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.

Welcome curlywurly, I also got worse at 11 weeks for some reason - I'd suggest going back to GP and seeing if they can try a different drug (Ondansetron seems to be one of the strongest and helps quite a few of us). Try not to worry about the time off sick - if you can't work, you can't work! (Was thinking about this the other day, in any other scenario if an employee was constantly nauseated and vomiting, there's no way anyone would expect them to be at work. Whereas in pregnancy there seems to be an expectation that as 'it's not an illness' we should just soldier on...)
Good luck barmee. (What's the pink castle?!)
Waves to everyone. And thank you for the constipation tips, I can't remember who. But prune juice is in hand!

I have the d&v bug 😓 lying in bed dying 😓

Welcome Curly, you've had lots of good advice already, but I wanted to add a bit about taking time off sick during pregnancy: please look at the relevant pages of guidance for employees and employers on the Pregnancy Sickness Support website (see link in Lucinda's OP). My understanding is that sickness resulting from pregnancy cannot be counted as part of your 'normal' sickness record. Also, as a PG woman you are protected by the Single Equalities Act. So please take all the time you need. I was off work for 2 months in the autumn, and some have been off for longer than that.
Barmee sorry to hear you've had to increase the meds, but you're very nearly there now. Good luck for these last few weeks. X
MrsMonkey, the Pink Castle is Lucinda's wonderful invention. From memory it is based on a board game she played as a child: the final square was a lovely pink castle, which is now where all HG sufferers graduate when they get to the end of this awful journey! Lucinda keeps it full of nicely plumped cushions, and all the delicious food and drink we've missed out on while suffering!

Meant to say, sorry you have a bug Amys, and just when you were feeling so much better too - so unfair.

Hi curly , I can't improve on the advice you've already had. Welcome, congratulations and commiserations, stick around for support, understanding and any advice you need.

Hope everyone is managing today

I"ve hit a new low today. I was not only sick on myself whilst having a bath, I dashed to the garage to get more gaviscon and was sick in the bin.

I hate this.

amys A bug as well, poor you.
barmee Not long to go, yay!
cola It's never good when it catches you like that. I had a preference for hedges and car parks!

curlywurly Welcome. As a you're a veteran, I don't need to say the 'have you got kesostix to test for early high levels of dehydration' stuff, and you'll know all about the ice lollies, juiice of tinned fruit, ice cream or whatever you can bear type of diet . It is certainly worth asking if they can give you something else - the expense factor is one of the reasons GP's try to avoid Ondansetron. It must be so hard to cope with a LO. Have you got a care plan in place so you can rest as much as possible? Most people get an improvement at some point in the second tri; let's hope you don't suffer as long this time, if you suffered up to 32 weeks last time. It is very lonely and exhausting.
colabottle Sympathies. I had some Memorable Moments With Bins (they didn't have those lid things when I lived in Ealing). At least, it's tidy. Like squeezed , I had some episodes with hedges too... Very unpleasant.
MotherofPearl Sorry about continuing nausea. Like Reebok it will be so nice for you to rest.
ealllison Sound advice as ever.
icklekid I am glad that there is some improvement.
mrsmonkey So glad you got good advice about constipation. I wonder if there is a hormone surge at 11 weeks?
amysmummy Poor you, not fair, sorry to hear of bug.
BarmeeMarmee I am so glad that with luck you have only got two more weeks of it. I'll let down the drawbridge early for the famed Pink Castle.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked. I hope Special mrsamerican
spandau Ican't Reebok and everyone is doing as well as possible.

Just ketostixed... This is bad right it's actually as dark as ++++ but the flash altered the colour...

Amys, that looks bad to me. Can you drink anything? If not, maybe A&E is best?

amys it certainly isn't good. I can't remember, do you have access to an early pregnancy unit? I also can't remember, do forgive me, how pregnant are you? You certainly need to be calling an epu/maternity ward (depending how far you are) or getting yourself to A&E if these options aren't available. I wouldn't bother with out of hours gp with ketones that high, you need admitting and a drip, out of hours will take too long. Please don't hesitate to seek medical help. Don't panic,just get yourself to where you and baby need to be.

Also, try and get whatever fluids in you can. Juice from tinned peaches were good at getting my ketones down.

