Hyperemesis Support

[LucindaE]

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 for sufferers, with information about medications, coping strategies, hospital admissions, useful links, advice for family members, and much more.

I would like to thank MOH and Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on this and on previous threads.

Remember when you are at your worst, 'This Too Shall Pass'. It really will.
So many women on this thread have thought they couldn't get through this, but they did.

SliceofLime Oh no, TWO Christmases with Hyperemesis? But this pregnancy must have happened very soon after the last - or have I muddled things up? I wish I knew which of the old team you were/are.
PunkStar Rice? You brave thing - I found it dreadful on the way up again - not the taste, but the substance, but it's wonderful if it suits you as it's so bland. I'm so glad no chicken pox.
Jen Congratulations on maternity leave, but you do too much for other people and should not be on your feet serving bacon sandwiches. It's great Ondansetron worked so well for you after a time - presumably not through those early hospital admissions, poor you - and about listening to mother hen.
Livingzuid It's great you are feeling so much better - a plane journey, without any puking is wonderful, with that feeling in the ears (I remember flying back from a holiday in Tunisia where I'd conceived (OH took me on holiday to get over an mc) and thinking, 'I don't feel good'.). I thought the training was connected with some new job but I think have mixed things up, typical.
Iworry Fridges smell rather unpleasant at the best of times. Have you invested in those jelly suppository things to help with bowels (she asks bossily).
Hope everyone is surviving the Christmas rush and mania about food...
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
xx

re ondansetron it has been my saviour. With my first pg I never had meda that worked and I was so so ill all through. 2nd pg was given ondansetron by hospital at about 7 weeks. was miraculous - I could eat, drink, work, be mum. had to stay on them the whole pg. This time started taking it very early as soon as symptoms started and I have started to feel better - symptoms fading and down to one tablet a day. I have been so worried abput lack of symptoms!

EggyYou are a true veteran - how do you have the courage to go for it twice after that first nightmare experience? So glad things are improving!
xx

sheer stupidity I think!

Glad you are happy to be home living , great that the journey went so well. Hope your mum has stocked up on nutella...

We survived train journey pretty well but struggling at home, house is in a bit of a mess from builders and I am having to do a lot more. Dd is very clingy. Plan was to have Xmas day at home but now wondering if I can convince dh we should head back to my parents, hmmm.

Lucinda I still can't remember which my old name was! I've changed it a few times though I am very fickle and no it wasn't lat Christmas - dd is nearly 2.5 so it was 3 years ago I was pg. Almost exactly the same timing too, due date is 4 days after dd birthday!

Living, it is a relief to be off, definitely. I went to bed at 9.30 last night and stayed there until 12.30 this afternoon - apart from 3 trips to the loo. But I needed the rest.

From here on in the plan is to take it easy and let OH help me as much as possible. I am going down to my mum's this afternoon where I will be fed, pampered and run a nice warm bath. All good things. I'm still in a fair wee bit of pain, but there isn't much I can do until I see the doc on Monday.

I was thinking of you guys last night ... this is a bit of a non-sequiteur but relates to the whole constipation issue. I discovered when I had that bad cold that if, while sitting on the loo and having everything quite relaxed, blowing your nose can stimulate bowel movement in a way that feels much gentler than pushing. Just wanted to share that tip....

Love the tip Jen - maybe that will work when in labour too, might help with the pushing!

Hello ladies,

Really hope you don't mind me butting in, but I'm after a bit of advice and trying to work out whether I just have 'normal' pregnancy sickness or not. I'm 5+4 today and found out I was pg 2 weeks ago and initially was feeling nauseous but was able to eat proper meals, albeit with some aversions and very specific requirements! I now haven't been able to eat a proper meal since Weds and when I tried on Thurs night was sick twice. Yesterday I managed about 6 crackers, 3 ginger biscuits and a bit of ham and today had a window where I had a small sandwich and have also had some ready brek and stewed apple. The main issue though is finding something I can drink as water is a no no, but flat coke is doable in small doses and my urine has been really concentrated as I can't force myself to drink enough. I feel constantly nauseous and wondering whether I should try to get to the docs tomorrow to see what they say, but would hate to be a fraud when I am not constantly vomming or anything. I know for a fact I won't be able to stomach any Christmas meals and will be able to eat plain snacks only and think it will be a dead giveaway to family too. I also can't hear about food, read about it or see it on tv.

