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.

Why is it that the vomiting fits of hyperemesis seem so much worse than normal? I feel like I'm drowning or something I end up gasping and grunting like an animal it's so scary. Also I keep getting a feeling like I have a hair in my throat or something but ofcourse there is nothing there. Has anyone else had that?

glitterbug yes - i suddenly started vomiting with this pg (i was on preventive meds so hoping to avoid) i vomited every 45mins for around 13 hours before i got stronger meds which stopped it. I didn't have time to actually try eating or drinking inbetween and the last few times i didn't even have bile left so felt like i was choking. Very scary but once i got stronger meds the vomiting pretty much stopped. Go back to your docs.

Well i have tried the prochlorperazine and it made me feel worse. Still dizzy, still too nauseas to eat but new symptom of being unable to stay awake. Suppose in a way sleeping for the next 4 - 10 weeks would get me thro the worst but makes it a lot harder to get fluids down. I'm losing weight and getting dehydration headaches but apparantly if im.not actually vomiting there isn't a problem Dd2 was hysterical this morning because they started practising their nativity yesterday and she realised i might not be well enough to go - shes decided that unless I go shes not taking part I use to work in the school as a dinner lady but quit when this all hit as i know from bitter experience it takes your life away and i think she misses seeing me during the day. DH has made an appointment to go and talk to her teacher as she is just a sad little thing at the momemt. I hate this.

Sorry this is epic but DH raised last night that he wants to sort out birth plans when we see the midwife on Thursday and i'm spirraling down. I have ptsd from dd2s birth and its stupid but i've been so focused on being ill that i had almost forgotton that im pregnant.

Glitter it's horrible isn't it? I sometimes feel like I can't breathe when the vomiting comes in waves. I actually get panicky when I'm home alone and getting sick as I worry I will choke! It comes out of my nose too, which just makes it even worse to breathe properly. Sorry TMI!

Willow I know what you mean about almost forgetting you are actually pregnant. I've been that way the whole time, the only times I really focused on the actual baby was when I had my scans, and I'm also sorry to say once I passed 24 weeks and knew there was no going back. Now suddenly I'm nearly 34 weeks, had another scan and will be giving birth in the next few weeks. The only way I can describe it is that I've had a horrible sickness bug for 8 months and now I've just discovered I'm about to have a baby!

How many weeks are you now? Your stress levels need to be reduced as much as possible at this stage, so you can just focus on trying to feel better. Having you stressed about birth plans is so unfair

Hey all checking in, hope everyone is plodding on ok and welcome bubalou.
I managed to rest the last two days (not that I had much choice, couldn't move without vomiting) as dp home but back to normal (well, still off work) today looking after dd. Forgot to share my very embarrassing blood test story from Friday. Had to go to phlebotomy (sp?) as midwife predictably failed to get bloods from me. Went in, lovely chap, explained hyperemesis whilst apologising profusely about lack of veins. He tried left arm after rejecting right arm, got half a vial before vein collapsed and half a vial of blood went in the bin! Couldn't bloody believe it, my precious blood! Eventually he managed to get 3 vials out of my hand before I fainted! Woke up practically upside down in the chair. Never been so mortified, that has never happened before. Blaming hg of course.
willow hugs. I had a pretty traumatic birth with dd and have managed to not think about labour at all so far, just concentrating on getting through hg. Midwife tried to talk to me about vbac which I am mostly open to but when I think about it I start getting breathless (I guess nerves) which doesn't help so I told her we will discuss it another time. She's setting up appointment with vbac midwife and consultant anyway. If it's early days for you too you can always delay putting anything concrete in place, or even discussing it, I am sure dh will understand.

I worry so much that this will go on for ages. I really feel for those who have to suffer all the way.

my house I only have a bathroom downstairs and everytime I get up to go I start being violently sick which is making me scared to go to the toilet as silly as that sounds.

glitter .. just :(

I wonder if our solution helped. We had the same problem and my husband hired a pee-chair which we put either by the bed or just outside the bedroom, depending on how mobile I was. Chair with a hole i the seat, pan underneath. I don't think it was expensive. Might that be a solution?

willow ... fairly urgently, are you checking your ketones regularly? dehydration headaches dont sound good at all.

Hiya bubalou - congratulations and commiserations! we're here, post whenever you need to =)

Thanks for the welcome all

I'm only 9+4 and have been suffering for over 4 weeks now. Can anyone answer some questions for me?

• for those who have come out the other side - how long and at how many weeks did the hg stop?

• how do you stop yourself from getting depressed?

I've never had depression before - however despite a very loving and supportive family I can't help but feel myself getting lower and lower the longer this goes on.

Im quite an active and busy person and I have a 6 year old and I miss my life.

Sorry for the sad tone, just need some help from people who understand.

