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

Hello everyone,
I am so pleased to be back online at home - broadband finally switched on. The move went OK, and am relieved it's over. Just a few bits to tidy up and sort out, nothing major. Puking has been really unpredictable these last few weeks. It wasn't too bad around the actual move, but then I think I did too much and I had a few days of 2-3 voms a day, which is not what you want at 24 weeks. On Saturday I made the massive mistake of eating a salad at lunch and of course it returned violently a couple of hours later. It was the first time I've attempted a salad in months and obviously they're still not acceptable, which is a pity in this hot weather. :(
So nice to hear about the newborns - still can't quite believe that in 15 or 16 weeks time, I too will have a new baby, and HG will be but a distant nightmare. Bring it on! Wishing everyone a vom-free week. :)

Hello ladies. Can anyone help? I'm 6+4 with my first and know nothing about pregnancy or what is and isn't normal. My sickness has got really bad over last few days and i'm now throwing up at least 5 times a day. In between throwing up I feel really sick. There has not been one hour of the day when i'm not either throwing up or feeling awfully sick. In the last 48 hours i've managed about a pint of water and a banana. I'm not hungy or thirsty at all and cannot bear to eat or drink. Haven't managed to get into work today or shower etc as i'm fearful that moving is going to make me sick. Do you think this is normal or maybe a more severe form of sickness?

Feekerry, this sounds much worse than 'normal' morning sickness to me. Have you looked at the website put together by one of the women on this thread, MOH? It has some great advice on it, see:
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
If the sickness is dehydrating you (and with only 1/2 a pint of water in 48 hours you're sure to be dehydrated), and if it is preventing you from doing normal things like taking a shower, then you're dealing with something more than morning sickness. I really urge you to seek medical attention immediately, and to get the appropriate medication right away - don't wait for it to go away on its own, because it won't! As MOH's website stresses, all the latest research shows that early and aggressive treatment of hyperemesis is the best way to prevent it from becoming full-blown and settling in too much.
I remember well those early weeks, and between weeks 6 and 7 not showering, brushing my teeth or even really getting out of bed, apart from to be sick. I waited until I hadn't been able to keep down water or ice cubes for 3 days and had 3+ ketones before I went to A&E, by which time I was almost hallucinating. I've been on cyclizine ever since, which has helped me a lot. It is truly terrible, but there IS medication that does help, so don't suffer needlessly. Good luck and let us know how you get on. :)

Feekerry - what MOP says :)
If you get no luck from your GP, some can be useless and very unsympathetic, then go to a&e.
This is not normal sickness and the fact that you are 6 weeks suggests hyperemesis unfortunately.
Once you've got some meds sorted and possibly been rehydrated by drip if you need it have a look at the above website and feel free to come on here and share your experiences - nothing is tmi for us lot xx

Feekerry Poor you, I the others are so right - will someone go with you to GP' s because it is so hard to argue your corner when feeling/about to be sick. Don't worry if you are actually sick in the surgery, either, it helps prove your point and I wish I had been! This is the worst bit, when you haven't even had a scan to show how worthwhile it is - it almost invariably does get better later on, but for now you need treatment. Try and get some kesosticks to test your urine, too. Are sips of coke, or spoonfuls of jelly or ice lollies any use?
Sending you cyber hugs.
Pearl so glad your back online, lovely to hear from you. Strokes to you, Fluffy!
Louby Augbergine worried about silence...
How is everyone?
LucindaE
xx

hello pepsi & feekerry,sorry you have had to join us! Lets hope for Pepsi's sake the sickness is due to the infection. Feekerry, i was the same as you,had no idea what was normal and just thought i was being a wimp! my dr made me feellikethat too,as did 1st midwife.

at library onputer andkeys are sticking somy apologies,i cant be arsed tocorrect! wentto a&e last night ascouldn't breathe, got steroids for chest infection andput on nebuliser. pregnancy is NOT agreeing with me,never had so many probswith my asthma for years.

have asked OH to stickahand up me,grab an arm and pull baby out as I had enough - found stretchmarks today so my life is officially over ;)

oh,and all the coughing (followed by a LOTofpuking)makes me wee myself, what a low point. sneezed yesterday and wee'd on the pillow between my legs. thanks HG! Pelvic floor has given up

pepsi if you have HG and it wasn't just the infection making you sick, there's no way you should wait till 17th Aug for an appointment, especially in this hot weather. I would try your GP and if he's rubbish (which sadly many are) ask for a referral to an obstetrician - was it an OB you saw in A&E? If so, try and see a different one. What should have happened is that they should have sent you home with a stack of antiemetics, or at least given you a clinic appointment for this week. Advocating for yourself is hard work and you might not feel up to it, so can you take someone along to your appointment. Can your DH go with you? I took mine to my first GP appointment and I think it helped to show I was serious about getting treatment. Check the documents page of the website www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk for some research papers to print off to give to your doctor. It helps to show that you haven't just heard about some treatments off some quack site on the internet, it's serious research. I really think that you need a proper assessment given your other symptoms and your history of pre-eclampsia, the sickness can be a sign of other problems that need sorting out before they treat the hyperemesis. Let us know how you get on.

