New Hyperemesis Support thread founded by the lovely LucindaE

[grumblinalong]

As the old thread is nearly full here it is time a brand new thread is born. All we need now is a new vomit face emoticon MN towers!

We are a bunch of past, present and future HG sufferers (along with worried spouses, family and friends) who use this thread to support, listen and discuss the dreaded pregnancy illness that is HG (hyperemesis gravidarum).

There are no limits on how much moaning posters can do nor can anyone's symptoms or experiences be tmi.

The old thread has been a great support to many of us and we hope this new thread carries on the great work started by old thread founder and HG guru LucindaE. She still maintains, supports and clucks around the thread daily even though her own experience of HG is thankfully over.

So with no further incoherent rambling from me on with the new thread eh?

Urgh I need to go shopping soon and am having a very bad few days... Rotisserie chicken and 2 children in the trolley being bad tempered. It's days like these I wish I was a working mum :(

Hello Everyone sorry for absence - one of my lovely migraines, can never see to type with one. Head down the loo for two days is as a drop in the ocean to what some of you poor veterans have been going through, but it reminds me of the sheer NASTINESs of throwing up horrible, dark coloured bile and gooey stuff...
Whizz and Cake Sorry about the nerve wracking bleeding. I know it often happens and I think it is only when it turns a really dark crimson that it is sinister. I do hope you both get some reassurance today. It isn't fair to have bleeding and Hyperemesis, it's too bad. I have known women bleed for months and everything was fine. It is very odd. Keeping fingers crossed for you too. I remember I had odd cramps for three months that made me nervous after mc in first pregnancy.
Imran and UnderAchieving Hello and welcome. Imran, I honestly don't know about ginger - I never heard there was much in the tea - I do know a women on here was helped by ginger tablets, and there was a limit on the amount she was meant to take, it is intriguing because most people can't face ginger! I can't really add much to advice already given, save my own saving device fresh mint tea if she has any growing, or fennel tea packaged or fresh. Jelly, ice lollies, coke left to go unfizzy and sipped every few minutes, or sips of tepid water, as someone else said it is a case of any amount of liquid better than none, and the Kestosticks as already mentioned, and someone to act as advocate as it is so hard to fight your corner when terribly sick.
NitNat and LA Congratulations on great bellies! NitNat you have some energy back? Now, that is turning the corner...
Fluffy Sleepless baby? Oh, dear. I hope he goes back to sleeping asap.
TheOnly I suppose the chest infection took advantage of your run-down state, I do hope it vanishes soon.
Caramel How are you? and Grumblin too?
Ski Boosphena Elliot's Mummy and all, I hope y ou are (relatively) OK.
LucindaE
xx

Hi all, hope everyone had an ok mothers day? I had a pretty good day, guess baby knew what day it was and was being nice! :) managed to go visit my mum, also put some washing on and help my OH transform my little man's cot into his new big boy bed!! No sickness and the nausea came and went as opposed to being constant so was very happy with that. Went to bed with a big headache (maybe overdid things a bit!?!) which is still lurking today so managed to swallow down some paracetomol before I got out of bed. Now all morning have been coughing up White foamy stuff (sorry if too much info) - never had this before does anyone else get this??? Am not feeling as good as yesterday but still not too bad - maybe as I'm in week 15 my HG is coming to an end ( we can all hope!! )

Sending everyone good vibes for an ok afternoon xx

elliottsmummy TMI alert DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE FEELING ILL
My morning vomit is foamy and white to start with (alot seems to come out of my nose streaked with blood too ) and is mostly a cough/hurl combo, then turns to yellow foam and then eventually the bile comes through which turns into full on stomach convulsing vom. All in all it takes me about 10-15 minutes to 'empty' my stomach from the overnight crap that it accumulates. DH says that he can hear my stomach start to make churning noises from about 5am onwards so I guess the foamy stuff is at the top and is most recent saliva/mucus etc. Have you had a runny nose of late?

nitnat Hurray, so pleased you've broke the full on vomit cycle. How are you feeling mentally, do you feel much more positive? Work is getting more and more tiring every day but I only have 6 weeks until I start my ML. Can't wait!

