How long does hyperemesis last?

[Elly1712]

Can people give me any good news about hyperemesis? How long did it last for you? Did you have it in all subsequent pregnancies? I've had it for 2 and a half weeks now and the thought of another 4 or 6 weeks (or even more!) fills me with dread. I've exhausted all the drugs on offer as they seem to work for just a few days and then I'm back to vomiting every hour or so. I've managed to avoid hospitalisation so far but have further complications due to AEDs that I have to keep down. Anything anyone can say to help make it all worthwhile?

You will get a lovely baby at the end of it! And you will never take your appetite or food for granted ever again. Don't be afraid to go back to your GP or ask for a referral to hospital just in case there is a better drug for you.

Varies massively from person to person - up to week 16 here, but week 12 was definitely the turning point where I began to see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Fingers crossed it won't be that long for you.

Oh and it will be worthwhile! I can laugh about it now (just about)

I've had it for 11 weeks now...it could be starting to ease off although I'm on the strongest AED so who knows?!

I had hyperemesis my whole pregnancy with my Daughter. How are you coping?

I'm on week 24 with 20 of those being sick 24/7. It varies for everyone and from pregnancy to pregnancy xxx

I've had hyperemesis for 4 pregnancies now, vomiting right the way through. You will forget about it. The floors of oxytocin will come and you will feel so much better AND you'll have a lovely baby at the end of it all.

12 weeks first time. 20 weeks second time. Take one day at a time. Think of your squidgy new baby you will soon meet.

First pregnancy lasted up to about 15 weeks. Hoping the same with this one. Only on week 9 at the mo. Lost more than a stone in weight and 2 hospital admissions. I was t actually diagnosed with my first but have been diagnosed this time. Hugs xx

Have you tried ondanstran? That is the only thing that helped me in the end. I took two different types together but I can't remember what the other one was.

I'm afraid I had it all the way through both pregnancies but thanks to the meds I was vomiting much less.

40 weeks wasn't sure whether to tell you that, but I kept hearing about how it was going to get better, and each week I was praying that it would. I think knowing how bad it was going to be/could be from the start would have helped me.

Elfina Yes that's how I felt. I dealt with pregnancy 2 much better as I knew how bad it could be and how long it would last.

And it's impacting on my decision on when to have DC2. I was in the middle of a doctorate and it was just so very hard to do everything whilst feeling like I was dying. But like you say, at least now I know!

It makes me scared to have another too. I feel guilty because I have a nearly 2 year old and I know being ill will impact on her.

People don't understand the condition so don't tend to sympathise either. I get so angry with the abuse that The Dutchess of Cambridge gets

On my sixth hospital admission and having tried every anti-emetic without success, I was given prednisolone (steroids) at 18 weeks. The nausea and vomiting disappeared within a few days; having been unable to eat or even drink from week five, it was like a miracle. My community midwife and GP both said they had never heard of steroids as an HG treatment, so might be worth asking? I'm told my case was particularly severe though - I had lost two stone and was starting to show signs of liver damage from constantly vomiting bile. They tried to taper me off them last week, at 23 weeks, but the nausea and vomiting returned so I guess I'm one of the "lucky" ones for whom HG ends after the birth. Good luck and just try and stay focused on the fact that it will end...one way or another!

I was really worried about having another and tried to reassure myself that it wasn't inevitable etc. Dd1 was 2.2 when dd2 was born so I went for a small age gap. The benefit of this was she still napped so I could too.
I know someone else who had hyperemesis and she waited till her son was 4 and at School.

Second time hyperemesis was diagnosed after one 1 hospitalisation and I was put straight on ondansatron. This meant it was under control much sooner. I'm not having any more though!

I was well enough to go back to work at 14 weeks, although on reduced hours. I'm 34 weeks now and whilst I still can't eat anything greasy and am staying on the antiemetic and Ranitidine till birth, I'm not bothered by any nausea, let alone actually vomiting, any more. Thank goodness.

I hope you're one of the lucky ones too and yours eases early in the second trimester too.

I was admitted to hospital 3 times and found the iv fluids actually a good thing. It was so nice to give my poor tummy a rest and not be thirsty all the time.

Have you discovered the pregnancy sickness support website? I found this to be a lifeline for understanding what was happening, coping strategies, treatment options and knowing I wasn't alone.

Hope you're coping and start to feel better soon.