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.

Hiya, sorry to have gone silent; stream of visitors and the boys have taken up a lot of time too; and it's been the local Christmas.

toavoid, I think each doctor varies. If you get different ones all the time, maybe one will take pity and give you a month's supply? especially given that it's christmas, new year and hard to get an appointment? I suspect they are worried about the cost.

jen sorry to hear that the HG is rearing up again :( had hoped you would escape...

noroom and kali how are you now?

Wondering if basgetti's little passenger is getting ready at long last to vacate ...

comeagain you can get a box of 100 cyclizine for 20quid at the moment from boots ... not sure if that works out more expensive than repeat prescriptions (but do you get them free in the UK when preg?)

darn site is well protected, very difficult to get to it from outside the uk, several layers of protectoin apparently

It's just so frustrating to have to repeat myself over and over and always worry about when I might run out. So far that's never happened but I'd hate it to happen. I've got my life back, I've been back at work full time for a while.

When I stopped Ondan it was a completely different story and I was off again and feeling completely miserable.

Just be thankful I've only got 1/3 of the pregnancy to go and it isn't a life long condition.

toavoid in your situation I would probably buy cyclizine over the counter as it's not that expensive and would give you a back up. The ondansetron is trickier though as you can't buy it over the counter and it is quite expensive which may be why they will only prescribe in fortnight chunks. Really annoying though. The only good thing about going in and out of hospital as much as I did is that I basically never ran out of a prescription! And I can only take ondansetron very rarely now so have a massive backlog. I have been getting a month's worth of cyclizine, omeprazole and ranitidine at once, but that's a prescription from the consultant filled at the hospital pharmacy which is maybe different.

Thanks for asking after me meerka. I am OK, sort of. Managing to stay out of hospital, thank goodness, and have now been let off all the awful monitoring as have had two good scans, one last week and one yesterday, and both showing baby is fine and fluid levels are now normal - in fact baby apparently growing better than he was, despite the fact I've spent the entire last month in bed again and can only really consume biscuits, olives and Coke Zero, plus the occasional KFC Zinger Burger. (The Coke Zero is really weird as it claims to have no sugar AND no calories. What can possibly be in it? Presumably just caffeine and awful incredibly addictive chemicals?! But weirdly it really takes the edge of the nausea, so I am carefully not finding out.) I am still measuring small and I feel quite small for someone now into the last 4-6 weeks of pregnancy, but basically I think they have concluded that as the baby is the right size and the fluid is OK I must just have not put on that much weight. Maybe not a HUGE surprise in the circs!

I am 34 weeks today. Baby has been head down for ages already so as soon as I hit 37 weeks I will be chugging the raspberry leaf tea - if I can keep it down! - to try to encourage eviction. Bit worried about the aftermath though as I am apparently in a very very high risk category for serious mental illness post-birth. Bit scary! So although it'll be good to have had the baby I won't really breathe a sigh of relief until we have got through the first couple of months reasonably OK.

DS is doing really well though - he was 2 a couple of weeks ago and is at a very sweet age. He seems quite OK about the baby except that he is very clear that it's not going to come out but is going to stay inside Mummy. Think he might be in for a bit of a disappointment there!!

Hi Meerka not yet! Getting a lot of tightenings across my bump but then they just stop again. Vomiting at least once a day again now, and keep having the runs the other end! Hoping for something to happen soon, utterly fed up. 39+3 today.

ToAvoid my surgery give me cyclizine and ranitidine in bulk, but I've only ever been given a small amount of ondanestron at a time, I assume because of the cost. Hope you can get your prescription sorted so you are covered over xmas.

Hope everyone else is feeling okay xx

X post kali, glad your scans have been positive and you have avoided another admission so far. Full fat coke is my current go to drink, I detested it prior to pregnancy and would only ever drink diet, now I sip it like water! Hope you get through the next few weeks okay, I understand your worries about mental health post birth, I've spent most of this pregnancy feeling depressed, detached and resentful and I still don't feel any real bond. I'm struggling to even think about bringing baby home and actually having her here in our family as I've just been so focused on wanting her out of me so I start to feel better.

