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.

Thank you yes I had forgotten about that line, will try x

Mirabal have you been to hospital yet in your pregnancy? If your findings things really hard and struggling to walk and do anything it can really help. They can give you better meds and just a few days can really make a difference.
Ems10000 eallison88 poor you I think every pregnancy is different but I was so uncomfortable my first pregnancy. I went for a pregnancy massage on a bump been bag so there is a big hole for your bump it really helped to feel comfortable even if just an hour. We ended up buying one. I also could not sit up, i had to sleep with cusions. My second pregnancy The baby seemed to be in a different position so it was better.
I have had a better day than yesterday. Heard the babies heart beat for the first time my three year old now thinks I have a train in my tummy. It makes it all seem more worth it!

It amazes me and angers me the disparity in prescription of ondansetron. I was incredibly lucky to work my way quickly up the drug ladder to ondansetron (5 days from diagnosis and cyclizine to ondansetron). I think it probably helped that I really was incredibly ill, nothing was staying down and I was heaving and retching even when I hadn't tried food /drink, and this had been going on for nearly a week. But clearly I'm in a nhs trust that is prepared to prescribe it. It's clearly not a National service, is it. I'm so so sorry that some of you are having such a struggle to get medication.

I wonder if perhaps being admitted to hospital helped my cause... do you have early pregnancy units where you are (up to a certain number of weeks up here, can't remember exactly how many) or can you just take yourself to your maternity triage?

I know leaving the house is such hard work, seemingly impossible, when you're in the depths of untreated HG.

As I said, I'm so sorry some of you are suffering so, particularly when there are meds out there that could help. I pray that some sensible health care professional comes into your lives soon and helps you.

I feel like a complete fraud as I have not had a hospital admmission and I'm sure others on here are suffering much more than me. Think I'm just weak and not very good at handling it to be honest. I was beside myself on Sat but sicks back down to 2 or 3 now (albeit gagging and retching all day). My mIL managed to get some kesostix so if that happens again I will get myself some hopital support. Going to call the helpline tomorrow. My gp, to be fair to her has been on the phone to the borough's chief pharmacist and then the head of the labour ward at hospital trying to get prescription for me but everyone says no. They recommend increasing promethazine (Phenergan) to 25mg so will try that. The mistake I made was getting my hopes up of not feeling horrendous for another day - stupid mistake

Hi everyone. I popped by briefly to say hello a couple of months ago but now I need to be here ???? Am currently 4+5 with DC3 and already feeling very sick. I have had 2 HG pregnancies already (for those who don't remember me -waves to Mother Hen) and last time was admitted and on a drip at 5 weeks. I saw a GP today who was thankfully happy to prescribe preemptive cyclizine but said I shouldn't take it unless I'm being sick already. Surely that defeats the point?! Have actually just taken one now as the nausea has been building steadily all day. Suddenly feeling very tired, teary and terrified! Hope all are not suffering too badly just now.
Mutters off mumbling "this too shall pass"...

mirabel you're not a fraud. You feel like crap and are very vomity. m I t something any woman should have to go through. I'm glad your gp seems so supportive and keen to try to get some decent meds into you.

barmee congratulations on the pregnancy, commiserations in HG again. Get the preemptive cycluzine in you! You know better than mosey how awful it can be if this is your third. If I do this again I will be preemptiving it up big time! And I'm gonna try and see my gp before starting to try and get a plan for progression thru meds as necessary (must remember to stay round be for that particular nhs postcode lottery!). Best of luck and here's hoping it'll be better this time than the last two!

Also *mirabel, none of us handle this very well... We're not designed to feel like this and be sick or even feel sick all the time! Stop beating yourself up and congratulate yourself on getting thru another day!

Thanks eallison you are right of course. Just silly but I feel a bit disappointed-despite everything I hoped it might not have happened this time!!

I'm not sure if its ok to post here so tell me to bugger off if im unwelcome!
after being unwell for a few weeks I found out I was pregnant (2 weeks ago) it was completely unplanned and due to circumstances we cannot cope emotionally, financially and I cannot go through pregnancy again. im booked to have a termination however there's been a long wait (still waiting think about another week which is making me nervous as I have no idea how far along I am)

im struggling with constant nausea worse than both my other pregnancies, I can't eat, struggling to drink, the smell of food makes me retch and I feel so tired all the time which is making me moody. not only that but I have IBS which is flaring up due to the stress which means im constipated or having diarrhoea whenever I do manage to eat anything. I just want to curl up in a ball and cry but I have to get on and pretend everything is fine so no-one suspects.

I don't know what I want to hear but I just want to speak to others so I don't feel so alone.

nocuts welcome. No judgement here. If I had become preg again (before the sterilization) I'd have had to have a termination - only option. Others have been in that position too.

I'm sorry that you have to wait so long, it really is rough. Could you claim a summer tummy bug? In the circumstances, only you can decide if it's easier to struggle through at work or to take the time off; keeping busy might help.

