Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

We need a new thread.

I hope everyone suffering from the Horrors of Hyperemesis will find this thread useful as a source of support and information.

There's no TMI on here - can't be by definition - and nobody should feel ashamed of moaning as much as they feel the need to.

I used to include extracts from MOH's wonderful website
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
but I think that makes this link less visible so am merely putting the link. The information on this site is invaluable.

I would like to thank MOH MOP Ovaltine Caramellokoalalover (I think she's changed her nickname) Fluffy, Horsey Kali and Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on previous threads.

Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.

CheerfulYank I posted a long post, managed to lose it! Try those glycerine supposataries - spellling? that you can get in Boots, but don't tell them you are pregnant because they can be so silly about that even though they're harmless and lots of women on here have had to use them.
Kali Great post. I hope you aren't to depressed at home? I love French names. My own favourite French names are Emile (can't find the accent to put it on), and Sophie. On names,Bonnie Lol about veto! Not as if I am encouraging duplicity, lol, but does he know that Scarlett's name was Katie Scarlett?! I found that ice lollies, those sips of flat coke and the ice cubes made of flat coke helped with the disgusting taste, too. Also IronBru, but while that helped me a lot of people hated the taste.
I'm concerned about Glossyflower. I went clucking to see if I could send her a message, but wasn't able to.
Kate and Nannyl How are you, and Wdobs and Everyone?
Barmee must be tapping on her bump and telling the baby to hurry up.
Lucinda
xx

cheerfulyank I am a horrible expert on constipation remedies. Stand by for giant message! Basically: a pharmacist will tell you that you can't use anything in pregnancy; but if you end up severely constipated and in hospital (as I did) the nurses will try everything up to and including an enema until you are cleared out. So after I got out of hospital I discussed it on the phone with the GP and had the OK to add on pretty much anything until something worked. Roughly in order of sensible use:

• all the natural stuff: fruit juice, plenty of fluid, prunes etc. But if you are vomiting a lot as I was none of these were possible at all. If you're taking any supplements with iron in, stop doing so.
• bulking agents like lactulose - worth a try and very innocuous, but they gave up on the lactulose in hospital in the end because I just threw it up every time.
• mild bowel stimulants like senna/Senokot, dulcoease etc - the packet and the pharmacist will say not in pregnancy but the GP was happy for me to try these. In normal life I find these v. reliable but they did nothing against the ondansetron-constipation for me and as with all pills there's a risk you'll just chuck them anyway.
• glycerin suppositories - undignified but innocuous (GP was fine with them) and most people find they help. I had the miserable experience of having them bunged in painfully (two of them!) by a nurse in hospital to no avail. But I was in a really bad way by that point. They should help and my GP stressed that they are used even on tiny babies so are v. safe. Also have the advantage that they don't involve swallowing and retaining anything.
• Movicol - quite effective. Downsides are that you have to be able to drink and keep down the fluid you dissolve it in. The only dose that worked for me was the maximum 'impaction' dose which is as I remember a couple of pints of the stuff. Hard going as I would keep throwing it up and having to drink yet more. A miserable way to spend a day when you already feel so ill but oth it did help a bit when I was desperate and you might find a much smaller maintenance dose is manageable and helps you.
• stronger laxatives like Dulcolax - GP was OK with these after I'd tried most other things. All they did was give me stomach cramps unfortunately but in 'ordinary' life these are pretty effective.
• an enema. This is what I did in the end. I ordered the 'Fleet' enema (which is what they had used in hospital in the end) from an online pharmacist and used those. Enemas are not really recommended in pregnancy but as I say the hospital had no hesitation about using them when nothing else worked. Was a bit grim having to do it every few days but while I was on the max dose of ondansetron it was literally the only way that anything ever came out.

It really is worth tackling the constipation because once you become severely constipated ime it makes you feel very unwell all on its own, makes you more likely to be sick and certainly doesn't encourage you to eat.

