Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

We need a new thread already.

I hope this thread will give support to those suffering from the Horrors of
Hyperemesis, and that it will help to talk to other sufferers and those who have survived it.

There is no such thing as tmi here - the nature of the illness means that you have to be graphic when discussing it - and feel free to moan all you wish. You have reason to!

I want to thank FluffyWhiteKittens MOH Grumblin LA Caramel NitNat Coconuts Luce Grandma TheOnly and current sufferers MaryLou PearlFeekerry and many others who have been invaluable on the former threads. My apologies to anyone I've rudely overlooked, I daren't keep gabbling too long, or I might put off current sufferers.

Remember, when you are at your worst, the words from the Eastern story: - 'This Too Shall Pass.' It will...

Below is some brilliant information from MOH's website www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk. However, if you don't feel up to reading it now, feel free to skip it for now and have a good moan.

Hyperemesis gravidarum (HG) is a severe form of pregnancy sickness which affects between 1 and 3% of pregnant women. Historically, it was mistakenly thought to be a psychosomatic illness and women were treated as though they had a psychotic disorder. This view has been comprehensively disproven by numerous research papers in recent decades, and it is now known to be an illness of organic origin, although its causes have yet to be fully understood. There is a persistent common belief that no drugs should be given to women in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is not true. There are a number of effective anti-emetic (anti sickness) drugs which can safely be taken in early pregnancy. Unfortunately, the erroneous views that HG is a psychosomatic conditions and that no drugs are safe in the first trimester still persists in many places, shockingly, even amongst GPs and midwives. Sadly, many women still come across unsympathetic health professionals who are ignorant of current treatment methods.

How do I know if I have HG?
If you are suffering from persistent nausea and/or vomiting which is preventing you from eating and/or drinking then you may be suffering from HG. With ordinary nausea and vomiting of pregnancy (NVP), the sickness does not interfere with your ability to eat and drink enough, you should not be losing weight and you should be able to continue to care for yourself and your family although you may not be feeling too great. With HG, sufferers often need help caring for themselves, never mind look after their family. The illness can be completely debilitating for weeks or even months. If you're not sure, the HER foundation website who have a fact sheet to help you determine whether or not you are suffering from HG
www.helpher.org/mothers/hyperemesis-or-morning-sickness/index.php

Diagnosis is important as you will inevitably become dehydrated and you will need to be admitted to hospital for IV rehydration. Starvation is another risk. When your body burns fat for energy, it produces chemicals called ketones which can be detected in your urine. You can monitor your levels of starvation using ketosticks, available from pharmacies. You pee on the stick and it monitors your levels of ketones. If levels are high, you should tell your doctor or midwife. If you are worried about dehydration and ketone levels and you can't see your doctor or midwife, you can go to A&E.

Facts and Figures and FAQs

HG is worse in the first trimester for the majority of sufferers, though a significant proportion (10 ? 20%) suffer for the entire duration of the pregnancy. If you have close relatives (mothers, sisters) who have had HG, you are also at significantly higher risk of being a sufferer yourself. HG is the most common cause of hospitalisation of pregnant women in the first trimester.

Is it worse carrying a boy or a girl?
There is conflicting evidence as to whether having a boy or a girl makes HG worse, some studies say boys, some say girls.

Is it worse with twins?
Yes there is evidence that carrying more than one baby makes HG worse.

Will my baby be ok?
Babies born to HG mothers are usually absolutely fine. If you lose some weight during the first trimester the risks for the baby are low as it does not need much nutrition at this time and your body should have enough stores from before your pregnancy. However, if you continue to to lose weight due to lack of treatment or failed treatment, then there is an increased risk of low birth weight or pre-term birth. Studies show that this is a risk for women who are severely ill, are dehydrated for long periods and lose more than 10% of their body weight.

