Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

We need a new thread.

I hope everyone suffering from the Horrors of Hyperemesis will find this thread useful as a source of support and information.

There's no TMI on here - can't be by definition - and nobody should feel ashamed of moaning as much as they feel the need to.

I used to include extracts from MOH's wonderful website
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
but I think that makes this link less visible so am merely putting the link. The information on this site is invaluable.

I would like to thank MOH MOP Ovaltine Caramellokoalalover (I think she's changed her nickname) Fluffy, Horsey Kali and Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on previous threads.

Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.

[Littleplasticpeople]

Thanks Lucinda

knicky I had issues with leaking when throwing up, mostly just a dribble though. I found panty liners were usually enough protection - Tena do really thin ones which I guess are for this very purpose. Miserable isn't it!

Feeling a bit better now I've been back a few days, although my consultant yesterday advised me to start taking anti sickness meds again when I told her I'm still regularly sick. I don't think I will, the side effects now out weigh the benefits. My iron levels are also pretty low, which must be making me feel worse as tiredness has always been my main trigger. She also told me that Spatone is not effective so I need to take the full on iron pills which are really rough on the tummy. Anyone know anything about this?

[horseynewmum]

Hi all and thanks for the mention Lucinda and yes this will pass. Lily is nearly 11 weeks now and she is the most wonderful little thing. I cant believe at 10 weeks while in hospital a second time I wanted to rid and I'm so glad I didnt. I know I didn't have HG as bad as some people but to me it was a life changing condition.

Re puking and weeing, if I was being sick I always sat on toilet if at home as I would end up having a pee. I pee'd and puked in shower many of times and even pee'd on bathroom floor (thank God my floor is tiled). I do look back and laugh now, and one day you will

big hugz x x

[BarmeeMarmee]

Don't worry Lucinda the link worked .

Knicky yup, been there! Oh how I wish I'd paid more attention to my pelvic floor exercises after having DS! Not sure that would have prevented it though.

How is everyone else? Horsey I can't believe it's 11 weeks already! Time flies...

I'm ok, thank you all for the good wishes. I'm feeling very, very tired and more nauseous ever since the weekend but no more tightenings and no bleeding so so far so good. My parents took DS for a few hours this afternoon and I just slept. Still feeling drained though. Ah well.

[washngo]

Thanks for new thread! Am enjoying general looking after by my mum, it makes such a difference to know there's someone here to look after ds and dd any time I need help. Plus they adore my mum and dad so it's actually lovely for them to have all this attention from them. I feel horrendous and am struggling to keep food down but at least I've got help now. Hope everyone else is ok.

[knickyknocks]

Thanks for the new thread Lucinda and thank you ladies for sharing the peeing and puking stories. As much as I wouldn't want anyone else to go through it, it's also comforting to know I'm not the only one. That said, if I have time to empty my bladder before I puke, it stops me from peeing.

Lying on the sofa, with DD in nursery. GP has signed me off for 2 weeks which is a relief. I was starting to feel better this morning, but a dash to the loo proved otherwise. DD hasn't been sleeping well of late and the exhaustion from that, makes my sickness so much worse. Ended up feeling terribly dizzy last night at 3AM. I felt like i had to hold onto the bed in case I fell out. 8 weeks 3 days today, such a long way to go, but I know this is only temporary - and I thank my lucky stars I'm not worse and in hospital.

horsey, Lily is a beautiful name. It must be such a relief that you got through this terrible business. I must admit, that hopefully if everything goes to plan, I will be glad to call it quits at this child, DC2. I absolutely can't put myself or my family through another pregnancy.

washngo lovely to hear you arrived safe and sound. It must make such a difference to know that you have someone constantly there to look after DD and DS. I've struggled with my DD when she's not in nursery (DH is a shiftworker and thanks to those olympics I'm not seeing much of him so it all falls back on me.....). Hope you get some relief from your symptoms soon.

barmee it's no wonder you're drained after the past couple of weeks. I hope that your parents can continue to help out just to give you that break that you need. Thank goodness there's no bleeding.

Hello to everyone else!