Lucinda the physios told me that SPD is more likely after a long period of bed rest. But it is also - probably like HG - caused by producing too much of a pregnancy hormone (relaxin in this case) and/or by being too sensitive to it. So I wonder whether this also explains the correlation. It does seem to me just from following this thread for 8 months that the rate of bad SPD after/with HG is much higher than chance would suggest as both conditions are pretty bad luck. So perhaps this is a group of women who have a tendency to overproduce/be oversensitive to pregnancy hormones in general. That might explain the correlation with a good placenta too.

Hello everybody...don't worry I am fine now (well not 100% but good), I have been out the loop for a while but back on track.

After a bad weekend, I had been unable to eat or drink much and found I had 4 plus ketones. It wasn't so much the vomiting, more the general can't eat/drink feeling.
I spent 4 days in hospital, put on loads of IV fluids, about 8 litres, pabrinex and IV anti emetics. I was also referred to the dietician, who really did not tell me anything new, but it was encouraging to discuss my difficulties with her.
They warned me if I still couldn't eat or drink I would need a nasogastric tube.
However, whilst in hospital for those 4 days, I DID NOT VOMIT ONCE! I couldn't believe it. In the past 2 months I have only had one vomit free day.
I even became really hungry and wolfed down all my food, it was so nice to enjoy eating again - and that's saying something for hospital food.
Thinking about it now, I really do think my nausea and vomiting this time was worsened because I was so dehydrated...I really feel the difference if I'm properly hydrated.
Now I'm home, I am trying to drink more, and drinking more helps my appetite to eat. In the three days I've been home I have vomited once.
As well as cyclizine and ondanstetron three times a day, I am on thiamine three times a day and ranitidine twice.
The midwives listened to the foetal heart rate which was very good, and it was great to hear. Also I have been feeling the baby moving quite a bit more, mostly that popcorn feeling, but yesterday I felt quite a distinct kick.
I am only 16 weeks, so know I am lucky to feel it so early. I can only explain it by that I have lost a lot of weight, and I have been resting a lot. I started feeling the popcorn at 11 weeks.

I work at the hospital too, so I popped by my ward with my sick note, I saw a colleague who hasn't seen me since august, she said I looked really pale and thin..I had to tell her this is me looking good and feeling well. She should have seen me at my worst.
In fact I did bump into someone at my worst, a rare trip to the shop I instantly regretted because I was so weak and wanted to vomit, and she didn't even recognise me.

Anyway, at 16 weeks, now things are improving and I won't wait so long to get into hospital when I need it. Hopefully I'm done with hyperemesis but I don't want to count my chickens. I'm feeling good (mostly) and for the first time am getting excited about having a baby. My parents have already started on helping us decorate the nursery.

Enough about me, how is everyone else doing? xxx

Hello everyone! Lucinda I am in feed telling baby to hurry up. Unfortunately it's not listening though so hoping that's not a sign of things to come .

Have now added iron supplements to the cocktail of things I'm taking, joy!

I believe the main reason (according to my dr and midwife and Physio) that I have spd is that I'm stupidly hyper mobile anyway- 9 out of 9 on the scale so I'm already too flexible anyway! Interesting about it being more likely with HG too though.

Glossy glad you're "ok"-ish. Sorry to hear so many are still suffering or starting on the HG road. Thinking of you all.

Thanks for the constipation advice everyone! I've had a really really rough night with it...was stuck on the toilet for a few hours with nothing going up or down if you know what I mean. It was so, so painful. I've been drinking lots of prune juice and taking some mild stool softeners and finally managed to go some. It was honestly terrible. SO painful...DH has a huge poo phobia (grew up on a farm and spent his early life wading through it) and still came in to rub my back and talk to me because I was just so ridiculously miserable.

I will try some suppositories if this keeps up...I'm American so we don't have Boots but I assume I can just get them at our drugstore.

