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.

Have had no sleep. I feel like a zombie and now my ear hurts. Feeling sorry for myself.

Oh reebokyou poor thing. How's your daughter? With your earache, you're not coming down with the same thing?

Hello everyone. Sorry for silence, I have been "nesting" which seems to involve pulling junk out of cupboards and leaving it in piles on the floor whilst I become one with the sofa and laugh at Judge Rinder... I have now Kondo-ed the crap out of my house and had a mad decluttering session. Still no baby. Was hoping he would be here by now but nope. Still spewing and still have ketones - off to the hospital this afternoon for one of my pointless appointments. Community midwife can't see me again so I am dutifully trooping along. The midwife last week did say that I could elect not to attend but I am such a goody goody that it just doesn't occur to me to cancel...

MIL called to say that she and FIL are coming over next week (they live in forrin parts) for a fortnight but have taken a flat a few streets away which is a massive relief. They are fab (apart from their bonkers world view which is usually fun to take the piss out of but I doubt I will have the energy soon!) but our house is too tiny notwithstanding the decluttering. DS is delighted as they will spoil him rotten.

Glad to hear your GTT wasn't too explosive Reebok and glad you are GD free (although you do sound as though you are having a grim time of it - really hope it improves)

Sorry for not being more thorough in my responses to everyone. Really hoping you are all struggling through and I really hope to be back on soon with a newborn and the incessant nausea behind me! X

RubyReins Sorry to hear there's no baby yet.
Reebok Poor you, earache is really painful. squeezed Not surprised you feel a bit of self pity, that relapse is such a shame, and spd sounds awful. OH might be grateful that you're still going into work.
Ickle How grim - four am -glad OH can help today.
eallison It's nice he will chat happily to himself, and maybe now he'll be one of those angelic sleepers.
spandau How are you and your lO?
Waves to SpecialStains Somebodyand everybody...

ruby how frustrating that baby is so comfy that he's not yet made an appearance. I had the same! Is like one last "up yours" from the HG that these babies seem to stick around longer than necessary!

The wee scone was giving me the "v"s in the scan today . 2/5s engaged now (was totally free last week) and all ok so we just have to wait!

Thanks ruby. Could be catching dds illness. Had 28 week appointment today. Baby is measuring 26 weeks but midwife didn't seem concerned about that. She was kicking away at the Doppler. Low iron again which sucks.

Had a disagreement with my boss who is behaving like a b***d! I called in to say unlikely I would be in tomorrow as dd's temp is still high and she's been vomiting. He asked if oh could look after her instead. I said he couldn't as had started a new job and already taken off time for when she had hand foot and mouth to look after her so technically it's my turn...no other childcare options so nothing I could do. He then went on to point out that my absences this year had been really bad...and stated I had 58 days off. I pointed out most of that has been pregnancy related illness and as far as I'm aware, they can't be counted towards normal absence. He just said yes, well we will have to look into it now. It's wound me up so much as firstly they know I'm leaving soon, I'm just a flipping cover teacher now so not like he has to get a supply in to cover me. Arghhhh should I leave earlier than 35 weeks!!

Hey Reebok, sorry your boss is being a dick. Go off early if you want, but don't let them force you out earlier through their unreasonable behaviour.

I'd probably send your boss an email, wording what was said earlier regarding your absence and include a link to the government webpage supporting your right to not have pregnancy related sickness counted in the same way. Even if you don't need to, I would just to make them feel uncomfortable!

When calling up to say i've been signed off, I've had to deal with 'can't you just throw up on a morning then come in' and 'lots of women have babies, you know'. Also, the payrise I was promised before Christmas has not happened, so some forthright emails copying in hr will be heading their way.

Hope you and your daughter feel better soon. Keep on the iron tablets and look after yourself properly!

Can I sneak in briefly to ask a a question? I don't have HG so a bit cheeky!

I have moderate-severe pregnancy sickness which for me is all-day nausea from week 4 to (so far) week 30. My GP started saying at the last appointment that I should start cutting down on the cyclizine. I take three a day and it dampens down the nausea to a bearable level, occasionally I don't feel nauseous at all for brief periods when I take it, and it lets me eat an acceptable range of foods. She said I should cut down, and in the last four weeks I have to come off it entirely :(

Is this right - was anyone here allowed to take it all the way through and is there a good reason not to take it?

