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

Lastly, the NICE guidelines on treatment are useful:
cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-in-pregnancy#!prescribinginfosub

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.

Kali I will be pleased when you can do a UPT. Once you know then you can take appropriate action. I got mine day 28 but didn't check it earlier. I reckon I implanted early, I had nausea the week before positive test and the scan moved my date forward by six days.
I feel nervous for you either way!

dotty starry's list is really good - the more pragmatic info the better.

Look at Lucinda's link to the NICE guidelines at the top; they are the guidelines all medical people are supposed to follow and the Goal section says that the goal is to minimise disruption to normal life.

Please don't underestimate your condition. Can your husband or someone who -sees- how ill you are go with you as an advocate? it really does help a lot becuase it's easy to get flustered when you are in with the doctor and not used to the whole permanently-terminally-vomitting thing.

congrats starry ... my hair is way whiter than it was before the preg!

petit ... fabulous, only 3 more days to go =) will be thinking of you and crossing my fingers!

kalidasa it does sound like it might be HG doesn't it. I hope you can manage to keep going til next friday (it was then, wasnt it, your last commitment?) can so so understand your mixed feelings ...

Thanks all. Yes meerka Friday is the day I really need to get in to work for. At the moment I am "working" (i.e. mostly sleeping) at home. I was meant to be in on Thursday afternoon too but I will scrap that if necessary.

DH and I now both feel pretty sure I have conceived, but of course that doesn't mean it will successfully implant etc. I do have all the pre-emptive medication so at the moment I am taking ranitidine and the B6 thing and cyclizine at night.

One big plus of the nanny arrangement that I hadn't really anticipated is that it is really nice having someone here during the day when you are stuck at home/in bed. I keep out of the way while she is in with DS - they go out both morning and afternoon anyway - but she has got him into a really good routine with a regular long nap after lunch and I usually sit and chat with her then. Such a small thing but all of you who've been stuck in bed for weeks/months can appreciate how much difference even a little bit of company makes. So if I am pg I think that will be a big help. DS already seems v. settled with her and is maturing so quickly at the moment, so that's also a big relief, to know that will be a constant for him however grim the next few months might be.

Hi ladies,

I found out I am pregnant with my second yesterday and to be honest I burst into tears, all I could think was please god don't let me be as sick as I was the first time round.

I had terrible HG with my first, was in hospital a few times and basically did not move off my couch for the first 14weeks. I was super lucky as I had a very supportive boss and workplace, I have now moved to another country and have a terrible unsupportive boss, so the thought of telling her I am pregnant scares me and if I am off sick god knows what she will do!

Anyway, I have been feeling a bit queasy but no vomiting yet.... Let's hold thumbs that this pregnancy is a bit easier.

Welcome bling. Not sure if you have read back at all but I may be in the same boat. We have just started trying for §2 and I am feeling increasingly ill. Still too early for me to test, but I had severe HG which started very early with DS in 2012 - if you look far enough back you'll find the threads with me on. Like you I was hospitalised several times and was completely stuck in bed for months. I carried on throwing up right to the end.

Have you been able to get any medications prescribed in advance? My GP agreed to do this and I am already taking a small amount of cyclizine, plus ranitidine and B6. There seems to be some evidence that taking medication immediately - before you start vomiting - can prevent it getting too bad.

It's scary isn't it? I thought I was as ready as I would ever be, but the nausea/dizziness being SO bad already has really scared me.

How old is your first child? DS is 17 months and was born at the end of November 2012.

Just popping in to wish Kali and bling with their second pregnancies! You 2 are super brave going for it a second time around, I don't think I could do this again.
I have my 20wk scan today and I'm really looking forward to seeing our baby again. I'm also looking forward to seeing how accurate my instincts are about the sex!
dotty I agree with everyone else, you need to get yourself to the doctors and get some meds, please don't suffer unnecessarily!

oh good mrsb, hope the scan is lovely! one of the few things that makes it all real, isnt it.

Hello bling. Bad about your boss :( is there any protection for sickness-caused-thru-preg like there is in the UK? What's the local view on meds for HG? Am not in the UK either and if you really get very stuck, the Preg Sickness Support helpline no that Mother Hen wrote above might possibly be able to help out .. they were willing to help me. Fingers crossed for you

Urgh. How is it possible for my stomach to even accumulate that much bile!?

Morning all, hope it's sunny where you are!

Just dipping a toe in here. Feel too grim to read through the thread; mumsnetting seems to exacerbate the nauseau. Will try hard to have a proper read if I get a few "feeling a bit better" hours at some point.

