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

Thanks MOH, I think the staying off work is a good idea, I'm a physiotherapist and have a patient every 20 minutes with only a 30 min break in the middle of the day, I cant even get showered some days, and the thought of going to work is worrying me already!

I was only prescribed Ondansetron after being admitted to hospital through the early pregnancy unit, I had been consistantly sick for 4 days before my appointment, not keeping anything down, and only to be told by the GP and midwife to eat ginger biscuits!! I was actually in the EPAC for a small amount of spotting and had a scan (healthy heart beat thank god!) but I told the midwife about how ill I was and a few tests later I was admitted for rapid rehydration and anti-emetics, the doctor discharged me with ondansetron! If I hadnt of been admitted that day, my partner was going to take me to A&E. Its not great when your 7 weeks and not yet under a midwife or GP, so A&E seems to be the only option!

and I seem to be pill counting as well, luckily I have 5 days reserve, as I had to get a prescription from the walk in centre when I was dischaged from hospital, then the GP gave me a new one, so I'm keeping my stash hush hush, it makes me feel safe haha! I'm on 8mg every 12 hours, although I will admit to sometimes taking them after 11 hours because I cant wait.....I did try not taking my tablet one day when I was having a good day and managed to eat a sandwich and sit in the garden, a few hours later I started to vomit constantly and soon regretted that decision!! I might see the GP about trying something else, I'm still struggling with the nausea (im having a bad day today) and I usually seem to have a really bad day when I've had a really good day! .....a good day is getting showered and managing lunch!

The Downs concern was really because I didnt follow all the other common traits of HG sufferers, I didnt have HG with my first pregnancy 13 years ago with a girl, I'm an older mum (37) and it isnt my first pregnancy.....its a downfall of working in the medical prefession and reading lots of research...I did notice that the research that risk came from, was done in the 1970's!

Thank you for all your advice, and the website is a great idea.......the poll's will defo help with future research, it doesnt look as though alot has been done, although lots of papers have been written!

thanks x

angel oh no you came a cropper with the I feel better I don't need the pills scenario. been there. Not taking it just once will have a knock on effect for days to come because it has to build up in your system to be effective. It sounds like you're on a decent dose though, I was on 16mg per day too, but my OB told me to take them whenever I wanted - ie 4mg 4 times a day, 16mg once a day, 8mg twice, just to do whatever worked best for me. In the end I went for 8mg morning and bedtime. The fact that you have some good days and you can eat shows that it is working. Unfortunately in early pregnancy there nothing that will cure you completely and you will have to endure lots of nausea, but at least ondansetron will allow you to eat and drink and stay off the IV. For more help with the nausea, I would go back to your GP and ask for a referral to an OB - unless your GP is confident and experienced enough to treat your HG, but very few of them are. Can you go back to the EPAC unit? The doctor there who gave you the first prescription will be best placed to advise you on other meds for the nausea. I confess also to going early for prescriptions so I have a little stash left over for next time, if there ever will be one. That way I have them ready when I need them while I wait for doctors appointments.

welcome angel, and do not worry about the unhealthy diet - 32 weeks and vegetables still make me puke, fruit is too much for my heartburn, and I live off salt, McD's, chip shop, KFC, sausage rolls (only from Greggs)........

Grumblin, it is funny you mention about the special Glasto brownies. It wasnt something I was going to mention but I did find cannabis was the only thing that really helped with settling my stomach, giving me a bit of an appetite and being able to keep food down, especially in the early days (despite anti-sickness tablets). I dont mix with tobacco and its a small amount and I figured it helped with my sanity and thats what was important. I am aware I shall now open up a can of worms with this comment so am awaiting backlash! I am not saying people should try it, it just worked (and still works on bad days) for me. I figured I knew where it came from, no chemicals added, and really was it more harm than all these other tablets I was taking as no one really knows the risk of them? I found some really interesting articles from a Dr who studied Jamaicans (not the Rasta's) and the women who used it but couldnt find any other studies that proved cannabis alone was dangerous (unless you counted the ones where the women smoke tobacco and crack too!) I really do believe in just listening to your body, even more so now, and I think there are so many things out there to scare us, you just have to do what suits you personally.

