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.

MuddyLettuce Sorry, cross posted, sorry about awful few days. How are the ice lollies and sips of flat coke staying down? Sorry that you have had an awful few days and have to walk the dog, awful. It is dismal that this has such a bad affect on one's skin on top of everything else. Were you trying a combination of meds, sorry, remind me, as it doesn't look like they are working too well?
xx

I'm so glad to have found this group. I've been in bed since Wednesday, and I'm now at the point where even water is coming up. . In early desperation I told my GP that I wanted a termination, but have realised that what I actually want is an end to this sickness. I just don't know what to do. It's likely I'll fall asleep after this as I've had to hold my phone in my hand. How is everyone doing? Any advice?

Mil just suggested ginger biscuits. I would cry if dehydration hadn't rendered me tearless.

Newshoes you need drugs! Can you get an urgent appointment in the morning? You also need to be checking your ketones because if you can't even keep water down you may need to go into hospital for fluids.

I've had so much 'advice' about ginger biscuits, herbal remedies, exercise (!!), as apparently lying around wasn't doing me any good. Never mind the fact that movement is one of the triggers for my vomiting. To be fair once said family members witnessed the sickness first hand and also saw me in a bad way in hospital they've been great but it is so frustrating when people don't understand, or think it's 'just morning sickness.' Grrr.

yes newshoes go and get drugs! My last pregnancy i couldn't have drugs as i was breastfeeding dd1 (there are sixteen months between dd1 and dd2 so she wasn't on solids) and the difference this time is amazing. I haven't been sick, just feel awful and am able to keep things down. Be stubborn if needed and don't let the doc fob you off.

Have an out of hours appt which I'm leaving for shortly. Health care phone persons advice was:"stay hydrated", "wash your hands" and "ring an ambulance if you lose consciousness"..

newshoes hopefully you've seen someone by now, but if you are vomiting water you will get very dehydrated very quickly and will probably need IV fluids if you don't get drugs immediately to limit the vomiting. Focus on trying to sip fluids a tiny bit at a time - don't worry about food in the short term, though some people find food with a high water content (e.g. very cold fruit, ice cream) easier than actual fluid so might be worth trying. Fluid with a bit of sugar in (in whatever form you can manage) will help you feel slightly less shocking if you can keep it down long enough to absorb any. Try and get hold of some ketostix so you can test your urine for ketones over the next few days - if you are shedding any ketones persistently, even a low reading, you should see your GP urgently; if you are at 3 or 4+ you should go to A&E.

By the way, the feeling of absolute desperation is in my experience a side effect of ketosis: I wish doctors understood this! I have been in ketosis so many times and for so long that I could tell exactly how bad it was without having to do a test, and that feeling of despair is definitely a part of it past a certain level. It also causes dreadful headaches and ironically makes the vomiting worse, so past a certain point it is pretty impossible to break the cycle yourself, you need IV fluids and drugs in hospital.

The good news is that if you have had no drugs so far there are LOADS of options and the chances are very high that you will find a medication that really reduces your suffering even if it doesn't sort you out completely.

Thanks khalidasa I'm in hospital now with an iv in-v interesting point that ketosis increases those feelings of desperation! Fainted twice and doctor was jabbing away unable to find vain, however I now feel quite relieved!

hello everyone and welcome new and willow I hope you're feeling better now you're rehydrated.

We had a nice time back in the UK, so beautiful in the autumn. This time last year I was in bed missing the UK holiday desperately trying to keep 4 mouthfuls of soup down and unable to talk or to move .... It was hard to believe then that it would ever come to an end. It did though, it does. And the Squeak enjoyed England.

kali lovely to hear from you though I'm sorry you're in so much pain and nausea. You really, really offended the Goddess of Pregnancy somehow didn't you! Thinking of you and wishing you some moments of freedom from such acute discomfort.

Interesting about the desperation that comes with ketosis. I felt absolutely desperate but didn't think it might be that. I ... er ... did think when I was going into sepsis after the CVS test that I was not going to last more than a 3-4 more days, but apparently that is a known effect of it. Desperation sure is a side effect of HG, kind of worth taking note of if it's ketones-related.

Has anyone heard from okla? bas how are you?

hope everyone is not too bad this monday morning waves to Mother Hen and everyone

new shoes glad you have got treatment quickly. Hope you feel better soon.

I'm still here Meerka Oklette is still showing all the signs but not actually putting in an appearance.

Thanks willow

okla it sounds like the end is nigh for you-great news.

Hi Meerka, glad you had a nice break. I'm doing okay, still just eating unhealthy salty carbs but they seem to be keeping me on an even keel, just got low ketones at the moment. DS is off to my parents shortly for a couple of days, they have lots of lovely things planned for him and his cousin and I get a little break without the guilt of him having a miserable half term!

Pleased you have been admitted Newshoes, hopefully you'll start to feel better soon and maybe people will now realise how serious it is and stop giving you 'helpful' advice!

Hope everyone else is doing okay today xx

okalhoma hope baby appears soon.

