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.

Hi Lucinda, thank you for your concern. No ketostix here, but feeling a little better than this morning. Skin/ mouth / eyes all feel a little dry, but head is better and urine looks OK. Ice cubes are helping, will also try tonic water - coke was brilliant until about 3 days ago, now I can't stomach it. The good, good news is that I decided to give the buccal (stemetil) another chance, and although I feel like a complete space cadet, I think it's taking the edge off. No vomiting for 3 hours, which is the longest daytime spell I've managed all week. Will try sipping tonic water now, not long to go until I'm home, thank goodness. Have a doctors appointment the next morning, but if desperate will just present at A&E.

Thank goodness for that, Sunny! You're so right, straight to A and E if really ill. Glad ice cubes are helping. How about the juice of tinned fruit, that was another thing that helped me and has helped others?
xx

Very cold / frozen fruit I find helps too.

Due Dates

I've been scrolling about, have found this, but I know we had some November dates after this..

Due Dates
Livingzuid 6 June
PunkStar 8 June
DiddyBeth 12 June
SliceofLime 2 August
IWorry 8 August
Starry 12 August
What 14 August
Lottie 12 September
Booboostoo 14 September
mrsb87 29 September
mrsnec 1 October
George by the Sea 6 October
Pickofthepops 7 October
Oklahoma 28 October (but definitely not last! Sorry, Okla, I have very cleverly lost the dates for the November onwards people!
xx

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After my midwife not showing up, she eventually responded to my message and we agreed to rebook the appointment for this Monday. Just had a letter through the door saying I will now have my 36 week appointment on the 26th instead which will make me 37+4. I am already booked in for my 38 week appointment on the 29th, seems a bit ridiculous to go 5 weeks from my last midwife appointment then see them twice in 1 week -_-

Hope everyone is having a relatively sickness free day and getting the chance to enjoy the sunshine Managed an ice lolly in the garden early, really helped my mood.

DiddyBeth That does seem really pointless - hadn't they checked the dates?! And really bad about midwife not keeping appointment - couldn't she have sent a text or something? Glad about ice lolly in the garden, anyway.
xx

I'd love to be added to the list (when it next resurfaces) - I'm due 15th December, but this could change after dating scan!

Those who had early scans with their HG, did midwife/scan tech comment on how wiggly baby was? Mine was "super wiggly" and another friend who suffered bad morning sickness/possible HG was also told hers was very active compared to normal (both scan comments at about 9-10 weeks).

Yesterday was ok compared to the last few weeks. Managed to keep some food down, but had periods of feeling rubbish and a quick vomiting session in the evening about an hour after taking my cyclizine dose. Better than it had been but so so grumpy. Also woke this morning and did ketones, was at an 8! Drank more, went back to bed for an hour or so and they are now back down to a 1.5 - phew. Drinking while sleeping is a tricky one ;-)

Hope everyone gets a chance to enjoy the weather if they want to.

diddy I would make a complaint about the lack of treatment you are getting. How ridiculous for them to not even let you know they were not able to make it. I'm at the laissez faire attitude of some healthcare professionals sometimes.

My consultant does everything, blood pressure, weight etc (I get weighed every appointment which is a source of sadness for me haha) so no clues on the closeness of the appointments but at least you get it all out of the way in one day?

On the cyclizine point, my poor friend is not having a good time on it so I have copied and pasted some of the responses here for her to take to her GP. Although I seconded punk's opinion on finding a new doctor! Thanks so much ladies.

khali how did the event go? Very curious to know if you have a bfp :)

Sunny hope the doctors went well. I rotate too between what I can and can't have. For about two weeks it was Orange Capri-Sun then I couldn't stand it. Hopefully you are on a plane back to the UK now as I type?

Sasseh I don't know if that's correct - my baby is seriously idle. I get scanned every time I go to my consultant, which was every three weeks and now is every week. Half the time she's asleep. Although she was very active on Friday and has been quite wiggly these last few days :)

meerka so pleased for you :) as lucinda said, you very much deserve it.

The weather is beautiful isn't it! At my end I am feeling so much better from the stupid cold. It's still there but the worst has passed and my head no longer feels like it is trapped in a vice. And I even slept a bit more too :) DH was really unwell again yesterday so we had a quiet day and I've left him sleeping in this morning. Managed a nice early morning walk with the dog which is probably the sum total of my activity today as I feel quite woozy again now but definitely things are on the up again. I like being able to breathe properly! May even go to the park for a snooze under a tree this afternoon although I'd have to take copious amounts of pillows....everything is better in the sunshine :)

I've figured out too the timing for eating vs vomiting in the morning. If I eat my toast bang on 8 am then it's no problem and the nausea subsides so long as I sit for an hour or so afterwards. Anything after that, forget it. I lose the whole morning to being ill. I have to wait to eat before I take my thyroid medication, then I have to wait to take my lithium as the two are not meant to be taken at the same time, so it is in a way a good thing to be up super early so I can get the thyroid stuff down me and then can eat whenever I like (lithium I have to take every 3 hours at set times). I think there was a lady posting before about medication making hg worse and in my case there's a definite link. Sickness is soooo much worse when I am on a higher lithium dosage.

