Hyperemesis 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.

Hi again,
I haven't been on the thread for a little while as I wasn't feeling too bad so felt like a bit if a fraud, but my HG has well & truly started now. I'll be 6 weeks tomorrow, and feel so down about the road ahead. I've been having serious problems eating and drinking for the last few days anyway, but since this afternoon everything has come back up. I hate this SO much Wish someone could put me to sleep for the next few months. How am I going to get through this? Lucinda you said I was brave to put myself through this yet again, I really am not, just incredibly stupid. I just want to cry.
Sorry for the poor me post but feel so terrible.
Hi again lahottie glad you're off the drip now. Fingers crossed the steroids will have helped. Good luck tomorrow and Saturday, hope you're up to enjoying it a little. Did you find out what your drugs were btw? Am so with you on the showering front, just haven't got the strength. Just existing is tough enough
Have to go as holding phone is making it worse. Hope you're all doing okay x

Chintaria sorry you're feeling worse! I know everything seems bleak right now, but you will get through it. Are you keeping anything down at all? Which meds are you on?

Lahottie about liquids, I struggle to keep liquids down at all unless in form of ice-lollies, yogurt-drinks, jelly or thickened liquids like milkshake. On good days I can manage small amounts of water or fizzy drink but not with food. More than a few sips causes me to vomit instantly and violently, like a reflex. It seems to be something about thin liquids that my body can't cope with. I've never feared drinking, when HG was worse I had a constant raging thirst and would dream about drinking pure clear water, often I'd lose self-control, drink and bring it straight back up but the urge to drink was so strong.
Just remembered something I hadn't thought of trying... years ago when my grandma was in hospital she had swallowing problems (at risk of choking) and the nurses put special thickener stuff in all her drinks, it was like a powder that made any liquid thick, could add more or less of the powder so it was either consistency of thin milkshake, or thick like jelly so could be 'eaten' with a spoon. I found it a bit icky at the time (think coffee with consistency of jelly!) but she said it tasted exactly the same. The gave her a big tub to take home and she used it for months. I wonder if the nurses on your ward have some that you could try? Might be less daunting than drinking pure water and maybe body wouldn't reject thickened liquids the same way?

chintaria. You've nearly done another day - in fact, but the time you read this you'll probably be on tomorrow. Well done you!!! Remind me, what meds are you on? Unless youre on ondansetron already, try to get to the doctors, take someone with you who's witnessed the horrendous vomiting, crippling nausea, tiredness etc, and demand ondansetron. If youre already on ondansetron, ask for a review of how much to take. Obviously I'm sure you're keeping on top of ketone checking, but remember that its not a reliable indicator for everyone.

If you're keen to try water (tiny sips was all I could managefor a while) try keeping bottled water (tap water was a big no no for me) in the fridge and having very small glasses at the time. I could pretty much handle tiny sips of fridge cold bottled water. Tesco no frills worked for me and was cheap as chips. If it doesn't work, it's not a disaster, keep trying things and you will find something that works!

Do any of you ever just not want to eat? Worry I'm getting an eating disorder, just don't want to sick it up, I hate it, the texture of sicking crisps, bread etc up. Hate it. I think I'm getting a phobia. Haven't kept anything down tonight after a relatively good day. Just eaten the ice cream from a cornetto (no the cone - too scared!) came straight back up. I'm worried this baby isn't getting any nutrients. ??

carno I still feel like I just don't want to eat now, even tho things have really settled for me (in comparison!). It's totally understandable, but you must keep trying, as difficult as it is. If drinks are good for you, try smoothies as they'll have stuff in. Also, yoghurt, custard, I hear they're good and not too unpleasant to bring back (not good for me as I've developed dairy intolerance whilst pregnant). I found tinned peaches a lifeline (in juice not syrup), as long as they were well chewed they were fine to bring bavk (as fine as being sick is!) But tinned peaches usually stayed pretty well put.

Do any of you ever just not want to eat? Worry I'm getting an eating disorder, just don't want to sick it up

I think it's pretty normal to want to avoid doing something that leaves you retching and feeling rotten!!

Don't sweat about an eating disorder. The urge to eat will come back when the hormones have subsided and eating isn't a bloody awful unpleasant chore with a nasty few mins following every bite taken.

Carno - I get what you're saying. Now that I'm able to eat more, I tell hubby just to make whatever and not to talk to me about it. Otherwise my brain decides too early whether or not I can eat it. It's hard, especially when my usual relationship with food is so good.

Scan went well. It was hubby's birthday so did a full day out. So nauseous and exhausted now, hoping to fall asleep before I start vomiting.

Just keep taking one day at a time!

