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

Nooby, welcome! Have you managed to get more medication? I've been on a repeat prescription of cyclizine for 20 weeks so far. The original was issued at hospital and forwarded to my GP, who refills pretty much on demand (I just fill in a short form and leave at reception, collect prescription 48 hours later). It doesn't sound like MS you have, but HG. Have you looked at MOH's great site?
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
Anyway, do let us know how you get on. This is a terrible, debilitating condition and as you say, it really detracts from what should be a happy time. But chatting to people who've been through it has been a life-saver for me, so hopefully you'll find some solace coming on here. Lucinda who runs the thread is so supportive, as is everyone else.
Quiet on here the last few days. Hope everyone is doing OK?

Hi all
I managed to get another perscription, so I'm already feeling much better and happier :)
She refused to put it on a repeat for me, though. A little annoying, but she said she's like to keep an eye on me, so it's not too bad I suppose. DS likes the big abacus they have in the waiting room so it's a bonus for him!
I hope everyone is doing OK? x

NoobyNob I am so glad you got the meds renewed - and its good that she's taking it seriously enough to keep an eye on you, though annoying about no repeat prescription. Can you eat now?
Pearl Good luck with celebration for weekend - I hope the nausea/sickness holds off. I so agree about a diet - why, the only foods that seem to suit most women here seem to be unhealthy - crisps, potato cakes, jelly, tinned fruit, coke...As I have said, people seem to think that is one's normal diet .
Mummymccar LilyRose Feekerry Seapie how are you? Nothing from Aubergine in a long while, I hope she's OK.
Waves to all.
LucindaE
xx

How's everyone doing? Glad to hear Luce and TheOnly are back home. It seems a bit odd to think your teeny tiny babies are the same school year as my gorgeous, hefty 10 month old :)

Fluffy Ten months already, wow...
NoobyNob and Everyone, how are you feeling this weekend?
LucindaE
xx

Hi all, hope everyone is ok today. I have now started my maternity leave and have had my OH rummaging around in the loft all afternoon for all the bits we need!! Now have lots of washing and sterilising to do this week! Can't believe I only have a few weeks left before my little monkey makes an appearance - doesn't seem like that long ago I was laid on the sofa all day hardly able to move and feeling so rotten. So for everyone who is currently feeling like that, stay strong, the time will go quicker than you think (I know it doesn't feel like that sometimes!) x

Gosh, it has gone quiet on here. Hopefully this is a good sign that people are feeling better. Nooby, glad to hear you managed to get a new prescription. ElliottsMummy, it must be a relief to be on maternity leave and now starting the final countdown - hope it all goes really well. :)
I had a fairly good weekend. No voms on Saturday and managed to eat dinner on Sat evening at the hotel with no problems. Sunday driving back home afterwards went less well and culminated with me throwing up in Tescos car park yesterday afternoon - charming. It's becoming irritatingly unpredictable now.
Wishing everyone a vom-free week!

Hello everyone. Still pretty ill over here. Just been signed off for another 3 weeks which will take me to 13 weeks. Hopefully things might get a bit easier then? Please god please let it get easier then! I'm still on cyclizine and ondanestron and still sick a least 3 times a day but I can at least sip drinks and eat basic food. Doctors have said I have to try eat some protein but eggs, chicken and fish seem a long long way from me at the moment!

Feekerry can you stomach a handful of nuts or nut butters of any kind, for some protein?
MOP I remember the unpredictability in the latter months. Just when you think you're out of the woods....

We've had lots of discussions about how the medical profession stress the importance of nutrition in pregnancy and then turn around and say it doesn't matter what you eat/practically starve when you've got hyperemesis. I saw this article about nutrition, birth weight and links to disease later in life and it mentions that there's a Horizon programme on tonight called "9 months that made you" which sounds interesting.

Hello everyone!
Feekerry Poor you, with two meds still throwing up...Thank goodness you got them.I wish I could think of something acceptable that had protein in it. Does soda bread have a small amount? The saltiness helped me. Baked beans, sometimes they suited, but oh dear, but I didn't like them when they reappeared.Fishcakes? Again, hit and miss with me.
NitNat lovely to hear from you - how is what a midwife called my 'Ahem, underneath?'
MOP Sorry about Tescoes humiliation, but I am so glad the celebration went well. Trips require courage...
It is quiet on here, isn't it? I hope people aren't Suffering Stoically in Silence.
Moan all you like, everyone...
LucindaE
xx

Out of interest has anyone tried accupuncture for hg? My mums friend is a mid wife and she is raving about it for severe sickness.