[MOH100]

BB13 i reread the article and the wording is funny, but I'm sure it means that the study group was comprised of infants (boys and girls) born to 'girls and women'. I suppose girls under 18 can have babies too and they have described them as girls rather than women. There is no way they would do a study like this and only examine one gender of baby unless they were only looking for a gender specific problem. The side effect leaflet would not have mentioned birth defects anyway, because there's no evidence for it, it would be more about side effect on you taking the drug, so I don't think it would have made any difference to your decision to take it. Life is easy in hindsight but you can only take a decision based on what you know at the time and how you feel at the time. Many women have untreatable HG that's so bad that they have terminations- could you maybe comfort yourself with the thought that if you hadn't have taken the meds, maybe your baby would not have survived at all? Before antiemetics began to be used in the late 1940s, about 8% of babies of HG mothers were either terminated to save the mother or the mother died and the baby with her - that's a high risk to run. Faced with an 8% chance of death, or a risk that's so tiny it can't be measured of having a birth defect, then I think you definitely made the best choice for your son. You possibly think you could have got through HG without taking meds, but you can't, it's not physically possible. If you hadn't taken antiemetics at home, you would have ended up being admitted to hospital and they would have given you antiemetics there whether you asked for them or not, they would have put meds down the drip, there is nothing else that they can do and no doctor will risk a patient dying. Plus if that had happened you would have ended up on even more meds because it's more difficult to control the worse it gets. You think you had a choice to not take the meds, but actually you didn't. HG took your choice away and it's not your fault. If you hadn't taken meto, you would have become very ill and ended up in hospital on a cocktail of IV meds, then your son would have been born probably exactly the same and you may have blamed yourself for letting yourself get so ill and not taking the meds in the first place. You can't win with HG, but I hate the idea that it can have such a hold over your mental health even after the baby is born.

[LucindaE]

Thanks, everyone! waves to all, extremely proud. IT wizard or what? I can do a link. MOH so agree with all you have said to BB.
Barmee I didn't know you were bleeding too, my goodness, how alarming, hugs. So glad you can take it easy at the moment. You are being very brave.
Knicky Despite being my first birth, I peed on the floor anyway! 'Lucinda E, She can't take a puke without taking a pee...'
Wasngo Hurray for care by parents.
How is Everyone? Kali I assume back from summer school, Tay?
Lucinda
xx

[MotherofPearl]

Just dashing on to say I've found the new thread and sorry I've been scarce; busy time with the DCs. Going away for a week tomorrow but will catch up on the thread when back. Hope everyone is hanging in there. Hugs to Lucinda.

[BarmeeMarmee]

Hi everyone! Lucinda no bleeding, thankfully. That's something at least. Situation is becoming quite comical though (if you don't laugh you'll cry!) - seems that DS may have scarlet fever! Need to wait for a drs appt tomorrow but hoping its not. Oh deary me!

[kalidasa]

Found the new thread! Still at the summer school, still managing though quite tired now. Just two full days of teaching left, then back to London on Saturday morning.

[EmilieFloge]

Hi guys,

I posted briefly on the last thread when I was at the very early part of this pregnancy. I hope you don't mind me coming back to ask a question?

I've reached 18 weeks now and since about 14-15, I was able to stop taking metoclopramide, and felt much less ill, well, on and off though it was still hanging around. Last week I had a bad cold and didn't feel sick apart from the gagging/coughing thing, but I can cope with that.

Since Sunday I've started getting that awful smell again - you know when you imagine something smells really bad, and you don't know what it is - I don't think it is anything real fwiw.

It's been getting worse this week and yesterday I ended up lying in bed trying to pretend I wasn't alive, all afternoon and evening, only getting up to make my children some rubbish dinner, and I felt the need to take my meds again for the first time in several weeks.

I don't know what to think. I really thought it was on its way out - I was pretty bad and in bed a lot during the first trimester, not vomiting (v strong stomach I suppose) but awful nausea and fighting it all the time, on meto. three times a day, plus phenergan, and wishing I was dead.

This feels like I'm back in week 10

I'm sure with my two boys I was feeling better by now - and it did go around this point. I just can't work out why it is worse iyswim. It's horrible.

Any ideas welcome...wondering if it is a girl this time and if so what to expect.
Thankyou for reading x

[MOH100]

Emilie I suspect it's that now you have two boys to cope with so the HG is breaking though because you're tired. In my experience, once it's past the peak you can cope if you either take meds or get loads and loads of rest. What you absolutely can't do is not take meds AND rush around like a normal mother. Since you don't have a choice because you're a mother, if I were you I'd go back on the meds and just keep on taking them. To get over this crisis and get back on an even keel, you'll probably need some intensive rest plus meds - is there anyone who can have the kids for you while you recover?

