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.

MOH's wonderful website is full of useful information on this illness:
sites.google.com/site/pregnancysicknesssos/
Another invaluable website is:
www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/
If you need help in obtaining medication, this phone number is
brilliant:
024 7638 2020

I would like to thank 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.

Mrsgiraffe I bet working around food and especially coffee (urgh!!) Is not helpful. It's not causing a fuss if you get help from the doctor, thats what they are there for.
Welcome diddybeth, can sympathise with you on the work comments as I rang my manager yesterday to let her know about my sick note and that dh would drop it in, I got the old "oooooooh I remember all that so well" or " welcome to pregnancy" comments, great thanks for that. Im pretty sure you weren't throwing up at any given opportunity in your pregnancy! !

Mrsgiraffe I bet working around food and especially coffee (urgh!!) Is not helpful. It's not causing a fuss if you get help from the doctor, thats what they are there for.
Welcome diddybeth, can sympathise with you on the work comments as I rang my manager yesterday to let her know about my sick note and that dh would drop it in, I got the old "oooooooh I remember all that so well" or " welcome to pregnancy" comments, great thanks for that. Im pretty sure you weren't throwing up at any given opportunity in your pregnancy! !

Oops, stupid phone, sorry for the double post

Hi diddybeth sorry you have suffered so much. It's not fun is it! So tempted sometimes to print out this thread and stick it under people's noses to read. Judgy judgy gets on my nerves.

To whoever posted about just 'changing your diet'. I ranted about this on the 'comments that annoy you' thread recently. I was having a chat with mum who all of a sudden announced that she'd been discussing my 'morning sickness' with my aunt, because 'you know she's a nurse don't you darling' (as if I could forget and oh by the way an endoscopy nurse so kind of the complete opposite to maternity). Apparently in the expert opinion of my aunt, the women who suffered the worst morning sickness were the ones who had the crappest diet and ice cream seemed to be the worst. So I obviously was eating crap (I had ONE KFC when I went home for Christmas as that was all I could eat that day) and 'I know you love ice cream so why not just eat healthier'.

Geeeee is that all I have to do?! Not eat ice cream! Riggght! Which I'd had once in the last four months! Thanks for the pearls of wisdom there aunt and mother! If I could have reached down the phone line and strangled her I would have.

I only hope that I don't speak to my daughter like that if she ever has to struggle with this.

Bad today, spent all day in bed yesterday trying not to be sick. Have such an acid feeling in my stomach. I tried Skittles, why would I do that :( sipping on a hot lemon again. That at least seems to take this godawful taste away.

Oh and thank you all for the very nice comments about the blog :) I managed to get on the Mumsnet blog thingy too as one of their bloggers so that's good. It keeps the brain occupied for a bit.

You do just feel like strangling people. They think they know how you feel when they were sick maybe once a day in their pregnancy.
I've had a sh*t morning so far, not had anything to eat but still puking stomach aciddy stuff (sorry if tmi). Not getting out of bed any time soon

oh god living ..... how did you hold your temper? such ignorance! they were ok so naturally you are huh?

hope you are a little bit better

Hello diddybeth, and similarly, total sympathy against the lack of understanding soe people have ... sometimes they mean well enough mind, but it is so tiresome trying to put up with well meaning but unhelpful comments, and worse when people think you're malingering.

How on earth you manage to work with food during this!

There's a lot of good advice o the sites that Lucinda linked in the original post and scattered throughout the thread. The nausea is really hard to squash, sadly :( but i hope you find something that can help a bit here

Hello, hello!! Sorry it took me so long to check back it - I was completely elated after the scan on Tuesday and then completely and utterly shattered (and sick) for two days afterwards. Feeling slightly more human now. Phew!

But, OMG - the scan!!!!! I had a moment of complete panic before we set out for the hospital, thinking ‘Oh my god, what if I’m not actually pregnant? What if I’ve just got some sort of awful illness?!?!’ My husband was almost doubled-up laughing at me (I gave him a dirty look). The worry only abated when the lady put the scanning thing on my belly and a baby appeared!!! It was the MOST incredible experience of my whole life and I haven’t stopped smiling since! The baby had a good, strong heart beat and was moving around constantly which was just so wonderful to see. I had been worried that being so sick and not keeping much food down would somehow harm the baby, but it was fine! I’m so happy!

I honestly never thought I’d say this, but seeing my baby on the screen, all healthy and cute (I know, I know, I’m massively biased) made the awful sickness and panic/anxiety over the emetaphobia actually worth it. (Still can’t believe I just said that!).

Since that moment, I have found the sickness a bit easier to cope with. I feel as though it’s happening for a wonderful reason, rather than happening because my body and mind are completely freaking out and unable to cope at all. It’s all a bit strange and very unusual for me, but I’m going with it because it is easier to deal with this way.