The List's not been updated for a while so I thought I'd take the liberty. I think normally Coconuts is in charge of The List? I see I'd put in a slightly wrong due date so have changed mine (only 2 days difference, but every day counts!). Anyone I've left off, especially newbies, please add yourselves and repost.

johnnyd1 (Luce): EDD 31/07/11
Theonlyhb2: EDD 16/08/11 First timer (eeek)
ElliottsMummy: EDD 25/9/11
Coconuts: EDD 01/10/11
AgBag: EDD 18/10/11
Littlewizz: EDD 6/11/11, Next scan 23/6/11
CakeForBreakfast: EDD 07/11/11 (subject to change)
Marylou: EDD 9/11/11, next scan 22/06/11
MotherofPearl: EDD 17/11/11
Eggy: EDD 30/11/11
LadyOTCM: 01/12/11
Diddygirl: EDD 19/12/11
Bensgirl: EDD
Alias: EDD ??/12?11 , Dating scan: 25/06/11
m1nn1e: EDD ??/01/12
Angel: 16/01/12
Louby86: EDD 17/02/12

Pink Castle Graduates:
LucindaE
fluffywhitekittens
MOH
LaTrucha
caramellokoalalover
Grumblin
Lottie
La
Nitnat

feekerry i agree with what everyone else has said. This is not normal, unfortunately it sounds like classic hyperemesis. If you've read any amount of this thread you'll see that getting treatment is hit or miss. A lot of GPs really don't have a clue about up to date treatment, some of them won't even diagnose you as having hyperemesis gravidarum (HG). Here are things to watch out for from your GP and/or midwife, they might tell you

1. Its normal to be so sick - not true, it's quite rare.
2. There's nothing you can take in the first trimester - not true, many many of us on this thread have taken antiemetic medication in the first trimester and it is recommended by specialist obstetricians who know what they're talking about.

If you are told these things and you have the energy to challenge them, please do challenge. Use information from the treatments and research pages of the website www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk to help back you up when you see your doctor. As suggested by Lucinda, if possible take someone with you when you see your doc to help you fight your corner if need be. You might be lucky, you might have a really good doctor who will get you treatment right away, it does happen, but it's good to be prepared incase they're hopeless. Good luck and let us know how you get on.

TheOnly, sounds like the joys of pregnancy are hitting you head on! :)
I haven't had asthma since I was a teenager, although get a bit wheezy if I have a cold but I found pregnancy caused me big breathing problems, especially later on as baby gets bigger and pushes everything else out of place.
I didn't get stretchmarks at all with dd and was really smug happy about that. Was then mortified to get stretchmarks with ds. To be compounded by sharing my sadness with dh when I found them only to have him point out that I'd had them ages I just hadn't been able to see them
Just keep chanting "It will be worth it, it will be worth it...."

Any news Luce?

Okay. Spoke to a lovely nurse who suggested I wait till our surgery is shut then ring and get an out of hours emergency appt. The only thing re the meds is i'm a bit worried they'll only stop me being physically sick and i'll remain with the awful constant sick feeling without being sick to relieve it. Anyways i'll let you know how I get on. Thank you. X

feekerry good luck with OOH doc, sometimes they are better than the regular docs. As for constant sick feeling, I really hate to tell you this but eventually you get to a stage where even when you've just thrown up, you get relief for about 10 seconds then you go straight back to feeling unbearably nauseous again. Well that's how it was for me and my sister. At least with meds you feel sick but you don't have the constipation and headache from the dehydration. I found that the meds did actually help a bit with the nausea and it was just a relief not to be vomiting.

