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.

I wanted 4 DCs...4!! I was so into all the natural birth, hypnosis stuff and everything beforehand and then three HG pgs later and all I want is to struggle through this one and then that is def me finished for good!!

No idea whether it's harder or easier to go through HG with an older or younger DC - I can't look after my DS at all at the minute so that's awful but it's easier on him in some ways because as long as I see him in the mornings, sit with him while he's having his bath and read him stories in the evening he's not all that aware that there's something wrong with me and is happy going out to childminder or round to MILs.

Ehhhh basically the verdict from all of us seems to be that HG is just flippin tough!!!

Wow some people so small minded it does my head in! I said to someone I couldn't wait to have my baby in my arms and get away from pregnancy. She said no cos labour and newborn worse than being preg. I pointed out not if you suffer from HG and that many HG sufferers have said the labor and newborn bit was a piece of cake in comparison to HG. She couldn't understand that as she has never had HG and said it was rubbish. Erm...she hasn't experienced having her head in a bowl 20 times a day! She really annoys me as is preg too and having a pretty easy pregnancy in comparison to me. Always tries to make out HG is nothing and is one of those annoying 'ginger biscuit' people! Arghh!

Reebok - I had a pretty horrific labour with DS but I can tell you, hand on heart, that 53 hours of labour was TOTALLY WORTH IT not to be pg any more. I remember one of the first things i noticed was I had got DH a new aftershave for xmas and my HG started the first week of January so I'd spent 8 months basically wretching at the smell of something I had picked in December because I liked the smell of it. If I caught the slightest whiff of it I thought I would puke and then the morning after DS was born and DH turned up at hospital ready to take us home freshly showered and shaved and I smelt THAT aftershave and for the first time in 8 months...I liked the smell of it again!! A magical post-HG moment You'll have one of those ahead this summer too!

Nemo I do so feel for you, I didn't go for it a second time (one mmc normal sickness, one successful pregnancy with run in with Hyperemesis) but I do regret that now. As others say, only you can decide, it must be so tough struggling to look after a LO, so much depends on how good your support network is. If you do decide, this thread is hopefully always here but it is difficult if relatives don't fully understand your fear.
Belle You brave thing - how did assessment go, dare I ask?
Cupcake So sorry about relapse, i hope it is just temporary. How are you today? Two mc's, hugs, I found one upsetting enough.
LittleMiss Prochloporzine - I need MOH to tell me if that's got other brand names. Sorry it's still so bad despite meds. DS sounds lovely and easy, my DD was demanding and sleepless!
Reebok Really sorry about nothing helping with the awful acid puking.

(Goes off clucking).
Lucinda
xx

Reebok your so right lol. I can't wait for childbirth at the moment because its a guaranteed end to the persistent puking and nausea! People think I'm being weak and I'm getting looks and comments such as 'how can you still be sick, you sure you haven't just got a bug!' Its one hell of a persistent bug if that's all it is. I'd give 2 days of bedridden sickness over this any day!

Lucinda- I'm ok today thanks, still get my dark days but its just something I have to live with until it passes which one day it will. I will feel alot better once I'm past 24 wks until then I'm trying not to get too excited just incase. It does make HG very hard to cope with as for me there is always that chance that my body will get rid of baby before it can survive. My mc were caused by my waters breaking to early so this is always at the back of my mind.

Thanks Lucinda...okish day today. No acid...so far! And still relying on coke to get me through.
Exactly cupcake! I know labour will be hard but at least I won't have hG anymore and il take sleepless nights from a newborn over pregnanch insomnia...at least it won't be in my body!

Is anyone else feeling isolated by friends? Since I got hG, they've pretty much distanced themselves from me. At first they offered to see me...in the first week or so but I wasn't nearly well enough to have someone on my house. But since then, nothing. Feel alone and unsupported enough a it is but this just makes me feel even worse.

And cupcake, very sorry to hear about your miscarriages. I've had one mmc and know how traumatic it can be. Hugs x

Reebok I hope that lack of acid is continuing? It makes your life a misery. The isolation is very difficult, and as for that complacent woman you mentioned, steam bursts out of my ears . She should take a look at MOH's website...I can't recommend this thread as she'd see herself mentioned . It's the lack of empathy that is so infuriating, the implication that one is wimp...Twenty times a day must have been truly horrendous.
Littlemiss Fifty-three hours, aagh! Poor you, my goodness .
Cupcake I really admire you for being so brave - that anxiety must make things so much worse, did they have any explanation as to why the waters went early or don't they know?
Lucinda
xx

Lucinda, no acid throw up again this morning! Yesterday i was fine throughout day until around 4ish when heartburn hit and made me nauseous. Think i have to lay off the coke. Here's hoping I'm getting better! I had an awful nights sleep though...suffering from insomnia. Slept at 11pm after laying in bed from 8 and woke again from 2 until 7. I'm so fed up! Been sleeping like this for past week or so. I'm so tired but can't sleep...can't even catch up on sleep during day. Don't know what to do.

