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.

is it Ranitidine that many people find useful? mother Hen or eliz'smum will know ...

Yes that's it meerka although I was put on omoprazole, not sure what the difference is!

heartburn: my doctor gave me a prescription for ranitidine. Wasn't sure initially it made much difference, so stopped taking it. It made a massive difference. Still have yo resort to gaviscon a couple of times a day, but previously I was necking it out of the bottle at 5 minute intervals!

Thanks, I'll get DH to go to pharmacy for ranatidine and ask GP for omaprazole if that doesn't work.

Hello, torn osophagus sounds awful, has it healed now?
I'm keeping most fluids and tablets down, though taste of Gaviscon liquid seems to make me vomit instantly so i've not kept much of that down.

It just feels like one thing after another, a migraine all weekend, violent round-the-clock vomiting last week, now vomiting because of heartburn!

I've had various doctors all say ondansetron is fine to take, and I'm convinced I'm not doing any damage. Got my first scan today so that should help convince hubby.
I'm a little put off taking the ondansetron because when I was taking it twice a day, I didn't feel any better than I was without it, and I threw up directly after taking it for days. The only thing that prevents vomiting is lying still and willing myself through the awful nausea waves.
Feeling awful today. It's 5.30am and I've thrown up in my mouth twice already. I'm scared to get up and move. I have to shower before my scan so they don't think I'm a hobo.
Thank you all for accepting me!

caspian it wasn't great, I was vomiting up blood clots and the heartburn was really painful as all the acidy stuff was getting in the tears - ouch! Doc said to keep up with the gaviscon once the tears were healed to stop it happening again which I have.

melle I found moving made everything worse so if I didn't have to move I stayed in bed all day with a sick bucket (gross I know) poor DH was an absolute Saint as he took over all childcare for our toddler and housework etc.
Ondansetron never stopped the vomiting completely forms (nothing has!) it just reduced it - also watch out for awful headaches and constipation which were side effects I and many others have experienced from it. Even with all the side effects though it was still the drug that 'worked' the best for me - all the others didn't touch it!

Hello - thanks for that. I've been on and off ondansetron since 7 weeks. I've gotten headaches the last few times and get mild constipation either from it or the carb rich food that I can manage to eat.
I spend every day in bed with my bucket and the ensuite 2m away. By lying perfectly still so much, I've gotten the vomiting down to once or twice a day with a few heaving episodes.

melle in the end if you're certain ondan isn't helping, trust your instincts. I would say try a combination of ondan and cyclizine/equivilent first for a week. But do talk to your doctor.

I had the movement thing too. There are meds for that which can help - ask for Prochlorperazine (Compazine, Stemzine, Buccastem, Stemetil, Phenotil). It does help quite a few people.

Mellee good luck with your scan, let us know how it goes! Have you got far to travel?

I know what you mean about moving making it worse. Earlier in pregnancy I found it hard to move from bed without vomiting, and even now I sometimes vomit when I get up or change position suddenly. It's like my brain can't catch up with body. Going in car is still a nightmare (have to have bucket on lap) and for weeks I couldn't watch TV at all without it triggering vomiting. Now I can watch short programmes on good days, provided camera work is not too shaky but I have bucket by sofa just in case!

Has anyone found seabands helpful? (Acupressure wrist bands). I haven't had any for years but remember being made to wear them for travel sickness as a kid. Not sure if they worked though, I still used to get carsick a lot!

Meerka Just got back and can believe that the GA does have a sort of depressing effect besides the dismal business of nausea and vomting.
Just from my own experience of it, it can take a few days to clear properly.
It is hard to accept that that is it.
Melebacca I hope you made it for scan, and puking wasn't too bad.
How did things go?
Caspian I am so pleased work are being understanding. Are you a doctor or nurse? Either way, very hard work and impossible when so ill.That's such a great idea about cyclazine, it does make people sleepy.
eallison Ranatidine, that's it. People say it makes a huge difference.
Hello I do feel for you with this ongoing sickness.
elizabethsmum waves back.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I tried seabands, wore them for weeks, but I don't think they helped.
Only about a 15min drive to my scan, I'm terrified about it though, it's going to make this whole experience more real! I'm really hoping it helps me connect to the pregnancy.
I see my midwife on Thursday, who had HG (bless her), and will talk to her before setting up another doctors appt.
I can handle the car, as I have amazing willpower for not using my bucket, so disgusting to have to clean out. Much prefer flushing the loo!

