When will I start to feel better? (and be able to eat again!)

[abbey1515]

Just wondering when others started to feel better? Am 10+2 and sick all day- the only thing I can eat is toast.Have tried ginger etc but nothing seems to work. Have CVS on Wed so am hoping that when stress of that is over I might start to feel better!

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Hi I am 17wks tomorrow & i still feel really terrible! I have only actually been sick once but the feeling of nausea is enough!! The thought & smell of food before about 2p.m. makes my tummy turn!! I also get quite bad headaches that make me feel even worse! I am waiting for the day that I bloom & am full of life! Taking it easy isnt as easy a sit sounds when you have a DD7, Ds5 & DS3 to look after & entertain!

I know, I have to have a bucket by my bed for night time, and DH is having to wash dogs everyday as faintest smell in the house makes me sick. House is full of glade plug-ins so I can't smell food etc! I know I shouldn't complain, as want this more than anything, but it's hard going, isn't it? Am also worried that i shouldn't have CVS due to miscarriage risk, and will keep baby whatever rsults, but need to have test as will have to have baby in Great Ormond Street if affected (I have Epidermolysis Bullosa)

My first two pregnancies,I was sick continuously for first four months, but this is my third time, and have so far not been sick at all, although I felt extremely nausious up til around twelve weeks, when it seemed to just suddenly dissapear. I found that I felt most sick on evenings and strong smells and fatty foods made it worse.

blooming awful

Try this site for advice.

I suffered from a condition called hyperemesis, or excessive vomiting, and stress is a trigger for that. At this stage don't worry so much about what you are eating, it's the fluids that count. If you start to struggle to keep water down, see your GP immediately.

For food, just eat what you fancy. Your body has amazing reserves and although OK a great diet is best, your baby would be highly unlikely to suffer from it. Things like lettuce, melon, ice lollies are all great as they have a high fluid content, and you might find it easier to tolerate hot or cold food. If you ever get a craving, go with it too: if it's junk, well who cares at this stage? Flat coke and lucozade are also supposed to be good (I swore by the lucozade!)

The other vitally important thing is rest: there is a hypothetical link between sleep and nausea. If you are worried about your CVS, I suspect this is affecting your sleep? You must remember to take it easy on yourself. A few days off if you work are probably essential at this point.

Do look after yourself, I ended up on a drip by not doing so. Have a look on the site for loads more info, and feel free to CAT me as I used to be a contact for the charity running the site.

Good luck!

(And take some comfort that statistically you're only likely to have another couple of weeks before things improve!)

Hi
Thanks, that's really useful. I went to the doctors last week, and fainted whilst waiting, so the doctor tested me for ketones, and the test was ok- she prescribed stemitil, which I have been taking, but stopped for a few days as I was unable to sleep and getting palpitations (I know I sound like a complete hypochondriac!)
I am going to start them again though, as I feel so dehydrated- my lips are so dry and sore!
I'm a secondary school teacher, and taking time off is really difficult, especially as I have to have time off for the CVS and results etc.
But I think I'm just going to have do take the time, as i's hard standing teaching all day!
Sorry to moan!

If stemetil is making you ill (it did me too), just get him to prescribe another... it takesa few to find the one right for you. There's a list on the site appraising some, but I doubt it is conclusive.

If your lips are dry, then you need treatment before you get to drip stage. Does your breath smell of acetone? If so, you need to speak to a GP today, but whatever I would go over tomorrow.

I know it's ahrd to take time off as a teacher, but I ended up with 7 weeks in bed. Would two now not be easier than that? Or if you fainted in class?

Oh, have you tried sucking ice cubes? That works.

Thanks, I ill go back tomorrow, I hadn't realised there was anything else I could have, as the first GP I saw told me she couldn't prescribe anything at all- in her words 'this is pregnancy- you are just pregnant'
The second GP prescribed because I fainted- and she was far more sympathetic!
I have three days off this week because of the CVS from Wednesday, so I will see how I am ovr next weekend. Aside from the CVS, a rest will be nice!

I had avomine stemetil and bucanesten. Only avomineworked, bt it worked fabulously.

Zantac is supposed to be great.

Have a look on the website under drugs on the left hand menu, you'll see how many there are!

Try to go for a younger Doc if you can: older ones were taught that Hyperemesis is a psychological illness.

abbey. I have had hyperemesis too, I'm 16 +3. I am not on any medication but have been really poorly and have been signed off work for the last 6 weeks. It is very important that you get signed off work if you are being so sick and fainting. You need to be able to rest when you need to (that might be at 2 in the afternoon!). After my first week off I did start to feel a little better and managed to keep more than one food type down. There is strong evidence that continued working and exhaustion makes hyperemesis worse so you need to rest. The most important thing is you and your baby, do try to take some time off to relax, you will start to feel better for it.

Hope everything with the CVS goes well.

I was also prescribe stemetil but couldn't keep it down so was of not much benefit!
I've had sickness all the way through my pregnancy but was at its worst all through first trimester till possibly week 28.
I depended on coca cola to see me through...it was my saviour!!!!!
Wishing you all the best xxx

Thankyou, I will definitely go back to the doctor tomorrow- today has just been awful, have not kept anything down at all! I thought an apple would be safe, but not so!

Zofran
Zofran is not a universally effective drug for HG but it seems anecdotally to be successful in more cases than other, more widely used anti-emetics. Unfortunately for those who are keen to get hold of Zofran, the only official research on the drug's use for HG states that it is no more effective than promethazine (a conventional anti-emetic drug) and there is no research-based evidence that the drug is safe to use in human pregnancy, so many doctors are unwilling to prescribe it.

Added to that, its extremely high price means that the NHS is unwilling to prescribe it if there is another drug that might be good enough. In practice, this can mean that Zofran is not an option at all or is only available in hospital - once the vomiting is under control and the patient is allowed home, most hospitals refuse to continue the Zofran which almost invariably results in the patient returning to hospital dehydrated again. If you are trying to fight your case for taking Zofran home, it's worth mentioning that it would cost less to keep taking it and stay at home than to stop taking it and be hospitalised - hospital beds cost a lot of money. We know of one couple in the UK who have successfully made this argument to their hospital.

From our anecdotal information, it's important that the dosage is both high enough and taken regularly, and that the patient is weaned off them rather than stopping the drug suddenly. For more information, see the Anecdotal information on the Zofran page of this web site. It may also help your doctor to look at the Info for medics page which includes a link to current (ongoing) research on this drug.

(From Blloming Awful website)

abbey 1515 lots of sympathy for you,i REALLY understand!My nausea was unbelievable and lasted right up til the labour!!!!!!!! good luck and thinking of you

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Yes, good luck with the CVS!

Thanks for all the good advice! I went back to the doctor who was brilliant and gave me acupuncture as well as some new tablets, and signed me off for a week with hyperemesis, so that I can get the CVS over with and get myself sorted- then I'm going back next Monday for more acupuncture and to see how everything is going.Thanks again for the advice, I'm so glad I went back!