, or nothing?

Health professionals involved in your care have claimed that steroids will help (but they don't really)?

You've been advised that any number of topical treatments will soothe it (but they either are ineffective or make it worse)?

Consultants/Obstetricians have told you that the best they can do is induce your labour to shorten your suffering by a few weeks (!!!)...?

Welcome to the crazy, painful, maddening, sleep depriving, skin-tearing-off, itchy-like-you-just-can't-believe condition.... with a name many medical professionals can't pronounce themselves... or do not know about... or refuse to diagnose... Known as:

Pruritic urticarial papules and plaques of pregnancy. (PUPPP)
Also known as polymorphic eruption of pregnancy. (PEP)

 Nobody can believe what this condition is like who hasn't suffered from it... It's a hellish thing.

If you're anything like I was, you will have spent hours on the internet reading through pages upon pages of opinion & conjecture about it's causes...
You will have empathised with the hundreds of women on forums who, like you, have been told by doctors that it's cause is "unknown" & that there is no cure...
And you probably will have shed many tears of frustration between those of agony, believing you will have to endure this until you either go into labour or are induced.

You may, as I did, have tried many, many creams & home remedies that others have claimed gave some relief.... and pondered about whether it's worth risking the funny little concoctions described on those alternative medicine sites... or resigned yourself to the fact that you are going to have the most miserable pregnancy or earth, with little to no sleep & potentially permanent scarring.

 NO MORE... THERE IS A 'CURE'!!!

And you are going to be gobsmacked when I tell you that it's one of the most common things you have ever come across....

The humble DANDELION!

YES! THAT'S RIGHT!... DANDELION!

I tried them all... the shop bought creams... the cooling salves... the skin thinning steroids... the oatmeal washes.... Also the special soaps... the homeopathic remedies... The ice packs... The cool showers...

I spent months unable to put on clothes & shivering at night because it was just too painful to have even the lightest of cotton sheets upon my skin... Scratched 'til I bled... Cried bitterly long into the sleepless nights... And pondered if it was really worth risking my baby's health by allowing myself to be induced...

But after many nights of research... many weeks of experimentation with everything I could find suggested... and many different health 'professionals' ill founded opinions of causes & cures bearing no fruit.... I decided I would do the unthinkable & try that whacky, 'alternative' medicine cure I'd heard whisper of in some corner of the internet.

It took a couple of months to perfect the dose (I developed PUPPP at 19 weeks gestation, so I had plenty of time to get it right)... but eventually I found a way to hold the fire at bay.

Here it is:

Tincture of dandelion ROOT & LEAF (Taraxacum officinale)... (not the capsules of dried root, unless you can't find anything else, as they only work a little)... The tincture! AND LOTS OF IT!... Most tinctures say about 15-20 drops taken three times a day... I found that I needed about 30 drops every 4-6 hours... If I left it any longer I could literally see & feel the rash re-appearing in a very short space of time.

(You will find that most commercially available preparations say 'Not for use whilst pregnant or breastfeeding'.... It says this on ALL herbal remedies... It's a standard precautionary principle but has no sound scientific basis because herbal remedies are rarely tested by mainstream science... The only real contraindication is for people with Gallstones... If in doubt consult a herbal medicine practitioner... but if you're really suffering, like I was, I suspect you may wish to try it anyway).

Also... this stuff tastes yuck!... I found it was most pallatable when mixed with another drink. 

I was using lemon juice at first... but when I told my herbal heath practitioner this I recieved a strong telling off... Dandelion is a liver cleanser... so is Lemon. Together they are too much, especially at the dose you're going to need for this to be effective. Dandelion on it's own is a safe liver cleanser because it contains high levels of potassium, which replaces that which is lost as your liver is purged.

The reason this stuff works....?

As PUPPP is not harmful in the long term to either mother or baby, research is thin on the ground as to either causes or cures... but if you spend enough time looking there are some likely causes emerging through scientific study of how pregnancy (the carrying of one human life inside the body of another) effects both the baby & the mother's DNA.

Since mainstream medicine claims it doesn't have a definitive answer to the causes of PUPPP rash then it's quite hard to come to a definitive answer of why dandelion works. I'd hazard a guess that since the liver stores & expels toxins from around the body, this might include a certain amount of the migrating fetal DNA too.