There is also growing evidence of long term health effects in some children born to mothers who suffer malnutrition in pregnancy. In some cases this is not evident until adulthood with increased risk of chronic conditions such as diabetes and hypertension.
For more information see forums.helpher.org/viewtopic.php?t=18 and www.helpher.org/hyperemesis-gravidarum/complications/fetal-programming.php

I've heard that being sick is a sign of a healthy pregnancy, is this the case with HG?
You will often be told that morning sickness is a good sign and you should be happy that you're feeling sick. This is generally the case with normal NVP, however, it is not the case with untreated HG. There is actually a higher risk of pre-term birth and low birth weight. However, continuing to feel sick may be a sign that the pregnancy is still progressing. Some women with HG who miscarried reported that the first sign was that they suddenly stopped feeling sick.

What are the treatments?
Initially you will be advised to use non-pharmacoligical strategies which are similar to the general advice given to any pregnant women suffering from nausea. These include eating little and often, eating protein-rich, low-fat meals, avoiding triggers of nausea such as strong smells and getting enough rest. You can try ginger, seabands (accupressure wristbands used for travel sickness) and extra doses of vitamin B6. Avoid getting out of bed in the morning without something in your stomach such as a tea biscuit or cracker. Some women find that these give relief in the initial stages of HG but they become ineffective once the illness is in full swing.

The next line of treatment is prescribed antiemetics such as phenergan, cyclizine, stemetil and ondansetron. For many women these work well and control the nausea and vomiting enough for them to eat and drink normally and regain some of their lost weight. Many can even return to normal life. You may find that one antiemetic on its own is not effective and you may need to try different combinations but you can discuss this with your doctor. Even with antiemetics, you will probably still need to use coping strategies such as getting extra rest, eating small frequent meals and avoiding triggers when the HG is at its peak. If you are dehydrated, you may be admitted to hospital for IV fluids. Minerals and vitamins can be added to the drip to replace any you may have lost, as well as antiemetics.

Unfortunately, antiemetics don't work for everyone. If they are ineffective, you should be referred to an obstetrician (if you haven't been already) for the next line of treatment, which will probably be steroids. These carry a small risk of cleft palate, but this will be discussed with your doctor. In a small number of cases even this is not effective and drastic treatments such as feeding with a tube directly into the stomach may have to be considered.

My GP is unsympathetic and refuses to prescribe me drugs - what should I do?
Unfortunately this experience is all too common. In this case you should see another GP if possible. You should also ask for a referral to an obstetrician. If you remain untreated and become dehydrated, you can have yourself admitted to A&E for IV fluids and ask to be seen by an obstetrician.

Do alternative remedies work?

Some women are greatly helped by alternative medicine, particularly Homepathy and Acupunture. Some women can claim to have had the illness 'stopped in its tracks' by Acupunture, but success varies between individual patients and it tends to be expensive. These remedies are worth a try if you can afford it but have a back up plan incase it doesn't work.

How long will this last for?
For most women, HG peaks in the first trimester and tails off or disappears completely later in the pregnancy. The usual advice for morning sickness is that it will improve after 12 weeks. The majority of HG sufferers find that it takes longer than this. Unfortunately, some women suffer severely for the entire pregnancy. Others find that it improves, but they suffer from nausea and occasional vomiting until birth. Relapse is quite common especially if you have tried to return to your normal busy life. There is a great temptation to make up for lost time and become very active once you start to feel better, but this very often leads to the nausea returning. You should be very careful about resuming work and normal household activities even if you feel as though you're up to it. Be careful too about stopping your medication, do it very gradually and resume at the first sign of the condition returning. You may have to continue to take it for the entire pregnancy to prevent a relapse.
All I can drink is coke, I'm worried that I'm not eating a healthy diet.

Through pregnancy, we are bombarded with advice about what to eat and what not to eat. Women with HG often find that the list of food and drinks that they can keep down is very small and not at all from the healthy options. For some reason, women with Hyperemesis ofen find sweet and salty foods ie, sweet drinks like coke, and crisps, are more likely to stay down than healthy foods. Their peculiar diet can lead to disapproving comments and the incorrect assumption that this is how they normally eat.
Various women find different drinks acceptable. Coke (often left to go flat) Lucozade, lemonade, milkshakes and IronBru, Dr Pepper, orange squash, apple juice, lime juice, ice cubes made of flat coke or just tapwater, ice lollies and sips of tepid water can help in keeping rehydrated. 