[washngo]

Emillie - that must be so frustrating for you, especially as things had seemed to improve. Hopefully it's just a blip because you're tired. Agree with MOH that if it's at all possible you should try to get a break and a good rest and take the meds until you feel back on track.

I've had a slightly crazy coule of days. My mum suggested that i stop taking the meds (because she thought that now i'm here and getting lots of rest maybe i don't need them). Surprise surprise i spent all day yesterday feeling unbelievably awful and vomited about 10 times during the day. Started taking the meds again yesterday last thing and feel dramatically better today, nausea but no vomiting. Not an experiment i'll be trying again any time soon. I'm exactly 7 weeks today so am desperately hoping the meds continue to fend off the vomiting (as long as i'm actually taking them properly!).

[EmilieFloge]

Thankyou so much for responding. I don't have anyone to take the children, so we are muddling through as best we can - I am spending a lot of time resting ,watching television or lying in bed and they are generally entertaining themselves. I hate the fact I can't do things with them - last week we went on a trip one day, which was great, and I was planning to continue doing these things and going camping etc but now I dare not plan anything as this has kind of floored me a bit.

I'm hoping it is just a blip but it's been 5 days now, and though we managed a quick walk into town this afternoon I couldn't face any food shops and we are low on everything...it all just goes out the window doesn't it, I am trying to hang on. Being a rubbish mother

I have taken another meto. this afternoon, trying to manage on one per day so I can keep an eye on what happens iyswim, I want to know if it stops again. I really hope it does.

Washngo, sorry you are suffering so much at 7 weeks. I remember ticking off the days in my diary at that stage, it seemed interminable but it does eventually go by, I hope things are bearable x

[goldie32]

Thanks for new thread. Haven't managed to catch up on all the old posts but hope that you are all managing ok. Tried to go without cyclizine for a couple of days, although I only take one a day now it was not worth doing without! Back on it today, wonder is it psychological or if I just take enough to keep it in my system? 28 weeks now midwife thinks baby might be on the big side-going to monitor her. Shows that HG early on has had no effect on her! Love to all, enjoy the sunshine if you can. Xx

[LucindaE]

Welcome back, Emilie do stay around. I think you should take as many of the meds as you need, people do seem sometimes to have relapses when they thought they were clear of it. It's awful. No wonder you are tired with two boys and of course, that makes you vulnerable to relapses.
Wasngo Poor you, don't try not to take meds, no disrespect to your mother but this isn't normal pregnancy sickness and you might become dehydrated quckly on that level of vomiting.
Goldie Waves. I think everyone's trying to be too stoic trying to get of medication asap...
Kali Well done for getting through that summer school!
Waves to all.
Lucinda
xx

[Tay1981]

Hey everyone

Took me a while to find you guys in the new thread!!

washngo I tried something like that when I was still on my own at home as I thought maybe now that I was established on the meds I could reduce them and feel less drowsy - exactly the same thing happened to me lots of vomiting v quickly. Wont be trying that again ALTHOUGH have now reduced to 75mg from 100mg without too much difference. So maybe its just whilst the hormones are still increasing.

emilyfloge hope you feel better soon - probably just a blip - don't feel bad about going back on meds if you need to.

I am doing ok - had a little pathetic cry this morning because I am just fed up of being virtually housebound. I basically wanted to go shopping with my mum and sister but I know I cant manage it. Ugh. On the plus side I can feel baby move!!! I'm only 11 weeks so its ridiculously early I know but I'm certain. All in the same place at the same times of day for a few days now. Mum and sister could feel it too putting their hands on my belly. Is quite exciting esp as no bump yet and am swimming in my clothes but must be a strong baby - possibly more hyperactive even than its older sister eek.

[kalidasa]

Exciting news, ladies. For the first time I DID NOT THROW UP this morning! (Was a very close thing but didn't actually quite happen.) Probably a one off but still very nice.

Tay1981 I felt the baby v. early too, around the same time as you, much "too" early especially for a first baby. Apparently if you are quite thin you are more likely to feel the baby early, and I had lost a lot of weight (and was slim to start with) so I think maybe that's why. Perhaps that applies to you too?

[washngo]

Well done Kali! Really hope that's the end of the throwing up for you.

