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.

Just dashing on to say to Queens that your feelings are all perfectly normal for someone suffering from HG. As Reebok, Nanny and others have said, nobody who has not been through it really has any comprehension of what it's like to throw up multiple times each day and feel nauseous every waking moment, often for 9 whole agonising months. It's bound to leave you feeling miserable and low. When I was suffering my DP commented that I seemed like a different person - depressed, withdrawn and unable to feel excited or happy about anything. But then after DS was born that lifted literally overnight and I well remember not just the elation of being able to eat and not feeling sick, but the joy of feeling like my old self again - happy and normal. Sorry for long post but just want to reassure you that you will be OK in the end. I know it's not much consolation when you're at the worst stage, but always hang onto the certain reality that it WILL end. And meanwhile, try not to beat yourself up about feeling negative and low - you've got more than enough to contend with already, so cut yourself some slack.

OK, so what happens when I'm back to square one and vomiting despite ondansetron? I do not want to go back in to hospital to have IV ondansetron. I've only been out for three days. I just want to be a mum to my children again (oh and a shower would be nice). I'm so fed up

you poor thing roomforalittleone

unfortunately lots of people are very quickly back to sqaure one..... and the answer basically is to go back for more IV fluids. Maybe the consultant will suggest more drugs for you to take as well?

HG is truley horrid and i really hope you feel better soon XXX

Room, MOH is the expert on drugs but as far as I know the next step after ondansetron is steriods, which work very effectively for some women. As Nanny says, you probably also need more fluids in the short term. Good luck.

Room Oh poor you, that is awful for you ( nervously offers pats). Can GP up the dose? Can you get an emergency appointment before things get so bad you have to go back for IV? Don't be ashamed to make a fuss, you've got every reason to.
Nannyl and MOP So agree...
Lucinda
xx

Room, must say I agree with everyone...there may be a chance of having to go back to hosp. Defo go to gp and see if he can fiddle with the drugs.

On a separate note having my daily ice lollies and DH has just sat in front of me with one.... I shot him a big fat glare as if to say 'hands off! Theyre mine!' he l

Room, must say I agree with everyone...there may be a chance of having to go back to hosp. Defo go to gp and see if he can fiddle with the drugs.

On a separate note having my daily ice lollies and DH has just sat in front of me with one.... I shot him a big fat glare as if to say 'hands off! Theyre mine!' he looked at me and goes 'Hun it's just one!' I can tell you all, I'm not happy! Im crazy!

Thanks for all the replies. At least I managed to hide my vomiting from the children (DS is 2 today!). I'm so wiped out from insisting on playing with them and doing presents etc but at least they got a bit of mummy.

Popping in again from the parallel world of sleepless newborn baby-care.

Queens I think the feelings you describe are v. normal. DP and I had to have a ghastly conversation about termination during my third hospital admission. I was just too ill to carry on like that and we both needed to acknowledge the possibility. We have also talked about what we would do if (god forbid!) I got pregnant accidentally. I also saw a women's health counselor while in hospital during that admission, and I saw her again for a while as an outpatient when I felt very low at around 6/7 months pregnant. It's worth asking if there is a similar service at your hospital.

Room How much ondansetron are you taking? They may be able to up the dose. I was taking 8mg three or four times a day in the end (and still throwing up, admittedly! But just about managing to stay out of hospital). Have you also continued to take other things? I stayed on the cyclizine, metoclopramide and ranitidine, all also at max dose, alongside the ondansetron. These drugs can all be combined to try to keep some anti-emetic effect in your system continuously. Do watch out for the constipation with the ondansetron, though, especially at high doses. It is a real killer.

Thanks everyone for welcoming me and for your kind reassurances.

Today did not turn out to be a better day. In fact, it was rather crappy. I have been mega-sick and unable to tolerate anything, even my fall-back foods of which I can usually manage a small mouthful or two. I've felt really emotional all day and needed to see my lovely old GP for another line for work and some more cyclizine. When he called my name over the intercom at the surgery, I started sobbing, huge great big gulping sobs! He was very kind though, as always. Today, he tried to explain hyperemesis to me as a 'reverse menopause'. I think I caught the gist of what he was trying to say!

DH went out for Christmas lunch with his colleagues between the nursery and school pick-ups. He really deserved it for all he's done recently but I couldn't stop myself nipping at him later. I miss my life and all the things I would have normally been doing with friends etc had things been different. At Christmas, I cook dinner for DH, DC and MIL and in the evening, we drive to my parents house and my brothers and grandparents are there. I've never not done it but this year, DH and the DC will be going alone. I'm so sad that I'm not going to see my Dad on Christmas Day. This has changed everything.

Room would your hospital allow you to come in for IV fluids as a day patient and return home in the evening? Just a thought - I really wanted to go home to the DC and the doctor at the hospital eventually suggested this as a plan for me as they were not happy to discharge me at that point. It's still not ideal, I know, but I think that it's easier for the DC if they feel like they have you around a little bit at home, rather than only seeing you in a hospital environment for a few days. It does mean that you have to have the cannula reinserted each day though (ouch!).