ToAvoid I get 90 cyclizine which is a months worth for me. Perhaps the doctor thinks you'll be better in 2 weeks, better in 2 weeks, better in 2 weeks. When really they should just say sod it dragging yourself in here every 2 weeks isn't helping anyone. Here's more. I needed them till I have birth last time and I can't see why this pregnancy would be any different. Going back every 2 weeks would get irritating pretty quickly! Fortunately my maternity exemption had come through now so they're free but would have been expensively I'd only been getting two weeks worth on one prescription.

Lucinda waves Free Wee with a Christmas name change. If anyone would like to vote for my name change I'd be very chuffed as to be this sick and considered funny is quite an achievement for me!

Had my 12 weeks scan yesterday to find I was 13+2 with one baby doing little leaping movements! So pleased to see that despite all the horrendous nausea the little baby making me feel this way is coming on nicely. Always a special moment reminding me why I'm doing this.

basgetti I feel I could have spoken your words myself in my last pregnancy. I didn't book antenatal classes till very late, didn't make decisions about stuff to buy till very late because all I could think about was wanting to feel better. I was all of those things you describe and if my midwives had had any sense they should have checked me out for antenatal depression. I was crying every night not sure how I'd get through the next day. The first time I felt a bond was when they laid her in my arms after the long drawn out labour and EMCS. I said "thank God she's gorgeous" and that was it! Bond established! I couldn't feel my arms because of the epidural so I couldn't really cuddle her so I just kept saying to my DH "cuddle her for me please. Cuddle her for me". I realised what people meant when they say it will all be worth it in the end. I couldn't really believe that before but I'm doing it again so it must be true! So please don't worry about how you feel about your baby now and if you have concerns after you've met him or her then of course get help straight away. Actually meeting them can be a game changer though.

Thanks for the reassuring words WeeFree. The one thing I'm clinging onto is he fact that I loved my DS as soon as he was born despite having felt little bond during that pregnancy either. It's just that this time my health has been even worse and I've definitely been depressed at times. I'm sure it will all be fine once she arrives! x

Hi everyone, hoping for some reassuring words. I'm on my 5th week of being sick now and today is particularly bad, I can't keep anything down got a banging head ache and feel so fed up (I can't imagine how the ladies who deal with sickness throughout feel). I've been given some cyclizine (I think that's how you spell it) from the doctor but am a little reluctant to take it. Some days I'm great and have no sickness but other days when I'm sick I'm very very sick. Totally fed up and can't stop crying I feel that crap anyone have any tips on staying hydrated? Thanks xxx

HI bustherb, congrats and commiseratoins

Please do take the cyclizine. it is safe. It's been used for decades now on millions of women (it, or its sister-histamines) and it's actually pretty weak. It can be dangerous to become dehydrated, which is why people end up in hospital, it's much better to take cyclizine or even something a bit stronger than get dehydrated. Its sister med has been licenced for use in the USA in preg as category A, the safest; it's considered entirely risk free :) Give it three days to build up in your system.

Hydration? try sucking ice chips, or Mother Hen (Lucinda) has some good tips in her post this page or last page. Very hot or very cold liquid can help. Using a straw can help some people too.

basgetti I felt nothing in either pregnancy - in fact worse than mere nothing in the last one - but once out, the bond comes. In truth I was very weak indeed after the first one but the bonding came. The weakness was more the problem than any HG. But after a few weeks, the bond was strong as ever can be. With the second, the bond was instant despite feeling literally nothing before the actual labour started.

When you're utterly miserable it's really hard going, it's hard to feel anything. But it -will- come

Kali ... good luck on the mental health side. I was at extremely high risk too and fortunately it's not hit either time. Fingers crossed for the best for you too.

Btw, apparently, ahem, nipple stimulation helps bring labour on. Lots and lots of it. Must be very boring but at least it might help toughen them up for the post-birth feeding ...

Basgetti and Kali you've had it so so tough. Keep posting. The fact that you have continued this pregnancy and gone through so much for your babies sounds to me like you have bonded in a way already. You've already gone through so much to allow your babies to survive.

busther take the drugs. They are safe. Lots of us use cyclizine as our back-up drug and are on stronger drugs on top of that. I would suggest checking for dehydration, you can get ketostixs from the chemist to check for dehydration.

How far on are you?

Thank you both. I think it's worried me because my dr said to only take them as a last resort as there's no research into them I'm 11&4 having my 12 wk scan today. I've woken up and I think I feel better but that could all change xxxx

your doctor is woefully inexperienced in this area bust sorry.