I'm feeling really down today, good friend's wedding down south tomorrow but obviously as i'm up here with my parents i'll be missing it. I feel guilty about it as well, as now i'm back on the meds i am functioning reasonably, apart from needing huge day time naps and feeling generally really miserable. I know everyone goes through this feeling that it will never end, and i remember it only too well from before. And of course it does end. But that just feels such a very long time away :( Plus I spoke to dh last night and he sounded so upset and says he misses us (i miss him too but feel to crap to thin about it much). He was so looking forward to taking ds to the olympics on sunday and now we're here so they can't go. I am such a terrible person! I knew we should wait to ttc until after our busy summer was over, but I didn't think i'd get pregnant so quickly, and also had that stupid and crazy idea that maybe this time it'd be different and i'd feel right as rain. Oh well, hindsightis a wonderful thing. Sorry, being very moany. Hope everyone else is feeling a bit chirpier than me!

[FlirtyThirty]

Hello ladies...

I haven't been on here for several months, but wanted to return with hope for you sufferers! I am now 33 weeks and I'm feeling great! AT LAST! I thought this point would never come when the HG was at it's worst...but there really is a light.

I began feeling better (thanks to the cocktail of drugs!!) about 5months, but now I actually feel like my old self again. I have rarely been as ill in my life, as the 5 months of this pregnancy, and certainly never for so long. I would not have believed it possible to be this unwell from 'only' being pregnant.

I cannot thank those on this thread enough for their advice in my darkest days...and were it not for their wisdom I would have been in hospital longer and more frequently. I don't think I believed that anything would help by then. It's easy to be depressed when you're so unwell.

To anyone in the early stages, or not yet 'diagnosed'...please, please seek medical attention now. Fight for medication, or get others to do so on your behalf if you are too ill (as I was). The longer you leave it, the worse it gets. Proper medication can help you function better. I wish I had not left it for so long. Please remember dehydration is a very very serious condition. Do not allow ill-informed medical professionals to fob you off, if you are very ill head straight for A&E. My GPs were incompetent in the extreme; A&E were horrified when I self-referred there. So in short...get the treatment you need by any means necessary.

I wish everyone well in coping with this dreadful condition, and pray it is short-lived for you and well-treated. It does get better though - I promise.

Once again...thanks for getting me through it!

Flirty x

[BarmeeMarmee]

washngo hugs. I know that feeling of misery and you have my sympathy. Thinking of you.

kali that's fantastic! Fingers crossed its a sign of things to come!

[LucindaE]

Flirty What a lovely message, I am so glad you are at last feeliing as ou should, but you should have come on to moan more. It's what this thread is for, after all.
Tay Sorry you had difficulty finding us - I hope my link didn't let you down?
I felt baby early too, but not that early, say round thirteen weeks? But it was really delicate feathery stirrings.
Kal about no puking this morning, that's wonderful, long may it continue.
Wasngo Hugs, it is very hard and isolating, your life stops really. You wn't regret going for it in a few weeks, I am sure - I regret not having had two.
Barmee I hope you are OK? Clucking and fussing, mother hen leaves, muttering vaguely about kesosticks and Lucozade.
Sorry to Anyone I've rudely overlooked...
Lucinda
xx

[BarmeeMarmee]

Hello all, only me, back again!

wash how are you today? Thinking of you. And Tay and Kali? I'm ok, no.2 is staying put still and DS "just" had a viral rash as opposed to scarlet fever as we feared. I'm currently at the inlaws - DS and MIL have gone to the park with the dog, DH and FIL are chopping up logs and about to have a bonfire. Me? I firmly planted on the sofa with a cold, weak squash and the Olympics, lol!

[washngo]

Hello,
Barmee - good news on the scarlet fever front. Also really glad to hear that you and baby are ok too.

I'm ok today, only sick a couple of times. Still feeling a bit gloomy but there we are, must keep chin up! Thanks to all for sympathy it really is much appreciated! xx

[LucindaE]

Hope everyone is ok today, that Kali has kept down breakfast, that Wasngo is feeling a little better, that Tay Is Ok too and that Barmee is resting as much as possible. Cyber hugs available for anyone who feels in need of one. Just looking at a blog where the once Caramelo has a picture of her baby turning into a toddler...Unbelievably sweet, it is strange that such innocents cause such suffering!
Lucinda
xx