Reebok I had a brief affair with ice lollies a few days ago and hated having to share them with the DC! I tried saying that they were 'mummy's special ice lollies to make her feel better' but they were all staring at me, salivating!

Oh please let tomorrow be better. I have to get up and out for a nursery nativity in the morning. I'm looking forward to seeing DS perform but will be trying to remain inconspicuous, whilst no doubt howling the place down (emotional wreck!), in an attempt to avoid the nosy-parker mums who have been quizzing DH over my whereabouts for the past six weeks!

Hope you all have a good day.

Forgot to reply to Lucinda, Mother and Kalidasa who'd suggested counselling. I tried to discuss my concerns with my midwife on Friday when she came out to book me in, but she just skirted right over it. She's a very lovely Japanese lady but there is a bit of a language barrier so either she didn't pick up what I was trying to say, or she was maybe a bit tight for time as she'd been here for a while by then and possibly didn't feel like she could get into it with me at that time.

I also raised it with my GP at my appointment today. He asked me who my health visitor was - I assumed he meant the one I had with DC4 but I've not seen her for a couple of years, since the last of the baby checks. He said he'll mention it to her but I don't know if he feels like he just needs to flag it up as potential PND.

It's wonderful to read about the ladies who've already given birth and who write about the symptoms literally disappearing overnight. It almost seems too good to hope for.

Kalidasa I too am terrified of accidentally becoming preganant again in the future. Our plan was that after this, our final child, DH would have a vasectomy. We both agree though that if something were to go wrong in this pregnancy, we could not go through this again so it seemed pointless to wait until after the birth and then put myself at risk between the procedure being done and it being confirmed successful so he has already seen the GP and is on the waiting list now to have the procedure done. It's a small comfort to me to know that this at least is the last time that I'll ever have to go through it.

Hi, it's been a long time since I posted, hope that you are all doing well. My baby is 8 weeks old now and life is a breeze compared to those grim HG weeks. I just wanted to say hello and send happy Christmases to those who helped me and wish those of you currently dealing with HG all the very best. The advice you get on here is fab and just finding people who know how crap you feel helped me a lot. {fsmile} all the very best for Christmas and the new year and remember time although it feels like it drags during HG really goes quite fast, this time last year I was recovering from a miscarriage I now have a gorgeous new baby girl to add to my family. Love to al,l Goldie xxx

Merry Christmas Goldie. Hope this first one with your new baby is magical.

Merry Christmas goldie (and everyone else too obviously)

Goldie Lovely to hear from you, so nice of you to come back to encourage current sufferers, and have a wonderful Christmas with baby and family. Everyone I can't predict that for current sufferers, but the next one will be marvellous! You'll be feeling like Goldie. Hang in there.
Room How are you today? Did you manage to get anything out of GP?
Queens This is annoying about people not appearing to comprehend properly about Hyperemesis counseling. Remember, on MOH's wonderful website
[[https://sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/]] you can always ask for someone who's been trained to counsel to talk to you over the phone, if that's any use.

Reebok Room About ice lollies, I so know what you mean about possessiveness. The sight of someone not suffering consuming any of your precious supplies makes you good and mad!
Nannyl I wanted to leave you a message, what was it, handwriting worse than usual, back in a minute...
Lucinda
xx

Hi just popping my head around the door to see how everyone is? Reebok- are you due in July? I just wondered as I am too!
This week I feel human. Still very nauseous but human and I haven't been sick. Still struggling to eat and drink as well so must checks keytones!
I popped Into work today- to gove x mas cards and chocolates. my boss told me to get signed off a few weeks ago until the new year and I did feel a bit if a fraud today as I am so much better.
Does anyone have any tips for constipation. It's the ondanstron I think. I really don't think that it helps with feeling sick.

I haven't had chance to read the thread properly - is anyone else dreading x mas and x mas dinner? I really am, even thinking of it now makes me gag.

Goldie, thank you for your lovely words and congrats on the little one!

Peppa, yes I am also due in July. Wish it would hurry up and come. Glad you are feeling a bit better.