Feekerry, as far as I know, Lucinda was greatly helped by acupuncture, and maybe also Fluffy? I tried it with my first pregnancy, when I had pretty severe nausea and vomiting but not HG, and I'm afraid I can't say it made much difference at all, so this time I've not bothered. But it seems that people it helps are really, really helped by it. I gather it's not cheap either...

nitnat interesting you mention that, i was diagnosed with osteoporosis at the age of 32 during an xray of my knee for something else. I was my mum's 3rd child in 4 years - plus she had a miscarriage so she had 3 and a half pregnancies in 48 months, all with HG. I was investigated repeatedly for secondary causes of osteoporosis and there's nothing else wrong that can explain it. I think it was maternal malnutrition - can you imagine how nutritionally depleted my mum must have been after being pregnant with HG for 32 months out of 48? I think she just had nothing left in the tank for the 3rd baby. Also, I'm the smallest of all my siblings (there's 5 of us) by quite a few inches. FYI, by way of explanation, my mum wasn't completely mad, just very strictly catholic and clearly very fertile. Will be watching the Horizon programme with interest.

Hello, Everyone Feekerry , Mother of Pearl is so right! I was in a terrible state when I staggered to an Acupunturist two days after GP refused meds, Public Puking Peformance on the way, you know the sort of thing. He mentioned the 'H' word to me for the first time, and said I'd have to report to A and E for IV if I didn't stop bringing up water that day. But after treatment, I did! After a couple more treatments, I could EAT...After a few more treatments, the symptoms had gone save for residual heartburn for the rest of the pregnancy. But what is heartburn?
Others have had it - knowing my story - but not been so lucky. Carmamel NitNat Grumblin and others. I felt a bit guilty they had to spend so much and hadn't had the same results...For sure, Fluffy had it, I think it did help her butnot as much as it did me. For sure, it's worth a try...
LucindaE
xx

hello,

feekerry i tried acupuncture on lucindas recommendation. It gave me a day or two of being able to eat a small amount but wore off then. That day or two of keeping a bit of food & fluid down saved me though, mentally. My sister is currently pg & has had HG and acupuncture has helped her massively. It's worth a try! Anything is at your stage.

nitnat & moh I always worry how my malnutrition will affect the dc's in later life. Blood tests from my 6 week postnatal check (to check my liver & thyroid function as they were knackered in this pg) still show my potassium, nitrate & wbc/hb levels are low-I've put on 6lbs but apparently it will take a few months for my body to recover - suppose this goes the same for the babies?

Also I was asking about why one of the babies didn't make it and they said it was possibly the dehydration from the HG that had affected its development but they didn't know for sure. My body prob couldn't carry twins in that state so it 'failed' one baby in order to keep the pregnancy going. Very . I found a video on you tube a HG lady had made & she had a failed twin pg and there were lots of others who said that they had HG and one of their babies heartbeat stopped too. Think there is a definite link and I wonder how many HG'ers start with a twin pg but never know they were carrying twins. It was only because I had scans from 6 weeks that I knew.

hope everyone else ok - alpine mop nooby lilyrose seapie Hope everything ok.

Waves to elliotsmummy

I missed the Horizon programme, but it is interesting about the possible effect of HG on the DCs in the future, as NitNat says. MOH, it sounds like your mum was really depleted - the poor woman, imagine having HG for 32 months out of 48! It's hard to imagine. Grumblin, I hadn't realised you'd been carrying twins originally - it's so sad to hear that HG may have caused the 'failure' of one baby. Awful. Hope all is well with you and your DD.
Lucinda, I'm envious that acupuncture helped you so much! It had no effect for me sadly. How are you otherwise?
Bit of a relapse for me yesterday - 4 voms. Realised at about 7pm I'd forgotten to take any cyclizine, so I suppose that's the reason. First ante-natal check up in what feels like months tomorrow. Will be 28 weeks on Thursday, so feel like things are moving on a bit at least.

Grumblin Cyber hugs toyou about baby who died - you don't forget a lost baby, even so early, I never have forgotten my miscarriage (the one I knew about, that is; looking back, I think for sure Ihad several early ones). I think the birth of a healthy baby takes away 98% of the sadness, sadly as you know too well you live with the rest. It is odd; I had a miscarriage because of hormonal imbalance one way - presumably not enough pregnancy hormones, but expecting twins, you ended up witha miscarriage through too many...I think I am right in saying that twins can trigger Hyperremesis anyway, but as you had it before (brave thing!) you must have been especially liable to it. Ironically, I had homeopathic treatment for any hormonal imbalance leading to miscarriage, and had very severe m/s symptoms when taking it, though not pregnant, and then a run in with Hyperemesis with the next pregnancy.
MOP What a horrible reminder, voms x 4! I am fine thanks, my own experience with Hyperemesis was years ago, my daughter's at high school now. I should have thought in terms of Hyperemesis support on the web years ago, save for not having broadband until recently.
Feekerry Did any of those protein recommendations below help?
LucindaE
xx