When the illness is at its worst during the early hormonal surges - typically between eight and ten weeks- then it is difficult to retain any liquids and you may need to be hospitalised for rehydration at about this time. 

When solids do become bearable,jelly, tinned fruit, ice lollies, ice cream, crisps, fish fingers, potato cakes, crumpets, soda bread and similar potato based or salty foods have often been found to be acceptable.

The important thing to remember at this time is that it doesn't matter what you eat or drink, the crucial thing is that you eat or drink something. Don't forego something because you are worried that it's bad for you. In a normal diet, too much salt and sugar is bad for you, but when you consume nothing else, this may be your only source of calories, fluid and salt for the day. Instead of berating yourself for your unhealthy diet, congratulate yourself that you have kept something down because your body needs it. If you are able to take vitamin tablets or syrups, then do so but most women find that large multivitamin tablets make the nausea worse. You may be able to get vitamins that dissolve under your tongue which you may be able to tolerate. If and when you begin to feel better, you can start to re-introduce more healthy food.

Will it go away when I give birth?
The good news is that for the vast majority of sufferers the physical symptoms of HG disappear completely as soon as the baby is born. You should be aware though that it is not unknown for the nausea to persist after birth especially if you have been severely ill. If this occurs, speak to your doctor. For women who suffered persistent, long term nausea and vomiting, it may take some time to restore energy levels and nutritional reserves. Moreover, while the physical symptoms may leave, the trauma of HG can leave an emotional legacy for many women, especially when combined with the rigours of caring for a baby. If you have any concerns, speak to your doctor or midwife. Don't feel that you should just be able to pick yourself up and get on with things, if you're having problems you are entitled to seek support.

Will I get it in my next pregnancy and will it be the same?
Unfortunately, having HG in one pregnancy puts you at a high risk of suffering in subsequent pregnancies although it is possible to escape it. Some women find that the HG gets better in subsequent pregnancies, whereas others find it stays the same or gets worse. There is really no way of knowing how your pregnancies will relate to each other.

Can I do anything to prepare for HG incase I get it again in my next pregnancy?
The HER website has a page of advice on preparing for your next pregnancy. forums.helpher.org/viewtopic.php?t=17. If you had medication which worked for you in your previous pregnancy, make sure that you have it ready to take as soon as you feel ill. Studies show that the quicker you get on top of the sickness, the better the medication works. Because HG can start within days of missing your period, see your GP as soon as you know you're pregnant.

Useful sources of information
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists in the UK have no guidelines on the treatment and management of HG. However, the American College of Obs/Gynae (ACOG) and the Society of Obs/Gynae of Canada (SOGC) have published guidelines which can be found at the following sites

www.sogc.org/guidelines/public/120E-CPG-October2002.pdf 

www.guideline.gov/content.aspx?id=10939

Pregnancy Sickness Support is a UK based organisation run by GPs and midwives with direct experience of HG. They have a helpline which you can call for advice ? if nobody answers you leave a message and a midwife will call you back. They will be able to answer your questions about treatments and they keep a note of doctors around the country who are known to be sympathetic to HG sufferers and are willing to treat it with medication. Their website is at www.pregnancy sicknesssupport.org.uk

The Hyperemesis Education and Research Foundation (HER) is a US based foundation which was formed by HG survivors and has a mission to research the causes of HG and provide information and support for other sufferers. They have links to the latest scientific research and are actively involved in funding research, although you usually have to live in the USA to take part. There are loads of threads on every topic related to HG from women who have been through it, including very useful information about which treatment regimes worked. Their website is at www.hyperemesis.org.
Dealing with well meaning but unhelpful advice

Women with HG are often told by friends and family that it's just morning sickness, a normal part of pregnancy and you just have to put up with it. Many HG sufferers report extreme frustration at being advised to try ginger, dry crackers or eat little and often. Most of them have tried every remedy they can think of to no avail. Because most women are familiar with NVP, there is often an attitude of, well I had morning sickness and I just got on with it. HG sufferers are often left with the feeling that they are whingers and malingerers and that if only they could adopt a positive attitude then they would be fine. This can lead to further depression in what is already a depressive condition. In order to deal with this, it is important that the HG sufferer has some supportive friends or family who can firmly but politely fend off these comments. The sufferer will often have no energy to deal with it herself. If possible explain to the person giving the advice that you are not suffering from morning sickness, you are suffering from a condition called hyperemesis gravidarum.