boo I veer from thinking I don't want to be at work at all to knowing that if I was at home with the DS's all week I'd be wishing I was in a quiet office/car. I was throwing up this morning and DS2 was shouting 'Mummy, mummy, mummy' repeatedly and I was cos I can't even be sick in peace. 2 grumpy children when you're feeling s**t is awful, you have my sympathy and unmumsnetty hugs.

imran Can you please come round and look after me as you sound very nice and I want a sympathetic relative like you. Hope your patient is feeling a bit better but do watch her urine for ketones as the amount she is being sick sounds v.much a case for dehydration.

la, theonly, caramel hope you are all feeling ok? lucinda You poor thing, my mum gets migraines and it always knocks her for a few days. Hope you are better now?

TMI alert
ElliotsMummy I also got white foam in the morning in the last few weeks, after the bile had stopped coming. Have had a constant runny nose since I stopped the cyclizine (antihistamine) and think swallowing all the mucus overnight unsettles your stomach and makes foam. Yak

Lucinda poor you - back on the porcelain phone for 2 days. how many do you get a year?

I've had blue foamy stuff for the last few days if that helps? . Can you guess what it is? Good old gaviscon tablets
Feeling mildly better today - still sick but not needing to get as much out to feel better as I normally do. On paper nearly 9 weeks now, def peaked at 8, so fingers crossed I'm getting off relatively lightly with it returning to 5-7 week level now? . Of course quite difficult to monitor 'in the raw' when on meds, but too scared to cut back just yet.
Grumblin I have the most disgusting mucousy thing going on that gets worse as the day develops. It's quite a relief to get it out. I must say your description was very vivid, and glad I read post-barf
Hope everyone is doing ok xx

mine was always foamy to start with before bile. eases you into it! I was like that this morning but thats all the gunk in my chest clearing.

on the upside my best friend is pregnant! early days so fingers crossed for her, she has been trying 3 years

Thanks for sympathy Everyone but after all, I only get about twelve of these a year, and what is that to the torment of Hyperemesis?
I do think they are a legacy of that (again don't worry, most people
seem to find that their migraines aren't very different from before, trust
me to be awkward).
All Who have those Dreadful Foam and Bile runs. Grumblin 10-15 minutes of retching, that must be so painful, you poor thing,and blood from your nose too? Is it always this bad? I am so sorry that this has been going on for so long, and accompanied by 'Mummy, Mummy, Mummy' too. That is the greatest downside of toddlers, no privacy at all, even for bodily functions. And then going to work and feeling sick for the rest of the
day. Cyber hugs sent cautiously, in case they set off the retching. Oh dear.
I remember foamy stuff myself, and get it with migraines, too.
Cake and Whizz how are things with the bleeding? Have been thinking
of you. How is our irrepressible Cocoanuts and Everyone after Mother's Day? NitNat Still laughing at your depiction of those figurines on
the board...
LucindaE
xx

Lucinda - twelve migraines a year, that's awful. I get them but not that frequently and I would say they are the worst thing to suffer from. So debilitating. Did you give acupuncture a go to help them? My acupuncturist swears she has helped several people rid them for life. I will definitely give it a go if I have them post pregnancy this time.

Only got a sec so can't shout out to everyone but thinking of you all and hoping you're ok. Am hurtling towards due date now. Thank. God. 12 days to go but really hoping I won't have to wait that long. Having the same experience many others here have had in that the HG is throwing me a farewell party. It's as if it is reminding me how awful it is in case I forget and decide in 2 years I can do this all again

Caramel the ironic thing is, Acupunture hasn't helped me with migraines, though it did with the Hyperemesis! Maybe I should give it another go, eh? Sending you Easy Labour Wishes for these next few days. You must be a fine size now? How are you, is the vom at least not happening often?
LucindaE
xx

Thanks everyone for the foam reassurance! I love being able to come here and realise I'm not the only one experiencing freaky things! And sorry for starting off such a vivid discussion for anyone who read without realising!!! I have had a cold for the last 2 days since I ventured out on Sunday - obviously have no immune system yet as everytime i leave the house i seem to get sniffly the next day! so obviously just mucusy (if thats a word) and nothing to worry about.