I'm trying to cut down on the odansetron a bit because I know it's causing the constipation, but I can't be without it for too long because the nausea's just too terrible.

When this is over I'm hiring myself out as a sex educator...I could scare the stuffing out of some teenagers with my stories!

Big hugs to everyone!

Just dashing on briefly to say many congratulations to Goldie and warm welcome to the Pink Castle! May HG begin to fade into a distant memory for you, and hope you're enjoying your new arrival. :)

Sorry to see lots of new joiners. Do stick around on here - as you'll have seen from the posts by Lucinda, Kali and others, everyone on here has lots of good advice to offer, as well as support and encouragement. As Bonnie said, with the best will in the world, nobody who has not been through it can really understand the true nightmare that is HG. New joiners may also find it helpful to visit the very informative site put together by MOH at sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/

I am pretty snowed under workwise at the moment but I do pop on from time to time and am really looking forward to hearing good news from Barmee and Kali when those babies arrive - cheering you both on for the last leg of the race! :) My DS will be 1 in a couple of weeks and it is alarming how fast the time has gone. I keep thinking how this time last year I was still being sick once a day, napping every afternoon and feeling utterly desperate, and now I am full of energy (even though DS still not sleeping through), working full time, and generally back to my old self - all of you suffering, do hang onto the certain fact that you WILL feel normal again.

Glossy I am so happy you are feeling a bit better - I had some weird glitch come up when I tried to send a message, thought none had got through, though I tried several times, if they all arrived you must have been bombarded!
MOP I can't believe it's a year -but you suffered throughout, and it's wonderful you feel so great now. Thanks for coming on with that encouragement for those in the throes of the early stages.
CheerfulYank That sounds awful - I do hope something works soon, as per Kali's advice. If necessary, do try that home enema thing that Kali got, it was the only thing that worked for her. OH was very nice - lol you would think that farm upbringing would make him immune to horror of fecal matter!
I hope Bonnie and Everyone is managing. I'm about to collapse with a migraine myself, I can feel that horrible swelling up of the throat prepatory to the head down the loo, so I will be vanishing for a bit but take care everyone.
Lucinda
xx

Thanks all for your kind messages. It is indeed now a distant memory, but I will never forget just how awful it was, and will always support and sympathise with those still suffering. My little girl is a dream and my 4 year old is just the most helpful big sister in the world. It was very difficult to get here but I know that our little family is truly blessed. I wouldn't change it for the world. Be strong ladies, you can do it. Everyday is one nearer to the end of feeling like crap and holding your baby. As Lucinda says, this too shall pass. Then you are able to get on with your life and all the nice bits that you have been missing. Lots of love to all. xxx

Goldie huge congratulations so glad to hear all went well and that you are feeling well now!

I haven't posted for ages as have been ticking along but generally feeling pretty down for various reasons. I began to think the medication might not be helping my mood (cyclizine and meto). I was down to one dose a day so thought surely it wouldn't make that big a difference if I stopped. How wrong i was. Throwing up all evening yesterday and feel grim today too. By this stage (19 + 5) I felt fine in previous pregs. Was just wondering if this could be some sort of reaction to stopping the anti emetics which might pass if I just perservere? Alternatively I could start taking them again but sort of want to see if will feel better without. I've just been feeling so down and negative and exhausted and want to feel like me again. Sorry, being a terrible moaner as I know there are many in a far worse state than me.

Hoping that all of you who are suffering are hanging in there - it's such a hard slog isn't it? Hugs to those who need or want them!

Hi I've just found out I'm pregnant with dc2. I had hyperemesis with dc1 and so obviously I'm waiting for it to appear anytime soon. (I'm 6 weeks and started at 7 weeks last time) I've got the added complication, that I'm still breastfeeding dd(14mo)
anyone else pregnant/breastfeeding/hg that I can talk to?

Also, how the hell do you cope with a clingy toddler when it gets really bad? Really scared.