In terms of getting to and from the hospital... another epic 45-50 minute walk and it was raining heavily and very windy all the way there. Couldn’t even use the brolly because they just turned inside out. The amount of moaning and complaining coming from the dh was something to behold(!) but we made it. Once again, tic tacs and sucking on ready salted crisps, plus having the coconut water (there is something about the taste of it that makes me feel a lot better) made a big difference in helping to settle my tummy and my nerves. Also, I’ve re-discovered soft mints. Mmm... soft mints. I had to have another blood test (I really hate blood tests) but I managed to cope with that too.

Once again I have been so impressed with the level of professionalism and genuine care from people at UCLH - they have been wonderful so far and I only hope it continues.

I’ve been classed a ‘high risk’ pregnancy because of my bad anxiety disorder but also because of another medical issue (seeing a Dr in the maternity dept. about that in a couple of weeks) and the scanning lady (I’m sure there is a proper title for her, but no idea what it is!) also found a very large fibroid partly blocking my cervix. Based on all this, the midwife said that a caesarean might be best for me (never thought I’d hear a midwife say that!), but, to be honest, as long as my baby and I are safe, I really don’t care what kind of birth I have. I just want to not be sick any more and have a healthy baby!!

Phew - that was a long message, sorry!!

Gaaaah. Hate the judgy comments too! Most of my family and friends have been amazing. However my SIL decided when I was 9 weeks that all I needed to do was help my self and eat all the crackers she brought around, my brother added into the mix the old 'it must be psychological, how can light and noise be bothering you?'

Repeated for the 100th time, I have Hyperemesis, I'm under a consultant and the only thing keeping me out of hospital is steroids.
Response, 'ahh but it's morning sickness under all that isn't it!'

I wanted to kick them both in the head.

FIL jumped to my defence as he and MIL had been looking after me. Hehe his way of explaining it was ' this is so bad that people feel like they are dying, It is not morning sickness '

I feel annoyed just thinking about it. I know SIL was trying to be helpful but at the time I was so ill I just felt she was trivialising the horror.

Welcome new folk. Sorry you are suffering too. This is the place to get it all off your chest and get great advice too x

I've had no vomiting at all for a few days now, nausea still present but I tell you it's the fatigue currently that's bad. Feel like I'm walking through treacle. On a positive note I've got the pred down to 12.5mg now (from original 45mg!) and only feel slightly worse than the 20mg which I thought I was going to be on forever :-)

I'm going for a spa treatment tomorrow with friend. Now this is progress, no way I could have considered this a month ago.

Keep well HGers, hope the weekend gives us all a bit of respite x

Welcome to MrsGiraffe12 and DiddyBeth. MrsGiragge12 You may well be dehydrated already - I so agree with others, do get an emergency dr''s appointment. Say you are unable to keep much water down. Do get some kesostix from a chemist to check on dehydration levels - sending OH or whoever out for them if necessary. I can't really imrprove on others' advice - sips of flat full sugar coke helped me a little, and nibbles of crisps, but it varies for everyone, unfortunately - I swore by IronBru, most people don't! You aren't making a fuss about nothing - this is a serious illness, not ordinary ms.
DiddyBeth You poor thing, having to work with food earlier - hideous - and people having the nerve to be judgemental. What meds are you on? Sorry you are still suffering, and I suppose you've got those kesostix already to check on things?
mrsr87I don't like the sound of that vomiting bile on meds - are you dehydrated, have you tested yet? (Flaps and clucks). Never worry aout tmi on here, everything in the way of vomiting is discussed - foam, specks of blood and all. On that, I hope nobody is bringing up brown blood, that does need a hospital visit? Happened to at least two people on this thread in the past.
Livnzuid That was me with the mention of that infuriating suggestion about a change of diet. Ice cream, in your case (laughs mirthlessly). I can't believe how insensitive and judgemental some people can be, and the aunt doesn't sound exactly sympathetic.

Great advice from elizabethsmumMeerkaChaffinchmrsr87 and livingzuid and Others.
What Worry Lauranne Stars Starry Somedizzy Tallyra
and Everyone how are things? Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
xx

Cross posted Punkstar and Starry! Good news. New arrivals, Mother Hen flaps and clucks and says please please re my commnets below, get kestostix.
xx

Starry
Cross posted!
Hehe I had exactly the same panic at my scan!! I mentioned it in a previous thread but I was so worried I had phantom HG with no baby!!! Needless to say there is a baby ;-)

Glad you survived the mission. I'm commonly ill for a couple of days if I do too much as well. Very frustrating.

Good news on the scan. Lovely and reassuring :-)

Lucinda do those sticks tell you if you're dehydrated? MIL and FIL have been great in looking after me while dh is working. Is it worth me asking them to get me some?

I've already ditched plan "A" as I was sick last night too so moving onto the metoclopramide. How long should it take for these drugs to take effect? I've been sick 5 times on an empty stomach this morning.

MrsB
When my GP spoke to obstetrics they suggested a three day trial before review. But I read in NICE guidance that you should reassess if no response after 24 hours!