Am enjoying having a nice week with OH on holiday from work - definitly takes the pressure off now looking after my little monkey is shared, also good to know im being paid holiday from work - sick pay ran out weeks ago and am not entitled to SSP as dont earn enough :( hopefully I wont have to take much more time off!!

Virtual hugs to all x

reduced my cyclizine to 2 yesterday and today and have been reaching all day today and have just puked on the nursery run.... found a car to hide behind!

Might have been something to do with queing in Santander for 25 mins so damn slow nearly puked at the counter then rushed up to nursery to get DS1 and ppuked. So something is defiantely still going on inside me. So big relief no more bleeding and scan on thursday.

Came home and have upgraded from Jam on crumpets to peanut butter! Just wish I could find something I can drink. Gone off coke and lemonade and hot ribena now - cant do water or juice, tea or coffee

Where are the acupuncture points for HG, sickness as I was told they were in the ear and that thought alone made me heave! Would be interested in peoples experiences.

When HG at worst foam puking here too...

caramel - it really is unfair you get a HG farewell party... but like you say just a little reminder -Everytime I got a tummy bug after last HG PG I used to get this feeling of fear and dread remiding me what weeks of sickness are like! Wishing you a speedy, pain and sick free labour - and make sure you get that lovely tea and toast after!

Intersting that others getting runny noses on cyclizine - skip if TMI - I'm getting mucus down back of throat which really isnt helping things.

Hope you all manage some dinner tonight
xxx

Hello, can I join you ladies? I've been feeling appallingly bad for the last two weeks, I'm 7+6 today, and I just can't see any end to the puking in sight. I am being sick at least twice each night, and anywhere between 3 and 12 times during the day. All I want to do in between is sleep, but I'm a teacher and don't want to take time off. All of my classes have taken a long time to settle (in a difficult school) after having supply for over a year, and even one missed lesson sets them back about a month. I have just got them where I want them, and I think it sends a better message to struggle on regardless, although I have had to leave a few lessons to be sick. I went home one day last week, but I feel like I have got to get through this for the kids sakes, its not their fault! How do you know when morning sickness becomes Hyperemesis, and how do I get a doctor or midwife to take me seriously? I've got my booking in appointment on Thursday, so I will bring it up then (along with my lunch most likely)

Thanks in advance, I read through the last couple of pages, and I think the experience on here will really help me survive!

Caramel just realised from your post that things are worse for you than I realised. I hope its not a real last stand from Horrible Hyperemesis, with bile runs and everything? Oh dear. It's not fair.
LittleWhizz I do feel for you, having to wqit until Thursday,but as you say, that puking is reassuring in that way...I don't remember acupunture points IN the ear, though the during the first treatment I was in such a state I'd have hardly noticed if he'd but knitting needles up my nostrils, I think around the earlobe. If he did stick them in the ear, for sure I didn't even notice...About the nursery run puking, embarrasing, I'm glad there was a car to hide behind.
ElliotsMummy I'm glad you're off work for a little, about not enough SSP.

Drink suggestions? I sipped Ironbru, but not many people seem to go for that. Blackcurrent Ribena, oddly enough. Fennel tea any good? Vimto, I seem to remember being acceptable at one time. But it was always the healthy Lucozade and Coke left to go flat with me, when it wasn't tepid water or ice cubes.
Hope everyone is coping. Cake Diege how are things going?

LucindaE
xx

LizzyMaths Just cross posted with you. Welcome. Sorry that you are suffering. I think it sounds like Hyperemesis, you poor thing. If you get some Kesosticks from a chemists then you can check your urine for dehydration, and can show them to the Doctor/Midwife. I failed to impress mine when I suffered because I didn't emphasize enough that I wasn't even keeping liquids down, that is the thing to make clear, because of the dangers of dehydration. If you don't feel up to fighting your own corner, take someone to back you up if you can.
Meanwhile, try ice lollies and jelly, sips of water- even if you think they are coming straight up again it does help. Ice cubes, too. A lot of people can stand coke and nibbles of crisps when they can't stand anything else.
We do seem to have a lot of teachers here.
I hope they give you some meds that help, meanwhile, we are all here for you and don't blame yourself if you can't cope at work, Hyperemesis is like being hit by a train, and not your fault. How you are coping in a classroom I can't imagine...

