Medication for morning sickness

[Sickantied]

Really struggling at 9 wks. Last pregnancy I felt awful too up until around 16 weeks. (I know others have it worse in that it lasts the whole pregnancy). Not vomiting but feel rotten around the clock, can't sleep because of it, feeling very depressed because of how sick I feel.
I didn't seek any medication last time but I think I'm struggling more this time around especially since I can't even get relief at night.
Will I have to fight to get medication?
In your experience did it really help?
Is it considered risky? (I know I could google that but I'm not feeling up to trawling too much)
Any insights/experience welcome

[Hannabee123]

I asked at a pharmacy when I was suffering and they said that they don't recommend anything to be taken until after 12 weeks which by then it should settle a little.
It's horrible and there's been times I've thrown up with an empty stomach just heaving away and getting up stomach acid. The only thing helpful I found was lemonade. Lots of lemonade.
Other women have recommended I eat ginger or drink Lucozade or eat crackers first thing in the morning. None of which have worked but it might be worth a try... see if there's anything non medicinal that can help and work for you

[Lemondrop99]

Go and talk to your GP. The nausea can be as bad or worse than actual vomiting. You don't have to suffer. Your GO will probably be happy to give you a well know safe drug like an antihistamine (cyclizine or promethazine) without too much resistance. If they don't help, it can get progressively harder to get stronger drugs prescribed.

Try eat little and often, bland salty carbs are your friend and try sugary drinks (some people find flat Coke works, I found Lucosade helped a little).

[NinaMarieP]

My GP suggested medication when I saw him about an unrelated matter at about 8 weeks. They didn't help much so I went back and he happily let me try the next thing, with the idea that I could move up to something stronger if they also didn't work well. Thankfully they were great and I haven't had a problem getting new prescriptions from other doctors.

[NinaMarieP]

Oh and yes the second lot were a life saver. I was only sick 3-4 times in the early weeks but constantly retched every time I was on my feet before I for the cyclizine.

My dr assured me that these meds have been used for years without any significant side effects or consequences being seen. They're not tested on pregnant women for obvious reasons but it's reasonably easy to pull information together on women that have taken them and the health of their babies to show they're safe.

[Lemondrop99]

Just out of curiosity, what drug worked for you Nina? Were you on Stemitil?

[Bobbiepin]

I got given cyclizine really easily at 8 weeks but it didn't work too well for me. I wasn't keen on using it preventatively and mostly ended up vomiting up the tablets. I did find that the accupressure bands were a god send though, everyone is different but that was the only thing that worked for me. Hope you feel better soon

[Blossomandsixx]

I got cyclazine for last 2 pregnancies from around 6 weeks onwards for nausea, they really helped

[Frazzle76]

Have a look at the hyperemesis support thread. There's lots of suggestions and support on there. These anti emetics are totally safe to have during pregnancy. I was on everything under the sun from 3 -22 weeks and baby is fine.
People usually start with cyclizine / stemitil (prochlorperazine) and graduate to metoclopramide and ondansetron.
Good luck xxx

[DarcyParty]

I get you, OP, it's crippling isn't it?

I was told by my midwife that she would only give me something if there were ketones in my urine. Ironically, I was having a good day when she tested me so no medication for me.

Is it worth going to my GP do you reckon? I'm 18 weeks and still no sign of it stopping.

Hang in there!

[redcaryellowcar]

I wasn't keen on taking medication, (my grandmother was offered thalidomide (sp?) so I'm cautious about it) I existed on a diet of ginger of rich tea biscuits, eaten fairly often as apparently blood sugar can cause nausea and I really couldn't manage much else other than potatoes?

[bobblyorangerug]

I was given Cyclizine at about 10 weeks, I needed it till 25 weeks as I seem to be unlucky with pregnancy sickness. It literally wiped out all traces of nausea and sickness. As soon as I forgot or tried to come off it the sickness came back with a vengeance.
Life changing at the time!
You shouldn't have to fight for it.

[putdownyourphone]

Cyclezine worked wonders for me, and my gp gave it to me at 9 weeks (I had lost 4kg by that point). Babies (twins) are very happy and healthy.

[turquoise88]

You have my sympathy.

I was on Cyclizine but it didn't touch it and gave me twitchy muscles so switched to Metoclopramide which I was also on with DD1 and that's helped. Just approaching 16 weeks now and hoping to have weaned myself off then in the next few days.

