Hypermesis 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.

Eallison I am quite shocked;if you had ketones of 2+ hours since, and the GP thought you should be admitted, how can they say you now have none if you haven't retained any fluids? If you have to be re-admitted in a few days, I've heard they'll be fined - it's daft. Poor you, obviously in a state of collapse while they obliviously signed those discharge papers. I'm glad they have increased meds and at least you can try an ice lolly or ice cubes at home. I would like to go and peck them!
dilly That's good news, great, but don't overdo it.
Hello If you're still being sick every morning, a lot of people would call that severe pregnancy sickness, but compared to earlier...
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored.

Quite frankly I was horrified at the way he treated me. Little things like jiggling his leg whilst it was touching the bed so the bed shook. That doesn't strike me as great bedside manner at the best of times.

My husband got to the hospital at about 2.15. No one spoke to me whilst he was there til I went and discharged myself. He got the impression from the doctor, who was sat there, that he hadn't wanted to tell me to go home in case he got in trouble, so was just waiting for me to decide I couldn't be arsed anymore. I will be complaining about him. His manner, attitude and advise was appalling.

Lucinda once a day is a breeze compared to a few weeks ago

I was sick everyday until 28 weeks when I was pregnant with my son.

I'd love to be sick just once day! I don't think the doctor believed me when I said I can vomit/heave and retch up 30 times a day.

eallison88 I was you a few weeks ago so hopefully that gives you hope that things do improve xx

oh ealli how awful. I'm so sorry, you really really don't need this. I hope your husband can look after you gently tonight.

Take it minute by minute, second by second if you have to

Managed a tin of peaches (and juice) and some chips this evening. Thank you to whoever mentioned tinned fruit, tinned peaches have become something of a lifeline! Made it thru another day! Huzzah!

Am I right in thinking (hoping?!) that weeks 9-11 are sort of 'peak weeks' for this? Have I actually read that somewhere, or is it something one of the useless health care people have said to me?

Hope someone is here to help this early, I've just been sick (nothing unusual there) but this time there there was blood in it and now I'm panicking. Was sick a second time and it was the same, this time more like a blood clot. Anyone else had this?

I'm no expert but I would say if there's blood, you need to get checked out. Hope you're okay.

eallison, I think I was told that it does seem to be at its worst between 9 and 11 weeks. I was terrible around that time and that was when I was ending up in hospital every week. I'm now 13 weeks and although I'm still not brilliant, I'm not throwing up every day and I'm managing to eat and drink better. Still not a lot but more than I was. Hang in there, it will get better soon.

I rang 111 and they said I need to be seen within 2 hours so waiting to ring docs at 8

hello, I'm really pleased they will see you soon. If the doc can't see you can you go to A and E or ring the gyne ward?

ealli I think it's the bad period for a lot of people though um, for me it lasted badly from week 8 - ... er ... a long time.

Sometimes it really comes down to getting through the next minutes and resting, resting resting as much as you can

I've got an appointment in an hour but in all honesty what can the doc do? I had horrific heartburn yesterday so im wondering whether months of vomiting have taken its toll and I've torn something

I'm pretty much doing hour by hour at the moment...well, mornings are a few hours at a time, afternoons/evening are almost minute by minute! Managed to sleep reasonably well last night, which is the first night for a while.

hello worth seeing the doctor, if they think you need more than they can offer they can refer you and you won't have to go thru A&E.

Today I am going to make myself eat something every hour - even if it's just a couple of bites of something. I feel like it must be a good thing to try to keep something in my stomach all the time. At the very least it'll give me something to bring up when I wretch/heave!

It's much easier to be more positive about things when you've had sleep and a bit to eat/drink, and it's the morning (ie my best time of the day for this - ironic as anyone will tell you that I am not a morning person!)

I definitely agree with keeping something in your stomach. I've found that I need to eat as soon as a start feeling even the slightest bit hungry. If I don't eat, I feel sick and end up vomiting bile. If I leave it too long and then eat, I bring it straight back up with lots of bile. If I eat straight away, generally it stays down.

Can I take paracetamol? I read the packet and it said to ask your doctor if you're taking anti emetics. These headaches are becoming worse than the hyperemesis!!

My midwife told me I was okay to take paracetamol whilst on ondansetron. I've pulled a muscle in my back with Al the vomiting.

The blood was likely from a small tear in your oesophagus (mallory-weiss tear) very common with frequent vomiting. Usually heals naturally in a couple of days but best to get it checked out. Hope you feel better soon!

