Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

A new thread needed here already! Lovely Grumblin who started the second one, may be actually having that baby at this minute!

I hope this will be a source of support for present sufferers and ex sufferers alike and also worried family members.

I want particularly to mention my favourite feline FluffyWhiteKittens, who has been so invaluable a source of support on the old threads, and MOH, who has slaved to produce articles full of useful information and links to useful websites, LaTrucha, lovely CaramelloKoalaLover, Grumblin, NitNat, La, Lottie, Grandmagain, MaryLou, Cocoanuts and so many that I cannot name everyone for fear that the current sufferer may became annoyed at the long list...

Never worry about tmi or moaning. When suffering one has to discuss things that would make most people go weak at the knees and to have a good moan can help enormously with an illness where there is still a lot of ignorance and sometimes insensitive treatment.

It might help to remember - when you are at your worst - the words in that Eastern story.
'This Too Shall Pass.'

LucindaE
xx

Thankyou louby86 ,I have just written that med down and will ask for it now if possible over the phone maybe, Its sods law that its weekend and Ill go downhill and docs wont be open, as it happens a letter from the midwife has just come through the door for an appointment in 12 days .I hope she is a good one and can give me some support although Im not geting my hopes up, Thanks again I will keep looking at this thread its comforting to know I am not alone

hi blissful. Commiserations on having to join this thread. The good news is that you don't have to put up with this crap level of treatment. There are other meds and you should keep trying different ones until you get one which works. If you can't find one that works, you should go onto second line treatments, but for this you will need to be under the care of someone who knows what they're doing, ie not your GP. Don't wait till your midwife appt, it's too long, anti sickness medications are more effective the earlier in the pregnancy you take them. I'd advise you to go straight to your GP next week and ask for a referral to an obstetrician. If you go downhill at the weekened, go to the out of hours GP - sounds like they're better than your own doc anyway - don't suffer unecessarily. The OOH GP can also refer you to an OB. Don't put up with this, stamp your feet, demand treatment. Don't listen to anyone, professional or otherwise, who tells you that it's just morning sickness and you just have to suffer it. They don't know what they're talking about. For more info on drugs and ways of getting treatment if your GP refuses, see www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk. Good luck, let us know how it goes.

Hi All, there is some news on the support network front. When I set up my website a few weeks ago I wasn't aware of others doing the same, but I'm now in contact with a lady called Caitlin Dean who is organising this on behalf of Pregnancy Sickness Support. PSS are a small charity working on a budget and they are basically swamped with their work in supporting HG sufferers so Caitlin, an HG sufferer herself, is stepping in to help. Some of you might already have written to PSS to offer help, but might not have had a reply, they just haven't had a chance to follow up.

I've offered to join forces with her - there's really no point in having two separate support networks, and it'll be under the auspices of the PSS charity, which gives it some legitimacy. I'll still be running my website separately though as I think it has a different focus to the PSS website so I think it's still needed, it's just the support network that will merge.

What Caitlin has done is to appoint volunteers to organise teams in various regions. There is some training involving reading a handbook from what I can gather, and they would ask us to fill in an application form. Those of you who have already offered support via the website, I have emailed you individually to ask if I can pass on your details to Caitlin. She'll assign you to your regional network team leader. If anyone else wants to volunteer, Caitlin's email is [email protected]. You can also message her via the facebook page she has set up www.facebook.com/groups/120865887959037?ap=1

Happy birthday NitNat, the best present must surely be that you're nearing the end of the horrid HG road. Hope you manage to do a little bit of celebrating in spite of circumstances!
Welcome to Blissful. Yes, as MOH says, there are lots of different medications available, and you should be able to try an array of them to find what works best for you. Don't just grin and bear it.
Louby, I have a set of those ice-lolly moulds and they're great. Someone on here recommended cloudy apple juice and I find it frozen into lolly form delicious!