How is everyone else?

gosh lots of smileys in my post, I am feeling better

Totally agree on the sunshine making everything better.

I'm just lying in bed psyching myself up to move (which means an immediate bile run) but DH opened the curtains when he got up and the sun is streaming in.

Had a bad week but an ok Friday and Saturday. A couple of friends are coming over today for a BBQ (DH is doing everything) so will hopefully have an ok day again today.

Picking up on something someone said the other day... Anyone else worried they're getting a bit depressed? From being sick and stuck at home all the time? My mum is getting quite worried about me. I'm quite tearful and feel pretty down a lot of the time. I don't think I'm properly depressed but I need to reassure her I'm ok and don't really know how.

okla my family were similarily worried about me and depression. Didn't help that I think my sisters thought it was more likely depression than nausea keeping me in the house. They didnt believe me when I told them walking (even in 'magic' fresh air ) would make me sick.

So they forced me out for a walk in the park during the bad times, and I promptly vomited all over the park. (In the magical fresh air).

Tbh this helped them see it was a physical problem! So was almost worth the humiliation.

The doctor offered me anti-depressents at one point to- I declined.

My mood immediately improved when I started to feel better in myself. I still get 'down' and teary, occasionally now, but it's more like once a week as opposed to twice/three times a day...

Yes, my mum is similarly obsessed with getting me out of the house and the magic fresh air.

SassehMonsta and Livingzuid here we are.
*Due Dates
Livingzuid 6 June
PunkStar 8 June
DiddyBeth 12 June
SliceofLime 2 August
IWorry 8 August
Starry 12 August
What 14 August
Lottie 12 September
Booboostoo 14 September
mrsb87 29 September
mrsnec 1 October
George by the Sea 6 October
Pickofthepops 7 October
Oklahoma 28 October
Sassehmonsta 15 December

Lottie and Okla That was nasty in the park, but I'm glad it taught them not to be blase about this level of sickness. I think it's normal to be really miserable with it - but not sure if that is the same as depression? It probably does look like it from the outside, but how can you enjoy going out when it'll make you even sicker?
Livingzuid You have been very brave about the combination of depression and this, and so glad you're feeling a bit more and have worked out an Anti Puking Schedule.
I hope Sunny isn't getting too ill. *Everyone)?:
xx

about the 'depression' yeah I got that too, being isolated and incapable and miserably, miserably ill will do that to a woman!

Might it help to say to them that you are in touch with others with this level of sickness and it's very common and usually clears up pretty quick after the baby is born ? its kind of expected and actually, pretty reasonable to be down and fed up after months of this miseray.

Tbh I think I'd be more worried about someone who didnt appear to be a bit down after months of being housebound feeling like absolute shite 24/7...

I wasn't terribly worried as had concluded the same. Meerka that's a good idea about telling her about you guys. I just don't want her to worry.

okla it can make you feel very low. Hg is mentally and physically draining - and on top of that you're busy growing a baby! So that's extreme sickness, pregnancy hormones and pregnancy tiredness all wrapped up in one. It is not surprising you feel teary and down as you can't live life the way you would normally and your body is being sucked of all its nutrients to support the baby. Not that any of us begrudge that of course, but that's the reality :) People who have not been through this can't seem to get their heads around it. Understandable but it's akin to offering a range of ginger products to help us get over it!

Just a quick lecture - Prenatal depression affects as many as one in ten women and if you are at all worried or think depression could be a problem, you should talk it through with your GP. There are anti depressants that are safe to use in pregnancy if that is a route you and your doctor think you should go down should it get much worse. My poor friend who is struggling on the cyclizine had hg and prenatal depression. She was much better once she started medication.

A couple of us have pre existing problems with anxiety and depression and the hg has without a doubt made it much worse for me. Add the sleeplessness to that and it's been really challenging. Not just for me but for DH as well who has to pick up the pieces. We get through it but I really don't know if I could go through this again for his sake, even though I sneakily do want another one!

As for the need to drag you out for fresh air and exercise etc, sigh. If you feel up to it, then definitely go but just don't pressure yourself to do anything you don't want to do. I find it can be a vicious cycle of making myself feel guilty, that I should be doing something and not acknowledging the fact that I am just not well enough to doing very much at all.

Fingers crossed this will ease for you as you go through the second trimester :)

Mothers, where do I begin They do not know everything. You do what feels right for you. Don't get me started on this subject. I actually have unplugged my phone so I don't have to deal with mine!

Lying in bed absorbing some Vitamin D, with the window open for some nice early summer air could just do the trick (I'm on the sofa doing the same!)

And chant our refrain - this too shall pass!

Oops forgot to add - I'd just tell her that you and DH are keeping an eye on your mood and if it gets worse you will talk it through with your GP. Right now it is caused by being 100% fed up of sickness and housebound-ness! The bbq sounds lovely.

lottie poor you! It's funny isn't it, until they see it they just don't get it.

