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

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.

Skiptonlass I'm on omeprazole I find that really helps it just takes the edge off. I had really alful acid my first pregnancy it used to burn my throat every time I was sick, it was really painful. It used to bubble up in my throat. used to drink bottles of gavisgon but it did not always stay down. Omeprazole works better for me.

You're all right. Going to hospital now.

Well done hope it really helps.

Hope they take you seriously ruby x

kayme I think I read online somewhere about cleft palate and antiemetic. From what I read the link is very tenuous and nothing has been proven.

Ruby - Let us know how the hospital goes. They should give you an IV regardless, and hopefully they test your nutrition levels and give you some liquid vitamins as well. GPs do struggle to know when to give fluids, I had a liter at my GPs and then 2l the following day at A & E. Also, if you've been dehydrated for a few weeks, ketones measuring is pretty useless. In my research ketones are used for dieting, because if they are in your urine, you are breaking down fats in the body.
I really hope you feel better soon.

Hi all - just a quick update. I'm alive and as well as I'm going to be. Surviving at work, on one ondansetron a day, but only working 4 days a week. Definitely feeling more exhausted and nauseous in the evenings than when I wasn't working. Midwife is stoked with baby's progress and that I rested at home so well, things could've been a lot worse. Thank you to all the wonderful ladies who scared me enough to look after myself well! Just a couple of weeks away from the 3rd trimester and got my fingers crossed there's no relapse!

Kayme - very poor of your pharmacist to say that to you! There is no conclusive evidence of any increased risk of congenital defects above the general background rate. One Swedish study even showed a slightly lower risk although this is probably a confounding error. When given to animals at MASSIVELY higher doses than a human would be exposed to there is an effect.

Please don't worry about this!

Thanks everyone it did seem weird she was only a young girl and said do you realise the risks of cyclazine when you are pregnant. I did not know what she expected me to say. I just said I had been prescribed it in previous pregnancy's and taking it was better than me getting really ill. I would not take it if I did not need to.

Another day of vomiting Hoping it's just a hormone-surge not the dreaded 3rd-trimester relapse! Only 10weeks to go...

Kayme I haven't heard anything about cleft palate being linked to cyclizine. Is the risk just in first trimester when baby's palate is forming? I took cyclizine for months, only stopped it recently when switched to metoclopramide.

Ruby good luck at A&E! I think you've made the right decision. Hopefully they will give you IV fluids and get you on stronger meds, and like Mellee says they should check your nutrition levels and electrolytes.

Mellee glad you're coping at work! When do you start mat-leave?

Skipton yes excess acid makes my sickness worse too. The acidic feeling is horrible and I get a burning sensation in my throat. I take 75mg ranitidine twice a day and Rennies in between. The Rennies work instantly but the effect wears off quickly. I asked for omeprazole but my obstetrician said they rarely prescribe it for pregnant women, not sure why, he refused to let me try it. He increased my dose of ranitidine instead but it didn't help (and seemed to make vomiting worse if anything). When the acidic feeling gets too intense I find the only way to feel better is to vomit it all up then take Rennies with yogurt. I think baby's position affects it too, when his head is under my ribs the pressure triggers bad heartburn, as soon as he goes into head-down position it eases! Hopefully he'll spend more time head-down soon!

Laura hope you're feeling better. Has your throat stopped bleeding?

Kayme - a lot of medications say they increase the chance of cleft palate. I would try not to worry too much, as there is also a genetic component. You could take no meds and still have a baby with a cleft palate, the chances are about the same.
Lilac - you poor thing! Still so sick. My last day at work is September 11th. Looking forward to it as I'm not managing to do anything extra towards baby prep while I'm working. Too busy trying to make sure I don't puke (at day 17 so far woohoo).

ruby hope you have been seen and admitted in a & e and get the much needed by the sound of it iv fluids.

kayme have never been made aware of any links between cyclizine and cleft palate, so would imagine they are tenuous to say the least. I have had two very highly medicated pregnancies and the only drug that was ever given to me with an ounce of caution was ondansetron with the twins and that was only with the explanation that it is one of the stronger drugs available and as clinical trials are not possible on pregnant women etc etc although even consultant said they would not give it if it was not deemed safe to do so- they are just obliged to explain this. suffice to say all 3 of my dc have had no mouth or palate probs and I took cyclizine late into second pg - amongst many others!

mrsm thinking of you and sending positive thoughts your way for your scan x

lilac hope its just a blip and you have a better day tomorrow.

mellee you sound so much better! Thanks for keeping in touch. x

waves to lucinda meerka motherofpearl and everyone

Morning everyone! Glad to hear people are getting help and we are all struggling on in one way or another…

I thought the cyclizine was working wonders as I had two whole days without being sick!! Still felt nauseous the whole time but wasn't actually physically sick, which I suppose I could learn to live with.

But then the last couple of days the sickness has been back. Sigh…

On a side note, absolutely the only liquid I seem to be able to stomach is tonic water. Does anyone know if the quinine is an issue?! I am drinking maybe a litre a day & don't know whether this should worry me?!

Keep on keeping on, everyone! x

lilac ranitidine is preferred as there's actually some evidence from trials that it's safe rather than olmeprazole which seems to also be safe but there haven't been specific trials. Ranitidine is category b and olmeprazole is category c (personally having looked at the data I'd be happy to take either.)

drifter lots of brands have no quinine in! Schwepps does but it is a tiny amount - not like it used to be! I think there's under 100mg in a litre. To put that in context, it's one of the few drugs you can use to treat malaria with in pregnancy and if you were unlucky enough to need it you'd be getting 600mg 3x a day! Quinine is one of those things that people are differentially sensitive to so I'd say if you have no issues with it, you're fine. It's supposed to be good for leg cramps too.