Peppa There are pessaries available from chemsits - don't tell them you are preg, though they are routinely used in hospital they will be silly about it, but they work for most. I'm sure Kali won't mind if I say she had to use a home rinsing out the bowels device as a last resort. Who was it who used something else and it worked, but at a cost of a sore bum! Sorry, whoever it was!
Nannyl I have no idea what that message was I wanted to give you and couldn't deciphere my awful scribbled handwriting. I'll just say hugs anyway.
Room Reebok Ghoule and Everyone I hope not in hospital?
Kali That sleeplessness! Mine once went eighteen hours without sleeping, at the age when they are meant to sleep for eighteen hours! I hope he starts sleeping more soon for you, you deserve a break. Thanks so much for coming on to encourage.
Lucinda
xx

Not in hospital Lucinda but currently laying down in bed and feeling rough. Thought I was having such a good day after only having a morning vomit due to reflux only for it to come back at me from around 6pm. Now feeling rough and wanting to sleep but damn back ache won't allow me to. Hope everyone else is feeling better. X

Not in hospital either but feeling very despondent. I have the most horrendous constipation from the ondansetron (I know, I was warned). I just spent an hour on the toilet thinking about how I can totally understand women who have a therapeutic abortion. I really don't want to choose between vomiting and constipation or between vomiting and our baby

Reebok and Room You poor things, sympathies, pats, on offer. Those pessaries are certainly worth a go, Room. I hope you don't have to go for the order over the internet rinsing out bowels thing. I don't know why they don't offer meds to combat the constipation at the same time with Ondansetron. At the time it's prescribed, of course, all people can think of is stopping that terrible sickness. Reebok I hope you both have a better day today?
Is poor Ghoule still at work?
Lucinda
xx

hello all

Just wanted to say hi and share my story.
I had HG with my first pregnancy but managed to avoid hospital by metoclopramide suppository and prob just ignorance that i should be in hospital (I didn't check for ketones but wasnt eating anything or drinking so was in a really bad state).
Vomiting stopped around 19wks and nausea stopped around 24 weeks so i was lucky not to have it all way through.
Got healthy DD who's now 3.5yrs
Earlier this year I decided to try again, and tried to get access to drugs before HG hit but failed to get support from gp and at 6wks exactly started being sick. Within 24hrs was in hospital for IV fluids and anti skcness.
Over the next 2 weeks i was in and out of hospital 3 times (each time having worse experience of hospital....worse one taking me 6 hours to get admitted and get IV in!!!!! all because they kept insiting on me giving them pee sample....i was too dehydrated to pee stupid people!). Anyway I'd reached rock bottom and decided I couldn't continue and so sadly had to arrange for a termination :( The sickness went away immeditately, and it took me a few weeks to feel human again and start grieving for the baby. It was never something I thought i'd do but DH understood and the medical profression were utterly useless (and in retrospect didn't offer me steroids even when ondansetron wasn't working).
It took me a long time to accept what I did
We saw a private consultant and are now thinking about trying again but this time under his care to ensure I'd have all the right drugs from the word go.
I'm still scared as I really don't want to have to go through the ordeal of having to choose between my health and a little baby :(

Sorry for waffling, I needed to write it down somewhere. Please don't judge me for "giving up" on HG and terminating. I still feel bad for doing that

Nemo, thanks for coming on and sharing your story. I'm so sorry to hear about the horrible ordeal you went through. It's just so depressing and infuriating that there are still parts of the medical establishment which remain totally ignorant about how to deal with HG. All the evidence indicates that aggressive, pre-emptive treatment is the best route for women who have already shown a predisposition to HG in previous pregnancies. How terrible for you to have had to make this agonsing choice. Nobody on here will judge you, that is for sure. I know of at least one other person on this thread who has had a termination because of HG, so you're not alone. This should really be a wake-up call for those idiotic people who still think that HG is just a bit of bad morning sickness.
Good luck with TTC Nemo and hope you get the proper, pre-emptive care you need this time. Hope you won't need to use this thread although of course it is always here if you do, thanks to lovely Lucinda.

so sorry to read that nemo

I was really really poorly with my 1st HG pregnancy, but thankfully my drs and hospital when needed were good.

Im on my second now, 13 weeks pg and this HG pregnancy hasnt been as bad as the first. (still HG and in hospital etc but not as bad / severe / debilitating)

Good luck if you are brave enough to do it again... come here for support (I dont think i could have got through it without lucinda and other people who know the hell of HG) and having a supportive dr should help you too.

I had a proper serious chat with OH last night.
The long and the short of it, if he ever wants a 3rd (he really does) in several years time when i may (or may not) consider it, i will only agree if we employ a full time nanny. I want someone completely capable of coming into my house and caring for my children and their cooking and washing etc etc so i dont even have to think about it. and instruct my mother on how to turn on my oven / washingmachine / TV etc (bearing in mind they are IDENTICAL to hers

Well done Nemo for being brave enough to share your story. You will receive nothing but support from the women in this group because we understand how debilitating and awful hG is. I must say, I would not be able to continue with my current pregnancy without their support. I'm so sorry for what you had to go through. If you do conceive again, I pray that you do not have to experience hG again, however if you do...we are all here for support. Good luck ttc.

Lucinda, am feeling ok-ish so far! Hoping this will be a better day. The worst sickness usually strikes from 4 onwards so trying to keep something (namely dry toast) in my stomach. Here's hoping it works and I can have a Vom-free day!

@Room, sorry you're also feeling so unwell. I had the same problem for a good 11 days with constipation because of the drugs. Ended up sipping on apple juice, which helped make the problem go away!