Hi Angel I'm on my 4th pregnancy and also 37. I didn't have any HG with my first, normal 'morning sickness' with 2nd and 3rd and then HG this time round. My 1st was with a different partner and 2nd, 3rd and 4th all the same so I'm not sure about the theory of different fathers. I'm now 37 + 2. I vomitted anywhere between 2 - 10 times a day between 6 and 16 weeks - never felt so ill. I didn't work for 10 weeks and hospitalised once. Started to feel a bit better at 16 weeks and managed to start living a life again around 20 weeks. I really sympathise though cos I remember when I was at your stage not being able to see an end to it. The nausea has never gone but its much more manageable, though it gets worse when I'm tired. I did a phased return to work when I went back and I'm still managing to work at the moment! I remember just the effort of coming downstairs to lie on the sofa. My consultant said she didn't care what I ate as long as I kept hydrarted - you can worry about healthy eating at a later date! When I started eating again I lived on peanut butter on toast! And I've had to have growth scans as I have a large baby! So it's obviously not affected baby! Great that you've got ondansetron, take as much time off as you need (don't feel guilty) and noone on here will be bothered by how much you moan!! Everyone is either going through the same or been there and survived. oh and just seen you're a physio - I work in the health service too!! I'm a nurse!

MOH website great!! In the drugs section cyclizine is name of the drug and valoid is the brand name. Making it more interactive will be great!

welcome angelj but sorry to hear you are feeling so awful. The ondansetron will cause constipation unfortunately. If you can tolerate drinking Fybogel then maybe try that? You can get it on prescription and I found the days I could get it down and keep it down it did help. I took ondansetron the whole way through my 2 pregnancies too and, same as you, tried to cut down dosage along the way only to regret it. Not sure if anyone has mentioned it yet, but are you able to try acupuncture at all? Has really helped some of the women (myself included) on here. Can be expensive though. Oh I'd also say to try and make it on your holiday if you can. At least throwing up on a plane people will just think you have travel sickness. And once you're there and settled you might find some new 'safe' foods that you can tolerate.

grumblin I'm laughing at you licking the swan's beak. Lucinda I hate the cold too but I'd happilly have the meet-up in the cold if it helped others.

theonly that's interesting that cannabis helped you with the nausea. I've heard that it can help cancer patients after chemo and as ondansetron works in the same way I'm not surpirsed that it helps with HG too. You certainly won't get any judgement from me. Did the HG cancel out the munchies?

How's everyone else doing this morning? Hope it's a good day for some of you.

theonly It is really interesting the cannabis thing. My friend's dad has MS and he grows the plants and uses it for general pain etc, he asked his GP what his thoughts were on it and his GP said 'off the record' if it helps use it. In my first pregnancy he kept saying it was good for nausea (a side effect of one of his meds & his pain) so at my most desperate (before they medicated) I had it once and it worked. Then I got a crisis of confidence, didn't use it again and ended up with coffee grounds and IV's.

Haven't had it subsequently because DH is very wobbly about the subject. I'm much more open minded I truly believe in autonomous choice and if it suits you and works it is your decision & responsibility. If you don't agree with it then that is your choice but don't sit in judgement of people who use it to relieve symptoms for conditions you haven't experienced. Can of worms well & truly open!

No mini grumblin yet - sweep yesterday has done nada. Looked up on internet how to do own sweep. Will be keeping well & truly away from that one as I think you really need to be able to see and feel properly.

Hope everyone else is keeping well.

MOH Will go to that site now, sure it's great, and get back to you if I can think of anything...Maybe Acupunture? Caramelwell done for mentioning that, I never know if I should mention it, as it did wonders for me and probably helps everyone a bit, though I feel silly saying the same thing...'Jelly...ice lollies...sips of tepid water...coke...crisps...Acunpunture....This To Shall Pass'. Turn off the record, Lucinda!
Grumblin Sweeps sound less than pleasant...Sorry no baby...
Re; Dope That's fascinating, but do you have to smoke it ( I know without tobacco) as the thought of smoking anything would have made me heave? If eaten, would it stay down long enough to work? I'm all for trying anything that works myself, but hadn't heard of that one at the time!
Where is Coconuts?
LucindaE
xx

lucinda I am here :) Have been so so busy the last couple of days. Had DD in A&E after spraining her foot but all ok, no breaks. Busy getting things ready to decorate the flat and new sofas are coming at some point today. Hope you are well.

MOH Have just been on the website. So great to see all your hard work coming together. As an aside, the line breaks on one of the sections are skewiff, in case you need to amend that in the future before it goes live.

grumblin sorry no baby yet. I had a sweep with DD and it did nothing at all. As they say, babies come when they are ready, not when you are!