Good luck, OP. It's truly awful and there's a lack is understanding around how terrible it can really be in those early days (and later for some).

[Increasinglymiddleaged]

I had medication, mine was mainly nausea but the difference between nausea and being sick was eating and drinking. You need to see your GP OP and discuss it with then. The thalidomide point is for me, why did women suffer forever more/ be made to feel bad because of an awful, tragic mistake made in the 60s? The stuff that they prescribe has been known for years and if you need meds then you need them.


And the rich tea biscuits, well if I could have stomached those I may not have taken medication either. The medication wasnt a total cure, but I could eat and drink which stopped me ending up in hospital and made me feel slightly better.

My baby is now 5 and unless being a stroppy little mare who is 5 on 15 is a result of them then I'd say she's fine

[Increasinglymiddleaged]

It was Metoclopramide that I had also.

[turquoise88]

I wasn't keen on taking medication, (my grandmother was offered thalidomide (sp?) so I'm cautious about it)

Cyclizine, metoclopramide etc are not thalidomide. Thalidomide was a whole other ball game and there's still so much stigma attached to anti emetic use in pregnancy because of it, even by some older GPS.

If you need it, the benefits of taking it can far outreach the benefits of not taking it.

[Squeezed]

I tried a few medications but promethazine was best for me. Knocked me out also which helped with the spd!

[BikeRunSki]

I had pretty much all anti sickness meds in both pregnancies, including IV cyclizine in hospital. You have my sympathies OP, pregnancy was the most grim time of my life.

There is lots of useful info here


Both children (5 and 8) are fine.

[Sickantied]

Thanks everyone. I've got some Lucozade and will perhaps make a doctor's appointment next week. At work I pretend to be ok. When nobody's listening or when I'm at home I'm constantly pulling a face and breathing out very exasperated swear words/groaning. As well as the nausea there's trapped wind/gas/ feeling fit to burst and like I've eaten for ten when in reality I am not eating much at all. It's like a permanent hangover/food poisoning. I read something that characterised the 3 trimester as Dreary, Cheery and Weary. Hopefully I'll get the cheery stage. Last pregnancy I had horrible thoughts up until 16 weeks thinking my baby already hated me and we weren't a natural match, because I felt so yucky. Morning sickness is so much more powerful than I ever imagined. Thanks again for your support.

[ripa81]

I had the same thing happen with all of my pregnancies..I found that eating cold pickles (the sour ones)help A LOT! I would suck on lemons, eat saltine crackers and drink No to morning sickness tea (caffeine free) for nausea and it would go away almost immediately..

[Emserelda]

Dear all,

I have been experiencing the same pregnancy sickness as what you have all been describing. Constant 24/7 nausea and sickness since I was 6 weeks pregnant and I am now nearly 16 weeks. All I can eat is white bread and cereal. Ginger does not help despite people often recommending it. It also gets worse at night. I spend all day at home lying down. It’s taken it’s toll on me mentally and physically.

The GP said he didn’t recommend I took medication because it hasn’t been trialled. So I’ve been soldiering on. I thought it would be gone by now!

I went to a specialist yesterday who wrote me a prescription but confirmed that it hadn’t been through clinical trials with pregnant people- he did assure me it’s safe.

My main worry is are there any long term effects on the child’s physical emotional or cognitive development?

Are there any mums out there who had the same as me, who were given the meds and your babies are happy and well?

xxx

[Ethelfromnumber73]

Your doctor should be happy to prescribe this if you are struggling. Your baby will be fully structurally developed by about 10-10.5 weeks too so if you need to move up to a more 'hard-core' drug than the ones that are usually tried first then there will be no concern of structural birth defects. Please speak to your doctor- you should not have to suffer, there are very safe medications that can be used.

[Ethelfromnumber73]

Just realised the OP was very old!

[Emserelda]

Thank you Ethel xx

[Seeline]

I had bad 24/7 nausea and vomitting and was prescribed promethazine. It really helped with the nausea, and much reduced the vomitting. It did make me very sleepy though. Any way my baby is nearly 18 now and can confirm there were no issues with her development at all. Whilst these drugs cannot actually be tested on pregnant women, they have been used for many years with no significant issues which is why GPs will prescribe when necessary.