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.

I think I spoke to soon this morning, unfortunately I've just had a vomiting session

Lucinda I am 13+3 weeks along and have had pretty bad sickness since week 3. Have good days and bad bit am taking each day as it comes.

basgetti what meds are you currently taking/ have been offered? Ondansetron tends to work well for me when administered via iv, but not always effective orally. Dr's have upped my dose to 8mg 3 times a day but I find that too much (sits too heavy on my stomach) so i stick to 4mg. Like you I have to spend at least an hour in bed after meds so i'm not sick...and at my worst I can't move for vomiting. Its just debilitating!

mrsnec what about iced soup?

about food aversions ... some people find they stay with you, some don't. Try a meal at home with it in that you haven't made before. The new recipe won't have associations with HG and so you can judge if you're ginger-averse a bit more dispassionately maybe.

durham others have found Capri Sun ornage really helps too. was it livingzuid? Im sure others have too. Maybe one for the could-be-ok list =)

Actually lizabeth'smum mentioned McDonald fillet of sish. Quite a few people have found the McD burgers stay down. So highy processed there's little to digest, maybe.

basgetti i did find even once a day Ondan helped. I didn't have much, and it was sent out from the UK so I wasn't able to get more so I rationed it. But that one tablet did notably help. Worth trying?

Also, it´s expensive so doctors are often reluctant to prescribe it. But if you can afford it, you can ask for a private prescription for it.

Sorry you've been sick again Durham. I currently have cyclizine and stemetil. I've been through most drugs though!

Meerka I have been on Ondanestron but was taken off it in hospital because of my existing bowel issues, it had a pretty bad effect. I was on a low dose before, I might speak to GP and see what he suggests. I was discharged with a massive box of Movicol so I might be able to find a balance!

Sorry meant to explain, I was given Ondanestron by my GP and it made me very constipated and as I have problems with bowel obstruction (have been hospitalised with it several times) they reduced the dose to 4mg once a day, twice at most. I was then admitted so having it IV and my bowel just seemed to stop working so they stopped it, I couldn't keep oral laxatives down and ended up having suppositories and it took days for my bowel to start working properly again. Sorry that was TMI! I think I def need a chat with GP.

Thanks for your kind words everyone.

Nicky felt like she couldn't move off of the sofa last night so we again spent the night apart. More vomiting this morning after taking the early morning dose of ondansetron and ranitidine. Since then she's been able to keep much down, so a bad day with little to eat or drink.

It's been busy too as I had to continue cleaning the house this morning for our new buyer (we're moving), plus I've had to run the forms back to the developer of our new build as Nicky can't get to the office. With this in place, I've been running around too to get the ID/funds paperwork for our revised mortgage. Whilst I have been "amazing" there is little I can do to help Nicky from being sick.

We've just another episode, so I'm hoping some rantidine can be taken and will stay down. That should help her upset tummy.

Odd that this has happened now. Two senokot were taken last night, which did works this morning, but this is the first time on ondanestron (apart from the rich fish pie incident) that Nicky has had a bad day,

Yup, we're living on sandwiches and cereal here too, largely!

Still holding out that Nicky will get well by 16 weeks, which is the mode average in the PDF presentation link I gave above.

Here's a question. Do you find you smell odd smells when you are about to be sick, or start to feel very unwell?

Ondansetron cost - could someone actually ask what it costs the next time they are in? :-)

From what I've read, the patent with GSK (brand name:Zofran) existed until 2006 (was on a pediatric extension), but since then the generic form is available, naturally at a much reduced cost.

I'm kicking myself because a few weeks back I think I found something online to suggest that although it was a few pounds more than the other drugs per course, it is now nothing like it was once. That link is something I now cannot find!

If I'm right, it'd blow another myth out of the water.

I learned a hard lesson yesterday.. even if I think I'm doing 'better' it is still not wise to go for chippy fish and chips.

Yuck :(

After an awful night, still feeling a little shaky. Definitely still need to be careful with takeaway apparently!

Hope others have had an okay weekend.