Hairy welcome. Is there any way you can go to your gp now and discuss pre-emptive meds to stop things getting as bad this time round? I can't advise re breast feeding with HG but I have a DS at home who was just over 18 months when I fell pregnant and the best I can say is that you manage because you have to. Even when I was in hospital somehow we got by. Do you have family close by who might be able to help?

Wash sorry to hear you're feeling grim. Personally I would probably not worry about coming off the meds completely if they are still helping but that is just me...

Kali how are you coping with mat leave? Have been thinking of you.

Lucinda I hope the migraine is easing.

Sorry to anyone I've missed-how are you all?

I'm now 39+4 and seriously fed up and feeling sorry for myself. Insomnia has now reared its head and its impossible to toss and turn with my spd so it's making for a very sore and grumpy Barmee!

hairytoothbrush somewhere ages ago I read that breastfeeding might protect against repeat HG. No idea where that was though. A glimmer of hope for you perhaps!

washngo I have felt very down at some points in this pregnancy. Actually I saw a women's health counselor I was referred to at the hospital. It was really helpful as she was attached specifically to obs/gynae so had actually talked to women who had had v. severe hyperemesis before and had some sense of what it involved. I saw her the first time while I was an inpatient and then later in the pregnancy I saw her as an outpatient. Worth checking with your hospital in case there is something similar available?

In the meantime you could maybe try dropping one of your meds but keeping up with the other one and see if you can manage like that? I stopped taking the meto in the end because of neurological side effects. I didn't notice an effect on my mood but then the whole experience is so depressing it's a bit hard to tell!

Thanks for asking barmee. Actually I am in work today so quite cheerful! (Bit naughty but just fitting one more grad seminar in to help out the person taking over from me.) Sorry to hear you are not sleeping. I didn't have a great night either, my DP kept snoring which is unlike him! Fingers crossed your baby puts in an appearance v. soon.

Kali apologies, just saw on another thread your mat leave starts today, sorry, getting ahead of myself!

X-post. My DP was snoring last night too, must be something in the water! Thanks-so do I!

Well really it started at the end of last week but I am sneaking one more day in because it cheers me up! (Reading week here so no-one else is in to catch me.)

Don't blame you Kali - while it makes you feel better why not I say! I must admit that whilst I know I finished work when I did because I needed to I am still somewhat regretting having used a month of mat leave before baby is even here. Ah well, couldn't be helped.

How is everyone doing?

Urgh I feel so hideously sick today . I've managed to make myself eat breakfast but I have a funny feeling I may be seeing it again soon .

Hope everyone else is having a better start to the day.

Thanks, everyone, back! Disgusting experience with regurgitated muesli at the beginning of that migraine, avoid having that reappear all costs .
Barmee So sorry you feel so bad today, it's not fair! Hugs.
HairyToothbrushFairy I so agree with others that surely if you've had it once, the GP should be prepared to discuss pre empitve meds. A good idea, too, to ahve a contingency plan if you can re toddler care involving friends/relatives/OH if you can.
Bonnie How are things?
Washngo Sorry about depression, as Kali says it might well be the draining effect of Hyperemesis, and that counsellor idea is a great one. It is such an isolating experience, some women who've been on here got PTSD. Don't be hard on yourself and come off the meds completely too soon.
CheeerfulYank I hope you have got some relief from the clogged up bowels.
Kali It's lovely that you love your job, that is so unusual.
I hope Everyone is coping, apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
Lucinda
xx

Oh, and not heard in a while from Veremy who was last heard from suffering horribly on the bathroom floor, and Kate and Nannyl and Others, I hope not sitting on bathroom floors?
Lucinda
xx

lucinda hope you are feeling better now - migraines can knock you for six days. I had a similar experience with regurgitated porridge at about 9 weeks - haven't been able to eat it since.

washngo reading your post just brought tears to my eyes - I am exactly the same just thought I have another try at coming off the meds completely and the last two days the nausea is back big style. Must have had a cumulative effect because I stopped taking it about 4 days ago and only yesterday and today felt awful - my morning vomit was quite violent this am and I still feel sick even though its lunchtime. Last night I seriously doubted I would retain my dinner and went to bed straight after DD at 7pm in order to remain still and hope for the best. I am almost 24 weeks and just so fed up with this now.