Happy Birthday Nitnat bottle of bubbly in pink castle very soon.
Luce good luck with birth, I'd also prepared myself mentally for CS so know how you feel but however it happens you'll just be so happy to meet yr LO and that's the thing to focus on x
Lucinda thanks for cheering us on as always.
Grumblin nice to hear from you and glad all going well, nipples sore just at memory of DDs constant feeding in those early weeks - well done you!
Theonly woo hoo mat leave but boo to bile runs, hopefully rest will help - enjoy this wonderful 1st time when it's just you and bump :)

Well sweep was ok and apparently cervix nice and stretchy (!) and about 2-3cm dilated which I found amazing after how long it took me to get that far whilst being induced first time! Bit crampy and mucus plug coming away (tmi alert: pants not up to job as left a bit of myself on cafe chair today - thank god sis saw it!) This never happened last time so this means I'll avoid induction this time right?!?!

Sorry just quick post but hope all newbies surviving and finding the pregnancy sickness support web info useful - demand drugs and rest up :)
Off for more nipple tweaking on pilates ball whilst chomping pineapple...

Hello all - just a quick log in to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY nitnat! I had Seren 2 days after mine so maybe you'll be the same, fingers crossed your DH gets monday off work.

la things sound like they are moving for you. Mucus plug on chair? Very big sign!

theonly Go easy on the food tonight

Just heard a squark (sp?) from DD so back to the constant clamping - don't even ask me about my nipples - they are purple. The HV said breezily 'Oh that's just blood collecting behind the nipple, completely normal.' Not her nipple being chomped on for 5 hours last night was it! Still better than HG hell though

Take care everyone else.
xx

happy birthday nitNat!

Propped up and took an extra Heartburn tablet helped last night. So all been ok. Couldnt brush my teeth this morning so mouth wash it was.

Oh and i ate too much Chinese then too much KFC. Had to swig gaviscon as had max dose of Heartburn tablets today. Work got me and OH a hamper of presents then a hamper for the baby too plus the most amazing pingu cot mobile and £110 in vouchers (55 tesco for nappies and 55 Mothercare) am so touched my assistant and another colleague went to so much trouble. What a collection of presents :)

silver cross is delivered Monday its all coming together nicely!

Thanks for the birthday wishes everyone! You are all so thoughtful! I have had a very nice day, cards, flowers and chocolates, a nice lie in as DH was working from home and took DS to school, breakfast in bed followed by a snooze, DS's "good work" assembly and then Yo Sushi for tea, using my special birthday 1/3 off voucher which they kindly sent me. Didn't even get soy sauce on my enormo-bump

La - glad you are having "the signs" can't be long now . for your sister for her MI5-worthy observation skills! Took me hours of blardy agony to get to 3cm last time so hoping for a similar experience soon as I am starting to lose mucus plug and mw said cervix was starting to thin yesterday.

The only glad you had a better night last night. Hope the Chinese doesn't come back to haunt later....yay on pressies!

Louby glad you seem to be settling down! Welcome to blissful and keep trying different meds - they all work differently for different people.

Sounds like you both had lovely days nitnat and the only.

Just hopping on to say, Blissfull Welcome,and as others say, bad luck that you have had to join the Thread Nobody Wants to Need, particularly when you were OK twice before. I agree with the others about ask for other meds, not as if I was a good example at getting any meds myself!

Will somebody go with you to back you up if you feel physically too weak to argue your corner, as it can be so difficult to argue with overbearing health workers when feeling about to be sick? You are at the worst stage now, if that is any comfort, it usually starts getting better forpeople sometime between twelve and sixteen, sometimes twenty weeks, sorry it seems so long from where you are now...MOH has much advice on her website.

Have you got kesosticks as these are invaluable for checking if you're getting dehydrated yourself? How do you find ice lollies, jelly, sips of flat coke? Most women find sweet and salty foods ie, tinned fruit and crisps, as being the only thing that they can bear to nibble at the worst stage.

Everyone is very supportive here, there is no talk of ginger biscuits except as a joke...

NitNat and TheONly I'm glad you both had lovely days. Deserved!

Haven't finished withering on with messages, but have to get off pc. Problems conintue with it! Back soon.

