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.

Hooray special fingers crossed things improve asap.

Well I need a proper moan - rang the doctor to see about increasing ondansetron dose and she just did not get it. It took all my self control not to hang up when she was talking about diet and she asked if I'd tried ginger biscuits. Really want for this to get better but in 3 weeks without change. Cancelled flights to Sweden today and after throwing up everything including crackers today i am now fed up again.

Sorry you had such a useless phone conversation with that gp. If you like, I can add her to the list of people I'm sending to Ginger hell. They'll be force fed Ginger until they repent their patronising, Ginger pushing ways!

Did she agree to up the ondansetron?

Nope was not interested because I'm able to keep some fluids down and no significant ketones. So I'm left feeling fed up and useless with no sign of being able to go back to work any time soon!

I'm sorry.

It really does suck. It's as though some hcp can't think of pregnant women as anything other than walking incubators. Any other condition that affected quality of life this much, they'd be a bit more sympathetic.

Can you make an appointment with a different gp? Was the one that put you on ondansetron nice? Remind me how far along you are?

Sorry to hear so many are still banging their heads against the preverbial brick wall of ignorant healthcare professionals! The things I've imagined doing to people with their suggested ginger biscuits!

Lucinda I'm not doing brilliantly. I'm 35+5 and had a horrid vomiting session out of the blue last night so my throat still feels raw today. I've been told I am on the verge of using a wheelchair rather than crutches for the SPD and am dreading half term next week-I'm not going to be able to take the DCs out and about anywhere and feeing very bad about it.

Yes going to book another appointment with other gp for next week special going to need another sick note... the horrible gp has spoken to early pregnancy unit and arranged a scan so she is partly forgiven. Dh on the other hand just said he wasn't sure he could make it so now ive got to find childcare and face first scan alone. I'm nearly 12 weeks so hopefully have dating scan soon too.

barmee I know that half term doing very little feels like you are letting the kids down but I'm sure they will enjoy a break. Maybe see if they can visit friends for a couple of days and some chill out dvd days. Hope you get some rest still as spd was horrific last pregnancy.

Stains Poor you, I do feel for you. Most people do get a lot of improvement in the second tri, don't despair. You could well start swimming again.
Ickle That is dismal and I can't believe the absurdity of that advice from a doctor!!!!
BarmeeMarmee Oh dear, that must be awful spd, much sympathy.

hello all again,
I'm currently on 4mg ondanstertron 2/3 times a day, i literally take it a minute before i eat and usually it stops me being sick but not always. At first i had cyclizine - no effect. At hospital they put me on IV cyclizine, still no good, metrocoplamide(SP??) and i had restless twitchy legs and fast heartbeat(only made the connection after i had read about it!!) and did nothing for sickness anyway. Only thing that has touched sickness (actual voms not feeling sick) is ondansterton. Someone mentioned earlier about acid voms - i was given ranitdine which helped but occasionally gave very frothy voms and lots more retching.
Ickle & Special i know its hard to think things will get any easier, literally every week from 10wks a different doc has been telling me 'oh it should start to clear up by 'x' week/ next week etc and it feels like your waiting for flipping ages. I definatley noticed a shift i would say around maybe 13wk where the debilitating nausea lifted and things got easier. I'm now able to eat little bits and drink but whenever i try without meds i'm sick and then feel dreadful.
The thing that is really hurting and getting me down at the momement is the headache (90% of the time - who knew your head could hurt when you are asleep lol?!?!) and the constipation...I have tried fybrogel(rec'd by chemist), laxido(from dr), lactoluse - all have been shite(or not!!! haha) Even Senna tablets worked once aftr 10 days but recently not worked. Anyone have any advice? The leaflet on Senna says 'not safe in pregnancy-do not use' but Dr at hospital prescribed and i'm desperate.

go to food - pringles, lucozade and rice crispies (or as DP says bowl of sugar with a few rice crispies)

wow this looks a bit long sorry.

barmee the spd is what it is hun... I couldn't do sod all towards end last time with dd and the weeks are speeding up where spd is unbearable again .. half term

Haha

Kids have to make do.. I'm being hard about it.. I bend over backwards I'm always there for every one I do the very best I physically and mentally can and I have to be hard or I'll spend the entire 12 weeks I have left crying my eyes out...

We WILL feel better again
we WILL do all the things we want to do again
we WILL be strong and put our selves first for a brief amount of time .. because pushing ourselves will make us worse and then the recovery longer and the suffering all round longer too !