I've also been having a problem with blueness and breathlessness - when I mentioned it at my docs appointment they panicked a bit and sent me for loads of tests. They were mostly clear but on the stress test ( a 9 min gentle stroll haha - I used to be fit!!) my blood oxygen went much lower than it should have. So far no explanation but they want me to have a chest x-ray which I am not keen on. Am worried they are going to say BED REST which would make me even more miserable than I am already :-(

Thank you to mother of pearl though for the encouragement I am trying to focus on the fact that 6/7 months from now I might be feeling a bit more like my normal fit and healthy self. Here's hoping!

Oh and yank I'm in the states too - you can get the suppositories in Target definitely and my ob has prescribed Colace - I just buy the drugstore own brand off the shelf though and it works at the max dose (I am not taking the zofran any more though) although sometimes can take 24 - 48 hours to produce anything ifyswim.

Hi all,

The cyclizine seems to have stopped me being sick, but the nausea is still ever present and making it impossible to function well.

I went back to the doctors yesterday for a review but had to see the nurse - there's a 3 week waiting list to see the doctor! She listened sympathetically but couldn't prescribe me anything else. She said she would speak to a doctor and get him to call me.

So, after a 30 second phone call he has prescribed me Phenergan (Promethazine). I asked whether it was possible to combine it, but no, he told me to stop with the cyclizine and try this instead.

I am reluctant to stop cyclizine as it is certainly helping. i tried to explain to him what I had learnt about combining drugs but he was dismissive and said you have to be careful when pregnant (really? That hadn't crossed my mind at all ). So now I am unsure what to do. Has anyone taken Phenergan with positive results? I'm pretty scared to stop the cyclizine as I'm sure it wouldn't take long for me to be back where I was last week in terms of vomiting and dehydration. Obviously I wouldn't go against his recommendations, but has anyone combined cyclizine and Phenergan?

I'm seeing a midwife on Friday so she may be more knowledgable. And I have made an appointment with another doctor at the practice in 3 weeks time.

Really hoping that everyone is ok this evening.

Tay - totally agree about the cumulative effect. Took a few days for the effects of stopping the meds to kick in. Having a better time today, up and down but not too bad overall. Hope you're ok and that the breathlessness isn't causing you too many problems?

Bonnie - have been combining cyclizine with metoclopramide since 5 weeks ish. The combination worked way better than either on it's own. Doc gave me prescription for both but did say to try one at a time. I sort of decided to combine them then told him about it later.

Tay Thanks - am always reminded of how much worse you all are suffering.
I wonder what colice is called here in the UK?
Bonnie Here's a link with lots of info on meds [http://www.helpher.org/mothers/treatments/medications.php] I do hope that comes out. Lots of people have been on cocktails here, I know, but not sure which ones they prescribe together. Usually GP's seem to start of with cyclazine because it's cheap and been used for decades for Hyperemesis (you can even get it over the counter). I think that three week wait is outrageous - that's dreadful - don't they even have a 'sit and wait' scheme (though that's horrible when your feeling sick)? If the nausea gets worse, don't hesitate to make a fuss, say you can't cope with it and need to see a GP soon.
Wasngo I think you are all too brave, trying to come of the meds before properly recovered, you mustn't torture yourselves, you wouldn't be on meds if you can help it and getting dehydrated is much more risky.
Yank How are things? Have you managed to get any relief?
Hope everyone is coping. Cyber hugs always on offer, I have a coffer of them here in the Pink Castle (where Goldie has now crossed the drawbridge; wonderful view) and a nursery full of babies and toddlers...
Lucinda
xx