I almost never actually vomit so I think from GPs point of view I can keep food and water down, so it's not worth being on it. But without the cyclizine, life is really miserable and eating is limited and stressful.

Hi everyone, I haven't read the thread or posted on it before but was just looking for some advice. I'm 20weeks pregnant now and had severe vomiting in the first part of my pregnancy (signed off work/on cyclizine/dehydration contributing to a DVT) when it seemed to settle down and become manageable without the anti-emetic medicine (sporadic sickness but sometimes a whole day without vomiting). Since yesterday teatime though I haven't been able to keep anything down, not even the cyclizine tablet I tried again on the advice of the antenatal assessment centre.

So my question - can HG fade and then return or is this likely to be a bug? It doesn't feel like a bug, it seems to just be a return to before, but the hospital (who have had ward closures due to norovirus so are naturally cautious) seemed to be suggesting it could be.

And, what should I do now? I'm still being sick, feeling really dry/dizzy so whether it's a bug or pregnancy related I need to do something to feel better.

Sorry that was long but any help/advice would be great fully received. Thank you.

ComeLuckyApril Welcome. It seems to me, if drinking and eating have been a problem throughout, that this is hardly a 'normal' level of pregnancy sickness. It's possible to have Hyperemesis without vomiting, with constant nausea instead. I hadn't heard that you had to come off cyclizine by that time, as there have been so many women on here on it, or a combination of it and ondansetron throughout. I would phone up Pregnancy Sickness Support on 924 7638 2020 . They'll have to phone you back, but they will, and they've helped any number of women on here.
Reebok I am really with that boss. He must know, surely, what you say about pregnancy related sickness cannot count towards the total amount, or is he so ignorant? I can't improve on SpecialStains advice about don't let them force you out. Is there a reason why he is trying it on, if you're not needed for cover?

ComeLuckyApril Sorry, that's 024 7368 2020!
AltCarbon Welcome. Unfortunately, it can come back during hormone surges, and sometimes, in the last tri. It could well be a bug, but the danger for now is the dehydration. If you have kesostix to test your urine, what do they say? Can anyone get any for you? Over three plus ketones means you need admission for fluids, generally. Do you have headache, dry skin, blurred vision or feel confused?
If you have been unable to keep liquids down for over twenty-four hours it becomes a medical emergency, anyway. Sorry to sound bossy,but you do need to take this seriously and phone your local GP's out of hours for advice, stressing you think you're seriously dehydrated, or go round to A and E.

Thank you, I'll try that :)

comeluckyapril sounds like HG to me! That sounds really rotten. I haven't heard of anyone being told to cut down; can't improve on lucindas advice to ring pregnancy support people.

altcarbon I don't think it's unusual for HG to come and go in waves. I certainly had something of a re surge towards the end. Are there any foods that you know are reliable and you can keep down? Often cheap nasty stuff works well; fizzy drinks, cheap ice cream, lollies. Tinned peaches were my go to, that and their fruin.

Urgh to your dick of a boss reebok! I wish that some people could feel what hyperemesis is like - they'd change their tune then for sure!

I knew I shouldn't have reported an improvement on the thread! After several much better days I am back to vomiting multiple times, with gagging and dry retching interspersed. Why won't it all just bugger off? Now feeling stressed about work myself - going back again on Monday and I had been quite looking forward to it but I dread trying to work while feeling like this.

Hoping that your baby is born soon Ruby and you are out of the misery of the nausea and vomiting.

Waves to Icant, MOP, squeezed, spandau and anyone else I've rudely overlooked, as well as Meer, eallison, and mother hen.

