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.

Hope everyone is ok this evening.

Thanks for all the medication advice.

I was readmitted to hospital on Saturday and I think they tried every possible combination of drugs. They have finally sent me home today on a combination of cyclizine and ondansetron.

I am delighted that this seems to be working. I still feel nauseous but not nearly as bad. The constipation, however, is a new problem that needs dealing with.

However, I have only been given a one week supply of ondansetron. I'm concerned now, maybe irrationally, that my own GP will not give me a repeat prescription of this, as I know it is an expensive, and often last resort, drug.

I was in a bad way in hospital and they were happy that I needed ondansetron but the thought of not being able to get more from GP is pretty terrifying.

Does anyone have any experience of this?

Many thanks for all the fantastic advice already.

Hey everyone, have been on 2 types of anti sickness this pg to stop hyperemesis which I had with my DD. I'm now 12 weeks tomorrow and been on them for over 2 weeks now and they work brilliantly. But today I have woken up having taken them this morning and I can't stop throwing up. Don't think I have a bug but have thrown up 6 times since getting up at 7 been drinking small sips of water but that keeps coming up to. How long is it untill I start getting dehydrated? I should remember but I remember it being a good 4 days of this before I was admitted for a drip last time. I'm just scared I'm bring up so much stomach bile. I constanley feel sick and scared for my baby! It's not even been a day yet tho just scared it won't stop! N e advice? Xxxx

Kate Oh no, you poor thing, do keep checking urine because although not pregnant I did a test case on myself when I had a particularly bad migraine and I was dehydrated 3+ (a medical emergency for someone pregnant) within twelve hours. If only sips of liquid are coming up then for sure don't let it go for more than that before getting to hospital. I hope it is a bug and doesn't mean that the meds have stopped working, but you'll know.
Bonnie Poor you too, hospitalised, I do hope you feel a lot better. Did it esculate quicky? That combination has helped lots of people on here. Do get the suppositories for constipation, though.
MOH Lovely to hear from you, your knowledge of meds always so impresses me. I hope work not too exhausting.
Kali Soon it'll be a distant nightmare. Sorry about that puking, lucky you missed the washing up. I once hit a wardrobe, and OH was puzzled about what appeared to be red paint (regurgitated tomato) on the top...
MOP Lol about all over OH. I remember you suffering throughout and being stoic. There used to be a wonderful 'Hyperemesis I survived' pink swirling badge thing that could be copied to websites on Photobucket, I wonder if it's still there. All the survivors deserve one.
Crumbles Glad cyclazine is working for you. That's another you can get over the counter, I think.
Barmie I hope soon home, and baby rallying from infection, poor little thing!
Apologies to anyone I've neglected.
Lucinda
xx

Hello everyone! It's ages since I've been on here and great to read of Barmee's wonderful news - congratulations - I hope you are all recovering and will be heading home soon,

I came on just to ask about the last trimester and sickness returning. It's never gone away completely and I've had to continue with cyclizine in the evenings but recently I've noticed I'm reaching for the pills earlier and earlier in the day. Mornings have become tricky too. I need about 3 breakfasts before I can be sure of not puking. Nearly threw up over the osteopath last week. Very embarrassing. My DD (4.5yrs) is always asking 'mummy are you going to be sick again?', having unfortunately witnessed me throwing up down the loo one afternoon. I know it's only 4-5x a week instead of a day/evening but is this normal? The midwife and GP seem unconvinced and I had to really push for a repeat prescription of cyclizine. Apparently nausea and vomiting should all be gone by now and it must be heart burn causing it so I should stop worrying and keep taking the gaviscon. Yuck - I'm sure that stuff does make me sick.

As for spd, unfortunately I can add to the number of women who experience sickness and spd. The physio and osteopath both believe that the early weeks of being bed ridden contributed to it.

Motherofpearl - you are my hero for throwing up all over DH. Mine is driving me bananas. He's got no idea and no sympathy or consideration. I've told him why you are my hero and he'd better watch out! (I'm sure you didn't do it deliberately!!).

I'm 32+4 now and counting the days and weeks until I can throw away the crutches and enjoy real food and feel normal once more. Can't decide if 7.5 weeks or 52days sounds best. I just hope baby puts in an early appearance rather than keeping me waiting.

Gentle hugs to you all.