Welcome angel It is grim isn't it, but it will get better. I had to keep telling myself it was for such a small proportion of my life, because at the time it seems relentless and goes on forever. Glad the meds have stopped the vom, combatting the nausea is the tricky part though. Laying still definitely is the best thing to be doing. Rest as mush as possible, even on good days, because if you don't you'll pay for it the day after. I made that mistake many times.

Waves to everyone else, sorry not much time to namecheck everyone. Always think of you all :)

Come on DFS!!!!

lottie thanks for correction, mistake fixed. lucinda I haven't got round to adding everything from the article, it's on the list to be done when I've got time. Do you happen to know anything research wise about acupuncture etc? Is there anyone apart from you who was helped? I want to make one of the survey questions about alternative remedies.... in the fullness of time....provided DD doesn't get any more exotic diseases.

Cocoanuts Let me know what you think of that enclosure...
MOH Sorry, I forgot to ask after your poor D/D. Foot and mouth, did you say? I must have seemed callous! How is she? Don't rush yourself about the website, you are busy enough. Re; Acupunture, my knowledge of how far it helps Hyperemesis is anecdotal merely, I know apart from my own happy outcomeFluffy was helped by it, I don't remeber now if she'd had it before or it was through my recommendation, and Caramel Grumblin NItNat possibly Luce and others have had it, but not with such striking results...
Lottie What goes on with baby?
Grumblin thinking of you.
LucindaE
xx

lucinda Have you sent it by email? If so I have nothing?

MOH the website is looking great. Acupuncture definitely helped me. I had it 3 times a week in the first few weeks and could always eat a little something after having it and would have a 'better' day the day following treatment. I reduced it slowly as my pregnancy progressed so I was having it every 4 weeks for the last trimester. Some NHS trusts offer referrals for women suffering HG so there must be some research somewhere. I'll do a little googling and see what I can turn up.

Also MOH lots of sympathy for the illnesses your DD has. DS has impetigo and I'm just back from my 3rd trip to the GP with him in 4 weeks to try and get rid of it. I'd never even heard of it until a month ago. Hideous! Hope your DD is doing better.

Mini-grumblin: come out and play! Can't have your mum doing DIY sweeps! I did try acupuncture for induction at 39wks. I had needles and those little seeds you leave in on my ears. It certainly shook things up and I thought it was all-go but everything had stopped within 24hrs of treatment and I went another week. Maybe if I had had treatment at 40wks it would have kick started things. No harm in trying.

Well my sofas are here :)

Comfort at last!

How is everyone? I feel like poo today. Extremely tired and feel really nauseous for some reason, but otoh feel like I need to eat and eat. Have had a cuppa soup and toast for lunch, an apple, a banana, 2 eclairs (little sweets not cream cakes) and half a quiche. What has happened to me? Cooking spag bol for tea although I may need two portions.

And now I've just remembered I am posting on a HG thread so apologies if any of that made anyone feel ill!!

Had to go to bed for a nap at about 1245, was awoken by the phone at 1400 and feel like I need to go back to bed.

MOH your DD has certainly been through it this past week with all those illnesses, poor thing. Let's hope that's her quota for a few weeks now and she doesn't get anything else.

Going to go back and have a proper read of the website now as I was only having a quick look at 11pm last night so didn't really take it all in.

Cocoanuts I am fated with IT, it seems, I'll send it the attachment again.
Caramel I am dismayed that the improvement after Acupuncturewas rather minimal in your case - or was it variable? I'm afraid for all poor Grumblin getting treatment for Christmas, it didn't do wonders for her, and same with *NitNat.
*MOH8 off to that website now....
LucindaE
xx

Lucinda 'twas not me that had the acupuncture - didn't get round to it before hospital and then was too zombified to think after that!

MOH well done on the website - off to have a look now. Eek at the exotic diseases - poor DD and poor you for having to be sorting it all out. Mums do have to be Jacks of all trades don't they!

TMI, no really, if you're in the throes, don't read this bit! Caramel - I sympathise - DS has had impetigo on his thumb and on his bum. The thumb landed him in A&E on Xmas eve when he removed a plaster and half the skin on his finger came off . The bum thing has flared up twice and nothing will shift it except for AB's and it is so sore it makes him cry, poor love.

Grumblin at DIY sweeps. There googles a desperate woman! Found out at mw appt yesterday that I am already booked in for a sweep at 40 weeks on the dot . Hate them.

I have been in tears three times today. Could it be a sign of pre-labour? my bump has also dropped and I am waddling like a good-un.

Waves to all not mentioned and welcome to Angel. Glad you have got the Ondansetron and had some rehydration. Hope you have a better day tomorrow.