Hi all. So sorry to see so much suffering. Bubalou, my first pregnancy I started to feel better at 20 weeks but developed a weird asthma/ panic attack thing for the remainder and sickness returned at about 28 weeks. This time i came out the otherwise at 28 weeks but very weak and feeble. Can't do much or I faint. Meant to be on iron tablets but find the nausea they give me intolerable (probably because of having been sick for so long)

Willow and muddy. I too am traumatised from first time and similarly have not even started thinking about baby coming as a serious possibility until last week. Couldn't think about it rationally, just ended up in floods of tears, not done nct or antenatal classes or anything this time round? Every midwife who has seen me has suggested c section Had a battle with consultant but now booked in for 14 November. Massive relief.

Oh sorry bubalou I misse your question about depression. To be honest I think I haven't escaped it. I found it best to try and sleep through or distract. Myself by listening to radio. Couldn't watch much tv or read but when better I did loads for box sets. I have spent so much time in bed even when no longer vomiting. I find I need to take life v easy or I'm unwell. So a sedentary activity like crochet would have been a good idea with hindsight.

Hi bubalou - everyone seems to be different but for me at week 14 I remember thinking I felt almost normal and by week 16 was back at work and managing well. Re the depression I had some very low moments, even paying to have a private scan at 8 weeks in case there was a reason to terminate. But as soon as I started to feel better I felt this immense gratitude for feeling normal again which really lifted me for a long time! I swore I would never take for granted again just feeling well! In the same way as I swear now I will never again take for granted the ease with which I can usually put socks on my own feet :)

It's a miserable lonely place to be when you are in the midst of the worst of it, but as Lucinda always says, however long it takes, this will pass xx

Evening everyone :)

bubalou my vomiting started at 8 weeks and continued till 26 weeks, although I managed to return to work at 14 weeks and then come off anti-emetics at 20 weeks. Between weeks 20-26 I was still vomiting a 3 times a week ish with ongoing nausea but it was so much better than it had been it didn't feel that hard to manage IYSWIM. My nausea restarted last week (31 weeks) but touch wood have only vomited once.

elletorito I'm supposed to be on iron tablets too. I took them for a week and then gave up as they made my nausea/vomiting worse. My midwife recommended spatone or floradix instead. Not got on with the floradix myself, and haven't even attempted the spatone because ideally you should mix it with orange juice or something like that (to improve absorption and taste) but fruit juices set off my reflux which in turn makes me nausea/vomit-y so haven't dared try it. My ferritin was 7 at my 28 week bloods which is a problem (although my Hb was fine) so I suspect I will have big problems come my 34 week bloods as no doubt ferritin will have bottomed out and therefore my Hb will be crap, but hey...what can you do?!

When I was at my worst I didn't even think about the fact I was pregnant, or buying stuff, or things like that. But found once the fog began to lift that I could think abit more clearly. I don't think it was till 20 week scan that it really hit me and I started to look forward to what I needed to do/buy etc

AFM - the returned nausea continues although touch wood have managed to avoid vomiting, and it's nowhere near bad enough for anti emetics. Bad news is that my back/hip pain has really kicked up a gear over the last week and work is starting to be abit more difficult although remains manageable. Sleeping is increasingly difficult also due to pain/discomfort. GP has prescribed me some co-codamol which I hope will make the ability to sleep abit easier. I manage to get by with paracetamol during the day, but hopefully sleeping better will make me more spritely during the day.....everyone is commenting how tired I look, and I almost fell asleep on the tube and missed my stop yesterday - oops!

In good baby news We have brought all our nursery furniture, just the wardrobe left to put together which DH is doing this weekend and then can unpack the final bits of baby stuff. I have a few bits left to buy but will wait till mat leave so am home for deliveries. Only 3 weeks and 6 days left at work.....I can't wait

Apologies to anyone I've overlooked and gentle pats to those that need them xx

Now I have a water infection. How the he'll am I supposed to take antibiotics??? I'm going to be throwing up all over the place.

Thank you for your replies.

Not going to lie the thought of this continuing for another couple of months terrifies me!

But I will just do what I can. I am very fortunate that my job is working freelance on my laptop from home so I have just reduced my hours right down whilst I have been too unwell to do anything.

I miss spending time with my DS bless him. He's been so good. It's just so weird as I have been sick for weeks and only just got diagnosed a few days ago but I didn't realise it was described as an 'episodic' illness. This makes sense as I had a couple of days of almost feeling normal where I was eating Nandos and out shopping all day etc.

If I had known what it was I wouldn't have pushed my body so much on them days which then makes sense that I have then 'relapsed' so badly and been bed bound now for over a week.

Oh well. Small things. I've been awake half an hour and haven't felt sick yet. I think the copious amounts of sleep may be working.

