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.
MOH's wonderful website is full of useful information on this illness:
//sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos
Another invaluable website is:
//www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk
If you need help in obtaining medication, phone them on:
024 7638 2020
Lastly, the NICE guidelines on treatment are useful:
//cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-in-pregnancy
I would like to thank everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on this and on previous threads.
It has been suggested that I add some practical tooth cleaning advice: a lot of sufferers find using a child's small toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste far less nauseating.
On my image of a pink castle: that is an image I use because when I was little, my family had a Snakes and Ladders board with an image on the last square of a pink castle in the clouds. As Hyperemesis is so like a grotesque version of Snakes and Ladders - eat a meal, go up a ladder, first thing in the morning bile run, down a snake - I have used the image of that pink castle on the last square of that Snakes and Ladders board as a metaphor for the happy end of Hyperemesis.
Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.
So many women on this thread have thought they couldn't get through this, but they did.
Get updates on how your baby develops, your body changes, and what you can expect during each week of your pregnancy by signing up to the Mumsnet Pregnancy Newsletters.
Pregnancy
Hyperemesis Support
LucindaE · 23/07/2019 15:09
Welcome newbies. Just checking in on the new thread.
Definitely push for meds, the earlier the better Em6826. I hope they work for you.
Relentless nausea for me was always way more debilitating than actually being sick, we all know how you feel Abi58, it’s nice that you get some relief after being sick, albeit for a short time.
My hospital called me today, they got my blood results back and my iron levels are still dropping so they have now prescribed me some iron tablets. The doctor actually discussed the side effects and constipation is a side effect apparently. That’s going to take me back to my ondansetron days, plus I’ve already got piles so I’m really hoping I don’t get constipated. Urgh. But it’ll be nice to (hopefully) start to feel a little less tired and fatigued constantly. They said I need another blood test in 4 weeks, whether or not baby has arrived as I may need to carry on taking the tablets after the birth.
Hope everyone is doing ok in the heat! 
Thanks for the new thread Lucinda.
@Em6826 I was exactly the same, my commute is 1 hour both ways (but sometimes longer if there are delays on the lines), I enjoy my job and get on with the people I work with and I’m the type to soldier on when sick too. It took a really long time for me to fully adjust and accept I just couldn’t do that, but thankfully DH is really supportive and would give me short shrift when I tried to do too much! Several times I thought, “Maybe I should return to work now, it seems okay, right?” then I would do something minor like a load of laundry and get set back. “Were you thinking about going back to work?” became a sort of catchphrase of DH’s whenever stuff like that happened! I’ve actually been off my whole pregnancy and will be on mat leave soon. Some people get well enough to return, I haven’t but it’s not awful - as in, the first 20 weeks were the worst, but especially up to around 14-16 weeks. Since then I am significantly better, it’s completely different, I just can’t do my daily commute or reliably work because doing stuff takes it out of me. So for instance I can do laundry, cook, the school run, go to the shops, all things I couldn’t do before; but I might not do them all in the same day, or one day I can do a number of things but the next I’ll do next to nothing to rest and recuperate. So I feel significantly better, I don’t feel like I’m suffering like I was, but I’m just not able to work for several hours in a row let along a whole day, or work every day, or part time etc, I just don’t have the consistency to do that and maintain it so it’s better to just be off sick and take things at my own pace.
@Blii I get that with iron tablets, but it actually swings between mild constipation (only mild for me, usually don’t even need lactulose or movicol) and actually a slightly upset tummy/looser stools. The other thing is it can make stools a sort of black/green colour (sorry!) and that’s totally normal. I find that on starting the course I get the most impact, then over a week or two my digestion gets a bit more used to it - I’ve been put on them a few different times and this sort of pattern has emerged.
@Marshmallow1992 sorry to hear it’s so bad, if it’s any reassurance you’re in the thick of it now, most people start to see some gradual improvements somewhere between 14 weeks and 20 weeks - not necessarily gone but eg less vomiting, nausea episodes breaking up more or less nausea overall. Key is to just rest and take each day at a time. I believe there are other meds and also combinations of meds and vitamins that can be helpful - I think it’s B6 they give sometimes which seems to help? As well as combining multiple meds. Hopefully someone here will be able to share their experience of that.