As for that woman, there's no point. Some people are just small minded.

Hope everyone else has a good day!

Reebok - Friends is a tough one. A lot of good friends offered to come up and see me but the first few weeks of this I was genuinely so wretched and miserable I really didn't want to see anyone so I just put them off. They know I did this when I was pg with DS and emerged after 14 weeks, if not shiny and sparkly and completely healthy, at least able to chat and have a coffee. So most have gone pretty quiet and you do feel a bit neglected, even though I know it was me that put them off in the first place! I do have a few friends tho who text every few days or once a week to see how I am and things like that, but on the whole HG is a pretty lonely experience at times.

cupcake - So sorry to hear about your losses. I have a fear like that in the back of my mind since my mmc last summer, because I felt sick right up until after I'd had erpc done and my body started to go back to normal hormone levels again, so even though I am suffering badly with HG at the min I know it's no guarantee that the baby is ok. Have my 12 week scan tomorrow tho so fx

New meds are improving things a bit, started them 24 hours ago and haven't thrown up during that time. Still obviously feeling pretty tired and queasy but i am going to tentatively say they're working better than cyclizine anyway...

Think I over did it. Went for a walk to get some much needed fresh air and thought I'd grab lunch outside...first time since I got HG. Am feeling so sick from eating out...was just a sandwich but wasn't very nice and now I think I need to resort to coke to avoid feeling so sick.

Prochlorperazine is what I'm on. I'm getting on ok with it - better than metacloperamide. It's the generic name for stemetil - mine are buccastem, they melt in your mouth so you can't throw them up. Which I think really helps. I am still retching but I find nothing comes up, or only a bit of bitter yellow stuff. Which means I'm keeping my food and liquid down. And I seem to be mad for primula cheese spread (ham) with thick cut ham and white bread. I can't get enough and it seems to help the sickness.

Inspection went well. I got a 2 - which I am really pleased with. And I managed not to throw up during it - although I did vom straight after. :(

Hope you're all doing ok today xx

Ps - the prochlorperazine is making me drowsy, however. I'm spacing my doses and taking one 4 times a day rather than 2 twice. It's much better according to my gp, but she did say it varies.

Oh belle, that sounds like a tough inspection! Congrats on doing so well - I am so impressed that you're soldiering into work dosed up on anti nausea stuff. I don't know if I'm on a diff dosage of the drug to you since I'm taking it in tablet form rather than dissolve in the mouth but I'm supposed to take one tablet three times a day so I take one at 7am, 1pm and then around 7pm. It knocked me out for 2 hours this afternoon and I had real trouble waking up from that nap so I imagine it is also making me v drowsy. I can live with that as long as I stop throwing up so much - might even make it into work for an afternoon or two next week as long as this keeps up. Today I've had soup, bread, some fruit and cereal and it has all, so far, stayed down so keeping fx!!

Thanks - it was tough. I managed to work to nine weeks last time, at which point I passed out mid lesson, head first into a dustbin (which I had just been sick into). My poor students had to pull me out, covered in my own vom, and go get first aid :( Not one of the most dignified moments of my life, I must say!! I can laugh about it now (dryly) but I was pretty bad last time. I wasn't even on meds at that point.

This time, the meds must be helping as I'm 8 weeks today and getting through the days - just about. I'm eating all day, especially the primula and ham rolls, and all my colleagues know and are being hugely supportive. I haven't told the students yet. I've also discovered my office chair reclines right back so I am basically having a 'lie down' whenever I can - between classes and so on. It really helps, and my manager appreciates that I'm there at all, as I work in FE so getting cover is a nightmare, so I am on light duties and basically getting left alone. I took a couple of days off last week (during an official OFSTED inspection - eek!) when the metaclopramide stopped working and while I waited for the buccastem to kick in. But that's all so far.

The Stemetil is definitely making me drowsy but its not unmanageable at the moment. Apparently it's also used (in bigger doses) as an antipsychotic so maybe it's calming? It's not a bad thing either - it's forcing me to slow down a little. Although ironically I'm not sleeping well at night so who knows!

8 weeks down. 32 to go... Fuck it sounds like aaaages when I put it like that!

Belle - I only got really bad at 8 weeks Last 4 weeks have been really bad (11+6 now), but with DS it really did improve a bit at 14 weeks so hopefully only another fortnight to go. Yeah I saw that about Stetemil being an anti-psychotic, I was wondering if it might improve my mood lol Like you I'm not sleeping great at night either, takes a long time to drop off, have strange dreams, wake up a few times during the night. It's annoying!!

Scan this morning. Eep!