Hi ladies we are currently ttc baby 3 and I'm dreading the sickness as I suffered hyperemesis with my last pregnancy. I ended up given in at 9 weeks and having a abortion. I'm so mad at myself that I never stuck with it but at the time I got so low I started wishing I was dead!! It seems crazy as I love my life and family, it changed me into a different person. Oh is so worrid about us ttc again as I put him and the children through hell. He knows how much I want a baby so has agreed to trying again but we are both worrid rather than excited. It's so unfair some of us have to go through this. I keep worrying if I'm doing the right thing xx

bubalou my sickness started at 3 weeks, I am now 11. I think I hit bottom mood wise at week 8. I had already been suffering for 5 weeks and was no longer keeping anything down. It was at that point I joined this group and got the advice I needed to push for support from the doctor. My doctor has been fab and although I still feel rubbish and depressed occasionally on the whole I am much better. With my first I stopped vomiting at 23 weeks. I am hoping the cyclizine might help to curb it sooner this time and trying not to think about the fact I might only be halfway there! I think it's going to be a constant battle with lots of ups and downs.
Funny people are mentionning iron making you feel sick, I haven't taken pregnancy tablets in weeks as someone mentioned the same. Feel a bit guilty about this; depriving baby. I took iron towards the end of my pregnancy last time and didn't find they made me feel sick. I really needed them, once I fainted in the shower and dp didn't find me for ages. I was petrified of it happening in a more dangerous place. Also, the feeling of light headedness and breathlessness made me feel sick anyway and I hate feeling weak.

Lauracarr hi - have you spoken to your doctor yet? They can put you on preventative meds before you even get pregnant. This is my second hg pregnancy and while it is shit it has been much easier as i was on the drugs pre pregnancy, doc uped the dose as soon as the vomiting started. So while im grumbling a lot this pregnancy is actually more bearable than the last. Having this space to sound off is a massive help as well. One thing i wish i'd done was find out before hand who was around to help out with the dds. So planning can make a difference.

laura hi! I was going to say the same thing as willow. Get meds sorted before, there is good evidence when used as a prophylactic they are very effective. Or so I have read. Wish I had done that! X

Hi all, crippling nausea is back at 25+4, help! Is this a normal recurrence?

HI laura, what everyone else says. There's evidence that getting meds in the early days before you are even nauseous helps stop the full HG developing. It's a really good idea to talk to your doctor ... and if your doctor is not HG aware or helpful or willing to learn, then to find another who -is-.

As willow says, planning childcare really helps. When the HG gets bad it's just impossible to look after a lively elder brother or sister.

Also .... eat a lot, now, and get yourself fit. Put a bit of padding on to help with loosing weight during the first months.

Hi frenetic ... it'/s not common at that stage no I'm afraid. People often find they get a bit sicker again in the final trimester but 25 is kind of odd. It will quite likely go away and recur maybe. sorry to hear it's worse :(

Is anyone watching This Morning? They just had a pregnancy phone in and a woman called in with HG, worried about the safety of meds and she broke down over the phone. She just sounded so unwell and worn down it made me start crying! But then the doctor reassured her that it shouldn't last the whole pregnancy and she should improve soon which just made me want to put my foot through the screen!

Hope everyone is okay today, sorry your nausea has come back frenetic x

It certainly doesn't help that bean seems to have located my stomach and gives it the odd kick. Cue retching at my desk..

I feel a little bit vindicated this week. A colleague in another department has just returned from mat leave, and she was hospitalised three times with HG. While I was lucky to escape that, hearing her tell off a few people calling pregnancy sickness 'normal and easy to cope with' made my week :D

Thanks for your replys. I have read to start the meds b4 but wasn't sure how true that was. When you say preventative meds do u mean anti sickness meds? I read to take anti sickness and vitaminb6 as soon as I get pregnant. I've got a appt with my dr nxt Tuesday. I don't think she's very clued up with hg as I went to her a number of times when I was pregnant crying but she is very willing to give me wat meds I want so if I go in and explain the situation to her I'm sure she will give me the meds I want.
Has anyone tried this method and had good results?
I'm so worried about ds and dd as they don't cope well wen mummy's ill. They are so used to me doing everything. Dh is willing to ttc again but to be honest he's not very good at helping or looking after me. When I had it b4 I had little to no support he doesn't understand why I can't just get on with it, it's only feeling sick. Wen I said I wanted a abortion he said I was a really weak person to give up. So altho he's willing to try again I know I'm really on my own with getting through it xx

Did anybody not have hg with previous pregnancies?

My DS is 6. I had only very mild nausea with him. I was extremely lucky. Very healthy, no problems at all and just a few food aversions like meat for the first few months so all normal stuff.

But then this time - whole other ball game. I do feel let down that it took 4-5 weeks of this for someone to take me seriously that it wasn't just morning sickness. I'm sure I wouldn't of had to suffer as much if they had helped earlier.

I have my midwife booking in appointment tomorrow. Hope she's not a 'it's just morning sickness' person or I may strangle her.

bubalou I had no sickness with dc1.
Had hg with dc2 but was able to eat and drink ok.

This is a completely different ball game. I'm lonely, depressed and desperate. I'm sick of not being able to parent my children.

I agree with all the posts about choking while vomiting. Mine always comes out of my nose and makes it bleed. I've also burst a blood vessel in my eye.

lauracarr I certainly have considered a termination- hyperemesis is very difficult to tolerate so please don't feel bad or guilty. Especially here, in this group.

Also remember you are not putting your family through this. You didn't choose to have hg!