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.

stemetil can be good stuff. a quick summary:

cyclizine (old fashioned anti-histamine; can make you sleepy)
Metoclopramide (empties the stomach faster, less to upchuck)
Domperidone (similar)
Prochlorperazine (stemetil) (works on your sense of balance; also a travel remedy; can be good for some people).
Promethazine (called Phenergan)(stronger old fashioned anti-histamine, also sleepy-making)
Ondansetron (the strongest and best, but causes constipation).

About people irl: if they've had experience of HG they will get it and be a great support. Unfortunately, many people think that normal morning sickness is as bad as it gets ... and ofc that just is not the case. So if you tell people, be a bit picky about whom. If they blithely say 'oh i carried on working throughout and didn't have any problems, it was just for a few weeks'... they might not be the most understanding. if you can find someone who's been through it though, well, they'll know =)

littlemiss it really could be the smells yes. The nose - wait, the NOSE - is a known thing in preg and some people with HG get it even worse. Things smell different, as well as stronger. Previously nice smells turn horrible. it's completely weird but yeah, could def be that.

Thanks meerka I just didn't smell anything in hospital it's weird.
dofficult one , don't want to head back there cause I won't keep anything down.

Can't do much about normal house smells really

Could def be smells, I'm driving hubby mad at moment : I walk into a room and announce what the horrid smell is. It's particularly frustrating when we can't find the source of the smell. Working next to the food tech room at work certainly poses it's own special challenges

cluelessdil glad you're feeling a little better. maybe you could confide in a close friend or colleague- have you been managing to work? in both of my pregnancies people knew fairly early on as I was ill- found it easier tbh.

littlemiss sorry you got admitted. I always felt fine in hospital but awful again within a day of being home- I put it down to the iv fluids making you feel soooo much better. in the worst phases for me only iv fluids and im meds worked- was lucky that dh- a nurse- was eventually able to administer im cyclizine for me at home when it was prescribed after 4th or 5th admission. did they do a scan btw to see if only one?? (I am a sonographer btw so extra nosy!)

eallison are you going to stay off tomorrow? ?

Hey Elizabethsmum, yeah I think ur right the ivfluids and IMs make a difference.
I got told my doc yesterday she wanted a scan to check if it's one but today the said they Prob won't do an early one unless urgent and need to wait til my booked one on 9th April! I would like one to know the baby or babies are ok, peace of mind.
I just dipped my urine again coz keep being sick and +++ of ketones:/. Don't really want to go back and I have the midwife on Wednesday so hopefully she will help. If I could get IMs at home that would be fab, il do it myself.

eallison I know I have surprised myself by not telling family so far but my family have had a recent number of bad/sad news and I just didn't want them to have something else to worry about so wanted to make sure I was a little bit more 'in the clear' but I'm definitely questioning my decision. It will be such a relief to tell them especially if I continue to feel like this.

meerka I join you in praising omoxicilan I feel like an almost new person this morning, I think they are really working. Thanks again for the reassurance.

Hope everyone has a good or at least manageable day. I need to drive quite a bit for a meeting today - was off yesterday, but the sun is shining and I'm hopeful today is going to be better

LittleMiss20 Oh you poor thing, sorry about admission and ketones up again so soon; do keep an eye on them; are ice cubes or ice lollies or juice of tinned fruit helping at all? You're at the stage which makes so many women suffering feel desperate, when sometimes they get re-admittted within days - but it does get so much better for almost everyone. About
smells, I thought my oH stank of roast pork and had to hold a lavender satchet to my nose in bed .
ClulessDil How horrible, hugs over ear infection, I can't improve on Meerkas advice and others'. Meerka Thank goodness for that drug - that was a terrible time, and I remember it well, we heard from your OH on the thread.
ealisson Did you get the meds? I don't see why they were being so unhelpful, they don't want you re-admitted through having to go without them.
Waves to elizabethsmum and everyone.

Thanks lucindaE il keep checking them, see how I go on the tablets today.
Yeah I have ice poles but I was sick with them. I can manage water the best. Just keep trying with it.
I do wonder tho I feel like I'm at the loo all the time usually with dehydration it's the other way round. I was wondering if it could be DI making my ketones high and adding to nausea.
Anyone else had that?

Hope everyone is having a good day.

