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#!scenario

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.

Gosh, busy couple of days on the thread! I'm just back from a night away - DP and I went to a wedding and left the DC with his parents. Wedding was in a country house hotel (where we also stayed) so worked out well - I went to bed early and left DP to it. I had an interesting chat to one of our friends who is an A & E consultant which I should report on here. I was telling him that in my last pregnancy 4 years ago I only ever got a prescription for cyclizine but this time had Ondanestron and how much it's helped me. He said that 4 years ago doctors were much less sure about safety of Ondan but now it's much more widely used in pregnancy and they are fully confident about its safety. I found this very reassuring and hope others will too.
Madrigal, sorry to hear you've regressed. Maybe best to keep on with the meds?
Amys, do try Zantac for the heartburn. As Lucinda says, my midwife recommended it and it's made a big difference. It's ranitidine.
Special, how much longer is your MIL staying? I really think you need space, peace and quiet, and you'd be fully within your rights to say that you'd prefer her to cut the visit short because you're not up to it. You have more than enough to contend with without having her invading your privacy.
Sorry have not had the chance to properly catch up on the thread but will read back. Did see that MrsAmerican is much better, which is great news. And saw that poor Reebok still battling through endless contractions and pain. Must be nearly over, surely?

Sorry for the lack of personalised message, bad night again with DS and following an early trip to the walk in we are now sat on the children's ward. Probably bad chest & ear infection but as there is a query re allergy to the two common antibiotics everyone is hesitant about prescribing even though they know he does need something (doc worried it could turn to pneumonia). I fear it will continue to be a long old day!

Sorry special, hope you get some time alone to rest soon.
Sleepy I hope things work out OK on the ward
Hope you're OK Reebok
Hugs to everyone else xxx

Msamerican that sounds amazing. I really hope it continues that way for you (and it offers me more hope that my symptoms will clear shortly after the first trimester)

Rocket, sorry you are having a rubbish time. I heard that about the 9 week mark, though that might mean my symptoms continue to worsen over the next two weeks!

Freshbread how are you finding avomine for the nausea? I was ok yesterday til about 3pm then had some nausea. Took avomine at 4pm and it lifted the nausea til 10pm when it came back so I took my second tablet about 11pm and finally fell asleep about two. How many tabs are you on a day?

Special your mil sounds like a nightmare! Hope you don't have to endure it much longer. I find being sick makes me feel so vulnerable and emotional so I can't imagine having to deal with someone in my personal space like that.

Sleepy I hope your son is ok. I commend anyone dealing with sickness with a lo in toe!

Thank you to everyone for their words of advice. After a bad night, I'm having a better day today. I'm learning that some foods trigger my nausea and learning to avoid! I had hot crossed buns last night after I saw someone mention it on here I think, but they were so heavy on my stomach they made me sick. Gaviscon 4x daily is helping and a hot water bottle on my stomach at night eased some of the nausea as it helped my muscles relax. Hope everyone is coping ok X

Hello everyone, sorry I disappeared for a bit, was reading posts sporadically but trying to garner energy to do personal replies, and in the meantime the thread is now so busy I have zero chance of getting it all right! So apologies for lack of personal posts, I will be better at keeping up.
Welcome to all newbies and returners, so sorry you are here.
Thank you to lucinda and others for the lovely words of support you send to everyone.
News from me - attempted going to work, went v badly. Consultant has said absolutely not to go back whilst still being sick, plus his opinion was that women still vomiting at this stage (25 wk) are likely to continue until delivery. Was helpful in a way to hear that because that is what I feel will be the case anyway!
So he put me on cyclizine in addition to the Ondansetron and ranitidine - but I reacted terribly to it, had 1 tablet, 3 hours later I couldn't stand up for dizziness, felt like I was having an out of body experience and had to crawl up stairs into bed. Thank goodness I didn't have DD with me. Has anyone else had a reaction like that? He told me to stop taking it. Took ages for it to get out of my system. Shame really as it worked on the sickness and nausea - I managed to shovel lots of food in as the effects were wearing off. So back to Ondansetron/ranitidine and food limiting. Ah well.
has anyone's work got occupational health involved due to time off??
I know I can't manage personal replies to all but just to say reebok hope baby evacuates soon, you're doing so well, and mrsamerican how fabulous that you are so much better, wonderful news!