I'm 8 weeks with DC3, and unfortunately this is turning into HG pregnancy #3. I just wanted to ask for advice re HG and older children. I'm feeling so awful that I can't think straight about this. Eldest DS is 5, and really caring and sensitive. Last time I had HG he was 2 so a bit oblivious (as my 3 year old is this time); this time he is acutely aware, both that I am sick and that his life has suddenly changed. Daddy now does the school runs, Granny has come to stay to do lots of day to day household chores and the playing / homework, Mummy just lies on the sofa and sometimes vomits. He is terribly sweet - he follows me to the loo when I'm sick and tries to hold my hand; he leaves little notes all over the house telling me to get well soon. He has lent me his teddy bear. He is clearly worried, and keeps asking what is wrong. I don't know what to do - I don't really want to tell him about the baby but would like to explain in it a way that stops him worrying. On past experience I'm unlikely to feel much better for 8-10 weeks. Any suggestions?

Sorry to dive in with a question, I really will try to read through and say a proper hello later.

Enjoy the scan mrsb!

Blergh. That's all.

Could I get a bit of advice? I'm 27wks now and for the last few days, every time I eat anything, I'm getting increasingly bad indigestion that is starting to make me even more nauseous and a bit more sick too :-( It lasts for a couple of hours after I eat and I have to sit really, really still or I get ill. I've recently (last week) stopped taking metoclopramide and am now on domperidone. My GP is on leave until end of May (I have an appointment set up for when she gets back), so not sure what I can do to help. I'd really appreciate any advice you have!

Right now, sitting really, really still trying so hard not to be sick but it's starting to make me panic :-(

Might be rubbish advice starry but have you tried chewable antacids? I find they help me a little when indigestion strikes. Also when you eat try and sit up dead straight at a table and stay there for half an hour or so after you finish the meal.

petit two days and counting yay!

Welcome to all new arrivals, sorry you have to join us.

I just had my 22wk scan and it's a boy! Feel really weird, I have hardly adjusted to thinking of myself of a mum to a girl and that's after 3 years, so a boy feels even odder!

hi somesunny. Ye, looking at any screen can make things worse sometimes, cant it :(

I am not sure about your oldest son. Ours was 5 at the time and we had to tell him becuase I had to set up childcare very fast - afterschool care and gran coming to help and papa doing everything in the house. We said that 'mama might be growing a baby and if you are unlucky, sometimes you can get very sick" But the downside ofc was that he told everyone. The upside was that he knew I wasn't so sick I was going to die (ok so very occasoinally terrible things happen with HG, but we werent worried about that in my case). Also he'd get a little bro or sis at the end.

I guess other than that, all I can think of is to say that you're ill and will be for a few weeks but that everythign will come good in the end and that he's being very sweet.

starry - try Gaviscon or Maalox (not sure if you have Maalox in the uk). It may help. If it's not strong enough then maybe you will need to see the locum.

Congratulations on the scan booboos. Hope yours is OK too mrsb.

No advice, sorry somesunny. On number one and only child here. In awe of all those going for more. Speaking of which, when's test day Kali?

starry I echo meerkas advice about the gaviscon. Horrid textured horrid tasting stuff but wonderful for indigestion. Also Lotties advice about the antacids. I have the asda ones which dissolve and didn't taste too bad to me.
Most supermarkets also do small dose ranitidine on the shelves which helps reduce the acid.

Currently lying very still in bed after leaping up and running waddling quickly down 2 flights of stairs to get a parcel from the postman earlier, resulting in horrid nausea again. That and I overdid it yesterday tidying, swimming and going out for lunch.

Thank you all for your tips. I took a deep breath, dealt with my anxiety and slowly walked up to the local Boots (thankfully not too far away). The lady behind the counter was really helpful and I have a bottle of Gaviscon double action and some little sachets of Gaviscon that you mix with water. I wasn't up to looking for the chewable tablets after going through the Gaviscon options lottie, so I'll try and get some of those next time. They sound like a great idea!

Maddening just how stressful I find venturing out of the flat these days.

Good luck with your scan mrsb and congratulations on expecting a little boy boo!

petit hope you are able to enjoy the rest of today and tomorrow :-)

living lol @ 'bleugh, that is all' - that sounds so very, very familiar; could be our motto!!!

My goodness, this thread has moved on quickly!
Welcome, Dottyand Bling and some Sunny. I am sure I can't improve on others' advice and will just say my usual chorus 'Welcome - sorry you are suffering and have you got kesostix to check for dehydration (that's for first timers; not needed for those who are brave enough to be going for it a second or third time!), Dotty There is all the difference in the world between ordinary ms and Hyperemesis, it's like the difference between a headache and a migraine. As others say, you can cope with one, though miserable, but not with the other. Of course, there is a sort of grey area of overlap in between. Dotty Do emphasize tht it's difficult to keep down enough liquid.
Bling I remember your name, I think, and not so long ago.
KalidasaOoh, this sounds like it with the taste in the mouth. Some encouraging pats. It's exciting but terrifying. Glad you've got that nanny!
Petitlapin Wonderful news about c section on Thursday and the best of luck. It's been lovely having you on here, I wish you'd joined us earlier.
Boo Congratulations on scan, happy news, great!
Starry and Livingzuid It's dismal about the silver hairs isn't it, on top of everything else. Congratulations on hair - I bet it looks lovely.
Punkstar Great advice as ever - I'll have to look up list again and you'll be top on Thursday, I think!
Okla Don't you dare blame yourself! Please don't force yourself back to work too early. You'll be very weak and could make yourself a lot worse, says Mother Hen bossily.
SashaMonsta How are things now?
Merka Waves.Great advice from you, Punkstar and others.
Lottie How are you?
mrsb87 Good luck with scan.
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored, I'm amazed at how quickly the thread has moved along.
xx