If you can, get to the chemist and get some cyclizine and also some B6 and start taking it now. It helps quite a few people to a lesser or greater extent with nausea and vommitting.

Take care and be gentle with yourself.

Mirabel

I feel like a complete fraud as I have not had a hospital admmission .... Think I'm just weak and not very good at handling it to be honest

mirabel .... because the health care for HG is SO patchy, having a hospital admission or not is not a sign of how ill or not you are. Besides, some people get appalling nausea which completely sends their life off-track but never actually vomit. Comparison doesn't work with HG/ severe nausea and vomitting.

It is clear that you are really ill and struggling, and that is normal when you get this ill in pregnancy. No one is good at handling this; you're probably as good or bad as anyone else!

At the worst times, and you are in the worst now, most people think they can't get through. Few people are brave. It just comes down to getting through the day; through the next few hours; sometimes to just getting through the next few minutes.

Please don't beat yoruself up. You're ill, maybe iller than you've ever been; you'll only know how ill when you look back.

We're here to listen. It doesn't help much when what you need is a day Without Feeling Ill; but post whenever you need to

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baarmee congratulations and commiserations!

Do take the cyclizine, 3 a day. If you can, get some vitamin B6 to take with it, it's supposed to help. Cyclizine takes a few days to build up in the system and you know what's coming so it's unlikely to get better rather than worse.

Have you got some ketostix?

Meerka no Ketostix but will see if my husband can get some in his lunch break. The doctor has prescribed 1-2 a day but said to take them as little as possible. She only gave me 28 as she said if I got through that many I really needed to go back as its excessive. Which is good in a way, but... I really struggled on the tube this morning - it was so hot and stuffy!! Haven't been sick yet but feel it make not be far off.

Hope today is a good day for everyone.

nocutsnobuttsnococonuts You are in a horrible situation. I do feel for you; only you know if you can bear it again. I can't improve on Meerka's sensible advice. Nobody on this thread will sit in moral judgement on you.
BarmeeMarmee Of course, Mother Hen remembers you, and flaps hello with both wings. As others say, congratulations and commiserations and you are so right, This Too Will Pass. Again, I can't give better advice than you've had on here already (and not from that GP). There's that thing about the nervous system setting into vomiting mode, or some such thing, which is one of the reasons why pre-emptive meds are such a good idea if you've suffered before.
Mirabel Of course, you are not a fraud or weak. This is a terrible affliction and almost soul destroying. But things will almost certainly get a lot better.
Meanwhile, have you managed to get ring the Pregnancy Sickness Support people (sorry to nag about this), as they will be very helpful about getting meds.
Kayme Happy news.
Waves to eallison and everyone. Excellent advice, as ever. Weather not quite so hot,here anyway; that is one good thing for sufferers.

Hi everyone and a warm welcome to all new ladies.

I'm feeling much better, only vomiting once/twice a day now and nausea getting milder. Also I can drink liquids almost normally so no longer feeling thirsty all the time and the headaches have finally lifted. After months of being restricted to tiny sips, it feels so exciting and decadent to drink a full glass of chilled water!! It's taken me until almost 30weeks to reach this point but I feel more energetic now than I have the entire pregnancy. Don't know how much this improvement's due to metoclopramide 3xday (which I started recently) or if it's just natural progression of HG.

Mirabel sorry you're still struggling to get ondansetron. Can you get your GP or midwife to refer you to antenatal clinic or EPU? The doctors there will have more experience of treating HG and access to a bigger range of meds. My GP could only prescribe cyclizne, promethazine and prochlorperazine but the doctors at EPU and antenatal were much better. As others have said, you're not a fraud for not having a hospital admission, many people with HG never end up in hospital. The diagnosis depends a lot on how much experience and knowledge your GP has and how quickly you get referred to a specialist.

MrsM I really sympathise with the food aversions. Are you managing to eat much at all? I struggled to eat in first trimester, the smell and taste of most foods made me gag. I lived mainly on bland carbs like toast, croissants, crumpets, bagels, smooth porridge, plain pasta. I couldn't tolerate the taste of salad or any kind of meat until 2nd trimester, but found tinned carrots, peas and frozen watermelon stayed down. Just try to eat whatever you can, even if it's just tiny nibbles and sugary drinks throughout the day. I found aniseed balls and sour sweets like pear-drops helped with nausea.

Eallison about the tiredness thing, are you getting enough sleep? I find I'm up several times a night to wee (and every trip to bathroom involves painful hobbling and clinging onto furniture due to SPD and my back stiffening up while I sleep) so I nap in day to catch up. Even short 30min naps seem to give me a big energy rush. If I don't nap regularly I end up really grumpy and dazed and the nausea gets worse!

Urgh I've started getting up 3-4 times a night to pee! Tiring isn't it? Week 2 of being back to work! I have increased my hours this week. Last week I finished at 12, this week half 2. Yesterday afternoon I felt really tired and nauseous. If it happens again this afternoon I may need to re think my phasing!