Forgot to add, I've also been sick on poor DH twice, while he was asleep! Both times I was struggling to get out of bed in a hurry. Luckily he's not squeamish about vomit and calmly got up to change his t-shirt and bedsheets. He's also good about fetching drinks in night though he went through a stage of trying to feed me after night vomiting sessions as he'd read somewhere you shouldn't go more than an hour without food. Unfortunately I couldn't face eating snacks at 2am so sometimes he'd sit on bathroom floor with me and eat them himself!

caspian a few people have found seabands help, but they work by acupuncutre don't they? and mother hen - well she can speak for herself but she found it excellent.

also YES about the camera work!!!! even now, 11 months on, I struggle with swooping camerawork though it's 50 times better than actually during the preg.

melle would it help to put a small bit of water in the bottom of the sickbucket? it makes it a lot lot easier to clean after use.

Mellee, try not to worry about scan. I was terrified before mine though this was partly due to fear of vomiting throughout whole thing. In the end baby was in awkward position so was told to go away and drink something sweet and fizzy and jump around a bit to encourage it to move. Not great for HG (and resulted in projectile-vomiting coke) but it worked.

Lucinda, I'm a physiotherapist so very tiring job. I'm so so relieved to be told to stay home.

caspian such a relief that your bosses are so understanding. please stay off until you are much better, which could take a few weeks from experience. in my first hg preg I kept struggling on and had odd weeks off here and there but never really got on top of hg totally (although it wasn't as bad after 23 weeks), but lots of relapses and then complications- likely unrelated - of severe PE resulting in being induced at 36 weeks and baby being severely growth restricted. l am a sonographer and know I was very lucky that dd1 was ok- i definitely felt no guilt in second hg pregnancy (twins) in having 10 weeks off sick - weeks 7-17. there was no way I could have worked until at least week 14 (when on the whole I was a lot better but then I had some bleeding and also had a double amino at 17 weeks so was signed off for a further few weeks due to this). all was thankfully well but the extra weeks off allowed me to be fully recovered and I managed much better at work for this extra time off. it really isn't worth the forcing yourself to go back too soon (although it went against my work ethic like you!). really hope you are feeling much better soon.

mellee good luck for scan. I was not good as a passenger at all through pregnancies but when hg improved was better at driving as it took my mind off nausea- often while eating a marmite sandwich!

was lucky enough not to suffer with heartburn badly although did have some gaviscon prescribed for hg (bemused face)!

meerka it is years since I have had a GA so can't comment personally, not only is it an emotional time of adjustment for you personally but also known side effect of GA as far as I am aware, please don't be hard on yourself

glad improvement continues eallison

waves to lucinda, hello and everyone.

Ps I did wear sea bands both times- can't say they really helped but a bit like cyclizine - May have been doing a bit of good so didn't dare take them off for a while. think they are supposed to help with the nausea rather than the sickness essentially. not only was the sickness totally unforgiving for weeks in particular with the twins the 24 he nausea was unbearable. could not watch tv or read for weeks.

Forgot to say caspian migraine likely due to dehydration so please keep an eye on keytones - as you will obviously know!

Just at the in-laws after scan. Spending the day here so I have some company.
Scan went well, baby is measuring right on target with a healthy heart rate of 158bpm. Hubby got a little teary. :) doesn't look like there's any issues at the moment. Apart from the horrid HG.

mellee lovely to hear the scan went so well=)

great news mellee
hope you were ok on the journey as well?

Hi elizabethsmum, journey was fine. I've got a good car and a cautious husband. Haven't thrown up in the car yet - touch wood!

Mellebacca Happy news about scan.
Caspian That does sound a taxing job, so glad you can take it easy. So agree with Meerka, watch out for those migraine type headaches, because dehydration headaches feel exactly the same, but as she says too, you know that already.
elizabethsmum That all sounds horrific - poor you then.
On acupuncture, having been refused meds (this was years ago, I hasten to add) I was really helped by it when in a dreadful state, but I have to say that I think that acupuncturist was particularly brilliant, as while others on here have been helped, it hasn't had the same effect it did for me and while I've had it for migraines with other acupuncturists, it hasn't been wonderfully helpful for that.
Hope everyone is coping.

I tried acupuncture as well. To be fair, I've tried almost everything.
I found acupuncture good at getting me out of the house, having someone compassionate to chat to and calming. But it did nothing for the nausea and vomiting. The poor acupuncturist was at his wits end after trying everything but still having me come in grey and exhausted.

Have never tried acupuncture but did have some reflexology sessions later on in pg with dd1- not sure it really did much also but was relaxing and looked forward to the sessions so good from that perspective.

Mellee, that's great news about your scan, glad it went well. How are you feeling now?

Elizabethsmum, I've got some seabands now and I think they do help a bit. Could be coincidence but nausea seems less intense.

Thanks for the advice about Ranatadine, it's brilliant, works quickly and lasts all day!

Had a couple of good days, not as much vomiting and the nausea nolonger constant. Starting to have blocks of a few hours when nausea eases up. I think rest is really helping. Saw midwife today, turns out I'm actually 18 weeks (not 16). Starting to get a slight bump at last, not really noticeable to anyone else yet but makes me feel pregnant instead of just ill