Kayme, just wanted to add my reassurance to others' - I took it all through my HG pregnancy, with no ill effects at all. I know Meerka always points out that cyclizine is in the a group of meds classified as entirely safe in the US. That pharmacist should not have mentioned anything without having proper evidence, and also without knowing your history of HG.
Mellee, it's great to hear that you are so much better - I really think you're a good advert for the benefits of properly resting and taking time off when you're at your worst. You were so ill but booked off work for some time, were properly treated, and now it seems to have paid off (although obviously you're still not feeling brilliant).

Sorry to hear Lilac and TwoDrifters have had relapses. Really hope they are short-lived blips, not full-blown returns of the scourge.
Hope everyone else having a reasonable day, and that MrsM's scan has gone OK. Waves to everyone.

Also meant to ask how Ruby is this morning?

Great advice from everyone on here, for RubyReinsand Kayme.
Ruby I am so glad you have gone to hospital,and hope you feel a lot better this morning.
Kayme As elizabethsmum Melleebacca Motherof Pearland others say, Dr's are so wary,I am sure that if the risk was even worth considering, they wouldn't prescrbe this drug as the first resort in Hyperemesis (with steroids as the last resort, as i understand it,though I am no expert on this subject).
Skipton Sympathies; I so well remember that dreadful residual heartburn; Gaviscon doesn't touch it; I only realised recently you can get ranatidine over the counter, but it seems sensible rather than suffer agonies.
TwoDrifters I wish I could advise you about the quinine content; all I know is that it's good for malaria! But I am sure someone else will be able to advice; find it hard to believe it wouldnt have a health warning if it wasn't safe.
On all these health warnings and pregnant women, when years and years ago I used to use the contraceptive sponge (never popular,and now long withdrawn) it had a health warning on it 'not to to be used by pregnant woman'. A bit pointless, anyway, surely?
Lilac I am so sorry about this relapse and so hope it is only a temporary glitch.
Waves to all. Apologies to anyone rudely overloked.

Hello ladies. Just popping in quickly to let you know the scan was fine. Phew! Saw the heartbeat and is measuring as 10 weeks. Only slight blip was being told I have a fibroid and will therefore need to be on a surgical ward for delivery, not a midwife unit as I had hoped. Determined I will NOT get freaked out and Google this as they assured me it is tiny and not near baby and really not a problem. So just very relieved all is well. And guess what - was sick last night and nauseous today so looks like normal service has resumed. Thanks for all the kind messages and hope all of you have as good a day as possible x

Hello everyone!

I am home . Was taken very seriously and seen very quickly at A+E much to the chagrin of those waiting... The triage nurse was fab and sent me round to obstetrics with my arm all prepped for an IV. I was given a load of fluids and some stronger anti-sickness medication before being sent home at about midnight. The headache started to dissipate after a few minutes on the drip. Still being sick but don't feel as spaced out and drained as I did. DS wasn't thrilled to be there but angry birds on the iPad kept him busy before he fell asleep in the spare bed in the room.

Managing to do a bit of work today but forgot I had a meeting at 3pm... they will understand...

Great news from RubyReins and Mrsm12. So glad.

Sorry about typing. That is, great news from RubyReins and Mrsm14.
That's made my day.

Thank you Skiptonlass I shall continue to sip my iced tonic!

RubyReins that's excellent news! What great NHS service :-)

Great news about the scan MrsM, you must be so relieved (in spite of the fibroid). And very glad to hear you got proper treatment at A&E Ruby. I really think on balance that most women on the thread (I'm thinking mainly of when I was on it as a sufferer), seem to have much better luck at being taken seriously by well-informed HCPs at A&E than at GP's surgery.

Marking my place. Just started reading and the support and community are great. 20 weeks pregnant and gave up hoping the nausea and vomiting will stop before delivery... At least i got meds in place at 12 weeks and can just about cope with it now. Imensly happy about having this baby though! :)

Having another bad day, vomited 7x since morning and can't shake off the nausea. Also got a bad headache behind one eye. I know I should be grateful I had a few weeks of feeling better, but it's so disappointing to feel like this again! Can't keep much water down as it seems to turn to acid soon as I drink it then comes back up. Back to yogurt drinks and ice-lollies urgh.

MrsM congratulations on your scan news! So pleased for you. Must be such a relief. I hope all goes well with the fibroid, will they give you extra scans to keep an eye on it? My mum had several fibroids when she was pregnant with me and everything was fine, i think they actually shrank while she was pregnant due to hormones.

Ruby glad you got rehydrated in hospital and didn't have to wait too long in A&E. Hope the new meds kick in soon. I remember being in hospital in first trimester and being hooked up to a drip and IV paracetamol, the relief was amazing and headache vanished like magic. It was in March and snowing that day, I remember looking out window at this blizzard and wondering if I was dreaming!

Catarina welcome to the thread, sorry you're still suffering at 20weeks. If it's any comfort I had a sudden dramatic improvement around 25weeks and felt great for a while, so you might still improve a lot. (I'm now 31 weeks and feeling really rough again but hoping it's just a brief hormone-surge that will settle!) Which meds are you on?