Refused anti-nausea medication - Help me with more knowledge?

[rrreow]

I had my booking in appointment this morning (3 week wait to see a GP at my practice...) and had been living in hope that I would be able to get something prescribed for the overwhelming nausea I've been experiencing.

The nausea is so bad the past 2 weeks that most of the time all I can do is just sit really still, trying not to move. I run my own company with my husband and have a toddler, DH has been SUPER supportive but I just can't afford to take time off (am 7 weeks right now - so it's likely to continue for at least a month). I'm doing all the home remedies but I just don't feel any better.

I told the GP this, that basically I cannot function in my life right now, however, as I've not been actually vomiting she just pooh-poohed my concerns. It's having an emotional effect on me too, as every morning I just dread the day ahead knowing I am going to feel so sick. DH was with my at the GPs and afterwards I just broke down and had a huge cry.

Does anyone have any knowledge/experience about getting a prescription for nausea when you don't actually have hyperemesis? Should I see another GP at my practice? Are there any articles / research that I could quote that would support me?

[Splinters]

You poor thing, I think that is outrageous actually. I don't know about 'just' nausea as I was very sick, but I was told to get a thing called Avomine which is actually a travel sickness pill and is over the counter.

I am not suggesting you should just go and get some without a doctor recommending it (it says on the label pregnant women should only take it on medical advice) but my GP said it was very safe, 'unofficially' in use for pregnancy sickness for many years, and easily available. Perhaps you could mention to a doctor that you've heard of it and do they think it would be suitable? Because I definitely think you should have a look through the doctors in your practice and pick one who might be more sympathetic. I ended up in tears in front of mine on more than one occasion and it felt so much better just to speak to someone who listened properly.

Good luck.

[EdsRedeemingQualities]

Yes see another GP. I had this the first time I was pg - very good but rather opinionated GP I went to told me I was at a different time in my life now, and should just get on with it.
He had lost a baby though, not sure if during his wife's pregnancy or through stillbirth so I tactfully said nothing, and went to a different one in the same practice, who was massively sympathetic and gave me something to try.

I just had the nausea too - a continual fight not to throw up as I thought, once I did I wouldn't be able to stop. It was dreadful.

That was 10 years ago. I had another pregnancy 6 years ago, and was given various things, stemetil (prochlorperazine) and cyclizine. Neither did much but I took them anyway, in case I felt worse without them.

This time (now 30wks) I felt terrible again, up till past 20 weeks, again I managed not to be sick, though I stayed in bed a lot of days. I was met with a totally different attitude from my GP - it's a different surgery - who said, of course, here, have some metoclopramide - it's thought to be safe now.

So I took that, and phenergan (promethazine) and somehow struggled through the first 20 weeks, without losing weight like I did the other two times.

Yes it was still tough but take whatever you can get. You can buy phenergan, it's the usual first stop for a GP when prescribing for morning sickness. If it doesn't work for you, ask for something else.

They're all antihistamines, some people find different ones work better than others. Metoclopramide (maxolon) is the one I prefer - it didn't stop the nausea but I think it can effectively reduce vomiting so was reassuring to take.

Obviously, stop taking meds as soon as you feel able to cope - I took mine till about 15 weeks.

Best of luck, I know how horrid it is xxx

[EdsRedeemingQualities]

Ps I doubt you will have to quote any research. They are all aware of the research - and lack of, on pregnant women! (sadly no one wants to test things on people who are pg, I can understand why though) but anecdotally many drugs have been tried by thousands of women and not been shown to increase birth defects etc.

It just depends on the attitude of your GP - a lot are reluctant to prescribe anything during pg, but a lot understand how much difference it makes and are happy to help you out.

I did consider termination the first two times, maybe that struck a chord with my nice GP - it's a balance of what is likely to cause the most risk, iyswim.

But you shouldn't have to consider that either, or say you are - there should be a doctor there who will help you willingly.

[rrreow]

Thank you two for your support that was really helpful!

Went back to my GP today (unfortunately the same person, as there is only one GP at my practice currently..... I live in central London.... make of that what you will) armed with drug names and I also did some research on www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov and took DH with me to talk in case I got flustered. Anyway, GP prescribed some cyclizine, hurrah! So crossing my fingers this will work.

[Secondsop]

See another GP. I was the same as you, and i didnt even realise there were medications for all-day nausea without vomiting, but i was at my GP because of urine infections and she said, without me asking, "now, do you want me to give you something for this nausea?". I was prescribed avomine and whilst I wasn't exactly leaping about afterwards it definitely helped a fair bit and made things bearable again. The fact that I wasn't actually vomiting at that point was neither here nor there in terms of whether i should be helped; the GP said the avomine was for nausea and that if I started being sick I should go back to her and she would prescribe something different.

The "grin and bear it" approach by your GP really isn't acceptable in this day and age when women can hardly spend their entire pregnancies in "confinement" and where there are medications that can help us. Really hope you get some sensible help from a GP soon.

[Secondsop]

Ah, just saw your latest post! Well done - really hope the medication helps.