I have never known anyone with HG. Where can I talk to women who understand how I feel?
There is a support thread on the talk boards here (ask MT to add link) which is run by sufferers and ex-sufferers. There are discussions of practical issues such as tips for coping and medication but the real value of this forum is that you get sympathy and understanding from people who know exactly what you're going through. If you just want to moan or let off steam, you are free to do so and nobody will hold it against you. Comments are also welcome from relatives, partners, friends and carers of HG sufferers. The HER website also has talk boards at forums.helpher.org/. There is also a UK based yahoo group called Bloomingawful at health.groups.yahoo.com/group/bloomingawful/

Finally from me, here's a list of due dates. Do add yourself when you feel up to it.

ElliottsMummy: EDD 25/9/11
Mancbird: EDD 08/10/11
AgBag: EDD 18/10/11
HeftyMutha: EDD 28/10/11
Littlewizz: EDD 6/11/11
CakeForBreakfast: EDD 07/11/11
Marylou: EDD 9/11/11
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
m1nn1e: EDD ??/01/12
Angel: 16/01/12
Seapie: 30/01/12
Louby86: EDD 17/02/12
MummyMccar: 23/02/12
Feekerry 19/03/2012
Magnum White 26/03/2012
Helibee 25/04/2012
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MmeButterfly I really feel for you. Sounds like your GP is being an absolute pain. It's so hard too when you hardly have the energy to get to the GP, let alone deal with a fight to get a medication which you are entitled to. The only thing I know about domperidone is that it's used for acid reflux. My 6mo is taking it for reflux atm. I didn't know it was an antiemetic too. I hope it works for you.

How's everyone else doing today?

Hello everyone.
Firstly may I say ffs about your GP butterfly.
Hopefully you can get something sorted but really, as we all know, the last thing you need is to be chasing up meds.
One of the pregnancy sickness support sites is always up for volunteers to support, but concentrate on yourself for the moment.
Caramel, the castle is baby proofed by throwing fluffy cushions onto sharp corners :)
Sorry haven't been on here much recently. Dd has finished her first half term at school and ds birthday celebrations were lovely.
I do think some of us must have been really bad in a previous life to suffer from HG and vomit phobia :(

Evening,

Butterfly - so sorry for what you are going through :( It is just terrible the way the care varies from GP to GP. Can you say you aren't satisfied with your GP's advice and get a second opinion? We are all behind you x

I was wondering for those in the pink castle, did you have any long term physical effects from your HG? I think my appetite has not been the same since HG, but then I do wonder if part of it is due to eating quickly with a young baby/child and breastfeeding appetite as I fed for 21 months. I just seem to get a real desperate hunger before I eat and seem to need to eat really fast. It might be unrelated I suppose...

Thanks for good wishes re meeting with consultant. I'll let you know how it goes.

mmebutterfly well done for persisting and finding a nurse with some useful helpful advice. Good idea to start with PALS, I suppose the ombudsman's the last resort when nothing else has worked. You are entitled to a second opinion, so you are within your rights to see another GP. Is there another one in the practice you can see? If not, how difficult would it be to change practice? It's good that you can be admitted as a day patient but it's a pain having to go back to the hospital every time you need a repeat prescription. When my consultant wrote to my GP with instructions to prescribe ondansetron, she made the point that the purpose of it was to manage me as an outpatient ie to keep me from getting to the point of needing IV fluids. Usually they do everything they can to stop you being admitted because it's expensive - antiemetics are so much more cost effective. Of course, it's your care that should be paramount, not the cost, but clearly your doctors haven't really got your health at the top of their agenda, so maybe a reminder about the cost implications might get through to them.