Hi everyone! how has everyone been?
I've been in Turkey for 2 weeks, and I only threw up 4 times!!! I've hot the 16 weeks now and feeling much better, I still have severe nausea at night, and I havent put on any weight yet (still a tiny 7 st 12lb) but I'm getting a little pot belly now! I'm so thankful I have my angel sounds fetal doppler so I can hear baby......I'm at obsetrics tomorrow, so hopefully I can wangle another scan out of them?
and I can cook again..........I still cant look at raw mince though (sorry to all those heaving at the thought!) my limited diet is mainly greggs pasties and mcdonalds burgers...but it feels great to eat again, and even occasionally enjoy it!
I was a bad mammmy on holiday and attempted a glass of wine (aka acid), I paid for it with a good hour of throwing up...not nice in 40 degree heat...and I had a moment in Bodrum airport (disgusting toilets) but the sick bag on the plane only got some heaving, fortunately I held in my puke on the plane!
take care everyone, and welcome newbies, this site helped me so much through my first few horrific weeks xx

Angel glad to hear some improvement and enjoyed your hol, sounds lovely although disappointing vino ep.
theonly you've had it rough poor thing but not long now and stretch marks with fade (can recommend 'This Works' helps some and smells lush). Fluffy LOL re DH remark mine thought I had a rash when appeared with DD1.

pearl glad move went well but shame about salad, always the healthy stuff...
Nitnat i hear you, having an exhausting feeding day - she's never off! I would recommend baba sling as can open clasp one handed when baby asleep and sneekily put down for nap :)
feekerry hope ooh Dr prescribes something, as others have said take someone along if poss to be yr advocate.
Pepsi hope you get help too

Will continue with quest to convince baby there is life outside the boob...

LA Such lovely leeches as these newborns are...It's good to hear from you, always encouraging for those just setting out on the less than delightful Hyperemesis bile run...collapse...slightly perk up...waddle...delivered! Men are so tactful...
Angel I am so glad you had a comparatively puke free holiday, that you didn't have to have discreet bags by the pool side. Congratulations on no puking on plane, that was an achievement. How far along are you now?
Feekerry and Pepsi all luck and sympathy.
Pearl Thanks for update.
TheOnly Poor you, having to be treated for asthma as well as Hyperemesis, that is too bad, and stretch marks and puking and peeing too.
I've heard people swear by 'BioOil' from boots myself, I use it on my wrinkles...
Luce Cheering you on as per Fluffy not hurrying you, of course. Grumblin I still can't believe how leisurly baby was about arriving! These Hyperemesis babies all seem to be good feeders.
NitNat How is what a prudish nurse called my 'ahem! underneath?'
MOH I have staggered up and will try and get that form out. I assume it can't be filled in online?
Aubgergine Louby thinking of you.
LucindaE
xx

Hello everyone! I'm new here and thought I'd introduce myself.
I'm nemo and have a 2year old son and we are getting ready to try for number 2 in the next 2-3 months.
I had hyperemesis with my first pregnancy but sadly was not aware of sites like this one and so suffered in silence and resented everyone for telling me "nausea and vomiting are signs of a healthy pregnancy", and "eat little and often" and the favourite"have you tried ginger?".

HG hit me at 6 weeks and I was bedbound until about 10weeks when I managed to get some antiemetic suppositories as I couldn't keep anything in long enough so oral tablets were a waste of time.
I stopped being physically sick at around week 16-17 and the nausea slowly decreased and disappeared around 23-24wks. It came back whenever i was overtired/had overdone it but overall The rest of the pregnancy was straight forward and my little man was absolutely fine.

The one effect of HG though was that i got quite depressed by it and ended up having antenatal depression and having to go on antidepressants while still pregnant :(
But all is good now and I'm determined to be more prepared and ready to fight my corner with the GP if I have HG again. We've moved since my last pg and the GPs are better I think. But whatever their attitude I will be much more assertive and not stand for any rubbish they throw back at me :)

(sorry for waffle)

Hi,

Can I be added to the list please? I'm on my phone so can't cut and paste! My EDD is October 8th.

I'm 30+3 and have suffered from hg all the way through my pregnacy (my first). I have been lucky in that I have a lot of support from my oh and family and my GP has been great. I'm currently taking metochlopromine (sp?) which although doesn't take away the nausea has made it easier to cope with. I'm "only" being sick on average once a day now... Never thought I'd be pleased to say something like that!

I'm currently signed off work but am going to see if I can bring my maternity leave forward by a couple of weeks as I'm only receiving ssp whilst sick :(

I've found one of the hardest things (apart from the sickness!) has been other people's reactions as they don't seem to get it that this is not normal morning sickness. Reading this thread has helped me realise I am not alone and that others understand how I'm feeling.

