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 all, sorry for the lack of updates, couldn't get online with my rubbish old phone. I was finally discharged this afternoon.

Had the usual, IV fluids and drugs. My veins kept collapsing and I have counted 11 wound sites where they tried to get a line in! In the end they had to get an anaesthetist to do it. She has written in my notes that for any future admissions they are called to do it, as my arms and hands are black and blue. My potassium was low so needed it in my drip and my liver function was off so they said I might need a liver scan. Luckily the readings were back to normal this morning after 2 lots of repeat bloods and rehydration. Ketones are gone for the moment and I'm tolerating food and drink again so discharged with oral meds. I did get my own room and toilet which was lovely!

I've been told I may get offered an induction a bit early if this continues over the next few weeks so I may only have to go to 38 weeks, it just depends how I get on until then.

I hope everyone is doing okay, and I will try to catch up with the thread as soon as I can xx

Oh thank goodness you are ok. Have been thinking about you. You sound like you've been through the mill. I really hope that things improve for you and that you make sure that you take priority at the moment.

Just dashing on to welcome TheJiminyConjuncture to the Thread That Nobody Wants to Need, and I hope this time it isn't quite so bad for you as the last. If OH reads the links in the introduction he might find it easier. As you are a veteran, I'm sure you've got kestostix and know all about using ice lollies for dehydration, etc.
basgetti Very glad to hear you're a little better, it sounded as if you were in a dreadful state. They shouldn't have left it so long to admit you. We've all been worried.
Oklahoma Oh no, and a swollen foot too, how is that? Colds and nausea and vomiting are horrible combined. I so agree with Meerka's kind offer...
NoRoom Did I get it wrong, or did you say this was your FOURTH Hyperemesis pregnancy?
Hope Everyone isn't too bad.
xx

No, you haven't got it wrong, this really is my fourth HG pregnancy. I was booked for a sterilisation and on the pill when I got pregnant. I was quite happy to have more children (we were looking at adopting) but I never wanted to be pregnant again. Unfortunately HG is not the only thing that makes my pregnancies risky. I'm just glad that I never got round to losing the half stone that I still hadn't quite lost after DC4. I'm fairly certain that I've lost it now!

To be fair, I only had HG for 16 weeks and 20 weeks with DD1&2 then normal ms with DS so risking it for DC4 (DD3) didn't seem like too big a deal especially as I was not working having just moved for DHs work and we had good childcare in place. I wasn't prepared for hospital stays or being on ondansetron until 36 weeks. I can remember not understanding why I felt so ill even when the ondansetron was stopping me from being sick. I don't think I fully appreciated what my body was going through.

Back to puking up blood - yay!

Welcome to the thread no one wants to be on newbies. It's grim but there is fabulous support on here. Moan, rant and despair away, we'll do our best to cheer you up!

Bas glad you're out but it sounds horrendous. I begged for an early induction but they said no. Sounds like you will have more luck though!

18 days to go...

oh god, okla. have you told your midwife? it's probably just the upchucking but at this stage, worth mentioning ... you really have had it rotten :/ you and bas both

very glad to hear from you bas, hope that you are feeling better and that you don't get so bad again!

noroom ... all I can say is that I am amazed that you endured multiple HG pregs. I've had two and am afraid I'm so scared of a 3rd that we're going for a sterilization too even though the chances of catching are very low now. Totally agreed the toll on your body of the sickness and nausea even without the vomitting is heavy.

jiminy congrats! is it an idea to show your husband this thread or might it scare him off?

Oklahoma I think as a rule of thumb if the blood is red it's probably from the throat - I still get that with migraines - but if it's brown it's from the stomach and a medical emergency. As Meerka says, worth mentioning anyway. What an awful thing to be so ill so late on, not at all fair.
NoRoom I think anyone who goes for four pregnancies with this is a hero- and I'd hardly say having it for 16 and 20 weeks was a case of 'only'. That's the normal duration unless you're one of the unlucky ones...
I hope new people and everyone else is coping today?
xx

Hi sorry only just replying thank you for your advice. I've had an horrendous couple of days but touch wood with the ondansetron things are staying down a little better yesterday and today so far. A&e only gave me a small supply and I don't have enough to get me through the weekend. I'm waiting for my gp to phone me later today ( I just couldn't face going to the surgery) and hoping he will prescribe me the ondansetron! It's just a constant battle. I'm finding it easier to eat a little than drink is that common? I've tried the ice cubes and find flat lemonade ok. I feel so poorly I can't function at all I've been in bed just throwing up for 4 weeks now not sure how much more I can take. I've actually considered termination on my worst days I'm ashamed to say and feel so guilty about it. Am I the only awful person having these thoughts? I just want the agony to end. I feel like I'm a terrible mum to my other boys aged 9 & 2 luckily I have a wonderful mum and husband. I feel so lonely and isolated and I'm already dreading facing another day tomorrow! Sorry for the depressing post. X

Coil I definitely thought about in on the bad days and I imagine most people will have done too. That is perfectly normal and no reflection on how you feel about your baby.