LucindaE
xx

Good Morning everyone - thankyou so much for all the support I had to see a doctor yesterday as I felt so miserable about everything and he gave me Metoclopramide ,they are not making me half as tired as the others so I am hopeful they will give some relief. Its soul destroying now my 2 dd have broke up for summer .We was supposed to be going to centre parcs for a week tomorrow but I am going to cancell it and try and go again when I have more energy and feel better- I hope everyone has a nice day , take care

hope the new pills work, blissfull, i feel for you being at the start when the school holidays have started (plus the heat).

i had a surprise baby shower yesterday! more presents! SO much cake, scones, jam, cream, all lovely pink castle food. Pleased to say I ate a LOT without any repercussions and now have a kitchen full of cake still to eat. However, we went to a party last night and I had to come home, I wonder if they are BH? I thought it was cos I was still full (although this was over 5/6 hours after last bit of food) but my whole bump was solid, almost felt like cramp but not, I couldn't get comfy, I felt stretched, I had to go home, take heartburn tablets and painkillers (as my back was also killing me) and lie down.

I then laughed at OH as he was ill AGAIN from drinking and then karma got me as I then threw up.

Pearl I hope the horrile retching on and on isn't so bad today? I think that is so painful..Never worry about tmi, my goodness, I have spoken oft of dreadful slithery stuff and foam...
Blissful So glad you got something that is helping, with the school holidays starting. Don't force yourself to be too active, you mustn't blame yourself.
FaggotsandPeas How are you doing, and Louby?
TheOnly Hee, hee about O/H's puking, but sorry about yours, I'm glad you had a nice baby shower surprise. I hope no more waking up puking in the night?
LA Lol about the 'part of yourself' left on seat . That is the sort of thing that would have happened to me...Can't be long now, then...And NitNat too, the troops are waddling towards the pink castle...
Fluffy MoH Waves.
Grumblin Aaagh about nipples. So difficult, what can you put on them safely? You would think the HV would have had some suggestions.
Ice cubes, maybe?
Anyone not mentioned Sorry...
LucindaE
xx

Gah! Was just eating pasta for tea, smugly thinking that it had been 4 weeks since I'd brought my tea back up, when I brought my tea back up! 39+4 - I see it's hanging on till the bitter end!

NItNat Sorry about lost tea, oh dear, it doesn't want to leave you (the Hyperemesis, not the tea, I mean). I hope no more bile runs?
LucindaE
xx

Thanks Lucinda, no vom yesterday so a very welcome break from the painful retching, at least for now!
Poor you Nitnat, I think pasta is one the hardest things to keep down. Awful really because normally it's a staple for me, so I find myself at a real loss to cook with pasta off the menu.
Hope everyone has a good week. I am off to do some packing, as the week of The Move has finally dawned. Will be so glad when this week is over! :)

Hello everyone - Has anyone else felt a bit like flu with hgand dizzy headachey ? Sorry to go on but I am feeling really worried about how rough I feel although the tabs are helping me, Im feeling although the anxiety of it all is also taking a part in it all also - I keep telling myself it will get better but nothing I tell myself picks me up .Im also worried about becoming depressed withit all ,I really to try the meds and save the docs until next week but I feel like running back again for help - but ive tried most of the meds now my doc said. Anyone got any words of hope for me , Thankyou to all who have replied to me .. I really appreciate it

I'm sorry I've not been here at all, I thought I'd joined fraudulently as things were "normal" for a few weeks.

However, I'm back to ask "how long would you wait to phone the doctor?". :( Since saturday evening I've only kept down 2-3 glasses of water tops and it's starting to get "serious" now.

Hi everyone, have been away from here for a few days, been real busy and tired.

blissful Yes I felt really ill like I had terrible flu, really weak and achey, headaches, achey limbs, exhausted all the time. I was on cyclizine, sorry I haven't read back far enough to see what you're taking. The anxiety/depression risk is very high with HG as we retreat into ourselves and our homes, stop working, and our whole lives almost come to a halt. You have to remember this does stop, at some point, it will stop.

la I hope you're busy popping out a baby after leaving your mucus on a chair. I apologise for actually laughing out loud at that!!

nitnat Can't believe you're still losing your tea at full term, really hope baby doesn't keep you waiting too long for your post partum tea and toast :)

lucinda Hope you are ok :)

hb I am getting a serious amount of BH these past few days. My whole bump goes completely solid and the only way I can describe it is as though someone stood behind me has wrapped me in cling film and is pulling it tighter and tighter. I find getting on all fours relieves it slightly, although slightly difficult in Sainsburys

Everyone else, big waves, hope you are well :) I am anemic and been put on Ferrous Fumerate. Supposedly these don't aggravate the digestive system like Ferrous Sulphate so I should avoid constipation and sickness from them but even after the second day I was throwing up. Am still taking them, trying to time it with a meal to try and nullify the effect but not sure I can keep going with them. Perhaps I should try Spatone instead?

