For several weeks, Laura Gómez, a 32-year-old young mother, began experiencing intense itching. At first, she thought it was a simple allergy. She changed her soap, avoided certain foods, and even visited a dermatologist, who prescribed creams and antihistamines. Nothing worked. The itching intensified every day, affecting her sleep, mood, and daily routine.
> “It was desperate,” Laura says. “I felt like something was moving inside me. I scratched myself until I bled, and nothing could relieve me. But I never imagined what was coming.”
After another sleepless night, Laura's husband insisted they go to the hospital. Blood tests, ultrasounds, and skin biopsies followed over the next two days. The doctors looked puzzled. “Your skin is fine,” they said. “No visible rashes. No hives. No parasites. But your liver enzymes… they're off the charts.”
That’s when the gastroenterologist was called in.
A Hidden Warning
What seemed like a dermatological issue was actually a sign of something far more serious: intrahepatic cholestasis, a rare liver condition that interferes with the normal flow of bile. In Laura’s case, it wasn’t pregnancy-related—it was idiopathic, meaning the cause was unclear.
Her itching wasn’t caused by anything on the skin. It was from within—a buildup of bile acids in the bloodstream triggering nerve endings under the skin.
“I was stunned,” Laura recalls. “All that time I was treating the outside… and the problem was inside.”
Doctors started her on medications to support liver function and reduce bile acid levels. The relief was not immediate, but within a week, the itching began to ease.
The Emotional Toll
“It was one of the darkest times of my life,” Laura says. “Not just the physical pain, but the not knowing. I started to feel like I was going crazy. It made me realize how much we rely on our bodies to just work, silently.”
More tests followed, and Laura was diagnosed with an autoimmune liver condition that may have triggered the bile backup. She now undergoes regular monitoring and follows a strict diet, along with immunosuppressants.
Why Laura Shared Her Story
She decided to speak publicly to warn others not to ignore symptoms that seem minor—or brush them off as “just allergies.”
“I hope that if someone else is dealing with relentless itching, they’ll ask to have their liver tested. It might not be what you think.”
Today, Laura is stable, active in her community, and volunteers with a liver health advocacy group.
“I never thought something like itching would change my life,” she says. “But it did. And now, I want that change to help someone else.”