@McHelenz sorry it’s so rough for you too. I have hypothyroidism and there are actually a few people on this thread with thyroid problems. There is a link between thyroid issues and HG, it’s not 100% clear why or what the link is but a current theory is that the connection may be due to thyroid hormones and pregnancy hormones being chemically similar. Have you been working all throughout? If so you really have soldiered through! But that may also contribute to your sickness, even basic exertion can make it much worse so definitely follow your GP’s lead there, rest up (properly, not whizzing around your home or doing tasks etc, just rest) and see how you feel, it may make a world of difference and it may help to reduce hours or take a longer period of sick leave, depending on how things go. Also with all respect, your colleagues haven’t got a clue what they’re on about. This is my third child, and it’s not normal to be vomiting water at 15 weeks. You are actually ill, this is a proper illness which affects 1-2% of pregnant women - it is not just a side effect of pregnancy, and no one can work being horrendously nauseous or vomiting! Just think - would I just carry on as normal if I wasn’t pregnant? If the answer is no, or even just maybe not, then listen to that and think about how expectations may need to be adjusted. Being pregnant doesn’t suddenly mean we should have to work through vomit, pain, dizziness etc 
(you may have noticed now that this is a rant topic for me 
)
@DeadDoorpost the heat is horrendous and due to increase, I’m just glad I’m not in other parts of Europe where it’s even hotter.
@ElkieMacjibe oh how rotten to get food poisoning/bug, glad it’s better now but not nice at all. And then a power cut! At least you can have fans again now, I’ve been sitting directly in the stream of the fan all day!
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@McHelenz a nurse and a really long shift! Yes, a good chill out is probably definitely in order see how it goes and take it from there, most people don’t want to stop or reduce working, the reality is even though most of us likely work because we have to (as in, we’re not independently wealthy!) most people enjoy going to work in some way, getting out, being busy, having an impact, seeing other people, so reducing or pausing that can feel really weird and a hard adjustment at first. But, it can make a huge difference to the sickness. I do what I think is a relatively non-taxing job - as in physically, I suppose it is mentally taxing (and sometimes frustrating) but the main physical impact is I often find myself eating my lunch in record time or late in the day and there’s a bit of dashing from one meeting to another, so it’s not really a physical job at all! But, I did some work for a couple of hours when I was around 20-something weeks - maybe 26-ish weeks? - fairly low stress, just mentally engaging, at home, on the laptop, for a couple of hours. I progressively began to feel worse and it ended in me spending 45 minutes that evening lying on the floor at the bottom of the stairs, as I couldn’t go any further and the nausea had struck me with a vengeance! It’s surprising just what can take it out of you.
@DeadDoorpost I hope they’re coping! It’s supposed to get to 38C today here, I’ve told DH we are attempting absolutely nothing bar surviving the day let the DC splash in the bath or paddling pool (we have a very shaded part to our garden which sees no sun until late afternoon, so we’ll see how it feels), and just minimise all effort!
@Teddyreddy great that you have your induction date, I think you said you didn’t have the best experience with it before but hopefully this means you can plan and hopefully avoid some of past experience or at least make it as easy as possible. Have you got one of those travel fans? The battery powered ones, they’re usually handheld or you can fold the handle so it stands on a flat surface, they’re only a few inches across but quite effective for some extra breeze. Also maybe something like a Chillow (those big gel pad things that you can put in a pillow case or on the bed), they can be surprisingly good at cooling down at least for a bit. I find all hospital wards seem to be terribly warm, even in the middle of winter
Hi all its been a while . Sorry to hear so many are suffering esp in this heat its horrible!
To the person who said the receptionist refused any further meds, that’s not her job! Ask for a telephone consultation with one of the dr’s.
Sorry to not name check I’m 21 weeks and haven’t been able to keep up with the thread much lately, have really bad depression and anxiety.
I hope everyone is trying to stay as cool as possible atm, oh an dairy is a defo no no for me tried a yogurt after months and promptly threw up after having a good few weeks of no vomit.
LucindaE hope you’re well x
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