You're so right about women struggling without support. There is a regional support network organised by Pregnancy Sickness Support in it's infancy at the moment and there is a team leader for Yorkshire. The idea is that one person will act as a local co-ordinator and have a list of volunteers that she'll put in touch with women needing support. If you want to volunteer, you can submit a form on the support network page of www.pregnancysicknesssos.co.uk. I'm part of the network and I pass on offers from volunteers to the appropriate team leader. Actually I had started a support network with the help of women on this forum, then around the same time I got in touch with women who were trying to expand the PSS network, so I reckoned there was no point in having two networks, so we both feed into the same one. PSS is a charity which has GPs, midwives and psychologists as trustees so there's medical backup if needed. At the moment you're obviously in no state to help anyone else you've got enough going on just to get yourself help, but you can express an interest with the proviso that you can't offer support right at the moment but you will be able to in future.

Sorry that was bit of a ramble. Let us know how you get on with getting joined up healthcare.

cosmo I had got into the habit of grabbing whatever came to hand and desperately scoffing biscuits for an energy boost, and i was still doing it long after stopping breastfeeding. I decided that after 15 months it really was time to lost the last few persistent pounds of babyweight, so I went cold turkey on cakes, biscuits and chocolate - just before Easter too, and DD has LOTS of aunties and uncles who just can't stop themselves buying her eggs - but I held firm (think I deserve some sort of award) and DH 'helped' her eat the choccie eggs. Anyway, long story short, got back to pre-preg weight, but the thing i hadn't expected was that I felt so much better and didn't have the desperate hunger pangs any more. I think stopping the sugary stuff means by blood sugar is just more stable and doesn't spike about all over the place. Every so often I crack and break into the wee one's chocolate buttons- her grandma keeps buying her those packs of extra large buttons and she only really gets them as an occasional treat. Mummy gets an occasional treat too.....but most of the time I have fruit or rice cakes or some other very smugly healthy snack instead.

Not sure if it's HG related or not, one of my sisters had trouble shifting the baby weight too and had to do shock no-sugar therapy as well. She was borderline diabetic by the end of her 3rd HG pregnancy and remained so after birth- that was her motivation, she was told that if she didn't diet and exercise she would almost certainly end up diabetic permanently. My other sister was borderline for gestational diabetes too in her HG pregnancy but went back to normal after.

I sometimes wonder if the famine and feast nature of an HG pregnancy messes with the body's ability to regulate glucose and if you're genetically a little bit predisposed (we have type 2 diabetes in the family) it makes you more likely to tip over into diabetes. Because of my family history they made me do a GTT test in pregnancy - fortunately it was later on when the meds had got on top of the sickness so it didn't make me ill. I was fine thank goodness. My poor sister said it was hideous having to force herself to eat to keep up her blood sugar when she felt sick, she was at the point where she couldn't eat enough to control the blood glucose and they were saying she would need to inject insulin when the baby came 3 weeks early. She was so grateful, she says she couldn't have stood it for another 3 weeks.

Another rambler, its just a stream of consciousness now, you'd think I didn't have anything useful to do.

Hello Butterfly

It sounds like you are having similar trouble to me. My GP can't prescribe ondansetron because it's a 'red list' drug. Basically I think each health authority has a list of drugs that can only be prescribed by hospital consultants, so I had to fight to get mine and every time I have to ring up the maternity dept, get hold of the consultant's secretary, ask her to ask him for a prescription, wait a few days for a phone call, and then drive into hospital to collect a prescription that can only be filled at the hospital pharmacy. Each visit takes a couple of hours, which isn't fun when you are feeling sick with a bored 3 year old bouncing on your lap. Not to mention the hospital car parking fees.......Grrrr. Still, it's better than actually having to stay in hospital.

Not sure what the point of the 'red list' is. The charitable side of me thinks that maybe it is due to potential side effects or patients on these drugs needing careful monitoring by consultants. However, since my consultant shows no interest in either of these things (I've only met him once), the cynical side of me suspects that drugs go on Somerset's red list if they are expensive.