Ondanseteon is now available generically and much more cheaply than it was but it is still expensive compared to cyclizine, for example. Also, there aren't that many UK studies trying to ascertain if it is safe in pregnancy so some UK doctors don't like to prescribe it. Apparently the wealth of info about it in America doesn't count

I was told by my obstetrician that there is a possible link between ondanseteon and small for gestation babies which I was about because surely it is more the fact that you only get ondanseteon for severe HG as a last choice anti-emetic so it's more likely that an under- nourished woman would have a small baby, not the meds cause it?! Besides DD3 was 9lb 13oz and had a shoulder dystocia so I think it's nonsense anyway.

Spent the last hour being so sick. Didn't even keep my meds down ten minutes, my throat hurts so much. Was really hoping I'd be improving by now, this weekend has been awful.

Sorry you're suffering frenetic x

basgetti poor you - I have so been there on many occasions. really hoping for you that this is just a brief relapse. have you particularly overdone it in the last few days? in my first preg hg unfortunately remained ever present in the background and often reared its head just when I felt I was on top of it, which is why it is so frustrating and debilitating. please don't push yourself. let this episode pass and rest as much as you can. even if it is only an ice cube that you can suck - at least it may help ease your throat a little. Sending love xx

Thanks elizabethsmum, I was feeling a bit shaky so I've just eaten a biscuit and I'm sipping water. Feeling a bit better now I'm lying in bed. To be honest I've had a really lazy weekend, hardly done anything as too much movement has been making me sick so not sure what has triggered it.

My first pregnancy the HG had eased by 28 weeks but this time round it has been much more severe so I'm bracing myself for it to go on longer. Sorry for the constant moaning lately, it's just nice to be able to offload where others know what you're going through!

Well DS is off school today, had upset stomach in the night so now I'm wondering if we all have a bug. Hoping so, that would be preferable to HG worsening again!

Hope everyone feeling okay this morning x

Bas I totally feel for you. I also have spent the whole preg hoping it's going to clear up but it never has. 34 weeks now and still puking several times a day. It's the all day nausea that is so unbearable though.

Frenetic, Durham & No Room hope you're feeling better today.

Daddy you sound very similar to my husband. He has been amazingly supportive and is doing everything but can't help the sickness and really struggles with the fact there is nothing he can do. Great post btw. I found that cold fruit was my safe food. It also has a high water content which helps with the dehydration. And agree with the not eating and drinking at the same time. That usually ends badly!

Waves to Meerka, Lucinda & E's mum thanks for the support as always

Sorry that everyone is suffering :/

There is a very big study published in Feb 2013 on pregnancy in Danish women; 600,000. They studied the results regarding thousands of people who had taken ondan. (Im not quite sure how to read the actual numbers, if its roughly the same 2000 women who took ondan. or if it was several sets of roughly 2000 women. So the sum total could be either roughly 2000, or a sum total of around 8-9000 women).

Either way I'll copy paste the results: *Ondansetron taken during pregnancy was not associated with a significantly in

creased risk of adverse fetal outcomes. (Funded by the Danish Medical Research
Council.)*

this is the link www.nejm.org/doi/pdf/10.1056/NEJMoa1211035

This study means that the results of its use have been more analysed than some of the other drugs used actually.

In absolute fairness, drugs - any drugs - you take in preg are not, theoretically, guarenteed risk free that something goes wrong that you don't detect for many many years. But that chance has to be weighed up against the chance of damage to the foetus from dehydration and the results of severe weakness in the mother after the birth, which also has bad effects.

(Personally after untreated HG plus ME I dropped my first baby down the stairs from sheer clumsy weakness, cue emergency A&E; damaged the car against a lorry with the baby in; there were other incidents and I'm afraid that the bonding just did not happen the way it should have at that point because I was so weak. It's still not easy now 19 weeks after the second HG preg ended, but the bonding is so much better and I'm a much safer mother becuase Im less exhausted).

About the price: look up the British National Formulary on line and search Ondan. You can access it, I can't as I'm expat. The price will be there.

sorry i shoudl be clearer: the study was of all preg danish women, of whom a small proportion had taken ondan.