Hope people are managing to survive today.

littlemiss what is DI short for sorry?

dehydration def makes nausea worse though, gynecologist and a consultant both said that to me.

motherhen The fever a few days ago reminded me of the whole time and how lucky we were to make it through. Funny thing, had to ring neighbour to scrape me off the floor on that wednesday as I'd sat down for a rest and simply could not get up, and now we've become really good friends. One of those odd silver linings.

The assistant head, on behalf of the head, came to talk to me today and tell me to go home and cone back after easter. But they won't put this is writing, they are just acting out of love and a duty of care. I feel like I'm in a dodgy position. Stayed til end of my hours today (1pm) sorting out handover of stuff. Gonna ring the union this afternoon and see what they think.

This was after the head of re came to see me when I arrived this morning,to tell me that it'd be easier for the department if I just stayed off til after easter. it transpires she went from that conversation (that I blubbed thru) to speak to the head and say I was upset, but the head wasn't there so instead she spoke to two assistant heads. Who then discussed me with the head,then the lady assistant was sent to talk to me. I cant help but feel like it's the start of being pushed out; they clearly don't want to pay for me being off for however long this is gonna last. But nothing in writing. Of course

I did get my drugs, thanks. A lovely receptionist sorted it for me.

oh dear ealli. Union sounds like a very good idea.

Also, maybe send them an email asking them to confirm in writing what has been said verbally. Until then, try to keep to the hours the doc recommended maybe, if you possibly can? If they challenge it, can you say politely that you do need it in writing to ensure that all the legalities are covered for tax reasons etc?

Not what you need right now :(

I emailed her and asked her to put it in writing. But she came to speak to me and told me they couldn't put it in writing cos they were simply acting out of a duty of care.

eallison I'm glad the union know - oh dear, management can be so sneaky at times.
Meerka Thiat is a nice outcome!
LitltleMiss20 I do hope the sips of water do the trick.
I hope skiptonlass and everyone is ok.

Hmm. Perhaps I have a nasty suspicious mind but if your instincts are twitching, it sounds best not to take them at their word ealli.

Ealison do they mean unpaid leave or paid til easter?

Meerka it's diabetes insipidus.

eallison that's horrible you are feeling that way, my manager has been great but I still sometimes feel really paranoid about everything. Definitely trust your instincts but if you are anything like me I'm so sensitive right now so may be effecting you? Unpaid leave is not acceptable though, you have pregnancy related sickness so should receive sick pay. Perhaps they can't put it in writing because they are telling you to be off? I know in my work no one is supposed to be 'sent home' it's the individual's choice, some hr policy that's supposed to stop people who are trying to work feel excluded, which seems a bit odd to me.

All I have a question about anti sickness, are they supposed to completely take the sickness away or just make it less? My DH thinks the fact I'm still being sick (nowhere near as much) means I should speak to the dr about alternatives?

oh thanks littlemiss .. .don't know if diabetes can make the nausea worse sorry. though just about anythign else seems to.

clueless - mother hen has seen so many women with HG over the years so she's the best person to answer about the meds completely taking away the sickness. I suspect myself that it's rare the meds take away all nausea / vomitting, but they reallly really reduce the level of it. One possibility could be differnet meds at the same time that work in different ways. Im sorry, can you remind me what you're on? Most doctors, even HG-friendly doctors, don't seem to prescribe willynilly (probably a good thing). How many times a day are you sick, may I ask?

Didn't get chance to speak to union yet. Tomorrow's job. Hubby thinks I don't go in til ive spoken to union. Inclined to agree. I do think that the assistant head and head of re came from the right place and intentions, I just think it's been handled wrong. Conversations were had about me and I was told conclusions, rather than involving me in the conversation (which hubby reckons is decidedly dodgy). The fact that they wouldn't write anything down sort of confirms that they know theyre on dodgy grounds. Equally, I see what was meant about it being easier ot manage if I'm just not in - then they can be proactive about what needs doing, not reacting to whether I'm there etc.

Pay wasn't mentioned, and hubby thinks I don't ask and wait and see. Legally they can't change my pay without telling me in writing first, so we'll see what happens. I think they cocked up with my job contract as the refer to the Burgundy Book, which is teachers terms and conditions. I'm not a teacher, so shouldn't have them, but wonder if yhe fact that they (mistakenly or otherwise) refer to it in my contract means they have to stick to it. In which case I get 50 working days full pay then 50 working days half, then SSP.