Gentle hugs and anti-vom vibes to everyone x

Hello all, thank you for the kind messages of support. Unfortunately I'm still pregnant...baby does not want to get out of me. Been in pain all day. Contractions are getting ridiculous! I kind of wish they would induce me but they won't. Back home again as dd was playing up loads at my parents and needed her own space/things.

Feel like utter shit between the pain, nausea and vomiting. Sorry for lack of personals but thinking of you all.

reebok sorry to hear baby isn't being obedient will keep thinking of you and hoping for labour to start imminently!

mrsmonkey that sounds like a very extreme reaction and pretty scary. Well done for getting some food inside you when you could! I just struggle to keep cyclazine down so often only on ondansetron at the moment. Hope work are ok, no mention of occupational health yet however it wouldn't surprise me due to length off. I wouldn't be worried though as would love to be at work just not possible at the moment and I think they are generally reasonable-explaining the level of sickness and how debilitating it is and all they can do is say if sickness stops then...

twinkle sorry to hear that about hot cross buns. Sadly it is a bit hit and miss with what stays down/is worth it sometimes and varies from person to person so much. Glad gavison is helping. Not being able to sleep is really tough (says she who has been awake since 4am!)

sleepy sorry to hear about your ds being in hospital hope that all is ok and that you are all home and resting soon. Not what you need right now!

motherofpearl so glad you had a good time at the wedding. Doing something 'normal' does make a big difference to how you feel emotionally I find. Sounds like the conversation about medication was very reassuring to so thanks for sharing.

special I'm hoping mil was just visiting for the weekend and your able to have some rest again now. However unintentional it was doesn't mean that it's any easier to deal with for you.

This thread has got really busy so sorry to anyone I've missed. Also sorry it's so busy as means so many are suffering however glad getting support when needed. I'm really scared of how I will get through this week with ds but just going for one day at a time. Him waking up at 5.30am is not part of this plan though...long day ahead I fear...

Sorry Reebok this is still dragging on and on......
Twinkle I just take avamine at night /bedtime. In the day I'm taking three ondansetron
I haven't done a poo for a week....... Trying prune juice today as that helped last time......

I have to rush off somewhere for a few hours, but I did want to say, thinking of you all. I'm dismayed to hear that Reebok is still suffering and that SleepymrsE is in hospital with LO. Thank goodness they can deal so effectively with pneumonia these days. Also, Special I so agree with others. You are not up to prolonged visits from well meaning but diplomacy challenged mother's in law. MotherofPearl Glad you enjoyed the wedding. I went to one two weeks before DD was born. Through an abusrd mix up, some people thought I was the bride. Frshrbead Good luck with prune juice. Remind me what meds you are on. Have they put you on Ondansetron? If so, I don't know why they don't prescribe lactulose (I think that's the one) as well as a matter of course?
Back soon.

Hi ickle - good luck with DS today. One day at a time and CBeebies is the way forward!
Hello fresh nice to meet you. Was so sorry to hear of your previous loss and HG again this time. I totally hear you on the Ondansetron/poo situation. If any comfort, this has now improved for me a little (25wk), are you taking lactulose? Ask GP for prescription, you can also buy over counter if you need it quick. I take it daily, and yes prune juice helps if you can stomach it. I was ending up having terrible cramps one or two days a week, like contractions, due to the constipation, but as I say that has settled down now, I don't poo for days still but cramps have eased. Tmi perhaps, but I also find raising my feet up on stool (or, ahem, DD's long abandoned bumbo seat, which is inexplicably still in the bathroom) assists with the 'evacuation', as does getting a wad of toilet paper and pressing on perineum to assist the poo. (Told you it was tmi).

special how long is MIL with you? I hope you get some peace soon. I completely understand the wish to be alone, even when visitors are lovely, the strain can be too much. DH is keen for his parents to visit a lot but I just dread them staying over but also feel like I'm being horrible if I say no overnight visitors. He's off work this week so wants them to come for a day, of course I want them to see DD but hope I can convince DH they're to have a nice day out and leave me home in peace. I'm already putting my foot down that for DD's bday party in June I can't accommodate overnight visitors (family all live couple hours away so will be pressured to have a houseful), hopefully people will listen to the heavily pregnant lady's wishes!
Keep up the good work reebok, might they be agreeable to induction at 39 wk (if you would be keen)? Surely no reason why you couldn't be induced then?
I might have missed it, wondering how icant is?

Thanks for all the well wishes, DS is fine. We eventually got out of the children's ward at 11.20 last night and he seems to be responding well to the medication he's on. Such a good job I'm starting to feel a bit more human as there is no way I could have dealt with that in those awful early weeks. One of the nurses looking after DS was heavily pregnant so we were having a good old chat about hyperemisis.

