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Pregnancy

Hyperemisis Gravidarum- help!!

13 replies

suziq432 · 20/09/2017 15:31

Hello all.

I really need some advice on this as I feel at a complete loss.

I am 8 weeks pregnant, and last week the sickness got so bad I was admitted into hospital and put on an IV overnight. They discharged me the following morning and for a good 2 days I couldn't stand up straight because of the pain in my stomach, and barely kept water down.
Here I am now a week later after feeling relatively better by going to work Monday and Tuesday, but today it's like it's started all over again.
It's 3:25pm and all I've managed to eat is 2 Mr Kipling Bramley Apple Pies (yum by the way), and some McVities Digestive Nibbles. I'm aware this is all crap food, and going from a healthy veg and fruit eater this is torture but I can't even face anything else.
My poor fella keeps offering to make me something as I have to eat, but even the smell of food is making me nauseous.
I'm now just laid here wondering if it will ever get better and if I'm going to have to take ANOTHER sick day at work because I can't face even standing up.

Any help would be greatly appreciated as this is our first child and I feel so out of my depth with this!!!

Thanks so much in advance,
Suzy Cake

OP posts:
suziq432 · 20/09/2017 15:33

**I just want to add that I've been given some anti sickness tablets, 1 x 3 times a day and after 8 hours of each other. They seem to work for the first 3 hours, then I'm back to where I started with nausea and no appetite!

OP posts:
53rdWay · 20/09/2017 15:36

I'm so sorry, it's utterly shit. There's a really good HG Support thread in the Pregnancy forums here. Also recommend checking out www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk, I got a lot of help from that site.

Do you know what drugs they've given you? There are different kinds and some will work better for some people than others do, so it's worth going back to the doctor if yours don't help much and see if anything else does.

Lemondrop99 · 20/09/2017 15:38

What tablets are you on?

suziq432 · 20/09/2017 16:04

Thanks so much for this, I feel so helpless and trying not to do too much and rest is also driving me potty!

So the hospital gave me Prochlorperazine for the sickness, they do the job but only for a few hours and I can't take another one for hours.

OP posts:
shhhfastasleep · 20/09/2017 16:11

Connect up with the forum on here that pp linked to. I wish I’d had it 10 years ago with my dd.
I struggled with water too. I filtered it (not much difference) and tried to eat any watery foods I could manage- basically lettuce and cucumber. Keep in touch with your GP. Let work know. I was hospitalised too.
Morning sickness, my arse!

DeadDoorpost · 20/09/2017 16:13

Prochlorperazine did nothing for me, go back to your Dr and ask for ondansetron tablets. They can be hard to get depending on your Dr but are the best ones by far and are totally fine during pregnancy regardless of what the GP reckons. (Lots of us are on them)
Ice lollies can help with getting fluids in you nd don't worry about whether you're eating the best food or not. It's better to have something than nothing at all and I didn't manage to eat a decent thing until 14 weeks or so. Literally was living off of drinks and icelollies. Baby is absolutely find and will take whatever nutrients it needs from you anyway.

Lemondrop99 · 20/09/2017 16:23

As Door says, a lot of the first line drugs don't work brilliantly. Definitely worth discussing ondansetron with your GP, it's the only thing that helped me. The PSS website and helping given above its brilliant, loads of info on hydration, medication, eating etc. Their helpline is excellent too.

There's a HG support thread on here too, so feel free to come and join us to have a vent. Sympathies to you, HG is awful

Lemondrop99 · 20/09/2017 16:24

Oh and if you're getting heartburn/reflux, that can make things worse. So don't be afraid to ask for something to help with that if you get problems. Omaprazole has really helped me.

namechangeforanonymity · 20/09/2017 16:37

Unfortunately they will start you on milder drugs and you generally have to work your way through these to see if they have sufficient effect on the vomiting. Giving a woman who can't even hold down water large tablets to swallow is a bit of a gamble unless they work quickly and well enough to stop them being vomited back up.

Cyclizine can be effective for many but I found only ondansetron worked for me and enabled me to continue working.

Stress to your GP that you need the most effective option to enable you to work. Lots of pregnancy related sick time doesn't make one popular with employers. GP's seem to think that it's ok to just offer to sign women off sick for weeks on end. It's not ok when there are alternatives such as ondansetron, but it is one of the more expensive drugs which is why they are reluctant to prescribe it.

Even on ondansetron I had the odd random vomit once a month or so, most notably after my father's 60th birthday celebratory meal when I had to run the entire length of the restaurant to lose the whole of my £80 a head meal in the restaurant loos ! I had to fill up on toast when we all got home.

Lemondrop99 · 20/09/2017 16:45

Also to add, don't feel bad about eating crap. Eat whatever stays down. I didn't eat fruit or beg for months. Just bland salty carbs (mash and gravy, super noodles, digestives, salted crackers, toast) and sugary drinks (Coke, Lucosade, lemonade. Stayed down better than water). Eating and drinking something will always be better than nothing/forcing down stuff you'll just throw back up.

Know what you mean Name. Ondansetron wasn't a miracle cure, but things were ten times better than without it (although it caused horrific constipation). You could almost guarantee that the occasional meal out I went to, would be thrown up! Literally money down the toilet....


OP - also you will need to rest. Don't stress if you have to be signed off. The first trimester is the hardest, and if you can't get out of bed, that's not your fault. I was signed off for 5 weeks in total (having tried and failed to go back to work twice in that time), spent about 3 months in bed (was literally working from bed at around 12-14 weeks) and ended up working at home full time until maternity leave as I couldn't commute. Luckily my work was very accondating. I know not all are, but they can't count pregnancy sickness against you and don't guilt trip yourself either!

Oh...and punch anyone who suggests ginger....

DeadDoorpost · 20/09/2017 16:58

Oh heck yeah, don't bother trying ginger as it's literally the worst thing to throw back up. Doesn't taste nice and it burns your already sensitive throat.

AnUtterIdiot · 20/09/2017 17:11

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

suziq432 · 21/09/2017 09:07

Thank you all SO SO much. Just knowing I'm not the only one that has felt like this is making me a bit better, and I think you're right I need to shake the feeling bad for eating rubbish as it's all I can face and at least I'm eating.
I'm very proud of myself, I ended up having chip shop chips with beans and a fish cake last night after craving them for hours but having no appetite - and I kept it all down!!!! Result!! Even washed it down with, randomly, a Banana Yazoo and it was just all so delightful CakeGrin
I've looked at the support page too and looks so good, thank you all for letting me vent and helping me cope with this x

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