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.

congratulations emsy twins! How exciting! Glad you haven't been sick today FX it continues!

Welcome to Maryj26 You've had great advice- and are a second time round-er,. so I' hardly need to say do get some kestostix exactly at you've had some great advice already from Kali Lottie Oklahoma and others. I can only symapthise and say this is a great thread for support from all these kind fellow sufferers.
Kaliand Basgeti I am dismayed by what you say about Ondansetron if you have extreme bowel problems resulting from a possible pre existing condition - this seems to be a possible long term side effect that hasn't been taken much into account, goodness, I'd no idea. Don't want to alarm people who are doing ok on it, but I can see why they kept you off it this time, Kali. I'm so glad they've matched you carefully with someone who has suffered as badly if not wore by the sound of things, at PSS and so glad you feel a tiny bit better.
Emsymarie I'm so glad promathazine might be helping, and Okla what a nice encouraging post - and from Meerka too - I wonder why you don't hear much about it?
Frenetic Hugs. Very likely, things will slowly improve, don't despair yet.
mrsb87 I think someone else mentioned that it's probably blood from the throat, but worth reporting all the same. This continuing bile run is dismal enough, and with a nose bleed every day.
Lottie Great advice.
Starry I know that in the early days, when I had the symptoms come back for a bit, breast feeding set off puking. If it makes you feel horrible, don'[t worry and force yourself. Baby will thrive and you'll b e happier.
Meerka Lovely advice, as ever.
apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
xx

Emstymarie Missed that bit - twins! Believe it or not, only the second lotg on this thread, how great, no wait, third , because elizabethsmum currentlhy on holiday, had them too...
xx

Congratulations Emsy! How exciting!

emsy congrats on the twins! Wow I bet that's given you a boost

Thanks for the advice, I did ring the midwife unit just to make sure and they said if it continues to ring my gp. Yeah the bile runs are pretty miserable! I'm still on ondansatron as it's the only thing that's made me feel vaguely human!luckily I haven't had any problems with constipation and it allowed me to go back to work. Unfortunately the doctor who has been signing my prescription (bearing in mind I haven't seen this doctor before!) has decided I should try prochlorperazine. ....because I haven't tried that one before I think at this stage I would feel more comfortable sticking with what I know works.

I must say I like seeing my name closer to the top of the list!

I know that feeling emsy - 1 calendar month to go for me!

Sorry mrs I mean. I'm an idiot

So exciting lottie! Antenatel classes tomorrow for me and dh. How is your pregnancy going?

Not bad at the moment. Still got lingering nausea and taking a low dose of meds but managing to ignore it most of the time, except when v. tired. All the various complications etc... Seem under control and physically I feel ok. Got my csection date now and that has seriously done wonders for my mental state! We're halfway through our NCT class and it's been more interesting/fun than I anticipated (tbh, I had very low expectations!). Hope you enjoy your classes

Emsy - congratulations on the twins! I was REALLY suspicious this time as I was so direly ill and obviously the docs were too but I really do only have one in there. Btw, I think I remember that elizabethsmum said that with her twin pregnancy she was v ill in the first trimester but a lot better after that - hopefully that'll be true for you too.

I am definitely improving though it is v slow. I have managed to sit in the sitting room for a few minutes today with DS and I am not as badly wobbly on my feet as I was. Also beginning to put a tiny but of weight on I think - must be all that KFC! - though still way below my pre-preg weight.

Emsy, congrats on the twins - I kinda hoped for twins so I'm a wee bit jealous! Hopefully you'll be feeling better soon too :)

Not too bad a day over here; I think I'm having my first bit of heartburn, I've never had it before so I don't know what to expect, but I feel kind of 'full' and warm around my chest and throat. Very strange sensation...

emsy wow grats!!

Ahhh lottie the nausea is so frustrating! It just never seems to leave does it? I too have got to the point where I can ignore it but since the 3rd trimester started it's been getting worse again.

frenetic yes to the heartburn. Mine seems worse at night and wakes me up with random attacks, I have to sit up instantly to let it pass. Then I need to pee. So annoying.

Congratulations Emsy, what exciting news.

I've had a bit of a meltdown tonight, couldn't stop crying. My ketones are now between 2 and 3. I'm 21 weeks tomorrow. Pregnancy sucks.

