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.

Lucinda I'm from UK (not US), I work in an NHS hospital.
I agree medical staff need to treat patients with respect and sensitivity, and anyone who doesn't do this needs to be flagged up. Compassion and a good bedside manner are very important and most do their best, even when exhausted and busy.

But I've seen it from both sides and I also think patients can be too quick to judge and make assumptions. I know it's easy to assume negative things when you're feeling ill and alone, but formal complaints can damage careers and waste a lot of people's time. Usually it's the whole system at fault rather than an individual.

Ealison did the doctor say anything rude or unkind, or did you just feel he wasn't being caring? Did he say anything that was disrespectful or ignore your questions?
It's easy to label someone as having a bad attitude, but maybe he genuinely had no idea how to help, and had bleeped a senior colleague for advice and was waiting for their response? I agree it was insensitive of him to walk away while you were crying, but it sounds like he stayed a while then asked the student nurse to comfort you instead.
Sometimes, when I'm at work, patients get upset and cry, either because they feel ill and stressed, or they've had bad news. I always stay with them if I can, I try to be reassuring, but sometimes I can't stay long... so I ask a student or HCA to sit with them instead. It might look uncaring to the patient, but on an acute ward you have to prioritise who needs you most.
Your doctor probably had a big caseload of very ill patients who needed him at that moment. I know it's easy to assume someone is just 'sat there' but often they are doing urgent paperwork or organising urgent tests (that could jepodize someone's life if delayed).

My advice to anyone if admitted to hospital is to keep asking for what you want/need and be specific. Eg if a doctor prescribes IV fluids but no-one brings them, keep reminding staff until someone sorts it. I agree it shouldn't be like this, but the NHS is very understaffed and underfunded and less-urgent jobs often get forgotten. The same with the medication dosage... keep asking different people to chase it up until someone has the answer. And if you're worried about not being checked regularly enough, ask a nurse to check your obs more often... if any are out of normal range they'll put you on more frequent checks and alert other staff to keep an eye on you.

Lucinda... thanks, I'm 9 weeks now, was disgnosed with HG at 5 weeks. On Dicelgis, Stemetil and Cyclazine though they seem less effective the last couple of weeks. I'm also hoping this might be the 'peak' and that it might settle soon!

I'm not too bad at the moment Lucinda. Suffering from awful headaches but I can deal with that if I'm not throwing up! Haven't been sick for a week or so now. Still can't eat much in one go and probably still not drinking as much as I should but I'm doing loads better than I was. Still feel a little sick at times but I can cope with that. Fingers crossed that I'm finally out of the worst of it!

eallison, when I was at my worst, my diet was terrible. I'd have maybe a couple of packets of crisps, maybe a slice of toast and that would probably be it for the day. I was terrified that the baby would suffer because of it, but at my 12 week scan, little bean was full of energy, perfect size and seemed absolutely fine. Its true that they take everything they need from you and manage perfectly fine. Its us that suffers!!

He was incredibly insensitive and told me things that I knew where factually incorrect (ie, it will definitely end at 12 weeks). I don't necessarily want to make a formal complain, but I don't think other women should be treated with the same dismissive attitude that I was. He made it very clear that I was overreacting. also, I don't think he did send the student nurse to sit with me, a patient in a different bed said that she went to the nurses desk to tell them I was crying, and the student got up and came to me then.

If I hadn't taken it upon myself to ask for a higher dose of ondansetron and then chase up the answer then I don't know when they would've got back to me. I shouldn't have to ask for medical attention /care. Had I been in a worse state/on my own/not a naturally bolshy person I don't think I would've had the care that I did.

I know the nhs is underfunded and stretched beyond belief, but I don't think it helps to accept below standard care. Especially for something seemingly so misunderstood as HG - if poor standards aren't questioned, and poor treatment highlighted, then it will carry on. I don't want the next woman to be one without the support I have, and feel more isolated and confused than she needs to.

dillythat's reassuring to hear. ill keep on munching on my tinned peaches and chippy chips til 16th March and hopefully see a bouncy bean!

To start with my OH was insisting that if I couldn't eat much, whatever I could eat had to be healthy. When he realised that I could manage more of the rubbish stuff, he gave up with that idea and realised that it was more important for me to eat whatever I could keep down. You'll be fine with peaches and chips

Just dashing on to say good to hear they can treat it, Hello and eallison
I think you will be right to complain about the whole way you were treated as a Hyperemesis patient in the hospital, no rehydration, no reassurance, no sympathy, etc.
Suzy glad thast things may be improving for you.
Waves to dilly Meerka and everyone...