Thanks for the kind welcome everyone :-) I know I've only been sick for a week but I'm already feeling pretty wretched and sorry for myself. I was so dreading this when I decided to start trying for a baby as both my mother and sister suffered from HG. I stupidly hoped I would not follow the trend, and for the first part of this pregnancy I did get away with it! For the weeks before this I just had nausea and I was able to keep it at bay by eating snacks every hour or 2 and I was constantly hungry. I thought that was as bad as it was going to get. I thought I was going to start feeling better soon, not worse! This week has just come out of the blue! I'm still in the process of phoning into work sick each morning but next week I will have to get a note. How many weeks have you missed off work guys?

I already had a vom-o-phobia before this awful week! And I think about what I don't want to throw up! Dh brought back a seeded batch loaf from Tesco yesterday, I won't be having toast from that! We have virtually nothing in the house at present. I'm as weak.as a kitten so can't go shopping at the mo, plus the fear of vomming in the aisles! Dh can be flipping useless at food shopping left to his own devices. Never let him do a full weeks worth alone. I do have a block of jelly in the cupboard, maybe I should make some. I know I don't have any tinned peaches, just some mandarin segments.... Oh this is so horrible!

Hope you feel well enough for your teddy bears picnic lahottie x

I know your right Meerka, I felt similar in my first pregnancy and lost a stone, then put it back on plus another 3! Planning not to do that this time though!
Chops face, I feel the same re not being able to face the shops... Other than work I don't go out. I have not much food in either and it's hard when what I feel I can stomach changes daily. DEFINATELY going to get some tinned peaches today though, have to send DP out for them x

Hope the teddy bears picnic goes well iamhottie xxx

ChintariaWell, I still think you are brave. Was it you who the doctor was dismissive about, not prescribing yet? Or are you now on meds? Sorry about my memory, getting worse, never been the same since I have daughter. It is very awful in the early stages, but you will get there.
Carno It's a long time since I suffered, but I had constant nausea and dry retching, though I was lucky and didn 't suffer for long, so the thought of food was completely repulsive and my throat seemed closed and blocked. Is that bit like Lilac's Grandmother, I wonder? But The Scourge seems to affect people diifferently, and some people seem to have hunger as well, which turns into nausea and vomiting when they've eaten, so I find it confusing at times, but one thing I'm sure of is you don't have, and won't develop, an eating disorder, any more than one does with a prolonged stomach bug. People with eating disorders desire food,but starve themselves. Some force themselves to vomit, but that's completely different than this. I have known a couple of people be accused of having an eating disorder by midwives when they had this, but that seems to have been ignorance. Remind me how far along you are and what meds you are on? I do apologise for being so vague today, it must be because we have three sufferers with 'C' names.
I so second eallison's mention of tinned peaches as their juice; I forgot to add that to my own list of suggestions.
Mellee Happy news about scan.
Chopsface You are brave to go for it with a mother and sister who suffered and will come through it and look back on it as a nightmare. Things will almost certainly improve. At least they will empathize and not suggest ginger biscuits.
eallison and Lilac How do people find soda water? Some swear by that.
Meerka I hope not rushed off your feet. You were one of the unlucky ones who suffer throughout (though not as badly as in the first tri) and that's particularly encouraging for everyone; you're still alive and these days, even taking part on sponsored walks!
Hello Counting those hours...
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I think my mum has forgotten the worst of it Lucinda! She keeps saying to me "make sure you eat!" Chance would be a fine thing! It's a bit more raw for my sister but still 10 years since she was hospitalized several times with dd1.

Kept down cheerios this morning :-) maybe it was the avomine? How long are the effects meant to last? Not all day surely? Need to try something for lunch but I don't know what....

Carno I didn't want to eat at all in first trimester, had no appetite but forced small amounts down throughout day. I found retching on empty stomach more painful (felt as if choking on saliva) so preferred to have something to bring up.

Lucinda I haven't tried soda-water but find fizzy drinks easier to keep down than plain water or juice, often have sips of Lilt as I find the sharp grapefruit flavour helps nausea.

Chopsface don't rush back to work. This was my biggest mistake! After a few weeks off sick in early pregnancy I forced myself to return (on reduced hours) and it set me back a long way. I'd do one day at work then spend the next few days vomiting at home but felt so guilty about missing work i kept battling in whenever i could physically get there. Some days I'd last a few hours then feel too ill so i'd go home early feeling like a failure. Then I had a bad relapse, got signed off for a few weeks and expected to return full-time at end of this only when return-date came i wasn't well enough, GP extended sick-note... and i've been off ever since! At some point i made decision not to go back to work before mat-leave unless i get vomiting down to 1xday with minimal nausea. Don't know how i came to this decision, it just gradually dawned on me there's no point battling into work and risking a re-lapse. It's not great from a financial point of view but i feel it's best option for me at the moment.

Don't worry lilac I intend to stay off work as long as needed! I need to do what's best for me and bean. Work can manage without me. I work as part of one big team so no one relies on me as an individual.