Hey, *Everyone, happy summer solstice (sp?), just realised...One of these days I will see Stonhenge...
NitNat congratulations on descending bump and waddle.

LucindaE
xx

caramello, grumblin very relieved to read your posts, as its such a controversial thing! no munchies like I might normally get but more of a "oh I think I want to eat and I reckon it will stay down too" feeling. you know some days you wake up and you just know anything you eat or drink is going to re-appear, its deffo good for those days in making life more bearable. Interestingly, it doesn't have the "stoned" effect on me anymore?! In the early days I rather craved that feeling of peace and relaxing and it never came - I think thats what you call sod's law :)

LucindaE Maybe as I was a smoker anyway, the thought of smoking it wasn't disgusting to me as I knew it would help? I used to be a tobacco smoker, gave up before I realised I was pregnant as just went off it, and couldn't stand to be anywhere near tobacco smoke from 6 weeks (can only just tolerate it now). The thought of smoking a cigarette makes me heave! You can get vaporisers so its a lot purer "hit" and much less smoke like (just like breathing in air). I did think about putting it in cakes but you cant really control how much you are in-taking or judge how long it will last. And yes....I dont think anything eaten would stay down long enough to work!

MOH just seen website, fantastic!! Hope your DD is OK

cocoanuts I did have to laugh, its amazing when you suddenly get an appetite and not only do you want to eat lots, you can eat lots, and then your stomach even digests it!! Its a shame now I have suddenly got massive that I can't eat as much as I like as baby moves and squashes my stomach even more

3 weeks left at work........woo!

hello to everyone not mentioned, hope you are all doing OK xx

Right I'm officially pi**ed off now. Last night things seemed to be getting going, regular contractions which I had to 'breathe through' and loads of pelvic pain. I can literally feel the head down below - had a lie down after I'd put DS's to bed. All went away - in desperation even resorted to sex , nothing. Grr. What is wrong with this baby? Feels like its trying to torture me. MW just rang-booked in for another sweep on Fri with her and the hospital have asked me to go back on Monday if nothing so they can scan/monitor/sweep again. I've refused induction but might give in if I get desperate I HATE being induced though.

theonly I wonder if the general crapness feeling of HG negates the stoned effect? Or it could be that cyclizine/meds make you feel weird anyway so you don't notice. The smoking thing is exactly the same for me - I used to smoke but gave up as soon as found out I was pg with DS1, have never gone back to it because even when not pregnant the thought makes me want to hurl.

nitnat If you beat me to childbirth I will lose it. Seriously. Same goes for you lottie!

cocoanuts Oh increased appetite sounds good - quiche is good to keep down (pastry, eggs, cheese etc will build you up)

caramel Please do some jedi mind tricks, please. Mental pictures of me licking a swans beak, vomming in the bath and christmas pudding display induced vomitting episodes need to stop now.

everyone else Hope you're all ok. angel how are you getting on with the ondansetron? Any side effects?

Grumblin Oh, dear, how disappointing for you...Sex in such circs, .
Sounds like your O/H is very obliging in that way! Nobody is allowed to waddle to the front of the queue...
NitNat Forgot to send you gentle cyber pats re tears...It must have been
LA who had Acupuncture, then...I remember you, Grumblin and LA* were all alarmingly ill just before Christmas...
TheOnly Grumblin I'm intrigued that the dope helped. I swear by some herbal cures, anyway, and its only the same thing...
MOH Most punctiliously have I typed in your website details, and I get
an unmentionable message telling me that there is no such website. Oh, dear, I know I am an IT dunce but this is ridiculous! I typed that whole thing in, I typed in truncated versions...I am beginning to fear for my pc...
I hope those in early stages aren't suffering too much? Alias are you out of hospital, you poor thing? How are the meds,M1N?
I just realised, Mac had a 4+ reading on ketones...

LucindaE
xx

As usual, forgot things...Angel how are things? Still drinking milk?
Lottie how are things progressing.
Grumblin You are so right about inductions. Avoid. Avoid. Avoid, though it is so awful being in this state...
LucindaE
xx

Hi everyone, sorry I've not been ingnoring you all, but ended up as an emergency admission yesterday....not the HG this time, but a related problem! Unfortunately my constipation had lead to a tear in my anterior bottom cavity (up my bum bacically) and I was passing lots of disgusting stuff.....which is unfortunately infection! So yesterday was spent with young 30 something surgeons poking things up my bum and leaving with an appointment for a full camera exploration, anti biotics, fibogel, and ointment......oh the joys of pregnancy! I think I've lost all my dignity!