Starry That heartburn's awful - didn't realise you could dilute yucky Gaviscon. Some people have had ranatadine presscribed for it, I think.
Sometimes Gaviscon undiluted made me heave nicely. I used to do something really bad and dilute bicrab of soda when desperate, which is much too salty, of course.
xx

Hello everyone,Hope everyone's managing through ok today.I've had a bit of a rubbish few days where symptoms seemed to get worse again after improving for a few weeks but it seems a bit like that.Have been trying to get through completely med free because I tried stemetil and metrochlopromide in the beginning and they both made me feel so awful.Now I've been prescribed cyclizine..what are people's experiences of that?
Hope everyone is doing ok xxx

Ps got my 20 week scan on Monday.. Am nervous because of not being able to eat healthily or take vitamins but hopefully all will be fine and I shall be able to relax a bit fingers crossed! Hope others scans all go well too!

Lucinda it's sachets of powder I think (haven't opened the box yet!) that you dilute with water. I'll ask my GP about the ranitidine when she's back from leave. In the meantime, I'll give the gaviscon a go. Last night's indigestion/heartburn was so bad I could barely move or speak because I felt so ill, and didn't want that again today. I thought some rice at lunchtime would help settle my tummy, but after an hour, the indigestion/heartburn is already starting to flare up. Grr... time to try the Gaviscon.

So, so, so nice to have non-white hair!! dh did a double-take when he got home and said I looked more myself again :-)

George good luck with your scan on Monday. I know it's easy to say, but try not to worry about the baby because it takes everything it needs from your body and a lot of us haven't been able to take vitamins at all regularly (or at all) or eat very healthily, but all the babies seem to be doing just fine. Just us that aren't doing so well!

starry ranitidine is definitely what you need. It's an excellent drug, it's been used in pregnancy for yonks and it's also cheap. I took it from the beginning last time. You just take it twice a day and it really really helps with the acid, and doesn't involve sucking tablets or swallowing liquid which is tough if you are nauseous.

petit I'm not sure when to test but I think I'll try at the weekend if I still feel like this. My period is not actually due until the middle of next week but I have long luteal phases. I think if I am pg and it implants successfully I'll probably get a positive at the weekend, I think with DS it was 11 dpo.

I felt so rough this morning that I am pretty sure I must have conceived. It is such a distinctive feeling. But whether implantation etc will be successful remains to be seen of course. So a bit of a limbo at the moment, trying to push through with a bit of marking at home and get lots of rest.

well I have just about got through another day and i have not yet been sick.... i am sure this time in my last pregnancy i was being sick, DH is convinced!

Meerka: yes there are laws here for the protection of pregnant woman, I am in Germany so the same EU laws apply here, so thank god for that!

Kali: I havent seen the doctor yet, over here we see the gynea when we fall pregnant, I have an appointment next week, so I will see what she says re meds, I do actually have loads of tablets let from the last pregnancy.

Mrsb87: when I was pregnant the first time, lying on the floor being sick all day and crying I also said I would never put myself through this again, actually for a long while afterwards I thought the same but I decided too give it another go and hope for the best.

So I had to head into work today (after some clients sent me several inches of paperwork to sort through and panic about), and aside from throwing up on the way in, having a breakdown on the phone to my mum, and being rather violently sick 3 times, it was a successful hour and 45 mins! not. on the plus side, my boss has suggested/agreed to me working from home thisweek and next - hurrah!7

still feeling horrendus, dont like my midwife, and referred to consultant because of a lung condition. sulking in bed, wishing dh was here or that i could sleep. managed a packet of plain hula hoops at lunch. lovely friend said that baby is proving its strong, yay, but I dont want to feel this way!!

seriously fed up, 9+1. Hurry up and be done with it please body!!

petit I had exactly the same, overdid it yesterday shopping and then was in bed most of today. Waddled as fast as I could for three deliveries (lovely shampoo and conditioner, baby car seat and pram and a huge package of work I could do without looking at haha). And the postman didn't give me a chance to get downstairs! Fortunately downstairs neighbours are nice. Then back to bed until about half an hour ago. Ridiculous how crap I feel today.