The vomiting is about 4 times a day now (on a good day), Lucinda. I'm 37 weeks tomorrow. Luckily movements have picked up again now.

Tell You what. .. totally understand why babies cry when they have trapped wind! I need to burp so badly but it just isn't happening! And hubby dearest's burping technique has yet to be perfected! Anyone got any tips for how to wind myself yet not cause myself to be sick? Or do I just give up and try to sleep and hope it sorts itself out over night?!

Oh the indignity of it all is just one of the highlights of hyperemesis!!

Very glad i am off for yet another week.... spent today with DH home, only vomited twice and the second time was probably as i tried a choc chip cookie and its on my 'dubious' list (along with broccoli). Yesterdays nutrition was dire, i somehow ate a LOT of popcorn, kept a bit of stew down and felt pretty decent. I have been religious is taking my promethazine and i'm not sure how good it is, but i am giving it a try. The cyclizine just kept coming back up!

My problem is i don't know when to start weaning myself of the tablets. I get a good stretch of days were i feel loads better, then a horrendous day or two. I might of stopped taking my meds a week ago to see and it was hit or miss. I am 14 weeks now and i really wonder if this is starting to pass, or should i just keep on going ? Seeing the consultant again next week, will ask, but not sure where i am with this at all. I am lucky in respect that i don't feel as bad as eallison and dilly now but i'm still chucking up the fluids every days, just feeling more chipper with it. I weighed myself on saturday and was amazed (but probably not surprised) to see a massive drop from pre-pregnancy.

eallison - hope you are feeling better, was following your unpleasant adventures on the web.

trixy I am feeling better, thanks. It's amazing the difference 24 hours of being able to eat and drink a little makes! Mentally I'm in a much better place, which I'm coming to realise is so important. And bonus: I've woken up and the wind is gone!

blueberry really glad to hear baby's movements have picked up again, must be reassuring. I can't wait til I have a discernable bump and then can feel this baby moving around... at least there will be an actual thing causing me to feel sick rather than this abstract baby that doesn't really feel real at the moment.

Hello all I'm very sad to be asking if I can join you?

I'm 6+3 with #2. I had awful HG with my first pregnancy and lost so much weight. It's looking like this pregnancy is going the same way.

Sickness hit over the weekend but was in full force yesterday. Every five minutes I was throwing up from 5am. I had to get DP to come home from work to look after DS. he's 14mo and i just couldn't look after him. I couldn't even get him dressed. At 3pm I saw a doctor who immediately wanted to send me to hospital for IVs as I was dehydrated but she agreed to give me some of the dissolvable tablets instead. They taste like feet.

I feel a lot better this morning as I was able to drink a small glass of water and eat a biscuit or two last night. I hope these tablets work. We have no friends or family nearby and DP cannot continue to take time of work. I just don't know what I'm going to do.

Very long post sorry!

Welcome sarky. You'll find lots of support here from some lovely women and I'm totally behind you when it comes to needing a good moan. Did you find a certain drug helped last time?

No. I tried loads of different anti-sickness meds. I had a nurse come to my home daily to administer a injection,none of it worked. I was in and out of hospital quite regularly.

I've had these dissolvables before and they didn't make the slightest bit of difference then but They seem to be working okay this time though. I was only sick a few times after taking them yesterday and I feel much better this morning.

Glad they seem to be having an effect at the moment. I've learnt that as soon as the drugs stop working as well as they have been you gotta be straight on to the docs to try something else. You gotta be bolshy!! but, you've done this before so you know that!

eallison I always found chewing gum helped when I needed to burp (or keep dry heaving at bay for a short while) plus if I was sick the mintiness wasn't too unpleasant on the way back up :-)

eallison I always find that either rubbing my stomach or back helps untrap wind. Like burping a baby [

A couple of times I've not taken my tablet in the morning and haven't been too bad so I think I might ask if I can try just taking 4mg instead of the 8. Saying that, I don't want to end up making myself really ill again. Weighed myself last night and I've managed to put on nearly a kg from the last time I weighed myself! still 5kg lighter than I was before pregnant though! At least it doesn't look like I'll be putting on loads of weight and then struggle to lose it after having baby!!

I have no idea what my pre baby weight was. I do know that trousers were starting to get a little tighter around week6, just before the sickness started and now there is very definitely space in my trousers. I know what I was at my booking. I do happen to know my bust / waist/hip measurements at 4 weeks, so pre pregnancy as I was on a dress making course!