Im due 15th Oct. Been back at work for what seems a life time now, but was actually end of April. Now looking forward to going on mat leave at start of Sept.
LucindaE I am completely better luckily. At the time I found it very hard to cope, what with having a toddler to look after as well. A lot of people thought I was exagerating, which really peeved me off!!

I was prescribed Cyclizine 50mg and Metoclopramide 10mg and I was having to take them the maximum number of times a day in order for me to function!!

I am very lucky to have such a supportive husband who was having to work all day then come home and take over the care of out dd

Hi blissful - lots of sympathies. Sorry you're feeling so rough. The headache and dizziness might be due to dehydration. Are you managing to keep any fluids down? I know there's lots of advice on here of drinks that people found they could keep down - but just sip regularly. When I was in the early weeks of HG my consultant told me not to worry about food as long as I was managing sips of fluids. I imagine its quite stressful waiting 2 weeks for your scan as well. I found i felt really down because of the isolation that HG caused. There are lots of drug alternatives - have you looked at MOH website. There's loads of advice regarding drug therapy. A lot of HG sufferers swear by the drug Ondansetron - I believe its used a lot for HG in countries like the US and Canada. You can get it here - but you may have to ask for it. Try not to do too much (not easy if you have others) - take any help offered. And it will get better. I remember at 9 weeks thinking I'd never feel normal again but it gradually improved and I had a beautiful baby boy a few weeks ago and HG is thankfully a distant memory. Once you have your baby its all worth it. Take care. xx

Blissful, agree with Lottie that it could be dehydration, I found metaclopromide one of the better drugs, couldn't take cyclizine.
Alpine pony get to a dr ASAP - that's an order :)
The only and coconuts I also got lots of braxton hicks with both mine.

Alpinepony the answer to how long to wait before going to docs is DONT. The best treatment is pre-emptive so you go even before you get symptoms if you suspect HG. Once you've got to stage of only keeping down an odd glass of water, it's not going to suddenly get better (sadly) - well not for many weeks anyway - so you dont have to wait to see what happens (we can tell you what will happen without a crystal ball - dehydration, ketones, weight loss, misery), get yourself to a medic. Do you have a decent GP who will prescribe meds? If not, see the website for advice www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk

blissful I had a killer headache, I'm sure it was dehydration because it resolved when I could drink properly again. I felt in general absolutely horrendous before I got effective meds so can relate to what you're suffering. If I were you I'd get back to the doc, maybe you've got a vitamin deficiency that needs checking? Or maybe you need different meds, or it could be a side effect of the meds? are you checking your ketones with ketosticks?

Alpine Just dashing on to say, I agree with Fluffy you need to see a doctor as am emergency or to go to casualty to check for dehydration. It sounds very bad, so little fluids kept down in days, I should think for sure you must be dehydrated. Really sorry things have gone wrong again...
Coconuts Poor you, this is bad news. I had all sorts of problems with iron pills causing puking too, it's so frustrating, but it must defeat the purpose if they make you really sick. Is Spatone drops? B/H sounds spectacular.
Faggots I am so glad you are completely cured and that Pearl is feeling a bit better.
Waves at everyone...
LucindaE
xx

hi everyone, thank you for your support yesterday. I was just an hour off calling the doctor when suddenly things started going down starting with rehydration salts, then water, then fruit juice, ice-cubes. I even managed some homemade soup and cheese & crackers later on. This morning I've had 700ml of fluid and a yoghurt so I think I'm back on the right track again. :)

Oh, I also had a cyclizine for breakfast. Nom nom!