Oh and my consultant was off sick last time I rang for a repeat prescription, and there was no-one else available to write one. That was a week ago so I'm rationing what I've got left. Luckily I'm 26 weeks and not vomiting much anymore, although the nausea looks like it's here to stay

That rationing sounds a disaster seapie. I know I would get nervous when I got down to low supply and that was with a GP who put ondansetron on repeat for me. Wish there was an easier system for you.

Cosmo, I'd echo what MOH said about suspecting it's your blood sugar levels that are causing the desperate hunger. That, and if you're breastfeeding that could be responsible too. I know I'd get very hungry, very quickly when breastfeeding and now that I've stopped I notice my appetite is much settled.

Fluffy glad your DS enjoyed the birthday celebrations.

Waves to everyone else and hope the weekend is not going too badly for all.

Saw this thread and thought I'd post as an ex sufferer. It's 16 years ago since my first pregnancy when the vomiting and nausea were with me right through to the birth.
Second time round the first sign of pregnancy was that familiar wave of nausea. I was probably only 3 weeks pregnant not even missed a period.
Both times I lost weight dramatically and was hospitalised on a drip. I was never given any drugs though.
But I had two huge healthy babies .
Oh, and hospital food tasted divine after 9 months of forcing down food against the nausea only to throw it up again.

Thanks for the much needed support everyone.
MOH100 I'll look this org up as I definitely feel that if what Seapie said is a local authority issue, our LA needs to be challenged in some way. At least, this terrible illness needs its profile raising. In the hospital, the dr told me that she sees two women a day with HG and yet, i can't recall meeting anyone with it as bad as me??
Seapie that sounds a complete nightmare you poor thing. It makes me really angry that you've had to put up with this. Why can't they just have it available to you at your local pharmacy like any other drug? Is it really such a hot potato??

Well ladies, I now have finished my ration of ondansetron and am wondering what to do next. I have the domperidone but in all honesty, having been on 5 different tablets in as many weeks, i am not feeling inclined to try anything new. I'm worried it will have the nasty side effects the cyclizine and stemestil had ie dry mouth, drowsiness and i can't help worrying that taking all these tablets is kind of bad for you.
I'm wondering if things are perking up a bit for me as i've not taken anything today and i've not had a major relapse. In fact, i think i might have felt a bit better although DH has been here to do most of the toddler related work. Will keep you posted.

re red list drugs, is this a list of drugs not for use in pregnancy, or not for use for anyone? Cancer patients are routinely given antiemetics to help with sickness while having chemo and radiotherapy. I know that in Birmingham they're given ondansetron, I know some radiotherapy radiographers who say they used to just have it in the cupboard and give it to the patients, thought they need prescriptions nowadays. A friend of mine just had chemo in Swansea and she got ondansetron. If cancer patients get it, do they have to go back to hospital every time they need a prescription or can their GP give them it? Might be worth asking, if pregnant patients are discriminated against that might be grounds for a complaint.

Hi all, just a quick hello, I'll catch up on the thread soon. Since my last post on page 1 I have spent most of the time in hospital! Dh phoned GP about 3 weeks ago as I couldn't put any weight on leg and very painful so we were worried about DVT. He sent us to local hospital who couldnt do anything as I am pregnant so had to blue light me to the hospital an hr away! Basically after much testing consultants decided it was pain due to severe dehydration. They gave me 9 litres of IV fluids in 36 hrs and I still had 4+ ketones :( also IV ondansetron. Eventually the IV fluids worked and I was allowed home.

But I was still vomitting up the oral ondansetron and within 3 days was vomitting so hard I thought I'd wet myself, it was a bleed :( so back to hospital. They were excellent, hooked me up to IV, gave me iv ondansetron and scanned me within an hr. Baby is fine :) but have a blood clot under sac. I'm still bleeding now but only brown blood. I've been home for 5 days but again vomitting up oral ondansetron and not keeping liquids down so imagine I'll be back in tonight or tomorrow.

We have another scan and appt with consultant on tues but I don't think I'll last till then as I feel awful. I'm still pretty much bed bound but dr told me to rest, rest, rest! I feel awful for ds, I must be a dreadful mummy at the moment :(

Sorry that was long and all me me me!