With the meds, why don't you discuss with you gp dropping to 4mg for the dose before the part of day you know is best for you, then gradually go from there. It's just not worth rushing and ending up really ill again. I know I pushed myself last week and I think that contributed to it all going downhill over the weekend. Slow and steady wins the race!

sakymae Welcome to the thread nobody wants to need, and sorry it has set in so violently already. I'm glad tablets seem to be helping - is it that melt on the tongue bucamstan or whatever it's called? It doens't sound as if you're having anything like enough liquids yet, but as you're a veteran, you'll know all about monitoring those ketones with kesostix.
blueberry( That's miserable at thirty-sevne weeks. i know you bravely went back to work, but didn't you say you're off now? It's too bad it's come back so nastily.
dilly That's a big weight loss still - but glad you're gaining a bit.
eallison I'm so glad you don't feel quite so bad - what a horrible experience at that hospital.I accept that hospitals are now very overstretched, but I still don't think that's an excuse for the sort of treatment you describe. Wind can be agonising - sounds a good tip about winding yourself'!
DurhamRed Waves. Hope you are feeling relatively OK.
Hello I hope you're on the mend in the gullet area (can't spell Oseo- etc)...

Ice pops, tinnedpeaches and snack a jacks will get me thru! And I can totally take tinned peaches and snack a jacks to work with me when I try a phased return next week.

Wind sucks, but is definitely much more preferable than the vomiting and heaving and heartburn!

Lucinda, thanks for all the kind words and support. It's so good to know that someone gets how horrid it can be without being patronising!

Trying really hard not to be demoralised that I just had a little vomit. These things happen. It was only little. Doesn't mean everything is gonna go downhill again . Right?

Oh heck sarky it does sound difficult.

Is there any chance at all of finding child care for your little one? If it's as bad as last time, you will have to have help. HG sometimes just cannot be managed alone . Planning it now will help.

Other than finding the right meds, which sounds very difficult for you :( the best thing is rest, rest, rest. Never mind the house or garden or anything.

Does it help to try very hot or very cold drinks, maybe through a straw? Some people like flat coke, oddly enough. Or sucking on chips of ice.

ealli good to hear today started a bit better

trixy at 14 you definitely might be starting to get better, but it is on the earlier side for improvement. In your slippers I'd be tempted to keep going on meds until week 16 then cautiously try one day without, take it 2-3 days, then try another day without and reduce slowly. Can always go up again if you need to. What you say about good days then suddenly a couple of bad ones really fits with the pattern many people find.

blueberry very glad to hear mini-berry's movements are better, sorry to hear about the 4 times a day vomitting. Nasty at this stage. I hope you aren't totally nauseous with it? Come on little berry, nearly time to vacate the premises ...

oops ealli i meant, good to hear today started a bit better. Hang onto that. HOpefully just a small vom won't mean the start of the downhill slope, but even so ... at least you had a few good-ish hours

Hi everyone. Thanks for the welcome back!! Have been lurking since I posted but with working and the 2 little ones I'm struggling to keep up-had forgotten how fast this thread moved! Sorry everyone is still suffering. I have been feeling sick today but too early to take a test so not sure what's going on. I'd put it down to the fact I have a cold but DH ask if it could be the early start of morning sickness. Feeling a bit in limbo now but really hoping it's not that starting so soon. Gentle hugs to all.

Meerka, thanks for the advice...

Today i found the joys of chicken, nice plain greasy chicken - lovely... i have been craving it all day and convinced DH to take me to Nandos for an early dindins (thinking i was going to waste the whole thing - but we didn't have any chicken in the house and i NEEDED it). I lost my lunch of beef broth to the sink so 'med-ed up' and enjoyed.

I am learning each day what not to have and what to try next. I got so much enthusiasm to keep going at the moment, to get well. I've lost 10kg so far and the maternity trousers that i recently bought are falling off my hips.

Only problem i have right now is trying to eat too much to soon or do too much. I am finding myself so tired still, so have much respect for those with children already and having to go through this. I am either sleeping my way through a day - imagining i am bypassing it and ticking it off on the way to 36 weeks (my aim) or just feeling not hungry at all, i am either starving or apathetic. It sounds really bad but having to take so much care and attention about food has taken my mind off the rest of my pregnancy problems and put them all in context. One day at a time .... i like it.