I'm 25 weeks, I've actually drank three big Ikea tumblers of squash through the course of the day so I was a bit shocked to see the purple I never had a reading that high when my hg was at its worst

Depending on how you feel, either drink more and eat something sugary (ketones are the product of fat metabolism which happens when your body doesn't have available sugars, dehydration concentrates them in the urine). ealisons fruit juice suggestion would help if you can tolerate, I used to eat veggie percy pigs when ketones were creeping up.

If you feel really awful 111 or a&e without hesitation.

I've eaten a couple of meringue nests and have rung 111 waiting on a call back... X

Good work on eating. Are you still vomiting badly, or are you off food (or both)? How long did they say they would call you back? Carbohydrates and fluids are your friend! Are you able to get to ooh gp or a&e if necessary?

amysmummy Oh, no, think it will be A and E for you,you poor thing.

Just had call back, doctor didn't seem that concerned, just to keep hydrating... Not been sick since about 10am... Hopefully a good night sleep and I can start eating bits again, don't really fancy anything at the moment...

If you can manage a sugary drink that will help. A consultant told me a sugary drink was better than water for keeping/getting ketones down

Maybe worth ringing maternity ward? I've seen a few ladies in during my admissions because of d&v and the ketones, you may feel a lot better quicker with iv rehydration as its surprising how much you lose with diaheroea (sp?!) Hope you feel better soon. X

amy I agree with eallison regarding sugary drinks, and Lucinda in if you don't feel better soon you need to see a doctor. Coca cola got me through a few weeks (though I did feel guilty about the caffeine. Also there was one evening I drank too many glasses and couldn't sleep!). I'm sure lemonade or Fanta or any fruit juice would work as well (not the diet varieties, you want full sugar). Tinned fruit juice would also be good.

In my head this works to bring down ketones by giving the body an easy source of energy (sugar). If you are not eating enough, your body turns to burn fat as an energy source, a by product of which are ketones.

I'm now vomiting less, but have a complete lack of appetite. I sympsthise as it is really hard to force yourself to eat, but also important to keep trying. If there is anything you fancy, go for it.

Hope you feel better soon.

I woke up this morning feeling very nauseous again so have taken two ondansetron doses today. More dizzy spells. Metallic taste in mouth. Hypersalivation. Gagging. The usual.

Was it colabottle saying she vomited in the bath? For some reason I can't shower without retching. I will admit, I have occasionally skipped showers because of it...

Still, glad of my two very good days.

Hope icant is OK.

amysmummy if you don't feel right in the morning please get yourself checked out I'm not sure how doctor can't be more concerned with ketones that high 😦 hope you are OK

special I've started to do the same re shower as I always feel awful /often sick after

colabottle my front garden had been the unfortunate victim twice now. I find driving really tough sone often make it home but can't get upstairs in time!

Well it's 4am so should probably try and get some more sleep before ds wakes. Last night threw up a bag of crisps spectacularly I feel this is a new low

So my hopes of avoiding hg have been dashed and I have spent a day on the HG suite getting IV fluids. Staff were amazing and have given me prochlorperazine, ondansetron and promethazine together as this is what worked last time. Only problem is I am so sedated that I can't look after my 4 year old has anyone else had this concoction? Does the sedation wear off? I can't remember it from last time.

Sorry for jumping straight in with the poor me stuff, hope everyone has had an ok night.

amysmummy I am surprised that the doctor wasn't worried about that level of ketones. I hope you've managed to take in fluids overnight?
lookah Sympathies on not avoiding Hypermesis for the second time, and admission. I believe the side effects of sleepiness with that drug (which I never can spell) do reduce over time, but it can make people feel zombie like. Does your four year old go to nursery?
Great support as ever being given on this thead.
I hope special icklekid mrsmonkey mrsamerican and everyone isn't feeling too bad today.

Special, I was really hoping your 2 good days were rhe start of feeling better :( hopefully it may mean you'll have more good days though?
Ickle, you're always awake in the night I feel for you, hope you got some sleep again?
Lokah, sorry you've had to come back, glad you've had fluids though. I've personally not had that combination but I'm sure someone else will have.
Amys how are you?
Waves to everyone x