PUPPP is commonly touted as mainly occurring in first pregnancies, multiple pregnancies & pregancies where the foetus is male... Whilst this may be statistically accurate, none of these were true in my case. (4th pregnancy, single pregnancy, female baby). So do not be fobbed off by medical practitioners who claim that it can't be PUPPP because due to one of the above risk factors not being present, it's not statistically likely.

Doctors who have not kept up with the latest findings in DNA research will tell you that it's possibly caused by hormonal changes. It is not!
Whilst these can certainly make an inflammatory response more acute, it is emerging that the most likely cause of PUPPP rash in mothers is THE FATHER'S DNA Via THE BABY! ( In overly simplified terms, you're allergic to your own baby because of the father's genes)...
You may now turn to your partner & give him that hefty slap you were putting off until labour!

But really ladies DANDELION!
It is the only thing that *GETS RID* OF THE RASH!

Don't expect your doctor, obstetrician or  midwife to approve though... Even if they've heard of it working (& most haven't) they will tell you that they cannot recommend herbal remedies, or that they do not believe you... or they will scaremonger & tell you you're taking a risk with the health of yourself & your child (If they do this politely ask them to point you to the peer reviewed research that *proves* that Dandelion can cause harm- I bet they can't).

As far as topical preparations go, none of them worked to get rid of the rash... and some (such as Aloe- which is normally so soothing) actually made the pain much worse... However I found that Zinc & Castor Oil cream helped to dry out the hives & gave some pain relief in the very short term & that the Oatmeal wrapped in a piece of porous cotton material was about the only thing I could bear to wash with & it did make my skin feel nice & soft afterwards.

Good luck.

PS: If you can't get hold of tincture... or capsules... find yourself some pesticide free roots & leaves from the garden & steep them in hot water. Also effective but you'll need a fair few & it's a bit of a faff.

 

 

Compliamentary & Controversial Contraception:

Estrogen & the Environment: Why 'environmentalists' should ditch the pill.

It amazes me that the very same people who, on the one hand, cry out against GM crops, peak oil production, chemical pollutants & claim to champion the 'natural' living movement, are also the ones who promote the idea that the worlds resource & pollution problems can be solved by even more production & promotion of contraceptives!...

• Contraceptive pills & devices are all mass produced chemically synthesized consumer goods & the environmental impact of their production is the same as many others.

• Estrogenic products create polluants which are infecting our waterways. This negatively affects wildlife & human beings by causing illness, infertility & sometimes death & reduces natural food sources.

Fish in our rivers and waterways are being exposed to and adversely effected by estrogen that is a direct result of womens consumption of contraceptives (Urine & sanitary products which contain estrogen pass through the sewage system & are recycled back into the water we drink!... The cleansing process does not remove estrogen/xenoestrogens). Fish in a recent study of this problem went on to develop immunity deficiencies & symtoms of feminisation including eggs developing in the testes.

Professor Charles Taylor, from Exeter University, warned that chemical estrogens were "so exquisitely potent" that even tiny amounts, such as one part per billion, could feminise the fish.

"The pressing question is whether humans are already suffering damage from half a century of exposure to endocrine-system disrupters." (Melissa Kaplan's Chronic Neuroimmune Diseases/ Excerpt from 'Our Stolen Future', 1996)

Dr Susan Jobling of Brunel University says..."I think there are very real reasons to be worried about whether..." (human) "... male reproductive health could also be affected in the same way that fish reproductive health is affected."

Dr. Susan Love is a cancer surgeon and stated at a 1998 breast cancer conference in Toronto that... "It is lifetime exposure to estrogen that has increased world cancer rates by 26% since 1980....We live in a toxic soup of chemicals". 

Other studies are raising concerns about the early onset of puberty in girls as young as 8. Estrogen dominance can lead to various serious illnesses & can be a potentially lethal syndrome.

For more information about 'Estrogen Dominance' and how to avoid and recover from it please read the findings of Dr. Lee, Dr. Lam and Ronald Hoffman.

Common Contraindications:
 

Birth control pills, shots and implants are implicated in just about every known woman's reproductive disease and disorder, including breast cancer, ovarian cancer, cervical cancer, and infertility.