Pet talk more to myself their lol lol ;)

HG and spd and acid reflux and general pregnancy sucks !!! It's the worst experience of my life bar the baby moving and having the little tikes at the end ...

On wards fellow warriors xxx

Ladies how do you know if you have spd or pgp? I've been in tears unable to walk, lay down, sit, turn over in bed. Pain between my legs...not on my privates (that's a completely separate problem) but sort of where your thigh/leg joins...also lower back, hips, basically any joints. I'm not managing to sleep as woken by pain and discomfort every 5 mins. No position works. Hot water bottle doesn't help and nor does paracetamol. I had about 3 hours of sleep last night...broken sleep. Definitely not coping so I'm glad work is over in 13 days.

Sorry to hear of those suffering. Forgotten already who wrote the ginger hell comment but thanks as it made me smile.

reebok Sounds like it could be Spd. I've got pain on/in public bone and feels like I'm being kicked there, very hard. Worst is turning in bed, walking up stairs, getting out of the car. The paracetamol needs to be repeatedly taken so it builds up. If you speak to midwife or gp they can refer for physio. The pregnancy belts are supposed to help, don't think mine works for me though.

reebpk that sounds like spd to me. If you can afford it I can't recommend a chiropractor enough, mine kept me on my feet and even made it a little better after the nhs physio informed me that id probably be on crutches by the time I have birth.

Apologies that I'm a little awol at mo and not responding to all. Babyealli is currently feeding every 1 or 2 hours, including thru the night, so I'm utterly exhausted. Luckily he's very handsome with a beguiling smile!

By beguiling I meant bewitching. Seriously, utterly exhausted!

Ginger hell; I'm going to update Dantes circles of hell. It will include the section fir the ginger suggesters. It will also have a section for dog owners who allow their dogs to crap in the middle of the pavement and don't pick it up (pram wheels and dog shit = Argh!!!)

Suffering from dreadful insomnia at the moment, but at least I can use the time to pop on here!
Sorry to hear about Barmee's terrible SPD, and now looks like Reebok too. Barmee, half term sounds like it will be tough, but don't be too hard on yourself. I'd opt for DVDs for the DC as much as possible. Or other sedate indoors things.
Ickle, you must be feeling disappointed to have had to cancel your trip. It's so difficult to feel so trapped by the sickness, it really does bring normal life to a halt. The isolation and boredom are in some ways worse than the physical stuff. I hate not having my usual energy. Normally I can't sit still or even relax, I'm always doing things - but now even basic things take such an effort.
Peonie, the Onsanestron constipation is something that many of us on the thread suffer from. Now that I've reduced my dose to 1x 4mg a day it's manageable, but when I was on 3x a day I'm afraid I had to rely on glycerol suppositories from Boots to go. Reebok has had to depend on a home enema kit. Meanwhile if you can manage any fruit - tinned maybe? - that will also help.
Hope I've not rudely neglected anyone: apologies if so.

PS. Ealli, hope BabyEalli gives you a break and you get some sleep.

If I were to hypothetically go swimming and vomit in the pool, what would happen? It's just such a sunny day and I would love to go for a walk to the gym 1.5miles away then splash about for half an hour. Being that I did vomit while BT open reach man was here (yay - I can have internet!) Its not a good idea, is it?

I hate being pregnant. I will love baby, but pregnancy does not suit me.

eallison I like the updating of the circles of hell. Hope baby let's you sleep!

Nausea free vibes for everyone.

Also... 13 weeks today! This is where all the sickness goes away, right? -clutches at straws- RIGHT?!

SpecialStains I do hope you get some relief soon. Realistically, most people don't feel it until about week fourteen onwards, but some are lucky. I think if you vomited in a pool they might have a duty to clear it (the pool, I mean!), but not sure?
Reebok and BarmeeMarmee and spandau and squeezed So sorry that this spd is such torture apart from the other torture. Can the physio do nothing at all? I so agree with ealison about chiropracters or osteopaths being helpful but expensive.
Peonie I know headaches are mentioned as a side effect and one has headaches often from hormonal changes if inclined to suffer from them during the monthly cycle. Is it severe? It might be worth mentioning to the doctor, if you haven't already.
Ickle That is a disappointment. Sorry to hear it.
MotherofPearl Much sympathy over insommnia. Great advice from you and eallison as ever.
I wonder if Ruby has had the baby yet?
Apologies for anyone rudely overlooked.