Wishing us all a vomit-free pregnancy :) xxx

Mancbird, have added you below.

johnnyd1 (Luce): EDD 31/07/11
Theonlyhb2: EDD 16/08/11 First timer (eeek)
ElliottsMummy: EDD 25/9/11
Coconuts: EDD 01/10/11
Mancbird: EDD 08/10/11
AgBag: EDD 18/10/11
Littlewizz: EDD 6/11/11, Next scan 23/6/11
CakeForBreakfast: EDD 07/11/11 (subject to change)
Marylou: EDD 9/11/11, next scan 22/06/11
MotherofPearl: EDD 17/11/11
Eggy: EDD 30/11/11
LadyOTCM: 01/12/11
Diddygirl: EDD 19/12/11
Bensgirl: EDD
Alias: EDD ??/12?11 , Dating scan: 25/06/11
m1nn1e: EDD ??/01/12
Angel: 16/01/12
Louby86: EDD 17/02/12

Pink Castle Graduates:
LucindaE
fluffywhitekittens
MOH
LaTrucha
caramellokoalalover
Grumblin
Lottie
La
Nitnat

Hello Nemo and Mancbird. Will be back later, just listening to ds cry and hoping he's going back to sleep but not sounding likely, meh to hot nights and teething....

Hi Lucinda I'm 16+2 now, and since week 11 I've gradually got better! I'm back to work and only puke 3-4 times a week now......its almost as good as the pink castle!!

Welcome memo08! I'm sure you'll get loads of support on here

Hi Lucinda et al,

I haven't been posting as it's just more of the same. Feel rotten. Vomiting a lot. Very sympathetic doctors (am lucky) who prescribe me drugs, but as The Verve so poignantly put it, the drugs don't effin work. In fact some days I am quite sure they make it worse.

On the pills I have the vomiting down to about 5x a day which is manageable.

I am not in such a sorry state as I was, and have now found I can eat chocolate and sugar. I do worry about the effect of a baby grown in a cocktail of pills, humbugs and galaxy caramel bars, but at least I am no longer a sad, deflated wreck on a drip in a hospital bed so things are looking up!

Still struggle to keep liquids down. I work on the theory that it is better to drink and spew and keep a little down, than not to drink at all.

One slightly worrying thing - I did seem to vomit a little blood last night, but it really was only a tiny bit, and bright red, and I wonder if the furious force of my hurling perhaps burst a little blood vessel or something? Like when you blow your nose too hard?

Sympathies to all. We will get there!

Auburgine Poor you, it sounds bad. Re: blood, I think if it's bright red its from the throat, torn by the violence of the retching, so you don't have to worry too much, but look out for brownish blood, that's apparently from the stomach and needs investigating, I remember NitNat worried us all by getting that.Not sure how far along you are now, but it really sounds as if its at its peak, with any luck, things must get a little better. You are so right about liquids, it is demoralising, I thought myself it was like a horrible conjuring trick swallowing small amounts of liquid, only to see them magically (I don't think!) reappear, but even though you think you are not retaining anything, you are, and feel much worse if you don't keep sipping away. How do you find ice lollies in the heat where you are?Any good?
Mancbird Welcome, sorry you have suffered throughout, it's good you have supportive family and doctors but dismal that you have had to put up with people's ignorance. Do keep us posted. I see Pearl has added you to the list, well done, Pearl! Looking at said list, I am sure that the illness is more common than the official statistics indicate, and this is only the tip of the iceburg...
Nemo Welcome, so glad you have found us, sorry that you went through that hateful experience alone, no wonder you became depressed, and I so admire women who go for it a second time, you may after all escape from full blown Hyperemesis and if not, you certainly have the right attitude and this thread is always somewhere to moan as much as you wish and everyone is very supportive. Have you had a look at MOH's wonderful website
www.pregnancysickness.co.uk? It's full of information.
Angel so glad you are much better, but 3/4 times a week would be viewed as awful by many, so here's hoping you get a lot better still...
Fluffy Ah, poor, teething baby .
LucindaE
xx

Hi. Little update from me. After feeling close to death yesterday I managed to get myself to the doctor. She was lovely. Urine test showed high levels of keytones or something like that and she sent me straight to hospital. I went on a iv drip and they sent me home with some cyclizine. Anyone had that? Does it work? Been signed off work for couple of weeks as well. Please tell me i'll feel better soon. I feel so so ill. :-(

Feekerry Oh, dear, poor you over such a dreadful time, I am coming on to sympathise though I haven't had cyclizine (sp). Lots of women do find it helpful, it seems to be the first drug they tend to try, but I gather at first it makes you woozy. It is awful that you had to go down the admission to hospital route - why do GP's allow that to happen, they must see it coming?
I hope the IV helped you a little? This is the worst stage, things will almost certainly get a lot better, but it is very hard to bear at the time. It will pass.
Sending you cyber hugs. I do hope the drug works, but if not, do - with support if necessary - ask for something else that does. Sorry about 'have you tried' but are ice lollies or jelly any good at this dreadful stage?
Aubergine I hope you got my post about blood and liquids...
LucindaE
xx