Anyone else fantasise of a way to have a wee without getting up?! Really need to go but as soon as I get up the sickness hits me! Oh the joys.
Thanks for all the congratulations re the twins news! I can't believe it still. Changes absolutely everything! Very special tho so all good. In about 3 years time!!

chamberpot + husband emptying it in the morning emsy. Or even better (squatting to a pot gets hard), hire a pee-chair from a disability organisatoin / shop. chair with a hole in the centre and a pan under it + lid to cover it. Fantastic after the birth too.

< waves in haste>

Glad everyone seems a bit less desconsolate today. Glad of actually sitting up, Kali about OH's as lavator4y attendants Meerka.
emys in line with what Kaki says, I remember too there was another woman expecting twins on this thread who again was very ill but it went off by thirteen weeks, Mrsdaishku I think it was...
xx

You're right lucinda - I think she spelt it mrsdaikasu perhaps? Not sure though, definitely something like that. I'm always surprised there aren't more twins on this thread, perhaps the link is not actually as strong as the junior docs' textbooks tell them!

I am finally finally having a definitely better day - haven't thrown up, nauseous but manageable and actually managed a) to get dressed (first time for months apart from to go in/out of hospital) and - wait for it! - b) went out for a quick cafe trip with DH while DS was with my MIL this afternoon. Still can't walk much so we drove very locally but was SO nice to feel normal and sit outside in the sun for a few minutes. Especially if it's true that the weather is going to break this weekend, and I'll have missed the entire summer . . .

I know that realistically I am probably going to have a run of totally dreadful days now but if even I can reach the point where I can get dressed, we shall all reach the end of this tunnel one day.

I am at that weird stage of mid-pregnancy where some days I have absolutely no bump at all and at other times one appears from nowhere. Quite odd, had forgotten that stage from last time.

Hope everyone is hanging in there.

basgetti - sorry, missed your post. Poor you, you've had ketones for days now haven't you? Honestly I think you should go in. I know it's miserable but you are obviously not getting enough nutrition in on a regular basis - either because you are just plain vomiting too much, or because the nausea is so bad that you can't eat/drink enough. I think you might feel better for a day or two on a drip and a reassessment of your medication, especially given the bowel history issue. If you are very constipated at the moment, that probably isn't helping the nausea/lack of appetite. (Have you tried enemas at home? They were the only thing that worked for me on ondansetron - until they didn't! Though you have to be a bit careful with them especially later in pregnancy so might be worth asking for advice in hospital.) You could also maybe ask to see a dietician/nutritionist? I had a bit of a wary relationship with mine because of her obsession with giving me an NG/J tube but it can be a bit easier to consult with a range of these sorts of people if you are actually in hospital for a few days - though depends I realise on how big/efficient your nearest hospital is. The actual process of being admitted is absolutely hellish I know, though there sometimes smaller hospitals are better. I think you've been in before - can you ring your previous ward for advice/chance of a fast track? Though I'm not sure what the cut-off is - at 21 weeks you might go to antenatal ward rather than gynae? That total despair you describe is in my experience often actually a result of the ketosis - I got so that I could tell when I hit 3+ or more without testing because of that awful headache + despair that sets in. Really feel for you being stuck in this state again so late on.

Kali thanks for your post, really pleased to hear you are doing okay today and managed to have a little outing.

Yes I was in hospital about a month ago, the ward was split into gynae and antenatal sides, I was moved to antenatal for my last night as gynae needed the bed, I think over 20 weeks you go there anyway. I can ring them directly and I think it will be up to the doctor on call whether they will admit me directly. It's just the thought of it really, I keep putting it off but like you say I have the headaches and my ketones today are +3 so I probably need fluids.

I'm constipated but to be honest I've not got much there anyway as not keeping much down (sorry TMI!) I'm lucky my parents are desperate to have DS for a few days and will drive me to hospital, visit etc whilst DP working so I don't need to worry about childcare or other support.

I'll sleep on it tonight as don't really fancy the rigmarole of a saturday night admission and ring them in the morning if no better. With DS I was sick until 28 weeks, but it was mainly controlled quite well with cyclizine, apart from a couple of brief admissions early on in the pregnancy. I just can't believe how unrelenting it is this time, and every time I feel okay and think I'm over the worst it comes back with a vengeance! Feeling very intolerant towards this baby right now which makes me feel terrible as this was a much wanted pregnancy after MC. Ah well, halfway there now!

