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Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Original poster

Anyone taken Stemetil for sickness?

21 replies

Cornberry · 02/03/2015 20:55

Having tried Promethazine and cyclazine and finding neither very helpful my doctor has now prescribed stemetil (prochlerazine) as I'm almost 15 weeks and still housebound due to terrible sickness. I'm pretty nervous about all these drugs and don't want to take unless they are really beneficial. Has anyone had a good experience of stemetil? These drugs seem so dramatic they make me nervous :(

OP posts:
resipsa · 02/03/2015 22:54

Had no effect on mine - ask for ondansetran. It's the business. Unlicensed for use in pregnancy - aren't they all? - but studies have shown it's safe. Kept me sane to 17 weeks.

SlinkyB · 02/03/2015 23:08

Stemetil did nothing for me, neither did prochlorperazine (sp?). 50mg of Cyclazine took the edge off slightly so stuck with that til about week 22 I think. I was off work for a month and had one hospital admission for dehydration, so taking the tablets were kind of a necessity for me.

I have a happy healthy 14mo now.

Sympathies corn, hypermesis is grim Flowers

SlinkyB · 02/03/2015 23:08

P.s forgot to say congratulations!

Original poster
Cornberry · 02/03/2015 23:57

Bugger. The cyclazine only takes the edge off, doesn't make me functional, and unless I time it right it doesn't stop me puking. And thanks, it is grîm. Just been signed off work for third month. At the end of my tether :(

OP posts:
weelamb123 · 03/03/2015 09:22

Stemitil is safe to take. I took it with my first dc until about 16 weeks and I have a healthy 9 year old boy. Ive been taking cyclizine for about 11 weeks now as stemitil didn't really help with this pregnancy. The GPs know what's safe and wont prescribe anything if there's even a slight risk. Drugs have moved on from years ago. I'm almost 20 weeks & sickness has JUST subsided. Xx

Original poster
Cornberry · 03/03/2015 11:24

Thanks weelamb. I guess I iwll give it a go. 6 weeks ago the thought of this carrying on to 20 weeks made me feel utter despair. Now the hope that it will pass at 20 weeks is what's Keeping me going!

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SlinkyB · 03/03/2015 14:25

Are you on the hyperemsis thread? I found it really helpful when I was suffering and spending weeks in bed. Of course, looking at a screen sometimes wasn't easy though. Let me know if you want me to link.

I wouldn't wish this illness on my worst enemy. One of the reasons ds2 is my last.

SlinkyB · 03/03/2015 14:38

Sorry just realised that Stemetil is prochlorperazine (I think?), metoclopramide was the other one I tried, but that had no effect either sadly.

You could try pushing for Ondansetron if you're not keeping anything down?

pogoyogo · 03/03/2015 14:43

Definitely push for Ondansatron, I had it throughout two pregnancies, it's the only thing that worked for me. GPs don't like to proscribe it but the consultant at hospital will, or A&E doctors if you get too dehydrated and end up there.
Good luck, remember this will pass and it will all be worth it x

Original poster
Cornberry · 03/03/2015 17:26

Thanks for your words of support. No Im not on the hyperemesis thread as I feel like I'd be a bit of a fraud. I know some women are vomiting dozens of times a day and that isn't really my problem. I'm sick every day quite violently but just once or twice. It's the nausea and stomach pain and dizziness and exhaustion just general feeling of being very sick that is making my life miserable. I've actually put on a lot of weight because I have to eat constantly to avoid being sick. If stemetil doesn't work (not optimistic :( ) I'll go and beg the GP for Ondansatron. Thanks ladies x

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SlinkyB · 03/03/2015 18:38

I was on the hyperemesis support thread but barely vomited once a day tbh. It was the constant nausea and feeling like I was going to vomit that was awful, and the ladies on the thread were really understanding. You're still bed-bound, which is horrible (do you have other dc too?).

BikeRunSki · 03/03/2015 18:50

I took cyclizine, stemiltil, metraclopromide, avomine and ondansetron, over the course of both pg. the only thing that made a difference was IV cyclizine injections in hospital.

The point is, both my dc are absolutely fine.

If you are housebound due to nausea, I'd say that counts as hyperemisis.

Have a look here too; Pregnancy Sickness Support.

Sukie272 · 03/03/2015 20:04

Cornberry, hope you start to feel better soon! Flowers
I'm not sure if Stemetil has any effect on me or not! I take 5mg when needed, most times it seems to make no difference so I don't take it daily, but on occasion it seems to give some relief. If I take it when I'm feeling ok it seems to prolong the 'feeling ok' for a couple of hours, but if I'm feeling bad to start with I vomit anyway.
I took 2x 5mg doses (3 hours apart) when moving house recently, but still spent the entire journey throwing up in a bucket!

onepieceoflollipop · 03/03/2015 20:13

I had stemetil 12 years ago, orally and also via suppository from week 6 to week 22 ish. Didn't do much first trimester, but felt marginally better later on and returned to work...basically I was either sleeping or working from about week 16 but was knackered and nauseous.
I have a healthy 11 year old dd (and incidentally a 7 year old too, with her I "just" had all day morning sickness rather than the fully blown hg I had first time round )

I feel that the hg was traumatic, which is why I still post on threads like this as I feel empathy towards tons going through it now xx

onepieceoflollipop · 03/03/2015 20:14

I had cyclizine I.M. (Injection) in hospital made me feel stoned but was still sick (but didn't care for a couple of hours!)

Skiptonlass · 04/03/2015 08:45

Corn berry, so sorry to hear you're still suffering. Hyperemesis thread is really supportive. I'm not sure I'd class what I have as hg - I'm nauseous constantly, sick several times a day but I can keep fluids and the odd nibble down - and all the ladies on there have been so supportive.

Seriously though, I just read what I wrote above... If a bloke had something that made them sick this much, there is no way he'd be told, oh you're fine. You've managed an apple and water today. You won't die. Carry on for the next month or two.

If blokes had babies,there would be better bloody awareness and drugs !

SlinkyB · 04/03/2015 14:16

Too true Skipton the human race would have died out a long time ago if men had babies!

Original poster
Cornberry · 04/03/2015 18:43

No slinky this is my first and probably last after this :(

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SlinkyB · 04/03/2015 22:34

Sad but on the plus side, you haven't got a small child crying and trying to drag you out of bed all the time. My ds1 was 2.5 at the time and I felt sooooo guilty.

Just remember each pregnancy is different, so although you think you wouldn't contemplate another baby now, you just never know. Hang on in there, it's so so hard but you're another day closer to feeling better again Smile

Original poster
Cornberry · 05/03/2015 15:58

Thanks that made me smile :) God it's so hard.

OP posts:
AnnSmiley · 05/03/2015 16:09

I took Stemetil from 8w until the day DD was born. It worked better for me than cyclezine did.

Don't compare yourself to others though! Yes, other women might have it even worse but if it's severely impacting your life and you're struggling to eat, it doesn't matter whether you are vomiting 10 times a day or not. It's still a hell of a lot worse than normal morning sickness. I was like skipton, ill but struggling through, but as it went on for bloody months it was more than enough for me to consider it bad. And so is yours!

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