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.

Just to echo everyone else: Barmee, so pleased you managed to see a different doctor, and have the reassurance of the correct meds and an understanding GP. Well done for persevering - it's so difficult to do when you're feeling awful.

Why are some midwives so much better than others? My lovely midwife is off today (at a graduation which I can't begrudge her!) Which I didn't know. So had a different midwife. Who was cursory and short. And told me my baby is breech. And not to worry at the moment, plenty of time to engage blah blah. I'm 31 weeks. Then she went on to say that if baby hasn't engaged by 36 weeks then ill be sent for a scan and then if not engaged by term then I'll have to have a c section. Way to not worry me! Now I know that there is plenty of time for baby to get in the right position. But seriously, did she need to mention c sections at this point?! My lovely midwife would never have said that!

And now she's just rung me cos my iron levels are low and she's saying if my iron levels don't go up to where they need to be then I don't very my home birth.

chintaria so sorry to hear your sad news and I hope you are coping ok

barmee glad your meds got sorted and eallison sorry about the crappy midwife. I had a student for my booking appointment! But she was very nice.

Has anyone had massive mood swings at 11-12 weeks? ! I've been really steady up until a few days ago and now it's like the worst pmt ever - I feel really pissed off with my poor OH even though he's being amazing and I've started bursting into tears over nothing. Feel like a crazy woman!

Having a very queasy day, lots of vomiting Crunching my way through ice-pops to try and rehydrate. Also very tired and feel like sleeping all the time. Stayed in bed all morning then went back to bed for a 3-hour afternoon nap!
Despite nausea I keep having weird food cravings, anyone else experiencing this? They're very specific and vivid... at the moment it's for home-baked glazed almond biscuits with glace cherries on top, hot from the oven! Haven't made them for years but can almost smell them and taste the crumbly texture. My mum used to make them a lot so maybe it's a nostalgia thing. Might have to make some if the craving doesn't go!

MrsM don't worry, mood swings are very normal around 11-12 weeks. I think I was at my moodiest around this time, was arguing with DH a lot even though he was doing his best to be supportive. I started feeling more emotionally stable around 15weeks and by 20weeks the mood-swings had lifted so I think it's all hormonal. At 32 weeks I generally feel calm and have no energy to get worked up, though I do get tearful more easily!

Eallison sorry about possible C-section, but try not to worry, baby still has plenty of time to turn. My baby was head-down at growth scan a few weeks ago but I'm sure he still goes into breech position sometimes as I can feel him trying to somersault then he starts kicking in a different place and I feel sudden pressure under my ribs as if his head's squishing my lungs! I've heard there are various exercises you can do to encourage them to turn.

Eallison, that midwife sounds dreadful. So unnecessary for her to make you fret by mentioning c-sections at this stage. Still plenty of time for baby to turn, as Lilac says. Really hope you have the home birth you have planned.
Lilac, sorry you've had a rough day. I think the weird and very specific food cravings are pretty normal, perhaps especially with HG. When I was pregnant it felt like I was on a constant quest for the 'perfect' yet ellusive food that would finally make me feel better and not queasy. At one point I mistakenly thought that perfect food was large bags of Doritos (Cool Original flavour only!). After a few days of eating nothing but Doritos, it all ended badly, and painfully, with a massive vom session. I couldn't eat Doritos for about 2 years after that.
MrsM, I think the hormones are often in flux and can set off bad mood swings. I'm sure your OH is understanding!
Hope everyone else having a bearable evening. Another day nearly ticked off!

eallison sorry you have had a rubbish appointment - fwiw plenty of time for baby to turn- and most do. Hope usual midwife back next appointment.

lilac my very specific food requirement involved a ginsters chicken and mushroom pasty (cold) usually at about 4pm. once flew into a rage at dh when he innocently ate the one I had been looking forward to and sent him to buy more immediately! ! [embarrassed]

2nd day of no promethazine whatsoever, only taken one (maybe 2) this week! Near constant nausea but no vomming. It's that nausea which doesn't go upon eating like I had at the start of trimester 1. I'm at work though and I'm coping. Gets worse in the evenings and only fancied toast last night. I'm hoping things won't get worse than this.

Have a nice holiday Elizabeth

Hope you feel better lilac and have a nice weekend all x

hello not sure if anyone can help but ive been given cyclizine today for this ms as ive been sick every day since 4.5weeks im now 14w.. only about 3/4 times aday but constant nausea..(not dehydrated as luckly i can hold down food&drink) is it good at relieving sickness? im a pill-a-phobe and never take medication so the thought of taking it when pg freaks me out.. thanks ladies!
So sorry your all suffering xx

missmartin cyclizine works really well for some women. It takes a couple of days to build up in the system, so give it chance. But I'd say of by early next week your not notixing any improvements then to go back to your gp. Good luck!

MissMartin, just to say that cyclizine is absolutely safe and fine. It is very widely prescribed for HG. It does take a few days to build up in your system and begin working, so do give it some time. As for effectiveness, this seems to vary between sufferers. I took it all through my HG pregnancy, and it drastically reduced the number of vomits per day (stabilised to 1-2 a day by about 20 weeks I think), but didn't touch the nausea. Hope it makes a difference for you.
Chops, good news that you're coping with minimal meds. :-)

Cross-posted with Eallison!

MissMartin I took cyclizine for most of 1st and 2nd trimester, found it helped more than other meds at the time. I had to stop taking it in 3rd trimester as switched to metoclopramide which can't be taken with it. Hope it works for you and you start feeling better soon.