Kept down cheerios at breakfast AND 2 whole mouthfuls of toast for lunch much better than 8 voms yesterday! Still only done 1 wee today though and it was an awful deep orange colour... Water is grim at the moment tho, bleurch.

carnoand chopsonline shopping is your friend! Get it delivered when someone else will be home and you don't eben have to put it away. I have a wonderful, wonderful neighbour who would be here when morrisons arrived and put stuff away. She still goes out and buys me emergency tinned peaches/ice pops/bread if I need them.

Soda water;I've never liked it so never tried it.

very quickly welcome to all those new to the thread- lahottie, chintara sorry for anyone i've missed. seems to be quite a few people in the particularly abysmal early weeks of hg at the moment. so sorry you are all having to join us but we will do our very best to help you through.

to those asking about not eating v's trying to eat....it is easier to vomit if you have something in the stomach to 'bring up' ime- i used to regularly bring up blood after dry wretching and throat was very painful to add to it. as previously mentioned tinned peaches are one of the 'easier' foods to eat and bring back up- don't seem to burn as much as some foods.

drinks wise - lightly carbonated flavoured drinks were better for me as I did have the urge to gulp liquids down when possible (presume due to dehydration), however as it completely impossible to keep large quantities of fluid down it was totally counter -productive. a light fizz does also take edge of nausea briefly and stopped me gulping- my favourite was elderflower presse.
I have also previously recommended fizzy cola bottle haibo for the same reason.

Will be back later when caught up on thread.

Hi also to chops!

Can't write much as feel too ill. Thanks for the messages, was admitted to hospital this afternoon as dehydrated with a high level of ketones Am very down, this will be the first night away from dd and I only stopped beeastfeeding her this morning. The nurse wheeled me past pics of mothers breastfeeding on the way to my room & I just cried Can't even see either her or ds this evening, miss them so much.
Sorry to anyone else going through this hell, it is just horrendous

Chintaria Oh dear, you poor thing, and trying to breastfeed must have made the deydration come on far more quickly. I hope you feel better quickly after some fluids, and they start you on effective meds for home.
It must be really hard to be separated from LO's. Hugs.

Chintaria - It feels awful now, but you've just survived another day. I always calmed down at the hospital, there was enough going on that I could listen to with my eyes closed that I was slightly distracted. And I knew the nurses and doctors were looking after me (at least more than I was looking after myself when home alone).

Chopsface - I have just finished my 14th week of being off work. I am signed off for another 2 weeks. I am terrified of relapsing from pushing myself too hard, and my boss won't let me come back until I'm well enough. It's easier for everyone if I return as close to full health as possible. At this stage, I will return for 11 weeks at 4 days a week (having Wednesday's off to recuperate) before going on maternity. If I relapse, my doctor will sign me off completely. I have a good doctor, a women's health specialist who is keeping a close eye on me.

After a full on day yesterday, I had my first vomit in 10 days at 1am. Still feeling a little off now, and I bit gutted that I pushed myself so much that today is a likely write off.

For those worried about baby and nutrients etc, at 12w my baby was measuring a day larger than expected, and at 20w baby is a full 5 days larger than expected. My almost 21w old baby has a 22w sized head on it which hopefully houses a huge brain like daddy, but I'm now concerned about how much bigger it will get before it has to come out!
Good luck to all, in the famous words of Dory - just keep swimming!

Oh dear, a few days away from the thread and lots of new joiners. Sorry to hear you're suffering Chops, Lahottie, and Chintaria too. It must be so distressing to give up breastfeeding in these circumstances, all sympathies. One good thing is that IV meds and rehydration are bound to make a big difference, and at least give you some physical respite.
As everyone else has said, this first bit is the worst, and while it seems never ending while you're in it, there's bound to be some improvement. I think the mental side of things is hardest. As someone said earlier up the thread, HG robs you of the ability to really enjoy anything. But it does eventually end. Hope everyone hanging in there.

Meant to ask after Kayme: how are you now?

Chintaria How are things today? Motherof Pearl I've been wondering how Kayme is doing, too.
Chopsface I am a bit concerned about how dehydrated you must be to produce deep orange coloured urine (I remember that 'Builder's Tea' affect) and I suppose as you've been able to eat a little bit, the level of dehydration won't be reflected in your ketones? Might be worth mentioning to midwife on phone, sorry to fuss.
I hope everyone is managing today...

Hello, haven't read much as all too much but I am feeling a tiny bit better! Am on Zofran 8mg which I think is Ondansetron and it is definitely helping! Was going to throw up despite it but they gave me an anti-acid and I can see a glimmer of hope.
Can I ask what doses of Ondansetron you've all been given? I have to get to Monday without vomiting and then they're going to start me on food/drink again, then maybe I can go home Wednesdayish. If I vomit the whole cycle starts again, so another 48hours nil by mouth. It's quite a relief not to have to eat tbh
Hope everyone else is having a good day? Lahottie how are you getting on? Did you manage to make ds's parties?