LucindaE
xx

welcome lizzy It sounds like the onset of HG, how do you get on with fluids? If fluids are a problem as well as food then this usually strongly indicates hyperemesis. Women with even 'bad' morning sickness say that eating & drinking makes them feel a bit better. Women with HG tend to not be able to tolerate fluids or food in their stomach. HG can be dangerous, as lucinda says, if dehydration kicks in you can get really ill very quickly. I've been hospitalised countless times with all three pregnancies and the dr's always always always take notice of ketones in urine. They won't let you leave hospital until they've gone! Ketostix arm you with the knowledge that you're becoming dehydrated.

There seem to be a few teachers who get HG I don't why?! nitnat a regular here is a teacher, I used to be one and there have been plenty of others. Teaching with HG is very difficult because of the physical movement you have to make in class. Please don't underestimate how exhausting it is, I know your students are important to you but the health of yourself and your baby has to take priority now. HG will not take a back seat, mind over matter doesn't work with it.

Apologies to all for my graphic descriptions earlier up - elliottsmummy asked about the foam though and it's something I am very knowledgeable about! ha! lucinda 12 migraines a year is NOT good, do you thik they a consequence of HG? I always wonder if my IBS was triggered by HG or if it was DS1's birth.

caramel I'm so sorry it's got worse, its like HG is trying to send you a contaceptive message isn't it!

diege and littlewizz cyclizine is meant to be an anti histamine but it def ups the whole mucus production lark. Weird.

Sorry everyone else I've missed.
x

lucinda, i feel for your migraines, I really do. I normally get a few a year, thank goodness I haven't actually had any since pregnant, so perhaps we just swap one for the other?!

Welcome Lizzy, you have come to the right place, we are all made to feel very normal here and not made to try ginger ;)

There is life after HG people.....i went for an all you can eat chinese for lunch. plate of starters (so naughty of me, from a buffet, I am a rebel), plate of main (fresh cooked) and lots of dessert. only sick this morning cos of all the crap clearing out my chest. I worked til 5 today too and I am still in an amazing mood. So sending all my extra good vibes to you all

Oh, hb, I have re-read your post a couple of times, I'm waiting for that same day too.

Tonight over the kids dinner my dh thought I was most peculiar because I had to blow on ds's food as it was too hot, but the blowing was making me retch at the same time. He said I wasn't advertising the dinner very well to ds (who didn't seem to mind so there).

I don't mind reading about foamy bile and stuff coming out of the nose. I relate relate relate, I was secretly hoping I wasn't the only one whose bile comes out the nose.

Every night I dream about food. I just dream all night of eating and eating. When I wake up I can't think about the dreams because I feel sick, but its as though all my deep down food desires are coming out in dreamland!

Lucinda sorry to hear about the migraines, all my dh's family get them and it ain't pretty.

Am thinking about all you others out there. xx

Hi guys, I was just hoping for some advice! I suffered with hyperemesis from very early on up until week 16/17. I have not been sick for a few weeks now and am eating enough food but I am still just sooo fatigued. I'm back at work and doing some reduced hours but this can't go on much longer. After 4 hours at my pc I can barely focus! My bloods/iron are fine. Have other people that have suffered jumped back to normal pretty quickly or could it be the case that I feel like this for the rest of my pregnancy. I'm just not sure if this is an after effect of hyperemesis or not! I'm getting quite stressed about work etc and wondered how other people managed! Thanks guys

Hi Hayley and Lizzy sorry you have been suffering with revolting HG. Lizzy I second the others - unless you feel radically better after eating and better after vomiting, vomiting that many times sounds like HG.

Hayley my vomiting improved gradually from about 18 weeks and stopped food vomiting this weekend at 24 weeks. It is only in the last week that the fatigue has lifted, whereas last time I think I bounced back more quicklyafter I stopped vomiting at 16 weeks.