Oh my goodness, Helibee, it sounds like you've had a truly horrific time. Good that DH is fighting your corner, and please don't worry about being a bad mummy to your DS - he will be OK and it sounds like you need to save every scrap of energy you might have for trying to recover. I really feel for you, you must feel very low indeed. Hopefully they can get this under control enough for you to be at home. Keep us posted as and when you can. x
Hope everyone else doing OK? MmeButterfly, hope that feeling better lasts.
I'm the same as ever, lingering Scourge, as Lucinda aptly calls it, continues to linger. Good grief I can't wait for this to be over.

helibee bloody hell 9 litres! that has to be some sort of record. you're not being terrible mummy at all you're just trying to get DS a little sister/brother and stay alive in the process. I'm sure he'll be fine- I was 3 when my mum was ill with my little brother and I dont remember a thing about it. In fact I don't really remember anything about my little brother till he was a year old and that was only because there was birthday cake.

BTW did you know you can get ondasetron as a suppository - know it's yet another indignity to add to the list but might be an option. My OB prescribed it incase I ever couldn't keep the oral down, thank god i never had to use it. I wasn't sure what would be worse, continuous vomming or asking DH to stick tablet where the sun don't shine

sorry to hear that helibee have you considered using ondansatron and cyclizne together? its the only combination i've found that works for me. on their own there not that effective for me, but together they work well. must do differnt things.....

Oh Helibee, sounds like you're having a majorly rough time of it, remind me how many weeks you are now?
If you can get a suppository it's worth a try, I had some with dd but they weren't available four years later with ds, mind has gone blank with which drug it was.
I found metaclopromide and ondansetron worked in combination well for me when I was at my worst and then went to just ondansetron. But not much good if you can't keep anything down :(
Butterfly, just be careful, sometimes a big relapse happens just when you think you're over the worst, not trying to depress you but just keep on taking it easy, don't overdo it because you feel a bit better.
Secret Squirrel thanks for posting, it's always good to hear that people have got through it :)

Doing much better here, haven't been sick since Tuesday. Still feeling nauseous every now and then, and not brave enough to stop taking the anti-emetics (cyclizine and stemetil together), but it's definitely an improvement.

I'm 16 weeks now, so maybe it's drawing to an end. Though if I'm on anti-emetics for the full 9 months I can live with that.

Actually been eating 3 meals a day again! I'd forgotten how good eating felt, and it's nice to be able to eat without anxiety gnawing away at me.

Hope you all start feeling better soon.

waves at fluffy, lucinda, caramello, nitnat, grumblin, grandma

mmebutterfly GP's make me angry!!! I am so happy I have a nice one now, who even spoke to me about more children at my 8 week check up, and about how we could manage HG better now we know what to expect etc. I could of kissed him!

Helibee poor you, you really are going thru it. on the upside, imagine how amazing you will feel post birth whilst all other new mum's feel crap :)

Vampire good to hear about 3 meals a day! it makes such a difference, even if its only the same 4 things every day cos you don't dare try anything else.

I should be filling out forms so I best leave the pink castle and return to the dungeon! Hugs for all I have missed xx

Thank god I've found you all. Lying here in bed for the 7th week in a row feeling awful. 15 +1 and no end in sight for my 3rd hg pregnancy. Kids just left for school after another morning of getting themselves fed and out the door. Not fair at only 8 and 10. Anyhoo hi and hope you are all doing as well as can be expected. I am going to attempt to keep my chin up and stay positive.....yeah right!

Hello & welcomeLaynie and sorry you're feeling so grim. ooh you're brave - have had to work myself up to this 2nd pregnancy but the thought of a 3rd....