Lottie its good to talk to another Nhs worker.....I've now got my sicknote for another 2 weeks, but I'm starting to doubt my ability to go back to work after that! Its re-assuring taking to someone else who hasnt had this awful thing before in previous pregnancies!

Caramel I now have my fibgel, and its just taken me 2 hours to sip it down...........and I am defo going on the holiday, we've decided the hours it take to get there and all the vomitting will be worth it, I can just relax all day, and if I need to go and lie down in the room....DD who's 13 needs a little attention before the baby arrives!

Coconuts I started vomitting again last night, Ive had an awful 2 days and ended up with my head down the toilet for a good 20 mins dry heaving.....I know the actual puking will probably not be far behind! Im starting to get the fact now, if I have a good day, a bad one will follow if I try to do too much!

The acupuncture thing is a bit of a dilemma, I actually practice acupunture as part of my job, but the first trimester is classed as a caution, and since I had a misscariage in feburary, I'm a little relutant to try it yet!

Lucinda I've just actually had a glass of milk, its where I get most my calories from...that and orange lucozade! I cant stoamch crisps any longer, and my list of foods I can tolerate is getting smaller by the minute! I think I will have to live on happy meals and greggs sandwiches and pasties...very much the same as theonly Ive gave up worrying and I'm just happy to keep some fluids and food down.....fingers crossed my vomitting episode last night is not going to start being a 24 hour thing again!

I dont think I've missed anyone

any tips on sleeping would help, I cant sleep because I feel so sick!

xx

angel there were times that I just couldn't sleep because I was laying there waiting for the voim to come. I had nights where I was throwing up through the night constantly. The only advice I can give is to time the meds so you're taking one about an hour before bed, laying still, crawling into bed and just taking deep breaths waiting for it to pass, eventually I'd drop off.

you are doing well to have some foods you can tolerate. The week I was admitted I had drunk nothing but Sunny D all week, no food at all. I was fearful I would lose all my teeth and turn orange and now if I pass Sunny D in the shop it makes me heave a bit!

So sorry to hear of the unpleasant infection, that must feel awful, constipation is the devil. Could you try lactulose instead of fybogel. much less to try and swallow. You can buy it from pharmacies or get it on prescription. I found the water soluble ones the worst because you had to actually drink to get them down.

Thanks coconuts I'll try the chemist maybe tomorrow and see if lactolose will be better....

and I had a week where I ate nothing and couldnt even keep fluids down for 48 hours (week 6) this is when I was admitted with ketones 4+ and had rapid rehydration. Luckily the Ondansetron is letting me keep somethings down, but it changes each day....1 day I ate 3 fish fingers covered in salt and vinegar...so everyone went out and bought be boxes of the things! I havent wanted them since haha! The other day I only ate the inside of a pasty ( I couldnt stomach the pastry). I lived on adsa blackcurrent juice at one point....and I've got the same problem...I heave even talking about it!

I tend to take my meds around 8am/and 8pm anyway, but the past couple of nights I've been much worse and its not working as well! fingers crossed tonight!

oh you poor pregnant ladies! grumblin an HG suffering friend of mine has just popped out a lovely DD the day before they were threatening to induce so there is hope. Keep having the sex it might not help but at least it's compensation.

My DD is ok but infected finger - did I mention infected finger caused by sucking HFM blister while she had gingivostomatitis? - anyway it looks medieval and there's no chance of her keeping the dressing on it. Otherwise she's fine, at nursery (hurrah) and managed not to go to GP today.

I've had some time to tinker with the website. I've added a survey page, there are a lot of questions so I think I've covered most topics, but as ever suggestions welcome. If anyone has time between vomiting or false contractions, please try it out and tell me what you think. I've left all the answers open as I thought that everyone's experience is so unique that multiple choice answers wouldn't cover all possibilities. This does mean quite a lot of typing to fill in the answers, so I might have to rethink that. If there are any that you think could be simplified, let me know. If there are any other things we should ask, also let me know.

lucinda not sure what's going on there - have you tried just cutting and pasting? Here's the address again, I've put double square brackets round it so it should come up as a proper link.

sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/home

Did anyone else know there's a pregnancy sickness support conference going on tomorrow? There's a link on their website www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/008.asp
It's a training day for sufferers, supporters and those wishing to set up a local support group. I'd like to go, but I'd have to take DD with me as can't get childcare at short notice. I found out about it from Cathy Sykes, the psychologist lady, she's giving a talk. I've told her about the website, she's going to mention it in the talk.