Read up on this link: www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/help/treatments/

The elderly doctor who works with this organisation is extremely experienced and has co-authored papers and worked with some of the best professionals in the UK on this - Prof Roger Gadsby being the main one.

You can trust the info on this site.

cyclizine is one of the best-researched ones I believe; as I said its sister-drugs are classed as absolutely safe in both the USA and Canada ... the USA is not known for being slow to litigate if there are problems! For certain the strongest, ondansetron, is well -researched. Some of the others are much less formally researched but have been used for many years and many, many women and are considered to all intents and purposes safe.

Also cyclizine is recommended by the NICE guidelines, the government's own best-practise body.

Now I've blinded you with info (can give you quite a bit more if you like! :) ) please do feel reassured about taking cyclizine. I'm afraid that medical training tends to pass over HG and a couple of other preg conditions.

Thank you, I feel more reassured now. My dr said if I take one I should feel better straight away but I think that someone said about 3 days to build it up? (Sorry I can't remember the name for the OP) xxxx

You may well notice feeling a bit better but it pretty much depends on 1) how sick you are and 2) your own particular response to it. Different people respond differently to it.

so you might start to feel better but it builds up slowly in the body for a few days. If you don't notice any improvement at all, then give it three days and go back to the doctor. Or ... see if you can find another one.

There are a series of meds commonly prescribed. We can give you pointers as to which ones NICE recommend if cyclizine doesn't work.

If you can, get someone to pick up a bottle of Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and take it at the same time as the cyclizine - are you on 3 a day? There's some evidence that taking the two together is more effective. That's the basis of the Canadian med that's uses the equivilent of cyclizine, Diclectin.

Hope everyone is feeling okay today. I'm currently getting contractions every 15 minutes, thinking (hoping!!) it's the start of things. Will either update with a disappointed face later or maybe with a baby pic in the next few days. Hope its the latter xx

Eurgh! Feeling totally rubbish. Don't have the energy for consultant appointment this afternoon but I had a brain wave in the night to ask if I could be put on ranitidine as that has helped in the past.

Sorry that people are having such a rough time. I'm finding that the need to 'sort' Christmas is taking it out of me and making me worse.

Ooh basgetti that's very very exciting! What's happening now? Fingers crossed it keeps going. I was thinking the diarrhoea you mentioned yesterday sounded promising! Of course I am especially excited because once you've had your baby I think that I AM NEXT!! (Due Jan 28th but anytime after the first week of Jan would be absolutely fine with me . . . )

To be honest I did have problems bonding with DS after he was born. I think it's important to be honest that that can happen, even though luckily the great majority of women on here have avoided it despite being sick right to the end in some cases. But I was very unwell after DS - I was diagnosed with PND a couple of months in but it began immediately after birth and I felt quite confused very early on, both of which are more typical of post-partum psychosis rather than typical PND (which usually starts a bit later) so I didn't have any period of feeling good and bonding with DS before my mood collapsed. That's partly why I am considered so high risk this time. I also had ongoing probs with nausea and sickness (which was a huge disappointment last time but which I'm prepared for this time), my SPD was slow to recover and I had a bout of viral meningitis which landed me back in hospital when DS was only 6 weeks old - not a good combination! This time I hope we are better prepared, I shall probably mix feed from the start to avoid broken nights (a big trigger if you are vulnerable to the most serious types of mental illness post-partum), I already have a counselor etc in place and we are keeping our nanny on to help me and make sure I get a lot of rest, and I've actually felt more positive about this baby all the way through I think. I might decide not to breastfeed at all if it is obvious that it is contributing to the ongoing sickness (as I'm pretty sure it did last time). So I am hoping that despite the total horror of this pregnancy - with both the HG and the SPD a lot worse - the aftermath might even be a bit better.

bust the cyclizine is really safe; and at nearly 12 weeks your baby is in any case almost completely formed. You may find the cyclizine knocks you out - which can be nice as at least you don't feel sick if you are asleep. Most people find that effect does become less marked if you take it regularly for a while. I have tried literally everything as I am now at the end of two pgs with v. severe HG and cyclizine has actually been the most reliable drug for me - there are several things that are stronger but at this point cyclizine is one of the only things I haven't become allergic/oversensitive to.

noroom yes ask about ranitidine (which is v cheap and has been used for yonks) but also about omeprazole (which is more expensive but also apparently more effective and you only have to take it once a day). I am actually on both and I do find that the two together is better than either on their own. At the very least, they help reduce the acid in your stomach, which is a plus if you are at the v. grim stage of regularly vomiting on an empty stomach when acid is all that's there.