Frequent side effects of most hormonal contraceptives are:

• loss of blood (spotting) between periods
• appetite increase or weight gain
• nausea (feeling sick) - this may be better if the pill is taken with a meal.
• sore breasts.
• more headaches than normal
• loss of interest in sex
• feeling depressed or mood swings
• an increase in vaginal discharge or thrush
• significant weight gain
• no bleeding (period) or irregular bleeding, even though you have not made any mistakes with taking the pills.
• nausea (feeling sick)
• brown patches on face (chloasma)
• Supression of the body's natural ability to produce progesterone leading to estrogen dominance 

You should stop using a contraceptive method immediately & contact a doctor if you get any of these symptoms:

• severe and sudden pains in the chest
• severe headaches
• sudden blurred vision or loss of sight
• tenderness, pain or swelling in the lower leg 

Common Contraceptives:

Natural Family planning: is based upon the FACT that a womans body is only actually able to acheive pregnancy for 24 hours of each month. 
It involves trying to accurately assess when ovulation is occuring and prevents pregnancy by taking steps to ensure egg & sperm do not come into contact during this time.

1. Observing and recording the body’s different natural signs of fertility on each day of the menstrual cycle (Basal body temperature & mucus changes)to help work out which day ovulation occurs on each month.
2. Electronic devices can be used to measure the hormone levels in urine or saliva which are indicative of ovulation.
3. Method relies on abstinence from intercourse or another type of contraceptive method being used for a few days around ovulation time.

Persona (which is what I have successfully used for the last 2 years) claims to be around about 94% effective. Some methods claim to be up to 98% effective if used carefully!!!

Most doctors do not promote this method as there are no financial incentives for them to do so, however if pushed they can not only give you information on this but also details of local classes/groups where you can learn to use natural methods correctly, under the guidance of a trained, family planning professional!!!!

Diaphragms and caps: Vaginal diaphragms are circular domes with flexible rims. Caps are smaller than diaphragms. They're made of latex (rubber) or polyurethane (plastic). They come in different shapes and sizes. They're free on the NHS from contraception clinics, sexual health clinics and from your GP (if your surgery offers contraceptive services). You can buy them from a pharmacy if you know your size.

1. Prevent sperm meeting an egg by fitting inside the vagina and covering the cervical opening (entrance to the womb).
2. It's often recommended that these be used in conjunction with a spermicidal cream, foam or pessary,which may help make some sperm inactive & aids in the fitting of the device. (see below for contraindications to spermicide use).

Their effectiveness depends on how carefully they're used. They are 92-96 per cent effective when used according to instructions. Femcap may have a slightly higher failure rate.

Condoms : Condoms are made of latex (rubber) or polyurethane (plastic) and work as a barrier method. Can be bought from most pharmacists or obtained free from family planning clinics & some GP's.

1. Prevents sperm meeting an egg by creating a barrier between the male and female genitals.
2. Often coated with spermicide which may help make some sperm inactive.

Male condoms are estimated to be up to 98% effective when used according to instructions. Female condoms are estimated to be up to 95% effective. Effectiveness depends on how carefully they're used. 

Condoms which are manufactured with a spermicidal lubricant have been shown to not have enough spermicide to prevent pregnancy. What is more they have a shorter shelf life than other condoms without spermicide, and cause urinary-tract infections in women.  

It is considered likely that nonoxynol-9 increases the risk of contracting HIV. The World Health Organization says that spermicidally lubricated condoms should no longer be promoted!!!!!

 Nonoxynol-9: is a detergent which kills sperm by dissolving their outer cellular membrane, it also has the effect of dissolving the membranes of other cells in the vagina including those of friendly bacteria that help prevent yeast infections, and those that make up the tissues of the vaginal walls. This has a number of possible side effects, which include irritation, itching, or burning of the sex organs (either partner), and in women, urinary tract infections, yeast infection, and bacterial vaginosis.

Concerns have also been raised regarding a possible increase in the risk of birth defects in children conceived despite spermicide use, and of women who continued spermicide use during early pregnancy.