Second part of post...
MOP and Feekerry As below, I was so lucky with Acupunture! For sure, it has never helped my migraines, which is odd...
I didn't see the 'Horizon' programme, but it sounded a bit alarmist from what you all say? For sure, these things need investigation, but people shouldn't be scared unnecessarily, women with Hyperemesis suffer enough without worrying about later development, and I am sure in the great majority of cases there is nothing to worry about generally.
Love to all. Very quiet, as people say. Never fear to moan, girls. You should have heard me (to anyone who would listen).
LucindaE
xx

ok now I have time to catch up on news having been on hols. First of all congrat hb and luce, johnnyd and grandma on new babies and being able to enjoy cake again. Hope you're all getting on ok. hb I share your low birthweight baby pain, when they're little they just don't feed very well and the only thing that will help is putting on weight but they can't put on weight cos they don't feed very well...Aaargh catch 22 nightmare. I remember well 2 hour feeds and tickling toes and blowing on her face to keep her awake.

seapie push for ondansetron, it worked wonders for me. A friend just had it for chemo and loved it too. That's a good point actually, they give it out like sweeties to cancer patients, they don't tell them it's too expensive. I was on ondansetron from about 8 weeks and it helped immediately with the vomiting and being able to eat. After 18 weeks I thought i didn't have HG any more so stopped taking it - then very quickly realised that I did still have HG but the ondansetron was just keeping the nausea well under control - and went right back on it. I tried stopping it twice more unsuccessfully and took it till birth. I think at first you'll still feel some nausea but you'll be able to eat and drink which helps a lot.

I'll 2nd what MOH100 says re ondansetron!!

I switched to it fully on monday night after taking it occasionally with cyclizne but within an hour i felt TOTALLY different!!!!!!!!
Can you believe i haven't been sick since monday night!!!!!! OMG what a relief. thank god for ondanestron is all i can say. i ate 3 small meals yesterday of normal food and can drink as normal. i cant quite believe i have found something that works. i've had a few waves of feeling sick but thats it!!!! oh i'm so pleased!!!!!!
xxxxxxxxx

feekerry I'm so pleased for you, it's like getting your life back isn't it.

just popping in to say Hi! You are all going to LOVE labour and post-birth, seriously the last 2 weeks have been like a holiday with the eating, walking hounds, brushing teeth, doing housework, feeding hounds, sleeping for 3/4 hours in a row without waking to bile/puke/wee/heartburn/backache/headache/being used as a punch bag. who knew being a housewife could be so fulfilling?!!? OH is amazing with Harper and we take it in turns to do the night shift, or I fall asleep early and OH falls asleep late so it works very well. Lucky to have him at home for the foreseeable future, I would have lost my mind by now probably!

after losing 9% of her birth weight the day (was 6lb 1oz), 5 days later Harper was 6lb 3oz........another 5 days and she is 6lb 8oz! 2 weeks old today :) hard to believe i very nearly didn't make it (Mum told me yesterday I was in Theatre for 2&half hours!) I still stand by what I said, all post birth hospital drama was far easier than HG so i really do sympathise with all of you still suffering, it is truly the worst time yet you will feel SO amazing after birth it is definitely worth it. It has not got boring fitting in all my size 12 skinnies yet either, and I guess I have HG to thank for that!

gentle hugs to all xx

HB
so glad you are feeling better and that Harper is thriving. send hugs to your mum from me as moh said" watching someone with HG is not much more fun than having it" and watching you go through a difficult birth will not have been fun either.

Feekerry That is great, you must feel a new woman, you might be able to start enjoying pregnancy now (looks about fearfully face).
Lovely to hear from you, Grandma. Still not orgnised yet about area representation, school holidays are the worst time.
MOH Interesting that it made you feel so good, you felt you didn't have Hyperemesis any more. I'm trying to remember what meds Grumblin was on, who suffered throughout, and NitNat who suffered most of the way through. Dr's can be so mean about Ondansetron (sp?).
Lilyrose Seapie Louby Empura Babycarmen Aubergine how are you all?
TheOnly It is so nice you are yourself again, and that is a great post of encouragement for anyone suffering in the first dreadful weeks...
love to all
LucindaE
xx

Aww hb you sound so so happy

LucindaE sorry I've disappeared for a couple of weeks! I'm still off work while they're investigating my nasty boss! Started to get a bit of energy back but me trying to do more has meant more sickness. It did stop for about 4 days and I'm still getting bile in dry heaving in a morning but I seem to have such a weak stomach now it's embarrassing! I was on the phone to DH in the kitchen earlier in the week and while I was talking to him pulled a slightly manky potato out of the bag and the sight and smell of it made my projectile vom instantly (sorry tmi) At least I can laugh about it I suppose, if I didn't I'd cry!

Can't believe I'm nearly 15 weeks now, once the sickness started I thought it would go really, really slow but still seems to be flying by! Hoping to hear the little wriggler's heartbeat at my MW appointment next week! Also going to take her the details of MOHs website so hopefully she can pass it on to others who are suffering.

Had my maternity pack come from work and there's a list of recommended websites, included mumsnet, so I'm going to email the team that put it together and ask for the HG website to be added too!

Hope everyone else is ok!