Perhaps a middle 48 hours? However if things deteriorated or 3+ ketones then you would need assessing as soon as. You can get the ketostix from a pharmacy, I'd definitely get some. I had no idea how dehydrated and starving I was at times, these can guide you. I had some improvement with ondansetron within 24 hours, with the prednisolone after just two doses I could gulp fluids with no heaving or vomiting. Boy was I thirsty and hadn't realised....it was AMAZING!!!

Your in laws sound great. Mine were very helpful through the first tri. They loved it though, they live on the other side of the country and hadn't spent much time with their grandson. Now they feel like they really know him. In fact they want to come back over and help out again!!

Some of these doctors make me ladies I hope you get the right medicine mrsb that doesn't sound right you should be seen. When I was puking up nothing but bile I was almost immediately put on medication. Honestly, the ignorance out there, sigh.

Ah it was you lucinda :) sorry was on phone and couldn't easily check up thread. meerka you know this of course, in a country where it's almost impossible to get medicine for anything, the fact I am on antisicky tablets means I'm obviously not making it up. But obviously my mum and my aunt who puts cameras up backsides all day know better DH was laughing so hard when I told him what she said. My mum persists in thinking I make up illnesses, she has done for as long as I can remember. I'm convinced she thinks I'm faking my bipolar sometimes! The fact that I'm in my mid-30s doesn't seem to matter

punk your in laws sound fab :) and starry yay! So pleased for you! I couldn't even look at the screen when I had my scan. DH had to nudge me to tell me to look and tell me it was ok. I was convinced something had eaten my baby at 13 week scan. Actually, I can't look at the screen even now. I get scanned every 4 weeks with my consultant and will have a growth scan at 30 too and really kind of wish I didn't have to get scanned so often as it is so stressful. I also have to have blood tests every week and I HATE it too! Thank god for efficient nurses who can test us quickly :) As DH said to me today, it's worth it to make sure the baby is fine but sometimes I am just meh.

How is everyone today?

Thanks for all the lovely comments makes me feel better knowing there is somewhere people will understand :)

Lucinda, I don't have those sticks have never heard of them before but so far have avoided any hospital visits although from reading other other peoples stories I probably should have been in a few times during the worst of it. I will look into them cause I know there are times when I feel really dehydrated which tends to make the vomiting worse but am scared to drink because it will just come straight back up.

I believe I am currently taking Promethazine which my gp recommended because my bp is low and I kept fainting after being sick so was meant to help both. It really helped during the earlier weeks when I was being sick 8+ times a day as it reduced it to only around 3x's a day. Now I tend to just have nausea and dizziness with vomiting on the bad days, hoping to return to work very soon but nervous as just the smell when I go in to hand in my sick notes makes me want to run out of there!

Also, does anyone's blood vessels pop in their face when they are sick ? I have had a blotchy face throughout from it my boyfriend very kindly told me I look like a leper ! :P

just spoken to my doctor. After begging doctors at hospital for a different drug to prochlorperazine and being told very firmly that they wouldn't prescribe anything else, I finally find the right combination of words to get my go to help. Basically - anyone taking prochlorperazine - apparently it's meant to confer relief in about thirty minutes. I asked my gp how it worked - did it give relief or was it culmulative and when I explained I was vomiting 1/2/3 hours after taking it she immediately said it wasn't working. That's weeks and weeks of needless vomiting, of getting more and more down just cos a doctor at the hospital made me feel like vomiting five times a day was all I could and should expect. Trying metaclopramide now.

Top tip if medicine doesn't seem to work - ask the doctor how it works - does it reduce overall vomiting r does it give periods of relief cos if it should give periods of relief and it doesn't, it clearly isn't working.

Hello to all the new ladies. I wish us all able to eat as soon as possible .

IWorry
That's made me so cross!!! There is no other illness where a Dr would say it's fine to vomit five times a day!!! They would do their best to relieve the suffering. What an absolute joke. There are loads of safe medications and the hospital Dr should be making you aware of them

DiddyBeth
A blood vessel on my eye popped after a vomit session last week. Looked really attractive. Please be careful re work...make sure you are definitely fit otherwise will make your symptoms worse. Rest is as important as the right meds....take it easy for a while.

Random craving attack...
....
Burger King. What the bejesus

I've been craving chip shop chips with curry sauce!
I think the idea is more appealing than the reality.

Take it from me the idea is definitely better than the reality. I really wanted chips last night. I suffered for hours afterwards. Even after I had thrown up they tortured me with heartburn

Yea it must be the idea if what it was like before this bulls**t!

and one day, one day, it will all be ~over~

sometimes I forget what it feels like to feel well

Despersome for macDonald's but no money so I guess is a sign.... sipping madly on hot lime to try and compensate.

Can I ask a dumb non hg question? I am paranoid that my bump is not growing and the baby is not growing. Dh thinks I am being paranoid particularly as he felt her kicking today :) but I don't know. So why do they measure a bump, is there a right measurement, what size should it be, should I stop googling I wish I didn't have all these hospital appointments tbh. I get so stressed.

Stupid phone, desperate for McDonald's. Why I dunno I don't want it normally. But some chips mmmmmmm