Thanks for the link meerka will check it out.

maybe a tummy bug then bas ? (crosses fingers) stupidly ironic I think when already suffering enough!! I had dreadful simultaneous sickness bug with DD1 when I was 35 weeks pg with twins- was horrendous but luckily only lasted about 36 hours- the whole episode nearly finished DH off!!

sorry to everyone who has had a rough weekend, seems to be quite a few particularly suffering at the moment- hoping for small improvements for everyone

waves to all xx

Morning all, still feeling very sick today and unfortunately vomited my lunch. Managed to walk to doctors appt without throwing up (was a struggle though) so that was something! Dr very supportive and wants me to return in 5 days for a follow up as I'm on ondansetron and have been admitted twice. She wants to make sure I'm fine and that I'm managing OK, so usual bp and urine check...fingers crossed all will be OK.

daddy it was hard to tell if i felt iller before being sick becuase, well,you feel so rotten anyway.

But the sense of smell ... my nose became the Nose. You could smell things miles off and tastes were completely changed. Horrible horrible taste in the mouth all the time and also, insane amounts of saliva that you have to spit out all the time. All three things happen quite a lot with HG

sorry that you are having a bad day durham but glad that you have a supportive gp (half the battle ime) and yay that managed the walk and appointment ok ! I used to have to wait outside until appointment and kindly reception staff would come and get me- think fear of public vomiting makes it even worse so well done for managing xx

basgetti Poor old you, I do hope you feel a bit better today. One hour puking is exhausiting, and as for your throat, as you say. It could be one of those viruses that are going about, as others say - this illness does nothing for the immune system.
freneticfox That's dismal about the Chippy Horrors. I hope you feel a bit better today.
durhamred Public Puking is dismal, so I'm so happy you avoided that.
It's great the gp is being so supportive, it makes such a difference, again as others say. I'm not being very original today!
Oklahoma It's awful it's never got better. Gentle pats on offer, and for anyone suffering badly today. I hope yesterday's sufferers are feeling a tiny bit better.
daddyleicster It's bound to get better than this, for sure. Even for the unlucky minority who suffer throughout, it's never quite so bad as it is
in the first sixteen weeks or so. I think most people find smells a trigger that can set it off instantly, or then there's the just feeling more and more terrible build up. Not sure which is worse...
Waves to elizabethsumum Meerka and everyone and apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
xx

Hope you're feeling a bit better this evening Durham. I've been really sick again tonight, it happened after some slight exertion so I think it's more likely to be plain old HG than a bug after all. I've got ketones tonight for the first time in a while, I'm going to see GP in the morning and put my case for trying the Ondanestron again. If I take regular laxatives pre-emptively it might be worth a go.

Hope everyone else is doing okay today x

Hi

Largely a meh day. I've been at work, though Nicky's sister comes around lunchtimes and sometimes after work, which is a boon. I think having company breaks up the monotony of being sofa or bed-bound.

We have had an engineer over today to look at roof and without any backup, has meant Nicky had to attend to answering the door. Not being horizontal so led to being ill. This'll happen again on Wednesday and Friday with gas and electrical safety engineers coming over, so am trying to make arrangement for someone to be here. Not a great time for moving house!

Nicky can't even type or read for that long either. We're both tired of how long it has been like this and how long it will take.

I did though read out your feedback, which is great, because sharing experiences really helps. LucindaE you've lit up some hope in describing sixteen weeks and after. Interesting theory on smells too. Nicky thinks it is the same for her. But she's not a natural fruit eater, sadly Oklahoma. I thought chilled water melon would be a great idea? Thanks too for your kind words. Meerka apparently the saliva thing Nicky has heard, but is grateful she doesn't get it!

Any good tips for combating sofa monotony when you can't do much? I feel as if I should make more of the evenings and anything to keep her giggling.

Oh, new course of ondanestron starts tomorrow. GP has written up a repeat.

Tomorrow is one LESS day of HG :-)

Hi all. So sorry people are having a horrible time. Just wanted to encourage those who are wondering if it ever ends that I've had 2 non- sick weeks (28-30 weeks) and managed food shopping and prep for the last 2 weeks as well. Pretty weak and feeble, got anaemia to contend with now but much better. So it can get better. I'm still too scared/ dizzy to do very much in case of getting sick again but...

I really hope you all have some respite and that you are getting lots of love and support. Pregnancy has been, and was last time, the worst time of my life, hang on in there. Pats all round

DL I could sometimes tolerate box sets but often tv made me sick, same with internet and reading. Podcasts and listen again on the bbc radio were good. Maybe knitting or sewing....Sleeping is best of all though coz it's the best escape

Daddy on really bad days I re-read my favourite books. I knew the story so didn't need to pay too much attention.