Hi on my way to hospital been sick 11 times now today went to the docters and have 3+ ketones in urine so straight to hospital for me. Should be not scared as had this with my DD but really am scared! X

sorry to hear the katesav

i narrowly avoided hospital at the weekend. Dr gave me the choice and i chose to try super hard to get some fluids in and (for once) it worked when i went back the next day i had less keytones

but still feeling really crap..... have vomited just about everything yesturday and today so will be back at drs tomo

i also have a UTI which is not responding to ABs and i sense it might be turning to a kidney infection (based on pain where my kidneys are).... results should be back tomo so i can hopefully get treated for that too.

all in all feeling pretty crap but thankfully my mum is here looking after 14m DD

Hi pineapple. Your experience sounds very like mine. I had 4-5 weeks between about 26 and 30 weeks when I still felt nauseous most of the time and had some near misses/retching episodes but didn't actually throw up (having thrown up every day up till that point). The nausea began to intensify again in the last couple of weeks of that period and I started throwing up again at about 30 weeks, but not every day. I'm now 37+4 and I've basically been in that situation ever since. There have been a couple of times when I've had really bad days with repeated vomiting and vomiting on an empty stomach/bringing up bile (rather than after food, which is mostly when it is) and on those occasions I've been really worried about losing control of it again and ending up back in hospital on a drip, but so far that hasn't happened. There has been a gradual deterioration since I started throwing up again, but it's been very gradual and I'm hoping I'll make it to the end now without ending up back in hospital. At this point I can get out of bed most days but I'd say every third or fourth day the sickness is bad enough to keep me in bed. I take cyclizine and ranitidine every day but haven't gone back on metoclopramide or ondansetron because the side effects are not worth it for me.

Re: the heartburn, I've been on ranitidine twice a day the whole way through the pregnancy. I don't think it made any difference early on but it definitely does help with the heartburn in the latter part of pregnancy. Doesn't stop me throwing up though and definitely does nothing for the nausea ime so your doctor is wrong! I can believe I might be throwing up more without it but I really don't think the heartburn is the whole story. Can you get ranitidine too? Much better than gaviscon, if I'm careful to take it twice a day it pretty much stops the heartburn.

My theory about the vomiting all the way through is that if your vomiting started very early (e.g. before six or seven weeks - I was in hospital at five weeks) then you were vomiting at even quite low levels of HCG. The HCG peaks at about 11/12 weeks and then decreases but it doesn't goes away. In the latter stages of pregnancy it is back at the sort of levels it was at the very beginning, so if HCG is the main reason for HG then it makes sense that the very sensitive among us might throw up all the way through. Depressing though!

Like you I'm also on crutches and counting the days! Also hoping for an early arrival, any day now would be fine with me!

Hi Kali, thank you so much for your reply. The GP wanted to put me on Ranitidine weeks ago but the heartburn didn't seem bad enough then and the midwife was keen I didn't go near it. It's pretty grim now though so perhaps I'll go back and see him, now I've heard your experience. I've had a lot of throwing up bile on an empty stomach. Usually in the middle of the night. I'm having to eat a snack quite late or I wake up and can't sleep at all. The MW said this was probably caused by low blood sugar. Having a snack does seem to help as my sleep has improved. Is playing hell with the heartburn though and the nausea is the old familiar nausea I've had all the way through. Interesting that HCG makes an appearance again in the 3rd trimester. I hope baby doesn't keep you waiting. Do you know what you are having? We havn't found out. All I know is that it has quite a lot of hair - old wives tales say that means heartburn.

Yes definitely try the ranitidine pineapple. They put me on it at 5 weeks and the hospital docs had no concerns about it at all. Like cyclizine its been used in pregnancy for yonks and is considered a very good and safe drug. My dad (v. old fashioned retired doctor) is very positive about it and he's right, it really works. Good idea to have a snack last thing, especially something quite bland that sticks around in your stomach for a while like toast. I generally try and eat small amounts regularly, partly because I am then less likely to be sick and also because if I am it is less unpleasant if your stomach's not completely empty but also less demoralising to lose a snack than a whole meal. At this stage I worry more about enough calories getting through to the baby so just try to keep eating when I can. At the moment I am finding hot ribena really satisfying - not sure why. Though I did throw it up the other day and it looked totally revolting - like a whole loo bowl full of slightly frothy blood!

Have you also tried taking the last dose of cyclizine last thing? I take it and ranitidine together when I get into bed. The ranitidine stops me waking up with heartburn and the cyclizine helps me get off to sleep I think (as well as taking the edge of nausea).

We're having a little boy. We found out really early actually, at a scan at only 11 weeks - I had loads of scans all the way through but we certainly didn't expect to be told at that one!

katesav didn't meant to ignore your post. I hope you are in bed at hospital now and feeling better. I found I did always feel better once I was on a drip and I hope you will too. Once it gets out of control like that a drip is the only thing that really helps I think. Good luck.

nanny a UTI can make you sick itself, especially if it's gone up to your kidneys, so hopefully you'll feel better once they get that sorted out. Even if you are managing to drink, if you starve for long enough you will eventually get ketones from the starvation as well, and unfortunately ketosis itself also makes the sickness worse. It's a vicious circle! Don't be afraid to go to hospital if you need to. Trying to force liquid in and repeatedly throwing it up is so miserable, and a day or two on a drip can really give you a break.