Eallison it sounds like you had an awful experience at the hospital, but try not to take it personally or blame the doctors. Sometimes they're just very very busy, they have to see most urgent cases first, so it can feel like they don't care. If your obs were stable on admission they wouldn't have been too worried about you. I agree they should have given you IV fluids straight away, but things like the doctor jiggling his leg and shaking bed... he was probably completely unconscious he was doing this, and very stressed if he was juggling lots of life-threatening cases. I work in a hospital, there's a lot of under-staffing and time pressures. Sometimes doctors have a poor bedside manner but it doesn't mean they don't care, they just don't have time to sit and listen for long. Doctors are under enormous pressures, especially young doctors in A&E/AMU. And if a patient complains to them about lack of food on offer, they will almost certainly assume you can't be that unwell.
I appreciate it's bad they didn't have anything suitable for you to eat, I have HG too and found hospital menus a minefield. Hospital meals are pre-ordered in advance, but there's no reason why nurses couldn't have made you some plain toast or offered you plain biscuits... they normally have toast and biscuits available 24-hours. If you want more specific foods it's advisable to bring your own or send a friend/relative to get you something from the canteen/shop.

When I was in hospital with HG I had some bad experiences too. Ironically A&E were great, it was on the ward I felt some staff didn't understand, eg HCAs who insist you read menu immediately and choose meals for day when you're vomiting into a bowl. And yes the lack of vomit-bowls was a problem... I ended up taking a stash of cardboard commode-buckets into my room as I couldn't find any bowls, and used them until I was told off (I don't know why it should make a difference, they're just a different shape! Maybe they didn't have enough left for the commodes!) But with the exception of a few staff members, most seemed to be doing the best they could.

Hello Try not to worry too much - as others say, it was probably bleeding from the throat or a bit further down - I have that a lot with my migraines, and it looks horrible,but I'm still very much alive. I think it's more of a danger sign if it's brown, as then it's more likely to be from the stomach - but a good idea to get it checked if only for reassurance, and I'm not medically qualifiedl. The retching must have been violent for that to happen, poor you.
Suzi272 Welcome to the thread and thank you for such an excellent piece of advice. I so agree that eallison should have received treatmemt and should make a complaint; what with all the cuts and the strain on services, it is true that hosptials are very busy, but I don't think that's an excuse for insensitive or disrespctful treatment such as nurses expecting you to choose food when you're vomiting into a bowl, as happened to you; busy or not. Your use of he word 'likely' made me wonder if you're from the US? Just curious.
dilly I'm so glad you found the tinned fruit and juice suggestion helpful.
eallsion How are you?
Waves to Meerka and everyone. Back soon.

It was me that had found tinned fruit a life line. I'm alright this morning, Higher dose ondansetron seems to have done the trick. Slightly worried that it'll gradually lose effectiveness as last time, but trying to ignore that for now, as hopefully my symptoms will ease a little at the same time. plus, that's a week away (going off last time) and I just can't think that far ahead!

I've just woken from a snooze and eaten a fresh pear that lovely hubby left by bed before going to work. I'm comforting myself that I seem to be managing quite a lot if fruit (relatively speaking!) so that must be good for baby. I am so worried about what my diet/drugs are doing to baby, but do know logically that the drugs mean I can eat/drink a little and to not do so would be worse.

Thank you for everyones kind words yesterday, they meant an awful lot when I felt surrounded by people who didn't understand or care.

eallison Whoops, sorry, silly of me; I've got scrambled brains today and I meant to ask dilly how she was, and to say to you I'm glad about the tinned fruit.. I'm so glad the increased dose is helping; unfortunately, ondansetron can cause locked up bowels, so do get lovely OH to get you some jelly suppositories from a chemists just in case. Although they routinely use them in hospitals, they might be funny about your being pregnant, and he might have to keep quite about that; it's daft, they won't give cyclizine to pregant women over the counter, though it's been used in pregnancy for decades, some health and safety thing. Being able to eat something as healthy as a pear is great.

Already fighting the constipation battle! Will remind hubby to pick me up Something. Over the course of a day as I think of things to try he gets texts and ends up with some really very random shopping lists! I'm amazed at how wonderful he's being. And as long as I don't go in the kitchen and see the bombsite in there, its fine! He's never been a washer upper, which is normally ok: he cooks, I tidy up afterwards. Now its a little more problematic. But he did think ti put a wash on yesterday! He might be a bit more domesticated by the time baby arrives!

Well doc says I've torn my oesophagus so got meds to help it heal plus enough gaviscon to sink a battle ship!

Gaviscon is my friend too! Glad they were helpful

oh good hello im glad to hear it's 'only' that and not more serious though deeply unpleasant! Hope you can manage the gaviscon, it seems that it's a love-it-or-hate-it med in HG. (it helped me a lot).

ealli how are you today?

dilly paracetamol is considered safe in preg.

hello suki, welcome, sorry to hear about your HG. How far along are you now? :)

I'm alright. Alternatively sleeping and eating small things. Just ventured downstairs to the kitchen to try to feed myself to find what can only be described as a disaster zone. There isn't one piece of crockery/cutlery/cookwear that doesn't need washing up. So a simple job of heating up tomato soup in the microwave became a 20 minute mission of washing things up and using a pan on the hob cos hubby dearest secreted yhe microwave into the cellar when ppl were looking at the house and ge hasn't returned it.

oh dear ..... it nags at your peace of mind too when things are like that doesn't it! Only thing you can do is close your eyes. But he does sound like he's really doing his very best. it must be hard for the other halves to see their wives like this, day in day out, while growing their baby.