Hope everyone else is feeling well this weekend x

Weekends in hospital are a nightmare in my experience, and you only ever see super-junior doctors who can't make any proper decisions anyway. You could try and battle through tomorrow and go in first thing on Monday if it will make admission a lot easier but I do think you should go. You've had a busy week haven't you? Perhaps a few days in hospital with complete rest (well such as it is in hospital!), a drip and perhaps your meds going in IV or by injection, to take the pressure of the oral side, will calm things down enough for you to be able to manage again. Are you just on ondansetron or are you on something else as well? If not you obviously should be and they could perhaps experiment with various combinations. Good luck and keep us posted.

I'm on the low dose of Ondanestron and also Cyclizine. I had bad side effects from Metoclopramide and the Stemetil was useless so I think I'm out of options, my GP spoke to the on call registrar before prescribing me the Ondanestron and I have gone one by one through their protocol and am now last line apparently. I did feel better after my last admission so I know that I do need to go, it's just a matter of when. I was in agreement with you about the weekends not being great and I would prefer to be admitted monday morning via my GP, it's DP and my Mum getting on my case to go in sooner! Thanks for your support, I'll keep you updated when I can.

Well they'll get a drip going tonight or tomorrow at least, it's just in my experience they won't review medication until the consultant puts in an appearance on Monday morning. If your ketones get any higher you should definitely go anyway, but if you manage to keep a bit down tonight you could wait maybe. I also found that admission took so long that however ill I was on arrival I was always much worse by the time I was admitted so if there is a quicker route it might be worth it. At my hospital you can go in via the EGU (where they can start a drip going and you can at least have a trolley/bed thing to lie on) but only during the week, at weekends it has to be A&E which is a nightmare.

We are very similar - I took meto for ages last time but had a lot of side effects and can't take it in this pregnancy. Tried stemetil in first admission this time but began to twitch mildly immediately - they are quite similar apparently and my Mum was v allergic to stemetil so they said I shouldn't have that either. There is domperidone? I've never tried it but have heard it mentioned. There are also other anti-histamines, though whether you can combine them with cyclizine I'm not sure. More ondansetron would no doubt help but is iffy with your bowels. But you might find that just having your existing meds by IV makes quite a difference - when you are vomiting a lot I think even if you don't vomit a particular pill it always seems to me that your absorption is generally slow/not as good because your whole system is so upset.

Obviously beyond the end of the line of the standard protocol is steroids which are the only thing that has really helped this pregnancy. Unfortunately they do make diabetes more likely which I think I remember you developed last time? I think you should still be able to have a discussion about all this though with a consultant and weigh up pros and cons. Nutrition for you and the baby is really important too, especially in this latter part of pregnancy, and steroids really do help with appetite. How is your weight? Is anyone keeping tabs on it?

Been sick again just since my last post, that's now nothing kept down today. Yes I had GD in my last pregnancy, my GTTs have been clear so far this time but due my next test at 26 weeks.

Weight wise I'm not sure, I was a little bit overweight prior to getting pregnant, but I know that when they weighed me on admission at 15 weeks I weighed slightly less than I did at my booking in appointment at 8 weeks. I have a big middle, my bump is like a tyre, but my face, arms and legs are thinner.

DP is now packing both DS and I bags in case I have to go anytime soon, I'd still rather hold out til after the weekend unless the ward will take me directly, like you say the idea of A and E is a nightmare!

Hmm, I'd definitely get them to weigh you when you are re admitted this time. I never really know at what point in the pregnancy it is serious if you aren't gaining (as opposed to just serious if you keep losing) but they should be keeping an eye on it anyway. Good that you were a bit heavier than necessary to start with. Well planned! I was at the upper end of my normal weight range at the beginning of this pregnancy (bmi of 22 or 23) and I'm glad I was because if I'd started any lighter I would have crashed properly into the underweight category, which can't be a good idea when you are pregnant. I am finally gaining a bit but my boobs have visibly inflated yet again in the last few days so can't help wondering if that's mostly where it's going!