I also found eating easier than drinking on bad days. The liquid just made me feel more sick.

I found cold fruit quite good as high liquid content, high sugar and doesn't really smell when it's really cold.

As for how to keep going I literally survived half an hour at a time on some days. You just do and the days pass. It will get better.

Thanks I'll give the fruit a go! Xx

coil ... I think so many people feel like a termination. Some people do actually find it's the only solution. Either they can't endure it or their circumstances mean they can't be ill. You can't switch HG off so ...

Please don't feel guilty. it is entirely normal to want this hell to stop by any means possible. Feeling guilty atm is a waste of energy.

About the parenting. We all feel like this. I think the best thing you can do is explain in age-appropriate terms why you're being so ill and reassure them it won't be forever. Have you got some child care arranged to help? or can your mum help?

Please don't beat yourself up. HG is the illest most people have felt in their lives and it really is a matter of getting through the next half hour, sometimes the next 5 mins like okla said.

If you can't get ondansetron from your doc, ring (or ask your husband to ring) the pregnancy sickness support line, lucinda put the site address above. Leave a message and they will get back to you. They have a list of HG-friendly docs.

Keep enduring, we're here and will listen at any time

Thanks for your kind words. It really helps to know I'm not alone or going crazy!!!! Gp has just rang me and is happy to leave me a prescription for ondansetron. Such a relief they've become my life line. Just wish they took away the nausea but I can't have everything can I? My boys know mummy is poorly and are being very good. My husband, my mum and mother in law are doing the childcare between them which has been a massive help.

coil have you told the doctor your nausea is still really bad? I'm on Odansetron and cyclizine and its made my life so much easier. I'm eating normally (well fairly) and back at work. Really changed everything for me.

I didn't tell him it was still really bad today no. I just asked for the ondansetron. I'm on cyclizine too but I don't feel it does much. I still take it just incase it's worse without. How many weeks are you now?

What dose of ondansetron do you take? I'm taking 4mg 3 times a day.

also, ondan and promethazine may possibly work better.

Cyclizine is an anti-histamine, effective but not that strong. Promethazine is notably stronger.

a lot of people find that ondan and cyclizine together helps, but it's worth trying ondan and promethazine if it's still not doing much. Promethazine also tends to make you very sleepy and actually, sleeping through HG is the best possible way of handling it (not joking)

So sorry to hear of the suffering due to hg. This really is a debilitating condition and very difficult for anyone who has not experienced it first hand to appreciate how awful it is.
I'm currently 8 weeks pregnant with dc2 and suffered throughout my entire first pregnancy with hg. Cyclizine prevented most vomiting but not the nausea and sickness. This time around I hoped I would be lucky and escape the symptoms but unfortunately hg seems to be creeping up. The vomiting has started in morning and last thing at night although I've managed two small glasses of water and a bowl of soup today. As with most, sickness lasts all day.
At what point would you recommend that advice is sought from a gp? Not sure if this would be classed as hg as I can keep water down.
Hope you are all feeling a little better today.

hi alpha, congrats =)

get medical help very early - now. there's evidence that suggests that early treatment, preemptive even, takes the edge of HG in all but the worst cases. So get meds now, and it won't be (quite) as bad.

two glasses of water today is not enough, specially as it's likely to be the same tomorrow since you had HG last time. 85% recurrance rate :/

Alpha01 Welcome, I'm sorry you are suffering badly already. So agree with Meerka make an emergency appointment, and be sure to get some kesostix from a chemists. Meanwhile, do you find ice cubes or ice lollies or soda water, flat sips of coke or the juice of tinned fruit any good?
Coilbabyshock As ever, Meerka has great advice about meds...
xx

Thanks very much Meerka and Lucinda for your advice, will call gp tomorrow.

On a totally different note, a small bit of wry fun img-9gag-lol.9cache.com/photo/a49Ro9m_700b_v1.jpg

I've spent all morning vomiting my ondansetron plus everything else so I'm off to GP this afternoon. I don't think that I'll be ketotic enough for admission so it feels like a waste of energy. But that's what they're aiming for apparently I do not want to go

Meerka . I did a fair amount of peeing on the bathroom floor when puking. How do some people avoid it?
xx

NoRoom Cross posted. Poor you, hugs. Something good may come out of it, a better mix of meds.
xx