Elizabethsmum have a lovely holiday!

chintara I am so very sorry for your loss. Thinking of you. HG is a complete bastard. Please take it easy, your body and mind will need time now.

Agree with the others missmartin cyclizine supposed to be completely safe in pregnancy.

Had booking in today, I swear it was an hour and 45 long. At one point I admitted to trying cannabis a few times as a teenager and she repeated back something like 'history of drug use' which I don't think feels quite right! Was so glad when it ended.

Going to a wedding tomorrow, or maybe to lie in a hotel room while oh is at the wedding. It is in a field so I have had to buy some emergency wellies as the rain has been non stop today.

The constipation is also really kicking in, I've had two attempts today (sorry tmi) and just lots of pain. I'm eating quite a lot of fruit but doc now giving me lactolose to help. Tummy ache definitely not helping with nausea.

Hope everyone else is coping? Xx

Mirabal, hope you get some relief from the constipation, and that you enjoy the wedding today. I'm off to the Lake District for a week (big family reunion), so may be intermittent on here. Hoping everyone is hanging in there.

Mirabel good luck with the wedding. At least in a field you'll be in the open air, better than being stuck in a stuffy room. Hope the rain holds off!

MotherofPearl have a lovely time in the Lake District!

Hello all. I'm back.

Forgive me for not reading the full thread. Lots of love to all.

I am miserable. Really struggling. I am 5 days into a 20 day court case and it is gruelling. The judge is allowing me spew breaks and I just run from court to vom in the witness room loos. The drugs aren't working and I am waking in the night to be sick. I have dropped weight, which to be fair I could probably do with losing, and I am a bit worried. Skin has gone to pot and I am covered in cystic zits. Feeling very sorry for myself and in a heap on the sofa. I should be 12 weeks today according to scan I had 3 weeks ago. According to my dates I should be 15... Really wish I was!

Sorry to moan, no one to vent to!

Oh gosh ruby that sounds terrible for you :-( is there anything else you can try?

Hello! Thanks for replying, feeling pretty lonely right now. The midwife texted me to say that there are suppositories that can be prescribed which can FRO. No ketones present so somehow I am not dehydrated. I am pretty much living on tepid water and rehydration sachets which might be helping? The big problem for me is that the drugs may stem the tide of spew a little but they have no effect on the waves of nausea that quite simply knock me for six. Makes sense given that they are anti - emetics! I feel better once I have been sick...

Managed zero work today Just lay on the sofa with my bucket. Feel so guilty as my brothers in law took DS to an air show today to give me a little space. Hoping tomorrow is a better day.

Hope you are ok?

xxx

Ruby how are you feeling today? Are you managing to keep any food down? Yes rehydration sachets are likely to keep ketones under control. No need to feel guilty, you're doing the best you can and resting is really really important with HG. Nothing wrong with staying on sofa with a sick-bucket. On bad days I often stay in bed and try to sleep through the worst of it.

Like you I always feel better after I've been sick. Made the mistake of eating a peach last night, within minutes I felt nauseous and had heartburn, couldn't sleep but was fighting the nausea... eventually gave in to a violent vom-session at midnight (30mins of crouching over loo) and immediately felt better. Although I then woke up at 3am itching all over, had to rip off PJs and smother myself in body-lotion! I don't know what causes it but I've had a few itching sessions in middle of night, midwife did blood tests a few weeks ago (to check liver enzymes and bio-salts) but all came back clear. Haven't changed my washing-powder or shower-gel so maybe i've become mildly allergic to fruit or something?! Or can hormones cause all-over itching?

Hope everyone's coping today!

Ruby, so sorry to hear you're suffering so badly and naturally feeling very low as a result. Can you ask to try different meds? As others say, rest is so important. I understand that impulse to stagger on at work, but your job sounds pretty stressful. Is there any way you could get some more time off? All sympathies to you. You're right, it's a terribly isolating and lonely condition. Sending hugs.

lilac interesting about the itching after fruit. I think I have developed an allergy too, but I just get itchy mouth. I get it after bananas and now plums :-(

I might have come off the antiemetics now and no longer throwing up, but 24 hour nausea is crap too. Took a pill yesterday so I could go out with my friend for a walk and lunch. Thinking about taking another today as taking my parents for a carvery. 20 week scan tomorrow at bang on 20 weeks! Half way, woo!!

Hi all, sorry some of you are having difficult times with the hg at the moment. I've had a bit of a tough week too - back at work and even though I've only been doing 4 hours I've been shattered and have been sick again every day, which is a bit disappointing after a break from it. Not been sick yet over the weekend so I totally agree with the importance of rest as everyone is saying above. Still really emotional too - could cry at anything at the moment! This week is our 12 week scan and it's happening on the same day as our wedding anniversary, so I'm hoping everything will be fine and we can have a double celebration. Starting to get quite nervous though.

lilac I'm having vivid dreams about food and then waking up thinking that is all I want to eat - and lots have been homemade things from childhood. just not sure I'm quite up to baking yet!

mirabal I had really bad constipation a couple of weeks ago and a couple of rehydration drinks a day helped me. I can now manage a bowl of fruit n fibre for breakfast and that seems good too.

ruby what meds have you tried so far? I'm on my third lot and first two types (cyclizine and metoclopramide) didn’t work for me

Oh yeah - and forgot to mention that one of the joys of being in work is hearing people tell me they had bad morning sickness too and LOADS of women suffer and I'm lucky this is my first because if I already had children I'd really have to get on with things and I wouldn't have the luxury of all this rest!! Aargghhh!!