 More bad news about nonoxynol-9 is that it's broken down by bacteria into nonylphenol, a xenohormone that has estrogenic effects.

The Combined Pill: Contains synthetically manufactured 'Progestogen' & 'Estrogen'.

1. Abortifacient: It prevents the lining of the womb from preparing itself properly to receive and nurture a fertilized egg, any developing embryo is unlikely therefore to be sustained.
2. It alters the mucus around your cervix, making it thick and sticky and so more difficult for sperm to enter the womb.
3. It is thought that their main action may be to prevent ovulation by preventing the normal signal to the pituitary gland and hypothalamus to produce FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and LH (luteinizing hormone), which is the hormone responsible for egg release.

• Monophasic pills: provide the same amount of estrogen and progestin in every pill in the packet. So every day that you take it, your body gets the same quantities of each of these ingredients.

• Triphasic pills: contain different amounts of estrogen and progestin at three different stages of the month, to reflect the hormonal variations that occur in your natural cycle. This means that the lowest possible dose of hormones is taken at each stage but still in sufficient amounts to prevent pregnancy. Triphasic pills are coloured differently for each 'phase'. 

The Progestin Only Pill (POP or mini-pill): The progestogen-only pill (POP) contains a synthetic hormone called progestogen

1. It thickens the mucus in the cervix to stop sperm reaching an egg
2. Abortifacient: It makes the lining of the womb thinner, preventing any fertilized egg either from implanting, or the womb lining being developed enough to sustain a pregnancy.
3. Sometimes it stops the ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation)

One study reported in the British Medical Journal suggests that the effects of oral contraceptives upon increased mortality rates can continue for up to 10 years after they have ceased to be taken, whilst others claim it is longer.The lower levels of Estrogen in modern contraceptive pills have reduced some of the side effects associated with excess estrogen but however may have increased other complications associated with hormone imbalances & are now much more likely to have an abortifacient effect.

Many women complain of disruption of periods and delayed periods after stopping the pill. This state of fluctuation stops in certain women within a month or two, but in some cases takes as long as two years to return to a normal routine.

Most women complain of lower back pain, tenderness in the breasts and a bloated feeling. Some even experience cramps and nausea throughout the first cycle off the pill. Yet others have experienced a swelling of their hands and feet. There is no apparent ‘cure’ or remedy other than to wait till the body settles down and resumes a routine.

Many women experienced mood swings and feelings of depression. Still others complained of an oily skin or cystic acne.

Cerazette users are particularly likely to have prolonged or troublesome bleeding.

To counteract these discomforts, some health workers recommend a few weeks of 'progestin' (an artificial hormone which emulates 'progesterone') when coming off the pill, but there is no guarantee of relief. Some natural remedies available without prescription are Evening Primrose Oil, Omega3 Fish oils and Agnus Castus. The last is a natural hormonal balancing herb, which claims to regulate the hormones in women coming off the pill.

Natural progesterone preparations can be used to help symptoms but none of these methods addresses the problems of restoring natural progesteron production by the body to alleviate the symptoms of estrogen dominance.

 

IUS (Mirena, progestin releasing coil): A small plastic device that is inserted into the uterus which contains the artificially manufactured hormone Progestin. It works for five years.

1. Abortifacient: It makes the lining of the womb thinner, so it's less likely to accept a fertilised egg
2. Thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it more difficult for sperm to reach an egg
3. In some women it stops the ovaries releasing an egg (ovulation); most women who use an IUS will ovulate.

IUS is considered to be more than 99 per cent effective. 

IUD (intra-uterine device, copper containing coil): The intrauterine contraceptive device, or IUD, is a small plastic & copper device that's inserted into the uterus. Effective for three to ten years depending on type.

1. Mainly this is thought to work by stopping sperm from reaching an egg. An IUD does this by agitating the womb lining which causes toxins to be produced that prevent sperm from surviving in the cervix, womb or fallopian tube.
2. Abortifacient: also works by stopping a fertilised egg from implanting in the womb.

Can be around 99% effective depending on which IUD is used.

The intrauterine device (IUD) is known to cause irregular bleeding and infertility. The device has been known to migrate into other parts of the body.