Barmee congratulations! Love the birth story you will be entertaining people forever, hope you recover quickly and little ones infection clears, don't leave until you happy to!

I turned a corner over the wkend magic week 18 been out & about doing a lot I know when I'm over doing it as the Brackton hicks come on very strong until I sit down and rest. Still no vomiting since magic steroids they should give them to everyone why are we all suffering when there is almost like a magic hyperemesis cure!

Tried to taper from 8mg zofran to 4mg yesterday ended up feeling so I'll last night I went to bed with my kids at 7. Any tips other than don't do it if your not ready??

I did have 2hr car journey as we have come to stay in Fermanagh with MIL as Husband is away with work which is the country with the sheep & the bumpy roads so may have not been the best day for tapering but husband who is a doctor is keen for me to try & come off them (8s not 4s) as have had a few palpitations/heart arrhythmia not sure which but might be the meds. But I'm back to 8s today I've got kids to looks after until Friday.

Keen to get it right went back 3weeks in time yesterday which felt horrible.

I have a lot of people say to me - I hear you weren't well, and then tell how sick they were or their sister or friend. I smile and agree and then I have a private cry mainly because they haven't a clue & it's still a raw thing, I still feel like crap all day & it all overwhelms me. Sometimes I play my 25 litres of fluid & steroid card if they are being dramatic about morning sickness It's going to take a while to get over it this time!

Are you on metoclopramide wdobbs? That gave me palpitations.

Have had terrible night, was v v sick at 1 am and waiting to throw up again now. Could it be the start of labour?!?

Oh dear, most people are having a dreadful time! Kali So sorry about puking getting worse, and that night in the bathroom - hugs. Oh dear, it will be one of your 'in bed' days, by the sound of things. I do so hope you can keep out of hospital until the end. I hope he is a good baby after all this! Your theory about the early reaction to hormones and then the return reaction makes sense. People who start to feel really bad a bit later on, say round nine weeks, seem less likely to have the misfortune to suffer all the way through.
Kate Oh, dear, now you are in hospital, as I feared yesterday, but I am sure you are feeling better on a drip. You're not alone in dreading going in, for sure.
Pinapple Welcome back, sorry you are one of those who suffer throughout and who have the misfortune to have spd, it's too bad. Kali's advice about ranatidine sounds the best thing - that puking of bile at night is the lonliest thing in the world, I think. Do moan whenever you want - you've got reason to?
Nannyl Oh dear, this doesn't sound good, uti's are the bane of women with Hyperemesis too. I've always had a tendency to get bladder infections without being pregnant, and know that ache, it does generally mean it's reached the kidneys, poor you. I'm glad you are seeing the dr today. I've been clucking, thinking of you. I can't find what meds you are on?
Someone said OH being oblivious - it is so annoying, lol about MOP using him as a bucket - I was once tempted by the vision of seizing the neck of my OH's t shirt and puking inside it down his chest when he was being less than understanding, the urge was quiet strong.
Wdobbs It's amazing the turnaround those steriods brought - 25 litres is a lot, that really ought to make people think. It is actually a traumatic experience and I think a lot of people do need counselling and don't get it because of the feelings of helplessness and isolation, the panic setting in is so horrible.
We haven't heard from CheerfulYank I hope she's OK.
Apologies if I have appeared to pass over anyone.
Barmee I hope you and baby are feeling better.
Lucinda
xx

Bonnie I was just thinking, you're having been re-admitted last weekend, I'm indignant about that waiting list thing, where you were told you had to wait a ridiculous three weeks must have contributed to that.
Lucinda
xx

Lucinda, absolutely. I self referred to A & E on Saturday as I was desperate. In reality, I should have gone earlier in the week. The fact I couldn't get an appointment really delayed me I think. I'm certain they would have taken a look at me and sent me there. I always question whether I am wasting precious hospital time by going there myself - its somehow different if GP sends you.

I had my first booking appointment on Friday with midwife at GPs. I told her how I was feeling and I got the old 'poor you' again. I practically told her that I was sure I was dehydrated and that I hadn't really been able to drink or eat for days. She didn't even test my urine. I left feeling I was making a fuss.

So, I have learnt to be responsible for myself and recognise the way I'm feeling and get myself to hospital if needed. When I was tested in A & E, I had 4 plus ke-tones. 9 IV bags later, this was still the case. And then things started to turn for the better. They really looked after me at hospital.

I'm about to call my GP for an appointment or repeat prescription of the ondansetron. Wish me luck!