It's difficult to know what's best now. Hubby reckons it's not up to work to judge whether I'm well enough to be there, particularly if they're not willing to state in writing. The difficulty I've got is that I've forgotten what it feels like not to feel ill. I have no idea whether I'm having a good or bad day until I need to be sick. Ironically, today's probably been one of the best days I've had for a while, but I can only say that having got to half 5 before starting to feel nauseous and still not having been sick today. Yesterday morning getting up I felt better than I did this morning, but was sick 4 times in the 3 hours I managed at work, then was sick again on and off all evening. I can't judge how I am until the end of the day. So how can I decide whether I can be at work?!

I hate this!! And on top of all the HG shit, I've got normal pregnancy hormones running amock and making a mockery of my emotions and Perception of stuff!

meerka I'm on omoxicilan for ear infection and stemetil for anti sickness. I think it's wishful thinking to take the sickness completely away and I have been better. I've had bad retching twice and proper sickness once today.

eallison that struck a chord with me not remembering what it feels like to be well and I've only been ill for about a month. I haven't been off ill for years prior to this though so think I'm even more of a wimp because I'm not prone to illness. I also totally understand about emotions all over the place. I am so fed up of myself I can't stand it.

to all.

ealli what everyone finds who's been on here is that pushing too hard and doing too much before the improvement starts to kick in, makes the nausea and vomming and associated general urg-ness seriously worse. You might get through the day but most people find that the day after is awful and the day after that is not very good. Post turning-point (whether that's 14 weeks, 18 or 22) they can increase the work gradually but by listening to their bodies. There'll also be good days and bad

I don't take time off work. The only time I've been off is when a doc has sent me to hospital (suspected meningitis and another time a blood clot). And then this started with a hospital admission, and I was initially determined that would be it and I'd be working.

I'm currently drinking a lactose free dark choc hot choc in an espresso cup that hubby made for me. I've been craving hot choc for weeks, but dairy is a definite no no. So hubby went out today and bought lactose free milk and some dark choc so he could make me one. Then he frothed the milk using the coffee machine so it's mainly air. There's probably only 5 actual mouthfuls of drink. but it's amazing!

Another day done! TICK Hope everyone else made it thru today in one piece

That's good eali hope you get your work sorted and do what you feel is best.

I spoke to my boss on Monday and she was on her holidays for the last few weeks so didn't know why I was off. I was in hospital when I called and she was nice and proceeded to say hopefully you will be good by the weekend so see you then.

I'm not sure how she possibley thinks I can come back and work 3 nightshifts that are 12.5 hrs long and very busy. Now I have the exciting job of calling back to say it won't be possible.
I think unless they have had HG they don't understand and think you are dramatic which ain't me at all.

LittleMiss20^ That sounds a punishing routine when healthy. It is very hrd to get through to people that this isn't a controllable sort of sickness. You think in a hosptial environment they'd be able to find out from the specialists about Hyperemesis, for goodness sake.. Can you ask your GP to make special recommendations about work hours like eallision's*?
eallison That OH of yours sounds as if he's being angelic - and good advice from him about work, too.

CluelesDill Meerka Flatters me there, I think -I'd say her knowledge of meds is so much better than mine she'd know best despite my anecdotal experience on this thread. Sadly, I don't think anyone tends to be nausea free until it chooses to ease off naturally some time in the eecond tri and I do have to say that even for people like me who didn't have it severely, I had heartburn and had to watch my diet to the end, still, for most people good treatment means they can manage and lead a halfway normal life - for the unlucky minority of very severe cases it makes it a lot better.#

Sorry all I keep dipping in and out as mind has been elsewhere. I eventually got seen at the hospital. Was admitted for IV fluids, but discharged myself after the first day as the staff were so horrible they've been nice every other time.

On the plus side it's only 6 days til my due date, so I will definitely have a baby in the next20days. Don't see the midwife again until 41 weeks for a sweep.

BlueberrySlice Thank goodness you go the IV, and it's so near the end.
But it's awful that the staff were so horrible - why on earth, when you really really need sympathy suffering so late. Hugs.