so so sick of being sick it's spoiling the great news that I'm pregnant and I just want to lie on the floor and cry

[not12weeksyet]

I'm being sick about 6/7/8 times a day whenever I eat or drink anything within 30 minutes it all comes back up (sorry if TMI). My head hurts, my stomach hurts and I feel like shit.

I'm totally totally fed up of it. I'm fed up of having to secretly throw up at work as my colleagues don't know yet and at home as DD (10) doesn't know yet. I've felt like this for four weeks now and I've lost a stone and feel (and look!) like death. I still have over 2 weeks to go until I can safely tell anyone and at least get a smidge of sympathy.

Midwife and doctor just say the usual, ginger biscuits, travel sickness bands, eat little and often. Tried it all and nothing works. They are adamant it's a good sign and are sure that it'll pass by 12 weeks, I bloody hope so. I don't remember being this bad last time.

I know I should be grateful that we're fertile and have been able to get pregnant but I can't even think like that at the moment as I feel so crappy.

Poor you - it's horrible. I had losses before dd and ds, and swore I'd be super happy and stoic no matter what if I could just have healthy babies - lasted about 2 weeks into sickness before I was wailing like a toddler, and you're worse than I was. Really hope it passes soon - maybe being able to relax when you've told people and can stop the surreptitious puking might help.

Get a second opinion would be my advice. There are meds that can help with hyperemesis.

doctor did mention meds as an option after 12 weeks if it doesn't go away, tbh I think she just thought I was being a bit pathetic about it. Really I think I wanted to be signed off sick, even just for a week, so I could at least vomit in my own loo and not the huge almost-public ones at work (sorry tmi again) but she just packed me off with 'it should go by 12 weeks'

I'm normally really active, a regular gym goer, do lots of craft stuff and volunteer work but I've been able to do NOTHING apart from the bare minimum for weeks and it's doing my nut in

is it hyperemesis even before 12 weeks?

Try a different GP - you should be able to find someone who's going to be at least sympathetic. this link might help

eeek that link rings some scary bells

have you lost weight?

It's hyperemesis and your doctor is spouting crap. There are safe meds (I'm on metaclopramide) even during the 1st trimester. Go back to the doctor and demand meds. A stone is a big weight loss.

ggrrrr @ your stupid bloody doc and mw.
I am so fed up with health professionals whose job it is to know about hyperemesis not bloody knowing about it.
Go and see another doctor until you find one that damn well knows their stuff and gives you the meds.

Shit, sorry - didn't read the weight loss bit - god, yes, get back to doctors and see a different one.

are there really safe safe meds you can take? doctor mentioned they were 'relatively safe' which makes me unsure

I'm not normally a pathetic person, honestly, but this has just floored me

oh god what a relief if I could get it to subside even a little

the thing is, they can't ethically test drugs on pregnant women, so there aren't any that are guaranteed safe, but there are drugs that have been used on pregnant women for decades with absolutely no evidence of harm.

you will find hundreds of women on Mumsnet who took drugs for hyperemesis with no ill effects (me included).

doctors will not prescribe you anything they don't believe is safe, but because of the not-having-been-officially-tested thing they have to give you a little lecture about the risks and make sure you understand.

There are safe meds you can take. I was put on cyclizine by my doc. It has been studied, used for decades, and there is no evidence of adverse effects.

If you cannot keep anything down you should be getting treatment. Have you been checked for dehydration? My GP was very concerned when I went in and immediately gave me pills and told me if they didn't work immediately I had to come back the next day.

It makes me furious when health professionals just expect you to get on with things. Constant sickness like this should be treated.

ah, I see, that makes sense

I mentioned being constipated (oh what info you freely stick on the internet ) but she said as long as I was regularly drinking and peeing (which I am) and it wasn't dark (which it's not) then dehydration wasn't a worry

The only thing that makes me think it's not hyperemesis is that I don't feel sick ALL the time, only after I've eaten or drunk something. I feel knackered all the time but sometimes actually feel quite hungry and am able to eat, but then almost straight away feel/be sick again.

and ask them for a sick note - no way should you have to work like that!

I read quite a sensible thing on the HG website which said don't get too hung up on whether it's HG or 'just' severe nausea and vomiting, the important thing is that you get the treatment you need.
The definition is circular in any case - it's HG if it's bad enough to need treatment, you treat it if it's HG.

Much sympathy from me. I had hyperemesis in both pregnancies and it is dreadful.

WRT to constipation I had it the second time round and it was awful. I think it definitely made the sickness worse. I was prescribed Microlax - fantastic results. People will tell you to try and sort it with diet but if you are struggling to keep food down prunes etc won't help.

