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.

Does anyone know why ice cold things seem to help quite a lot? Or at least they do for me and I have seen a fair few recommendations for ice and really cold drinks on the Internet.

Hi everyone it's LilacWine here with a slightly different username! I had to re-register due to the password-reset thing, my original email account had expired!

Having a queasy day here. Threw up my breakfast and lunch, only thing staying down at the moment are biscuits and sips of still-lemonade! Guess it's another hormone-surge as seem to have a day like this every time I've had a few good days.

Heaven welcome to the thread, sorry you're suffering! Ice-cold drinks help me too, any room-temp liquid seems to make me vomit. Not sure why this is. Ice-lollies and ice-pops are brilliant when you can't tolerate fluids.

Ems sorry you're still feeling rough! Has the nausea improved at all? Hopefully you'll keep improving, I'm having a lot more good days now than I was a few weeks ago.

Eallison people started saying I was 'blooming' at one point too, think it was around 28weeks when I went to a family gathering. I put it down to having fallen asleep in the sun the week before rather than actual 'blooming'... as they stopped saying it once my tan faded!

Hi everyone, welcome Heaven sorry you're suffering too.

I'm feeling very lightheaded today, not sure why. Have eaten ok (all things considered) and have managed a little to drink but just feeling very spacy and I don't like it! Maybe I need to make myself drink still more.

I have been lightheaded too, bit scary when you feel like you're about to pass out
Has anyone taken zofran (ondesartan) and gone on to have healthy babies? My Dr wants to try that next if my current medication doesn't work and I'm a bit nervous about what I've read re ongoing lawsuit etc......?

LllacRain That password reset thing has been a pest, I didn't know about it and kept stupidly trying to log in with my old one.
BarmeeMarmee That sounds nasty, though I'm glad you've been able to eat a bit; sensible to try and drink more.
Laura I'm glad you had a brief respite, anyway. Very sensible to go back on meds asap.
TwoDrifters It's exciting about scan.
Heaaven Very likely you did have less severe Hyperemesis before. From what I''ve seen on these threads, a lot of women have it, and don't realise, and it is never diagnosed. It's weird, isn't it, about the ice cold thing - so much more soothing.

freshbread I took ondansetron last time and am on it again this time around. My DC has some SN but they are absolutely nothing to do with the ondansetron. Please try not to worry. I know it's scary when, not unreasonably, these things haven't been tested but I'm sure it is fine. It is the only way I can function!

Freshbread Cross posted. Try not to worry. The Dr would never prescribe something he didn't think safe to use in pregnancy. I don't know about an ongoing lawsuit -but innumerable women on these threads have taken a whole cocktail or drugs, with Ondansetron,and gone on to have healthy babies; various studies have found it safe in pregnancy, but there's some legal reason why it can't be registered as such, I've forgotten what. It's expense that generally keeps dr's from prescribing it.

BarmeeMarmee Cross posted with you, too!

freshbread just to echo the positive comments re ondansetron/zofran. It's the only medicine that had any impact for me - initially it was the miracle drug that gave me my life back, then as my HG peaked it was less effective (still meant I could eat a little, not spend the whole time being sick/heaving/retching) and then as HG began to settle again it allowed me to eat more and live a more normal life. I went a couple of weeks without it (I think about wk28-32) and then had a few weeks of a tablet every couple of days, and now am back on at least one a day (baby keeps growing and the resulting hormone surges are not fun!).

It's not been tested for pregnancy - but both my consultant and various GPs told me this was because they won't test any drugs on pregnant people, so in actuality, there are very few drugs that drugs companies will say are safe for pregnancy. Ondansetron has been used for a number of years off label.

I know it's so difficult when you want to have a nice, healthy, natural pregnancy - but severely dehydrated mum is far worse for baby - as my consultant said.

I've been on the highest dose allowed (3 x 8mg/day) and I seem to remember the consultant telling me that the side effects for mum are worse than the effects on baby (constipation for most, migraines for some). But on balance I decided the the constipation and headaches (I was lucky enough not to get full blown migraines) were a price worth paying!

heaven no idea why really, but I always wondered if it was because of a slight numbing impact? Certainly cold has always been good for me.

Yes I considered it might be numbing eallison88. Well I don't know what it is but I'm liking the effect as it certainly helps somewhat.
LucindaE if you are right about people having hyperemesis and never being diagnosed it would seem that hyperemesis is far more common than the statistics show. That's quite interesting to know really.

just got back onto thread after password reset thing- seemed to have missed something there- thought it was just me!

heaven welcome and sorry you are sufferering again. several of us here veterans and full sympathies to you. lots of good advice and support here.

ems and laura lovely to hear from you, sorry that you are sufferering / relapsing. it is particularly disheartening when you have had a good spell- does highlight how well meds are working - I would definitely up them again if you have reduced. I stayed on meds until 28 or so weeks in second pg (12 weeks or so after I had felt a lot better), mainly due to previous bitter experience of coming off too soon/never being well/ needing them all the way through first time round. if you have had a good spell however, relapses in 2/3rd tri are not usually as awful as those relentless early weeks is all I can say.

Thanks for asking after dSil lucinda, our daily texts today have centred on the terrible events in Bangkok actually where we holidays this time last year and also the trashy mag I bought her about celeb marriage breakdowns- so I take it she was feeling a little better in herself x

Elizabeth - so sad about your SIL. All the best to her and your family at this time. I hope all your nausea tips help!
Freshbread - I've been on ondansetron since week 7 (now at week 30). Baby had a growth scan last week and was measuring 3 days ahead, with fantastic organs etc, so we aren't too concerned of lasting damage from the ondansetron. Of course, we don't be satisfied till baby is out and we can see for sure. If I don't take the ondansetron, I get really nauseous after a day, which then limits what I eat and drink, so think it's better to keep going on the minimum dosage and keep eating.