Bonnie Just arrived back home - I'm horrified the midwife didn't bother to test your urine,w hen you said you couldn't retain fluids. With 4+ ketones you must have been very ill. I hope the dr prescribed Ondansetron,surely after the hospital visit and nothing else working he will have no choice? Sorry to rant on about kesosticks but do get some if you haven't already - you can get dehydrated so quickly, in Kate's case it took about twelve hours, I think.
Hugs to you and Everyone. Kali and all suffering miserably I hope a bit better this evening?
Lucinda
xx

Thanks Lucinda. I didn't realise kesosticks were available. Where's the best place to get them? They would certainly help take the guess work away.

I feel so sick tonight . I'm supposed to be back to school Monday but I'm not sure that will be possible. The only thing that helps when I feel this way is to lie down and sleep through the worst of it. Not possible with 30 fifteen year olds waiting expectantly!

The advice and support on here is invaluable. Thanks once again.

Bonnie Poor you, hugs, aaagh! don't think of going to work, you mustn't until you've turned the corner, you'll only have to go home again. I'm sure your Dr will give you a sick note, and I'd be very suprised if he didn't give you a repeat prescription for Ondansetron. From the hospital notes it must be obvious the other meds didn't work. Yes, you can get kesosticks from chemists, and they are invaluable if medical people are going to be negligent about testing urine, you can do it yourself in seconds. To test how easy it is to get dehydrated with severe vomiting, I did a series of tests on my non pregnant self with a severe migraine over twelve hours and I went from just a trace of ketones, no dehydration to 3+ (a medical emergency for a pregnant woman) in under 12 hours, even though I was sipping water throughout.
Take heart, this is the worst stage. It gets a lot better for most people after the first tri, while some unlucky women suffer throughout, almost nobody suffers throughout as badly. A lot can go back to work later on.
Lucinda
xx

Bonnie I saw a consultant who prescribed me phenergan, stemetil and ondansetron and she faxed a letter to my GP to instruct her to prescribe me whatever I wanted on demand. Could you get the hospital doctor who prescribed you the ondansetron to do the same? You should also be aware that a lot of pharmacies don't hold always hold ondansetron, you have to order it and wait overnight or longer, so you should aim to be getting a prescription in plenty of time. Your midwife sounds hopeless, though unfortunately we're used to hearing about them.

wdobbs so pleased you got steroids and feel better, 18 weeks was my magic turnaround point too.

Lucinda I think you are right about the need for a sick note. I'm still only 8 weeks and still in the depths of this nightmare. My triggers are definitely tiredness and stress, both of which are available readily in my job. I feel so guilty about my classes though. The cover will be rubbish, they will fall behind and I feel at fault. I actually went to work between my first and second admissions to hospital. It was so horrendous that I don't actually remember parts of that week! I have no idea how I survived. My worst moment was when my car broke down and I had to be towed home by the AA. That nice man will never know how close he came to having the inside of his truck covered in vomit So I do need to be sensible. Now I just need to find the energy needed to tackle the receptionists in order to get an appointment for the sick note...

MOH I've just had a proper read of my discharge letter and it has listed all the meds I'm now on and in the 'to continue' box, the yes has been circled for all, including ondansetron. I'm hoping they won't argue with this at the GPs.

On a lighter note, like many on this thread I now have a sudden aversion to the weirdest sights and smells. All the usual stuff, ie, I can't go into the kitchen; the bathroom tap smells funny so I can only brush my teeth in the shower; my whole day can be ruined from the vomiting that follows from catching a glimpse of a packet of Sunbites etc...However, I've just realised that even looking at my husband is making me feel sick! He is growing a moustache for 'Movemeber' and it is totally this that is turning my stomach. I've just told him and we've had a laugh about how ridiculous this really is! You have a laugh sometimes eh? I will however be taking matters into my own hands and shaving it off in the night if its not gone by the morning.

Thanks again all.
X

Hey I'm out and feeling a little better they only gave me one bag of fluids and alowed me to go home last night I was happy but still feeling rough and thirsty!! Hoping the sickness does not come back again. No sickness today so I think I caught a bug!! Hope all you ladies are ok. Definately watch those ketones. It took me 12 hours to go from fine to dehydrated so it happens so quick. Xxx

Kate Welcome back, so glad you feel a bit better. What meds have they put you on?
Bonnie For sure get a sicknote, you have to put yourself and the baby first. It isn't realistic to try and work at an exhausting job. It's lucky you managed to avoid being sick in the classroom. There was once a cookery teacher on this thread who wanted to go into work - not practical! The school will be able to work something out for the kids, that is what headteachers are for. That's a useful reminder from MOH about the prescription (waves madly to MOH
Lucinda
xx.

Very quiet on here. I hope that is a good, rather than a bad sign. Everyone but especially Kali (to of our list) when are your due dates and we can do another list, we need one, can't locate the old one lol?
Lucinda
xx

38 weeks today (due 30th November). Doctor this morning said baby is 2/5 engaged so that's a good start. Come on baby! Very sick these days so really hope he puts in an appearance soon.