Thanks Lucinda & Eallison. At least I'm not going mad and that it is possible for it to come back as I was doubting myself. All my usual go to sickness foods e.g. crisps and Coke haven't worked today. I keep trying sips of water but then every so often will be sick so don't know how much I'm absorbing. Think I'll phone the assessment centre back and see what they say. The possibility of a drip was mentioned earlier in my pregnancy but never materialised and I thought I was coping fine but the DVT suggests I probably wasn't so I think I need to be more pro-active/pushy this time.

in haste - welcome alt and comelucky

Off to England shortly (hope the weather is better with you!) so will wish everyone good luck, and hope for good news from ruby by the time I'm back at the end of next week!

Peaceful nights and endurable days to everyone.

Hi everyone especially those new.
Really sorry just need a proper depressed moan. I've had enough I'm only 11 weeks in and I have totally had enough. I've had no sleep and no sickness medication seems to be touching the HG. I can't keep any food and very small amounts of fluid down. The stupid midwife at my booking in just kept going on about sodding ginger and I just gave her a look when she asked about healthy eating! I had already explained about hg and hospital etc. She asked if I was feeling depressed or down and do you know what right now yes. I've thrown up tinned pears and felt like I was gagging. I just have no energy and can't see how I will cope with my gorgeous 18 month old son. I just want to take him to tumble tots so he can have fun but I fear I won't be able to leave the house. This is so unfair on him. I'm in bed already about to fall asleep but just needed to moan because I've had enough

oh ickle ... it's hell. HG turns you from a fit healthy person into a house-confined bile-chucking machine. It's entirely normal to get depressed.

take it five minutes by five minutes ... don't look into the future.

Keep on going, love. Your lovely son will come through.

Oh ickle you're in the really dark place that we've all been. I know that doesn't make it any easier, but know you're not alone. It does get better, I promise. Your little one is young enough not to remember this, no matter how guilty you feel. remind me the meds you're on (sorry, I have the memory of a sieve at the best of times and baby brain and lack of sleep is a disaster!)?

Huge hugs ickle. It really does suck big time. And there's nothing more frustrating than trying to explain yourself to a healthcare practitioner that just doesn't get it. Mine asked about healthy eating after we'd discussed hg, and I just looked at her and said that I ate whatever was going to stay down (mostly coca-cola, apples and coco pops).

My worse day was after vomiting weatabix up at midnight. It was all I'd eaten all day, and I'd managed to force it down so that my stomach wasn't having hunger pains. I then slowly vomited it up over a three hour period. Weatabix is grim on the return journey, and I remember sitting on the bathroom floor thinking some very dark thoughts. I'm normally quite a happy person, but hg has turned me into this boring, housebound person, who cant do any movement, housework or cooking without retching. And I only have myself to think about. Hats off to all you amazing people who are doing this while caring for your dc's. I've no idea how you cope.

You are doing fabulously. What do you have to do to get through tonight/tomorrow? Is DC in bed and can you take meds and go to bed as well? Is your dp supportive? If you have family and friends that can help out, now is the time to use them!

Is there anything at all you can have for fluid/food? Fruit smoothies are really high in sugar which could help with ketones? Might sit a bit heavier than water? Sorry if its an annoying suggestion, just do whatever you can. I eat a lot of ice.

I def think you need a trip back to see a nice gp to talk about meds. What are you on? Please talk as much as you need on here.

PS - your midwife can go to my special place in hell reserved solely for those who recommend Ginger to hg sufferers. I think they will be force fed Ginger biscuits and gin-gins until they see the error of their ways!

Also, hi alt and comelucky.

Sorry to hear its back madrigal.

Ruby hope your baby arrives soon. I wish I had the energy for nesting behaviours at the moment!

I'm too annihilated for a proper post tonight but just wanted to say two quick things. One is: big hugs to Ickle. I feel so for you; it's horrific. But at 11 weeks you're in the worst of it, and almost everyone sees some improvement later on. You won't be this bad all the way through, although I know that's scant consolation right now.
The second thing I wanted to say is: you are all so lovely and kind and supportive. This board keeps me going, every day. That is all.

Thanks ladies am so touched by your kind words. A 4am start has not helped by mental wellbeing but will just keep going. eallison and special am on cyclazine and ondansetron but only 4mg so think am going to ask for 8mg.

MoP hugs to you too (and everyone who can tolerate one). I found the same, this thread was just a lifeline; people who understood.