Sorry for long post, any words of wisdom of whether this is just what I should be expecting from being pg(or something more serious)?
Thank you

choco someone more knowledgeable will be along soon but fwiw I dont think there are 'frauds'. sickness is a sliding scale from mild queasineaa to 9 months in hospital in the dark on a drip. calling the line whete ms becomes hg is a bit subjective. for me the difference is to do with keeping hydrated, and living some sort of life. if you cant do those you are ill. dehydration is a big prob so I wouldnt feel bad seeing a doc (though be prepared for them to be useless, do some reading to prep yourself id you can). meanwhile various things that can help are jelly, ice lollies, wet fruit like melon (frozen can stay down better) or icy cold stuff. or actually some women find boiling hot stuff like thin soup stays down better x

ketostix chocaloco treat yourself in boots to a tin, and pee on one and check the colour. anything 3+ or higher means an emergency doc apt or early pg unit for rehydration. every drop of liquid you can manage, go for it. and congratulations!!

working full time with much overtime this week. glad it's near xmas, too busy for nausea, only minor hip pain, all going ok

Chocoloco Hyperemesis can often start off seeming like a nasty case of MS- then suddenly, esculates, and I think it's very sensible to go to the dr for meds. I so agree with others - do get some kesostix from a chemists. This business with ketones is so complicated but if your urine is concentrated, it could well be your dehydrated already. I'm glad flat coke is bearable. Jelly can be OK, and ice lollies - I liked Lucozade and Ironbru, though some disagree. Oh, and juice of tinned fruit for sure!
Chaffinch Oh dear about having to work so hard. Jen you need to be pampered.
Jen I'm glad you are taking it easy now.
Eggy Not mad - definitely brave!
SliceofLime Would that be that dreadful winter when it was frozen for weeks? I'm glad you aren't suffering two Christmases running.
Hope everyone is managing.
xx

Thank you eggy, chaffinch and lucinda - much appreciated. I will phone doctors today ans see if I can get in.

Chocoloco What was I thinking of - must be Christmas brain - I meant to recommend the link on the intro,
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
I hope that'll give you advice with which to arm yourself. It's difficult to fight your corner when sick, do as Mother Hen says not as I did and if necessary, be sick in front of the doctor!
Jen That sounds a great idea for a natural laxative!
xx

Thanks Lucinda, I looked at both links when I first read through the thread. Am currently at the mercy of the doctor's receptionists who are not sure if it is in the category for an emergency appointment and will be getting the triage nurse to phone, hmmm...

Chocoloco I feel a bit that the receptionist should be deciding whether or not it's an emergency - make sure you emphasize you're not able to keep down enough liquids, mother hen says bossily!
xx

hiya choc sorry to see you arent so good. how on earth can the receptionist tell if it's an emergency? :s I do think you need to see a doc if you can't keep liquid down. Food isnt really a problem for some time, but liquid definitely is.

Having a few bad days, back in bed at 17:00 or so :s Had to cancel going to mother in laws for xmas dinner I hope husband brings me back some leftovers! Oh well, it's still a million times better than it was. 18 weeks and 1 1/2 days to go. Not that I'm counting off every half day or anything, oh no.

Meerka Poor you - hugs. It's too bad to have it recur late on. It's a shame it is bad just now, I hope it isn't too bad for Christmas Day.
xx

Hi all

Lost my phone for a couple of days so no internet (was quite nice actually!)