Lizzie - I'm a secondary music teacher and I tried to go back to work at 20 weeks but lasted 1 hour and the head said there was no pressure for me to come back and that he was OK with me being off forthe rest of the pg if that was what was required but that if I did come back I needed to be completely better. Looking back, I wasn't. I also work in a National Challenge school in Liverpool and know I have to be functioning at 110% to deal with the daily madness. I was so anxious about going back after being off for 3 1/2 months and that wasn't helping my recovery at all. I was referred back to Occ Health again and the Occ Phys said she couldnt believe I'd tried to go back and recommended I don't go back for the rest of the pg. I feel sorry that I will miss the rest of my year 10 GCSE class and all of their year 11 due to being on mat leave, but my family comes first. The supply is someone I trained with who hadn't managed to get a permanent job yet so it's helping her as well! Hopefully she will get the maternity cover too! Anyway, they will cope without you and they can claim most of the cost of your supply back so don't feel guilty for saddling them with extra costs.

Lizzy see www.helpher.org/mothers/hyperemesis-or-morning-sickness/index.php for the difference between morning sickness and HG.

LittleWhizz drink suggestions:

• my mum (MS for 9 months) swore by American Cream Soda (the green one) for drinking.
• cloudy apple juice (very) diluted with water- we all had a bit of a fetish for that back in Jan
• Does sipping through straws help?
• Orange cordial made with fizzy mineral water - a mile away from flat cordial.
• Milkshake - a couple of people had success with strawberry Krusha.

Lizzy and hayley sorry you've had to join, but welcome. This page is so helpful, even if just to make you feel a bit less on your own. Lizzy it sounds like HG to me, nitnat's link is very helpful. I think you should pay a visit to the doctor and ask for some medication. I don't find midwives to be very helpful to be honest. I'd recommend you keep an eye out for ketones with ketostix. Once the doctors know you're checking this, they sense desperation I think.

Hayley I think it's normal to feel a bit wiped out after HG. You have been short of nutrients for a long time and it just takes your body a while to catch up. Are you taking any vitamins at all?

I'm glad to see that HG is clearing off for some but sorry it's persisting for caramel. Not long left now though.

I've had a rough few days. I'm still on the cyclizine but they are completely zombifying me. Believe me, I am extremely grateful not to be throwing up 12 times a day like the last pregnancy, but the 24 hour nausea, bile and dry retching is getting a bit much.

New food discovery: Doritos cool original. They have the added advantage of making me even more thirsty so help slightly with my drinking issues. Am off to try orange cordial diluted with sparkling water, sounds quite refreshing at the moment. Actually, diluted cloudy apple juice sounds good too, thanks whizz. I've been really struggling to drink the past few days, hot chocolate has been pretty much all I can get down.

Hayley like Nitnat my vomiting improved gradually from about 17 weeks and nausea lingering but waves as opposed to constant now I'm 25 weeks. Went back to work at 20 weeks on phased return and gradually stamina improved but fatigue stills hits me at 4ish. Thankfully have a reduced hours fit note for this month as GP agrees prolonged sickness has adverse affect on health and fatigue triggers vomitting: hoping renewed for rest of pregnancy as doubt situation improve much more. Luckily been with company 6 years so sickness policy covers me for 26 weeks but realise not same for all and financial situation may dictate earlier return to full-time. I just rest when I can (not always easy with work and active toddler but DVDs and playdoh are my tools!) Take care of yourself too whenever poss x
nitnat work and commute ok as working 10-4 so miss rush hour crush :) Glad your energy levels are up, long may it last.
caramel home run now, yeah :) crappy HG lingering, boo :( Fingers crossed not waiting too long and everything goes well - you deserve it after last 8 months.
Lucinda hope migraine lifted without resorting to home remedy of knitting needles up nose!
Cake remember food dreams then shuddering at recall - freaky!
Marylou I lived on tortilla chips too about week 16!
Lizzy agree sounds like HG and GP best port of call to discuss treatment. Good luck.
Grumblin hope better week, foamy or otherwise.
Hb so glad doing better, bring on the fortune cookies ('after challenging 9 months, luck improves with much joy' - otherwise known as easy labour and angel baby: apparently both do exist!)
Take care one and all x

I had HG and it was horrible and kept telling myself i will never put myself through that again. My LO is 5 months and I would do it all over again in a heart beat. They are sooooo worth it. As soon as that little wrinkly bundle of joy is out you feel a thousand times better.

Also have to say LucindaE is just the best. She is lovely, caring and so sympathetic to all the mummy's. I wish I could give her huge trophy for all her words of encouragement throughout my pregnancy.