Reebok, that woman who said that childbirth and having a newborn are harder than HG is deluded. When I was pregnant and joined the thread, I vividly remember one member of the thread, lovely Ovaltine (or theonly as she was then). She had a truly terrible labour and birth, massive hemorrhage, several blood transfusions etc. She astounded the consultant and the whole medical team at the birth by announcing at the end of it all that she felt BRILLIANT and could she please be brought something to eat! They were staggered, but then they didn't realise that it was the first time in 9 months that she'd not felt nauseous! :) After the birth she stayed on the thread for some months, and I was amazed at how elated and cheerful she seemed compared to before the birth when she was still suffering. This will be you in the summer, as Littlemiss says.

Good luck with the scan LittleMiss, and hope everyone else holding up OK. Hugs to Lucinda and everyone.

Belle, you are seriously a trooper.

Little miss, good luck with the scan!

Mop thanks for the encouragement. I hope so. Currently at doc surgery as I think I may unfortunately have a Uti :(
The reception staff were nicer to me today. Were shocked at how I had not gained any weight and said I didn't look pregnant...erm yea, neither would you if you had HG. Overall were much nicer though.

Reebok Was it you who was due for a scan today, I'm a bit muddled here, I think...I'm glad reception noticed that you are very ill and therefore not gaining weight normally - quick on the uptake! Congrats on walk, and actually eating n a cafe yesterday...Hope the lack of acid pukes continues...
Belle I'm delighted about t he assessment going so well, down to being able to be sick at the right time, but really, cluck cluck, I still think even if people are being supportive you shouldn't be in work at all. Goodness, about last time's Puking and Fainting in wastepaper bin - how dramatic; I'm glad the students rose to the occasion! You must have been feeling dreadful, not even on meds. It must have started and got nasty very early with you, then if you're only at eight weeks now?
Littlemiss Hey, that food intake sounds good! It's so difficult about lonliness, because you don't want to talk much anyway - it means opening the throat, which is hazardous...I'll keep my fingers crossed for those fourteen weeks for you this time, too.
Hopeful Cupcakes MOP and Everyone Hugs.
Lucinda
xx

No littlemiss is due a scan today. I had doc app...turns out I do have a uti! Just what I need right now.

My boss is being a right b! Got to go back next week...luckily am feeling ok to go and hopefully as I hit 15 weeks on mon, maybe il be completely better. Evenings seem to be hardest but the sickness seems managable this week.

*Reehook^ Sorry for getting scan details wrong and UTI is horrible, I suppose it goes with being ill and not able to drink as much liquid as you'd like even if you aren't dehydrated. I don't think you should be forced back to work after weeks in bed - you will be weaker than you know even if the sickness is hopefully easing off a little, and if you overdo it it by rushing back to work as others have on here, you can have a relapse. Sorry to sound like a pessemist, mother hen thinks the Dr will surely give you a sick note for a bit longer, u ntil you turn the corner?
Littlemiss How did the scan go?
Lucinda
xx

The boss isn't making it easy for me Lucinda. My pay will go down massively next week of I don't return next week and there's no way we can survive on it. Will just have to battle on. If Ghoule and Belle can do it, so can I. Granted I will be running around after 4 year olds but not much else I can do.

Reebok Oh dear, then you and Belle and Ghoule and Hopeful and others all deserve a medal! Keeping my fingers crossed that the improvement continues...
LittleMissSnowshine
Any news?
Lucinda
xx

Hello All. Sorry I've not been around. I've been trying very hard to juggle some more family stuff and come off of the ondansetron and switch to stemetil as per the GP's request. I am so fed. I tried telling myself this morning that I did not feel sick, it was all psychological and I just needed to eat some breakfast as I'm now 16 weeks and 'should ' be feeling better. Sadly my body didn't listen and once I started throwing up, that was it. I can confirm that I definitely do still have hyperemesis and the ondansetron is doing a fabulous job (unlike the stemetil that I throw up).

Reebok, I wish I had the finances to pay you to stay at home [bsad] it is so wrong that you have to work. I am very angry on your behalf.

Reebok - Rubbish you have to go back into work :( I'm thinking of going in just for an afternoon or two next week but waiting to see how I feel Monday morning. We can get through it!!

Room - Sorry Stetemil isn't helping much - hope you feel better soon

Only through up once today and ate a proper lunch for the first time in weeks and weeks! Woo hoo! Feel bloody exhausted still but keeping food down is amazing. Also a good scan for me today! Photos a bit rubbish because out little beanie is very active and was spinning and wriggling and kicking all over the place. Poor MW tried for ages to find a better angle or encourage baby into better position but we saw loads on the screen. Looks very like his/her brother, all long legs and very active. No wonder I was convinced I felt kicking the other night! Got a referral to physio because I had bad spd the last time so they are trying to resolve that before it becomes an issue and my next appt is in 4 weeks, tho I'll get my blood results in a day or two. Have decided not to have quadruple test too. I also have a new EDD of 9th August!