If you can sort the constipation out and get meds for the vomiting you will feel so much better.

Best of luck

I really feel for you- I'm 11 weeks and I've had to have a week signed off work due to sickness. I didn't want to tell anyone at work until my scan but have had to due to being so sick- I couldn't hide the running to the toilet in my job!

My doctor did mention medication but said she would rather give it time and sign me off work- I too was concerned by the 'fairly safe' comments and decided I wouldn't want to take them.

I would definately go and see another doctor and get yourself signed off work

Take care

thanks for the advice, you're all so lovely and a bit of sympathy means a lot

hi there,
I can totally sympathise with you I was sick in excess of 10 times a day and couldn't lift my head off the pillow for dizziness. There was no way ginger snaps would have worked for me I could bearly keep down water and until week 13 baby and I survived on a few mini cheddars at a time... Sounds so pathetic now! I refused to take any medication due to being scared of lasting damage to baby! I lost a stone and a half all in all. The up side is although the sickness took a bit longer for me to pass, week 16. I am so glad I haven't taken any medication! I never understood how anyone could put on so much weight in pregnancy but I have to say I'm catching up now and although it took me a good while to start putting weight on again I have put on half a stone, so I'm only a stone down now. Don't worry it'll pass and everything will be fine. I'm now 22 weeks pregnant and the baby seems totally unaffected by my pitiful diet of mini cheddars early on.

Girls I'm with you!! I'm vomiting 24/7 only managed rich tea biscuits today even cup a soup came up this afternoon. I must admit it's prob the hardest thing I have ever been through physically and I had heart surgery in June! They say it gets better after 12 weeks but I'm 12 today and feel worse than ever :-( i was put on maxalon and stemitil at wk 7 as it was so unberable and I even thought about termination. I found lying on the bathroom floor wailling oh please just let me die very helpful!!
Keep strong girls xxx

please see another doctor! Iv been on meds sinc 6 weeks and by 9 i was vomiting 30 times or more a day and was admitted for a week.

I am 26 weeks now and although its still there its not as bad, more sicky due to acid reflux now....

The sooner you start on the meds the better I believe - do go back and get seen again and certainly get signed off if you need to be. I totally sympathise and can only say that at some point it will all be a distant horrible memory. Best of luck xx

This sounds exactly like what I was experiencing, even had the same experiences with the GPs. I ended up in hospital, twice, where I was diagnosed with hyperemesis.

Hyperemesis sucks. It is the worst thing I have ever been through. At times, I genuinely thought I was dying. My GP was never helpful or understanding.

I would definitely suggest getting to the hospital to maternity triage if you are worried that you are dehydrated. And I would definitely suggest pushing for meds - GPs are reluctant to prescribe them but many are old and have been safely used for many many years.

I'm 16 weeks now and still have to take my cyclizine in order to function at all. I've found the whole experience totally crushing, I felt like I had to mourn for the wonderful pregnancy experience that so many people seemed to have had/be having, that I'd expected but I was missing out on.

You're definitely not alone in feeling seriously crappy. I hope things do get better for you soon and you're able to enjoy your pregnancy, and I hope you can find a good and understanding doctor/midwife who can help you x.

Really sympathise with you. Like so many others on here, I also had hyperemesis with my DTs. My first GP (a man!) said 'oh yes, women get morning sickness, more common with twins', and did nothing. By 9 weeks I was vomiting so hard and so often I tore my stomach lining and vomited blood (TMI, sorry...) so my DH took me to AnE. They finally took me seriously (was dehydrated and on a drip for 2 days) and I got some meds (metoclopramide). They helped, I was able to drink a little an occasionally eat.

I hate to tell you, but it did go on until about 16 weeks (I was hospitalised a couple more times with vomiting blood and severe dehydration), then stopped totally until about week 30, where it stayed until the end, but much less severe. I was 26 weeks before I reached my pre-pregnancy weight, and that was with twins.

It was the most totally hideous time of my life, I was very depressed and it made me very sad not to have the pregnancy I had so longed for.

BUT... I do have 2 lovely healthy kids. Within 2 hours of giving birth I was starving and thirsty and ate and drank anything and everything for weeks (am now way over pre-pg weight, but that's another story!). It WAS worth it, but it was a long haul.

Please get some meds, get taken seriously. Go thru AnE if you need to (they are more free with the meds!!!)

And although they cannot be specifically tested, my GP told me that certain medical conditions require women to take these tablets all the times (schizophrenia I think), so they are taken during pregnancy often and reportedly safely. But after the whole thalidomide scandal, no drugs can actually be explicitly tested on pg women.

Good luck.