I know no hg pregnancy is the same but what has floored me this time is dizzyness. As long as i an a lieing down i am relatively ok - i can eat little and often and the nausea is tolerable. I'm drinking gallons of flat ginger beer. If i stand up tho i get dizzy. Last sat dh and I took the dds to the theatre - he dropped me at the entrance so all had to do was stagger inside. I had the staff asking if i was ok as apparantly i was chalk white - i certainly felt awful - and ended sat with my head between my knees. Last time i vomited 5/6 times a day and felt like death but i could drive and move around. Is dizziness part and parcel of hg? or could it be a side effect of the cyclzine?

I'm so irritated. The doctors just asked the girl next to me "are you eating and drinking ok" and said her losing weight during pregnancy 'isn't a bad thing". said "sickness during pregnancy isn't common". We're all sitting here on drips for the fun I guess. She then said the lady opposite should try anti sickness bands. She's also just said try not to be sick and stay hydrated. And stay mobile. I assume her next suggestion is ginger biscuits. This is a medical professional.
Thanks basgetti (sp?) I'm praying that drugs will help once home.
I've felt very dizzy willow. Was unsure whether it was dehydration or not.

Sorry for hideous grammar. .

NewShoesplease I've missed the crisis, oh dear, in bed myself with a migraine yetserday, or I'd have checked up on the thread last thing -thank goodness you are in hospital due to others' good advice. I cant believe the ignorance of that doctor - for goodness sake, ordinary ms happens to most people, anyway - but hasn't he heard of Hyperemesis?
Meerka Welcome back, lovely to have you with us again.
Kalidasa ...and you as ever. You are so right about that desperation. I had that,I remember, the day before I staggered to that Acupuncturist, and then I had a strange inability to take in the advice about 'if you don't stop vomiting water within hours you must go to A and E' . Hugs to all who have it, it's terrifying. So nice of you and Oklahoma to give advice when you still feel so bad.
Oklahoma Oklette we are so eager to meet you, you little menace
WillowHouse How are things today, and Glitter MuddyLettuce Freckle and Everybody?
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored or with whom I've cross posted.
xx

about the dizziness, prochlorperazine (stemetil, avomine) -might- help. It's one of the common anti-nausea drugs in preg and i think it works on the middle ear which is responsible for the sense of balance, it certainly helps with balance and sickness. Might be worth asking for.

Oklette it's actually quite nice out in the big bad world, come and try it out!

newshoes that sounds like one hell of a doctor who doesn't know her stuff. "try not to be sick" ... yeah, that's helpful isn't it, becuase we were just being sick for fun you know.

Afternoon all, its been a while since I last posted on here. I hope all is well with everyone.

After a rough week or so since being discharged from hospital today is the first day I have felt relatively OK. Have managed to keep small amount of food and drink down and even managed a walk to to our local shop to get fresh air... Fingers crossed at 19+4 weeks I am seeing the first signs of improvement! Quick question though, has anyone else been suffering from severe insomnia? For the last few months I seem to only be able to sleep for about 3 hours a night and then am wide awake from about 2:30 am. Its driving me and my OH insane!!

newshoes I have had similar advice from some of the junior doctors in hospital, the best one was to avoid calorific food and eat salad (I've already lost over a stone I didn't need to be put on a diet!!). Thankfully my midwife told me to ignore him completely and eat whatever high calorie food I can tolerate.
Other advice given often has been, travel bands, ginger, lemon and hot water, dry toast...to name but a few!

Durham I hope this is the beginning of the end of the hg for you!

Can't believe these doctors. If anything like that is said to me I'm going to formally complain. I'm at my wits end although a scan today put me at 7+3, so a long way to go!!!

Hi guys,
Hope everyone is ok. newshoes glad you're getting treatment (and questionable advice from doctors, sadly I've heard it all before!)
Same as here really, still nauseous, still vomiting intermittently, still look like death. One positive is I have managed some housework, dp's just wasn't cutting it! So feeling mentally much better. Can't do much as it sends me spiralling downward but even so, it's an improvement.
LucindaE I'm only on cyclazine. It works, when I am lying down. Not so much when I do anything.
I have friends staying for the weekend and am stressing about how to entertain them. Organised months ago before I knew I was pregnant and obviously before hg. Dp thinks we should cancel. Mother thinks a distraction would help. Gah! Decisions. X

MuddyLettuce I have to advise that you can't be expected to entertain - unless DP is going to do everything (or the guests themselves) letting you lie down...It does decidedly seem worth asking Dr for stronger meds or additional ones as they might help.
DurhamRed That's wonderful news.
Sympathies to all.Waves to Meerka.
xx

Think I overdid things a bit today. Not had a good evening, ketones now between 2 and 3. Will have to see how I go overnight but feeling pretty rough right now.

I'm absolutely dying to have a tall glass of ice cold lemonade that I can just down in one go. Sooooo thirsty for something sweet and fizzy. that won't come back up 10 minutes later

I'm absolutely dying to have a tall glass of ice cold lemonade that I can just down in one go. Sooooo thirsty for something sweet and fizzy. that won't come back up 10 minutes later