Someone asked about ondansetron experience...(sorry had a lot of thread to read)
For a few days it stopped my vomiting but nothing for nausea and my weight continued to drop despite this. Vomiting returned quite badly while on ondansetron with 30mg steroids..,upped steroids which worked, now don't bother with ondansetron....I thought it was going to be my saviour but steroids have been the only thing that has really touched nausea or vomiting to a manageable level. I don't think my example is very typical though...

Jen
Glad you are on mat leave, you deserve it....
I'm hoping to get back to work in the next month or so (trying to stay positive here!) but to make up for lost time will try and work until the day before c section!! Aggghh!!

Sorry for folk having a bad time, I've had a good 24 hours, I left the house and it wasn't for a hospital appointment! Did a bit of housework and looked after little boy while OH had a nap (man 'flu) Go me!!!
Am taking it easy today though because I know how this thing likes to trick us, was reminded when my breakfast came up this morning.

I'm sorry if I've bypassed a few folk's messages, a lot happens on here in two days and my brain didn't compute it all..., big hugs to you all though, everyday passed is a day less....

It's a very frustrating journey.

Meerka
Sorry to hear about cancellation of Christmas plans.
I'm with you though....I couldn't face a trip to someone's house with all the chat and food :-(

SliceOfLime
See you've been through HG pain at Christmas too! I went through it Christmas 2011....so one year off!! Although my Dad reminded me that it was actually for half of last year that we went through HG, so not much respite. Foolishly thought with pre-emptive meds I would luck out!!

Really sorry there are a few having a low time of it too :-(
Sometimes Christmas doesn't help either...my job to tidy my Mam's grave tomorrow, have bought some lovely Christmas roses...just resting today to prepare :-(

Evening all

Been a rough couple of days for me so have not been able to see how everybody is doing. Will have a catch up tonight.

In so much pain and really uncomfortable all the time now. Sickness has returned and foul taste is constant. Had a growth scan last week and all was fine. Baby was a little underweight @5lb. His legs however were so long they were off the scale. That explains the agony when he moves.

Not able to eat much. Made worse by the fact that we don't have a cooker till Saturday and everything in the kitchen is sandwich food. We couldn't have moved house at a worse time. Get our keys tomorrow morning and then the decorating starts. I'm so fed up of it all. I hope all this doesn't send me into labour as I really need babs to stay in there till I'm moved and sorted!

been wondering how you were sally, sorry to hear it's so damn difficult. (and much fellow feeling on the foul taste front).

I really hope the house doesnt need much work

I gather hugs are un - mumsnetty but ....

Meerka and Sally and Everyone in that case, I am very unMumsnet-y, I hadn't heard of that - but hugs on offer for such an awful time to be suffering so.
xx

Thanks meerka and lucinda

It needs a deep clean and everything from re grouting tiles to fixing windows. It's going to be a busy week :-(

punkstar it was me wanting to know about ondansetron - thank you.

chocoloco - I hope you got past the receptionists to see someone at the doctors. I completely understand the not wanting to look / see / hear about food. I first read this thread on a 'bad' day - for a group of people made so unhappy by food and drink, we sure talk about it a lot! I hope you have managed to find a drink - any drink! My tip would be - not all water is equal. Tap water doesn't taste like mineral and all mineral water tastes different right now so it's worth sampling several (tesco basic is a winner for me; the evian is still shunned at the back of the cupboard). Also try combinations that you wouldn't normally think of - I've only drank so-dilute-its-barely-there orange squash for days. Last time I existed for a week on a half milk half water with a shot of chocolate milkshake drink, which needless to say isn't a usual tipple either...

good for not being mums-netty, hugs are good!

its funny just how different things taste isnt it ... even being (overall) so much better, veggies taste awful and normally I love 'em :s I've had 3 sips of wine or beer since things got rather better and that tastes disgusting too. meat, yuk

yep, we're drink and food obsessed!