Contraceptive Patch (Evra): less than 3 inches square this is a small, thin, beige, sticky skin patch that contains estrogen and progestogen. It delivers a constant dose of hormones into the bloodstream through the skin. The patch is used for three weeks out of every four. A new patch is used each week.

1. It is thought to stop the ovaries from releasing an egg (ovulation) each month.
2. Thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg.
3. Abortifacient: Makes the lining of the womb thinner so it's less likely to accept a fertilised egg.

Effectiveness depends on care of use. The patch can be considered to be 95% - 99% effective. It is less effective in women weighing 90kg (14st) and over.

The Implant (Implanon): is a small, flexible tube about the size of a hairgrip. It's inserted under the skin in the inner upper arm. It slowly releases the hormone progestogen and works for three years.

1. The main way the implant works is by stopping the ovaries from releasing an egg each month (ovulation)
2. Thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg
3. Abortifacient: Makes the lining of the womb thinner so it's less likely to accept a fertilised egg

Implanon: is often removed because of irregular menstrual bleeding, which can include excessive menstrual bleeding. 20% of women may have no menstrual period at all while using Implanon. Implanon has also been shown to induce mild insulin resistance in some women. Implanon is 20% more likely to prevent pregnancy than tubal ligation (sterilization).

Norplant: has the potential to prevent a successful pregnancy after fertilization occurs.This therefore is considered an 'abortifacient', as too are all other contraceptives which prevent implantation of a fertilised egg within the first few weeks of conception.

Nuva-Ring: a thin, soft, transparent flexible ring about 2 inches in diameter that is inserted into the vagina which releases hormones and is placed inside you. You will wear the ring for 3 weeks. Take it out on the 4th week to have your period. Use a new ring every month.

96-99% effective

1. In most cases the ring prevents ovulation.
2. The ring may also prevent fertilization by changing the consistency of natural secretions in the vagina, making it harder for the sperm to reach the egg.
3. Abortifacient: Women may experience breakthrough ovulation which can lead to fertilization. When this occurs, the ring works by making it harder for the embryo to implant in the womb by keeping the lining of the uterus thin.

May cause nausea, breast symptoms (i.e. tenderness), headache, weight gain or loss, water retention, increased blood pressure, mood changes, vaginal infections and irritations, and/or vaginal discharge & increase risk of HIV infection. May also increase the chances of breast cancer & even death.

The contraceptive injection: (Depoprovera/ Lunelle) contains the hormone progestogen. There are two types of injection:

• Depo-Provera provides contraception for three months (12 weeks)
• Noristerat provides contraception for two months (eight weeks)

1. The main way it works is by stopping the ovaries releasing an egg (ovulation) each month. It also:
2. Thickens the mucus in the cervix, making it difficult for sperm to reach an egg
3. Abortifacient: Makes the lining of the womb thinner so it's less likely to accept a fertilised egg

Some studies suggest around 99.7% effective.

Depo-provera: is known to lower circulating levels of Oestrogens in some women leading to lower bone mineral density. Concerns have also been raised regarding a possible link to increased risk of HIV infectionand its known side effects of depression, menstrual irregularity, weight gain, and loss of libido.

It has been used as a population control device around the world, including in the U.S, and is being heavily marketed toward young women, women of color, low-income women, and women in prison.

Emergency Contraception (the "Morning After Pill"): Available in the UK with or without prescription, these pills are an Abortifacient, that is they prevent any fertlised egg from becoming embedded in the womb lining and bring forward the 'menses'(a womans period). They prevent pregnancy about 75% of the time. The pills must be taken within 72 hours of intercourse (3 days).

1. The sooner the pills are taken, the more effective they are.
2. Emergency contraception is NOT recommended as a regular method of birth control

Abortifacients: You will notice that all the methods of hormonal contraception listed are believed to have an abortifacient effect... this means that when pregnancy occurs in spite of them they will have the back-up mechanism of making the womb a hostile environment for the embryo, thus causing it to die.

Marie Stopes International have taken their own survey which indicates that of a group of 1024 women presenting for abortion at their clinics 63.1% were there because of contraceptive failure. 54.7% had been using the male condom. 7.8% were relying upon the withdrawal method or periodic abstinence, 1.1% had been given the injectable contraceptive.