Currently just taking it day by day and getting closer to maternity leave. Feeling so exhausted at the moment! Also struggling with feeling full and hungry at the same time, oh the joys of the third trimester!

I've only just had that email about the hacking into Mumsnet, though I had to reset my password yesterday, so I've set it again just in case.
HeavenYes, I believe from what I've seen on the threads over the years, that their is a massive amount of under diagnosis, if that is the term. This is a bit less the case now, but still going on, and a few years ago, I'm sorry to say I'm sure any number of women suffered agonies and were dismissed.
eallison Good advice from a wise consultant. BarmeeMarmee Again, good advice.

elizabethsum Hope things will get better for your poor SIL. How long will the treatment be?
Back soon.

Thankyou so much everyone xx hope everyone is coping ok today xx

Freshbread I am so glad you got some reassurance from people's comments. As zofren, Ondansetron is actually routinely prescribed over in the US much more as a first form of treatment for Hyperemesis, from what I saw on a support thread over there some years ago (long story; someone
asked me to take it over temporarily).
Heaven and everyone, sorry about appalling typing, even worse than usual today; I typed 'their' instead of 'there' and that looks so illiterate...

Had another growth-scan today. Baby's estimated weight is now 5lb7oz (within normal range for dates) but he's dropped a centile since last growth-scan 6weeks ago which is worrying. They're re-scanning me in 2 weeks in case his growth is slowing down too much, doctor said they might induce me early if he's not growing well enough. I know it's probably just one of those things, but I feel really guilty in case it's my fault, like I've let baby down by not eating enough He was really big for his dates last time but that was after a period of me feeling less queasy and eating more and I'd managed to gain weight. In this trimester that weight melted away so I'm worried I've restricted his growth. DH thinks everything would be solved if I just ate more, but then I vomit more and the heartburn gets worse so feel like I can't win! Going to have to try and increase calorie intake somehow. I have no appetite at the moment, feels like the 'hunger signal' has been switched off.

ElizabethsMum how's your dSil now? Hope the nausea's easing up for her.

How's everyone else coping today?

Lilac - are you drinking milkshakes? I find that they're a good source of high calorie nutrients in an easy to consume form. On my most nauseous days, I just have a liquid diet. Don't worry too much about growth scans, they're well known for being inaccurate. You're almost there!

Lilac please don't be so hard on yourself. I've been told so many times I've lost count that the baby gets all the nutrients it needs, it's us that suffers. Maybe you should suggest to your DH that he recalls a time when he's had a hideous vomiting bug then ask how he would have felt if someone continually expected him to keep eating through it?

Hi everyone. Hope you're all doing ok today. Just wondering how dramatic the improvement has been for you once you have found tablets that work?

Lilac Great advice from everyone about those unreliable growth scans;
I have lost count of the women on here who were told that the baby wasn't growing well, only to have a well sized baby. Women were designed to grow babies during periods of starvation, when you think about it.
Heaven I'll have to leave it to others to answer that question, as my treatment was alternative, as I was refused all meds (this was years ago).
How are you today?

Hi lucindaE. I have been feeling a fair bit better yesterday and today. I presume because of the cyclizine tablets the doc has put me on. Hence my question about whether people get much of an improvement on tablets. I wonder if they do and how quickly it happens. Safe to say my sickness is still in full force though as I have just been very sick with no warning whatsoever. Maybe that's the effect these tablets are going to have on me, in which case I'd better make sure I'm never too far from a toilet. It must have been horrendous for you trying to cope with no medication. I have utmost respect for you.

Ooh I meant to say thanks for asking!

Thanks for reassurance Mellee Barmee and Lucinda. Had midwife appointment today, she looked at growth-chart and said baby's still a good size he just hasn't grown as much as they'd expected (he's gone from 3lbs to 5lbs7oz in 6weeks). She pointed out it might be a good thing if they induce me a bit early as will end the HG and SPD suffering!

Mellee I'll give milkshakes a try, thanks for tip. I've been craving milky-bars last few days, got a pack of fun-size ones in the fridge so I'm eating those between meals to try and increase calories! Also craving ice-cream though that doesn't usually stay down for long.

Heaven for me the improvement on meds was very gradual and I'm not sure how much was due to meds and how much the natural course of HG. Didn't have much luck with the first few meds I tried, and thought Cyclizine wasn't helping either until I ran out and had a bad relapse! Metoclopramide reduced frequency of vomiting but no dramatic improvement in nausea. Hope you get some relief soon! Have you got sick-bags to carry around with you? I got some from Amazon, sealable ones with absorbent things in that turn liquid into gel... they're invaluable for when you're out and about or far from a loo. I have a stash in the car-door, handbag, jacket pockets and in every room in house!

That's really not a bad idea LilacRain. I will have to have a look for some. Are they expensive? I certainly could have done with one earlier. Only just made it and the bathrooms only next door so it was a dicey moment. I was hoping I might make it back to work once on meds but certainly not judging by today's experience!
How many weeks are you? I have also tried the milkshakes. They seem to go down ok at the moment. I seem to be craving comfort food. Have ordered chicken nuggets and sausage rolls in my food shop although I suspect I'll find myself regretting it.

Heaven not sure if they're expensive, DH ordered them for me in bulk as I was scared to leave the house for ages. They definitely gave me the confidence to get out and about without worrying about getting to loo in time.
I'm almost 36weeks now.
Good luck with the chicken nuggets... I found processed meat easier to tolerate in first trimester... couldn't stand the taste of real meat but nuggets and turkey-burgers usually stayed down!