NOPE!

Hi all, I was here for a bit around October-December time. I'm 21 weeks now and tried to wean myself off the cyclizine, I only missed one tablet (one this morning) and have felt really queasy all day - I've given in an taken one this evening, I'm actually so scared that it would come back again. I've been really lucky and not been sick since about 15wks but obviously the tablets must be masking the nausea - should I be trying harder to come off them?

I didn't last time. If they stopped me being sick and therefore allowed me to function I was staying on them!

Ruby, you must be practically climbing the walls!
Iam, I'd say stick with the cyclizine. It's a totally safe drug so seems no point in trying to come off it if it's helping you. I took it weeks 7-41+ in my last pregnancy with no ill effects.
I'm feeling the effects of a long day and hoping I can get a good night's sleep tonight. Finding it increasingly hard to get comfortable at night, and the acid heartburn doesn't help.
Hope everyone's hanging in there.

back now ... it was an interesting trip to the UK weatherwise. Think we dodged the storms getting back to the NL!

in haste

special how did the house move go? a bit of a triumph to geton the bicycle! about the pregnacare ... maybe ask the midwife to monitor the iron levels and if they agree, stop the pregnacare. Mind you like ealli I never managed to get any iron in me either by tablet or spinach, and both boys are healthy.

ickle every sympathy about Sweden. Had to cancel a much-longed-for visit back to the UK - the Lakes!- when the Squeak was on his way, but it was the right decision and we did all go later. Have you got holiday insurance?

can't believe that doctor and ginger .. .fgs.

primary and peony hallo :) welcome and commiserations. The gout drink sounds brilliant!

this is the short version of recommended meds, all OK'd by the Govenment's best practice body, the NICE.

cyclizine (old fashioned anti-histamine; can make you sleepy)
Metoclopramide (empties the stomach faster, less to upchuck)
Domperidone (similar)
Prochlorperazine (stemetil/Avomine/Buccastem) (works on your sense of balance; also a travel remedy; can be good for some people).
Promethazine (called Phenergan)(stronger old fashioned anti-histamine, also sleepy-making)
Ondansetron (the strongest and many people find the best, but causes constipation).

About safety, ondansetron was one of the meds studied in a giant Danish study. No adverse effects were found. No drug in preg is guarenteed safe because pragmatically it's considered that there's no way to test them on pregnant women; but there has been no harm found that is attributed to it. www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa1211035

some docs do seem to go for meto. first but if you get twitchy legs or restlessness, stop it immediately. Cyclizine is a good one to try too - not the strongest but effective for many people. If that doesn't work then maybe prochlorperazine (avomine) which works on the inner ear and balance system.

peony the headaches can be due to dehydration (though it can be something else). Do you test for Ketones? It might be an idea to takethe ondan. 20 mins before you eat to give it time to get into your system.

Icantit's good to hear the acupuncture is helping a bit. You've had such a time, you really really ought to get -some- good luck!

Hi iamdivergent good to hear from you ... don't cut down on cyclizine til you are absolutely ready. It's really considered absolutely harmless and many people take it til the end. I suspect myself that it's better to be taking cyclizine than to put the stress of sickness and vomitting on the system.

MoP how are you doing? Good luck!

reebok hoping you are surviving, specially with that b*** of a boss pressuring you. Must have felt good, standing up to them. Very glad you are finishing soon!!

barmee good to hear from you and glad that you're 35 + weeks now but commiserations on the SPD :( it sounds agonizing ...

ealli wishing tinyealli some peace, so you can get some too. |Have you ever listened to Old Harry's Game on the Radio? all the doctors who end up in Hell could have regular enemas of distilled ginger.

Sorry to missed people and hoping for the best for ruby

Sickness does seem to be improving a bit this week, but I've probably jinxed it now Work has been really challenging and I'm feeling a bit vulnerable being pregnant and working with a volatile client group. All a bit of a first for me as I've not experienced it before and I'm feeling anxiety rising. I might have a chat with the midwife and see about the mental health support just in case.

So good (but sorry too!) that I'm not alone. Hope your baby arrives soon Ruby.

Really struggling with tiredness. If I do anything I get tired and then feel sick.

I am suffering with restless legs, is that a problem? Feeling worried now as taking the M drug (can't remember the spelling!).