Nope, but then, until I got it I didn't get it either! It's hard to imagine the hideousness unless you're living it.

Hi all. Struggling a bit here. Nausea is getting worse I think. I am OK lying still, but either eating or moving is a trigger, and I've had a bout of retching after every attempt at a meal for the last day or so. Not actually thrown up yet which is something.

I did get through the day on Friday, and the event was a success. It was really a struggle though. I was very grateful to two of my grad students who helped out.

I did a test this morning and it was negative, but I am only 11 dpo I think so I suppose it could be too early. Or possibly I did conceive but it isn't working out, which would be a shame, but on the plus side if that's the case I imagine I should start feeling better rather than worse quite soon.

okla I think some degree of depression is pretty guaranteed with bad HG, and possibly some of the drugs don't help either. During all the worst bit of my pregnancy I felt I was only really 'circumstantially' depressed, but actually I did get properly depressed for a while later on, ironically when the sickness was a bit better (but I had other probs too). I also had quite a bad bout of PND after DS was born - a bad pregnancy makes you more vulnerable to this so it is worth keeping an eye on it. My hospital had a counseling service specifically for obs/gynae patients, which I was able to use during my pregnancy. This was v. helpful as the lady had seen HG patients before and had some idea of what was involved.

Hi everyone,

Sorry to hear some of you are suffering so badly. I am interested in what's being said about depression and anxiety. I've never been officially diagnosed or prescribed medication but I know I'm prone to a certain degree of anxiety as a complication of the illness I had. (l was diagnosed with encephalitis in December 2012) my doctors and all my family use the fresh air line on me too. I definitely agree on keeping an eye on it though I know a lot of people on medication for depression and anxiety and in most cases I can't see that it helps them very much so I'm always nervous of going down that route.

Kali that must be very frustrating for you. A very awkward situation to be in.when I got my bfp it was only because I tested as I was worried about a relapse of my illness. I think it was cd 37 when I got it. I don't know if that means you're still too early.that facility at your hospital sounds great by the way.

Not much to report here. Still nauseous, still having the bile runs but I'm doing more. I've been cooking the past few days and I went for a swim this morning. Food aversions still here and I am managing without coke crisps and sweets and have lost half a kilo which is good. I definitely agree that I go through phases with food and drink but I've got to the point where if I'm going to be sick anyway I may as well try it!

kali glad to hear friday went so well. is your agenda clear now?

mresnec encephalitis? Ouch :s I bet you felt good about the swim tho! it seemed to help me a lot as being in the water is so physically supportive.

They sent me to counselling at the hospital when the HG hit. All I could say was that I dint need to talk about it, I needed to feel less sick :s Counselling as a substitue for actual practical helpful things like, you know, actual meds is bloody useless.

Hi all,
Oklahoma I've definitely felt very depressed during the worst days..and ive discovered people i vaguely know who I discovered suffered with bad pregnancy sickness/hg also felt the same..i think its totally normal and understandable to feel depressed when you are stuck at home,often alone,all day every day feeling really sick for weeks on end.At my worst I felt like I really couldnt carry on and that I was dying(really).I have worried about it too but on my better days i feel better emotionally.

I have also had that thing of people not believing it cant be that bad/saying you just need to get out etc..Grrr so frustrating especially when you really want to go out but your body is telling you no! Im so glad I can go out a bit more now but that is because my body is telling me its ready,not other people!

meerka so glad to hear all is going well with you :) and makes me get so excited to meet my little one too!

Hope everyone else is doing ok and managing through today.
I have my 20 week scan tomorrow..really hope everythings ok..

Ooh george hope it goes well :) how nice!

I'm enjoying watching Dh build the pram. Holy s**t I'm going to have a baby in two weeks is all I can think of right now!

The depression just adds to the HG misery. I definitely had antenatal depression during the early part of my first pregnancy. I have fared better this time, partly through expectation and knowledge, the other part getting good medical care with understanding of the condition.
Midway I did have a blip, I would say now I'm just very frustrated and incredibly fed up.
The depression is just horrendous when you get it though, it's the mental side AND dealing with the HG horror.

People who don't understand HG just add to the depression. It just feels like someone is trivialising such a torturous condition :-( .....ginger and biscuits, I could be prone to violence if mentioned ever again ;-)

Yeah Living two weeks!
I'm 37 weeks today, two weeks tomorrow. It's very odd to be desperately looking forward to major abdominal surgery though.
Hope your friend gets some better meds.

George
Happy scan day for tomorrow :-)

Kali
Oh no!!! You really need to know, I feel frustrated for you. Glad you survived Friday.

I had one of my best friends stay for the weekend. It was so lovely to see her and she is so supportive. She's also made me feel less nervous about having two little guys. She has a four month old and a three year old and seems to manage it amazingly well. I've never seen anyone multi-task with babe attached to boob so well!!!
On the downside, I feel horrendous today after putting as much energy as I could muster into weekend. See prof tomorrow, will be just the coming off steroid plan and chat about the bone density scan I need to have postnatally.

Hope all is well with Petit unless I missed a thread (there did seem to be a lot of activity :-)