Glad you're feeling loads better lilac very positive for you :-) Saturday just gone me and dh had a morning out together, the first of the preg! Went to watch the carnival parade and wander round some stalls. Was shattered in the pm but it was so worth it! Feeling better is wonderful isn't it :-)

Sorry you're in this situation nocuts. My friend confessed to me that she actually booked a termination with her first child as she felt so ill. But in the end she cancelled it and had dd1 and again for dd2. She too fell preg a 3rd time and did have a termination. It must be an awful decision to make. I hope you get on ok.

mirabel I hope you feel better soon hun. You sound a lot ill-er than me and I don't feel like a fraud so you definitely shouldn't!

Hi to everyone else! X

in haste barmee you can take 3 a day, 1 every 8 hours (take the 1st one just before your worst time)

You can also buy them without a prescription, but don't let on youre preg. they're about 20pounds for 100.

If you want to double check what I'm saying (I would in your shoes :) ) ring the Pregnancy Sickness Support helpline, leave a message and they will ring you back. The elderly, very experienced in HG doctor there will tell you to start them now, I can confidently say.

Cyclizine is the safest of all the meds and its sister drug in the states is officially Federal Drug Agency Category A which means absolutely safe - the only med that is. It's also good, but not that strong. It really is ok to take. Doctors are often v cautious about meds in preg and understandably so, but they are often -not- trained in HG and its effects and you have a track record of severe HG. Please do ring that number and take the meds - lets face it, this is unlikely to get better right now, quite the opposite :/

Thanks Meerka I took one at 7.40 this morning, but problem is I'm already not managing to eat and drink much (just rich tea biscuits and little sips so far). Not sure I can last at my desk for much longer at this rate!

Oh dear, I think you need stronger meds quickly ... glad your husband is getting ketostix.

If you go back to the doctor then take a printout of the NICE guidelines (mother hen linked them above), the Goals of treatment and the recommended meds. Also your meds and condition have to be assessed weekly so it's worth pointing that out.

Tbh given your history it might be worth asking for ondansetron quickly but that's a long shot :/

chops Im in admiration that you're managing to work at all specially in this heat and mugginess! Do rest as much as you can .. I'm sure you are

Hmmm on my way home from work and I feel nauseous and tired again. I was absolutely fine doing the 8-12 shift last week but the 8-2.30 is not going down so well. I only got a GP note for 2 weeks phased return so next week I need to be full time again.

Might you be able to get another note for reduced hours chops?

thank u meerka. I'm not working at the moment, just a few hours voluntary which isn't too bad! most of my close friends know I have IBS which can explain the bloating, sickness and weird dietary changes! otherwise im citing a bug. I went to the chemist and was told I couldn't have any sickness medication over the counter, I would have to see gp which is near impossible and can take a week!! so I've got some travel bands and I bought ginger ale which is vile but trying to drink it out of desperation

and to top it all off I think I have the start of a water infection due to not drinking enough (i get them frequently if im dehydrated)

sorry for moaning! I hope all you other ladies are feeling ok today

BarmeeMarmee welcome nice to meet another mum crazy enough to go through a HG pregnancy for the 3rd time. I found I did forget think it's like child birth. I remember the hell of it from before, the helplessness but you do forget the constant nausea that just never goes away! I personally have got very slightly better each pregnancy. I also found the doctors took me much more seriously because of my medical history. I was told no to ondansetron because or my other health problems, otherwise I think I would have got it. My friend was prescribed it. I'm in the SW England.
Mirabel like the others say being in hospital is not necessary a measure of illness but it can show better medical control. You certainly sound like you have been bad enough. If you do get really Ill you can go to A and E. When I went in the doctor wrote me a note but it didn't make much difference I still had to wait in A and E with everyone else before being admitted. There was a girl who self admitted that was only sick once a day but just felt really bad, that did suprise me.
nocutsnobuttsnococonuts poor you. Going through the hell of HG is bad enough even when you really want another baby. I certainly seriously considered a termination with my first as I was so Ill. Is there nothing your doctor can do? Can the speed things up if your so Ill? Like the others say it's just a case of taking meds and trying to eat small snacks often rather than meals. Even if you are having a termination you still need to look after your self sounds like you have been really poorly. Best of luck with everything.x

LilacWine7 well done really happy you are feeling a bit better even small steps can be so wonderful when you have been so ill. Don't get down hearted if it gets a bit harder again as the baby gets even bigger. I hope it last and even improves more.

thanks so much for your kindness ladies - it means so much, I can't tell you

had good call with pregnancy sickness helpline, might have found a doc at another hospital who can help. need to call her secretary tomorrow and ask if she is happy to see me even though I'm at a differrent hospital - then gp has agreed to refer me. I am loathe to get hopes up but ofcourse i have anyway.

barmee I know well that desperate hope that it won't happen again, I think it is quite powerful

nocuts how desperate for you - it seems so unfair not to help you sooner

mirabel that sounds more positive. Fingers crossed.

lilac I'm having a nap everyday when I get in from work, but like you, not sleeping well at night: combination of needing to pee and being in pain. It's frustrating!