Meerka thanks for the info. I'm lucky that my gp just leaves prescription for me to collect, and I'm Scotland so it's free but thank you.

The bnf was much use tbh and there were no good doctors on to ask. Oh well.

bustherb TAKE THEM the difference they made for me is fabulous. Still a bit sick at times but no where near as bad. My appetite hasn't fully returned but I can eat and drink. And im back at work. Although I was sick this afternoon when I got up (night shift last night).

basgetti how exciting! Hope everything is going well

well I survived a trip to the physio. Self referred after my cramp in the leg episode as my hip was playing up.

Physio didn't think it was anything to worry about as everything seemed to be in line but she gave exercises to protect pelvic girdle and need to do the "keep yer knees together" routine. Which is absolutely fine by me.
Rather do a pre-emptive strike to protect myself

hope everyone is feeling alright (ish)

basgetti fingers crossed, I bet this is it! :)

Sorry everyone,my usual migraine, just tried to catch up.
basgetti Great - I so hope this is it.
bustherb Wecome, I can't add anything to great advice from others and links, about hydration the juice of tinned fruit, jelly, ice lollies, and sips of coke (either sugary or diet) are all worth tryiing, also soda water. I liked Ironbru and Lucoazade or Dr Pepper, but many disagree. I hoe it soon gets better for you, don't hesitate to ask for stronger meds if you find they're not working enough in a couple of days.
Meerka welcome back, we've missed you.
Kalidasa Thank goodness you've reached 34 weeks. It's bad that you've got allergic reactions to most of the stronger meds. You are one tough women.
ToAvoid and comeagain It must be so wearing going back and back to the dr's. I can see they are worried about the cost of ondansetron, but cyclazine is diffferent. That's a great idea from Kalidasa.
NoRoom I do hope the anti acids help.
WeeFreeKings Witty name, I'll vote for it, and well done on having an intact sense of humour.
Apologies to anyone overlooked/cross posted with.
Waves to all. Next Christmas will be very different!

I am sipping lucozade at the moment, Lucinda! All cokes are making me feel worse right now.

The nausea is horrible, I feel wretched, and I have my flu shot tomorrow. Yay. I haven't got the ondansetron yet as I have been too busy to phone the dr, but will request it when I am in getting said flu shot. Also have my staff xmas do tomorrow night and I really hope I can eat, as after the vomiting in the car incident, speculation is rife and I am not ready to go public just yet. We haven't even told DH's mum.

Kali, I was and am also in the high risk for post natal mental illness category. When DS was born I was extremely ill for some weeks. It wasn't so much bonding, it was extreme anxiety. I felt that it was wrong that there was a baby in the house, wrong that it was my baby, and I shouldn't be looking after a baby. When he slept, I watched him. I didn't sleep or eat for the first week of his life. I cried a lot. I lived in abject terror that he would wake up and need me for something and I would get it wrong.

I felt utter and complete terror ALL THE TIME. I was terrified that I was going to not look after him properly. I was terrified that DH wouldn't bond with the baby and blame me for ruining his life. I wished there was some way we could give him away so that we weren't the ones looking after him, only nobody would understand.

I had episodes of shaking and chills, where I was wrapped in heated blankets, shivering. My mother was extremely concerned and phoned the doctor, who put me back on my antidepressants and told me to go and stay with my mum - I was there for about three weeks until I felt ready to go home.

It was awful, and frankly a recurrance of that is more frightening to me than the hyperemesis.

My doctor and I (the same doctor - I was nervous telling him I was pregnant again, I'm sure he is delighted to be stuck with me through this again) are monitoring my antidepressants closely and considering keeping me on them throughout, so that when the baby is born there is something there to cushion the shock to my system. My mum has said she will help out wherever she can, maybe taking DS for a while or something, or having me to stay again. So we can only try to be prepared.

My only positive thought is that we won't be new parents - we will at least have the experience of caring for a baby, so that won't be as much of a shock.

Hospital appointment was a waste of time.

I'm hoping that Basgetti is having lovely newborn snuggles

basgetti hope it has gone well and you are enjoying heroically well-earned newborn snuggles.