Helibee what a dreadful time you have had. hope your appt goes well today. I echo the recommendation for suppository meds - I get alot of headaches and paracetomol suppositories work faster and are much more tolerable than oral meds when feeling nauseaus. Got them on prescription from GP as they are more expensive than oral paracetomol

I came on for a bit of a winge but feel bad now as there many people worse of than I!
18+1 now and did think things were improving...then got a stinking cold last week - lots of chest mucus = no sleep = more nausea + coughing prompts vomiting. lovely! First night away since this all started at weekend - at in laws so was instructed to rest all day whilst DS entertained. Lovely! then DS vomited everywhere (including down my PJs) and wanted mummy all day. He's now lively and wanting to go to park and I have chest pain ?pleuritis? diaphragm inflammed. not sure. GP clearly wasn't going to do home visit last night but said I could go to surgery.
Hmm can barely walk upstairs let alone get me and DS to surgery.

oh dear, I am feeling sorry for myself...

Welcome laynie, glad you found us. Hope we can be of some support when you're feeling really dreadful. Everyone on here knows what you're going through and the rubbish guilt that comes with HG when you've got children to care for.

Speaking of the guilt, helibee, try not to beat yourself up over your DS. Easier said than done, I know, but he really won't remember and as long as he is getting lots of love and care from your DP I'm sure he'll be just fine. Concentrate on you and trying to get through this. Is the ondansetron you have the wafer type? The ones that dissolve on your tongue? I couldn't tolerate any water at all in the early hellish days and the wafers were the only things that would work. Just had to not sick up bile for half an hour or so after they dissolved and I found they helped.

Vampire, hooray to a little light at the end of the tunnel. Hope it's a steady improvement for you. I think being able to start eating little bits is a good start to ending the viscious cycle of no-food-so-feel-sick-so-no-food.

Thanks for posting secretsquirrel, all the support helps!

How are you doing feekerry & MOP?

I think I forgot to say to cosmo before too that second HG prenancies don't always have to be as bad or worse than first ones. Mine wasn't. Hope that will give you a little hope that it might not be the same again. When's the consultant appt?

Magnum, sounds awful. Did you make it to the GP yesterday? Any extra thing to contend with on top of the HG pushes you over the edge and into worse territory. Hope you can get some rest somehow and start to feel better again.

theonly, how's that cute baby of yours doing?

How are you feeling today Magnum?
Laynie :( at least the other two are old enough to keep themselves occupied/sort themselves out.

magnum, laynie, helibee hope yr all having a good day today!

MoP, can't be long now, i need to check to list! where is it.........

Caramello Harper is being VERY cute recently. I have given in and given her a bottle of formula a day as otherwise she wants feeding every 2 hours.....suddenly she is sleeping 8 hours a night and more settled in the day. horraaaay! The past 2 days we have been teaching her the importance of naps....lots of naps......its great ha ha. How's your little one doing?

Fluffy must be a first birthday fast approaching.......

This week I have learned when you try not to save money, you spend less (first time ever I haven't cried at credit crd statement!) and when you stop giving a crap about what you eat, you lose weight. I am not gonna bother buying a lottery ticket as I shall blatantly find a winning one :)

Hello all
on antibiotics as off today as pain wasn't getting better and nausea getting worse and coughing up nasty green stuff. So it seems I have a chest infection and pleurisy...and now horse sized antibiotics to try and keep down.

Got back from GP to a hysterical phone call from my mum telling her brother had died. She was so incomprehensible I thought my Dad had died. Still a bit in shock from the call. Uncle's death comes after very long illness but just so sad as he never married and was found alone on his farm. I'd been putting off going to see him until I started feeling better. Now feel awful... :(

Oh Magnum, sorry to hear that. It's bad timing but try not to feel guilty about not visiting, you can't help being too ill.

Oh dear Magnum, that's sad news for you, but as Fluffy says, you can't help that you've been ill. Coughing is the worst enemy for encouraging vomiting isn't it?
Thanks theonly and caramello for asking after me. Doing OK, just have so much work to finish before mat leave starts. Officially finish work tomorrow but am going to do Mon and Tues next week to get a project I'm involved in finished. I know I should probably just stop but I'm such a control freak, I can't seem to let it go and let other people finish the job. I have given myself until the end of Tuesday as final cut off. Still being sick every day, but normally 'only' once so that's bearable. 37 weeks today and 3 to go, so feeling like I'm on the last leg of this horrible HG journey.
Hope everyone else doing OK? How are feeling Laynie? Still bed?