Hope you are feeling a little better today Reebok and the contractions have eased a bit. Must be so frustrating that they won't induce. Hopefully won't be too much longer.

Good luck with the little one this week ickle, hope you manage to nap when they nap.

special, I hope you are feeling a little better today. You're coping really well, even if you don't think you are!

mrsmonkey I did have some side effects with cyclizine to start with, heart palpitations being one but that has calmed down a lot and does help esp in combination with the ondansatron.

Hope others are doing ok today and there's not too much nausea and vomiting going on.

Totally forgot, hope the scan went ok ickle.

On your recommendation (thankyou) I bought some lactulose today, on the label it says starting dose 15-45 mls so I just drank 45 mls, assume that's to take about 45 mls daily???

Just quickly re lactulose, yes fine to have 45ml, I think they say take it 3x a day (15ml x3) but you won't have done any harm. I think I'm now on 10ml x 3 but to be frank I just glug it from the bottle these days...

sleepy so glad DS is ok.

Thankyou
Man I feel so rough this evening. Sick and tummy is swollen up like a balloon and hurting :(

Warning and apology - tmi about poo....... So after a day of prune juice and lactulose and stomach aches I just managed to pass a couple of soft poos and thought "great that's something" then my gut started gurgling like nothing I've ever heard then my goodness diarrhoea was shooting out of me felt like doing a big fast wee out of my bum, like water not poo and I had a few bursts like that
Has anyone else had this scenario? Ondansetron = constipation + lactulose = diarrhoea?????

I'm so so sorry for the silence the last week, I'm massively struggling.
35+4 find out weds a plan hopefully, I can't cope with the pain, vomiting and on insulin too now, the sickness seems to make my blood sugars fluctuate between high and low and had a few scary hypos. Meds are what's getting me through each day, I feel like an addict.
Not had a chance to read the last week so will have a read through and reply and check in how everyone's doing tomorrow. I feel so rude coming back having not seen what's gone on or wrote a message for anyone, apologies for what I've missed.
Your all in my thoughts even though I've been absent, flowers and hugs for everyone and welcome to any newbies

ICan't You poor thing. You've been so brave,I find it amazing. Gentle cyber pats on offer.
Freshbreadandfaith Never worry about tmi on this thread. I had that like water thing (it was coming out of all orifeces, if that's the right spelling, at the time). It must have been the combination of the prune juice and lactulose in your case, but very horrible. With that sort of loss of liquid, watch out for dehydration if it keeps up, says bossy Mother Hen.
mrsmonkey and Special You shouldn't feel guilty. You just don't feel capable of having guests (let alone Special's tactless MIL) with this.
icklekid Hope all went well.
SleepymrsE I am glad LO is OK.
Thinking of Reebok and everyone...

I CAN'TTHINK sorry to hear you are struggling, hope they can work out a plan that works for you soon xxxx

Thankyou Lucinda! Have had several bouts for an hour.... So tired and want to go to bed but scared of pooping my pants!!!!! Trying to drink too, thankyou, you are the only people I can tell all this to...... Lucky you! I did tell my dh and apart from feeling sorry for me his reaction was "you have such a way with words"...... The house smells like a sewage truck has crashed in it.... (barf)

I hope I still have some anti nausea medication in my system and that they all haven't been washed out in the flood of brown... Otherwise it will be from all orifices as you put it Lucinda...... And I'm only on week six........

Hello everyone. Sorry to hear about those suffering from the awful constipation brought on by Ondanestron - and then the effects of trying to treat it! I so agree with what MrsMonkey said about using a low stool to put your feet on. My GP said didn't encourage me to take lactulose, saying it's a stool softener rather than a laxative. As long-time users of this thread know, I relied on glycerol suppositories to 'go' for the first few months when I was on 3 Ondanestron a day. Anyway, sorry that Fresh and MrsMonkey have been suffering.
Icant, are you in hospital or at home? I'm so sorry to hear what a bad state you're in. I am longing to hear that baby is safely out and you can work on regaining your shattered health. As Lucinda says, you've been so brave, you're the hero of the thread (with poor Reebok not far behind).
Ickle, how did you manage with DS today? And was it your scan today? Hope all well.
Sleepy, glad to hear that you and DS are home again, and that you feel like you're coping a bit better.
Special, how are things on the home front now? Hopefully more peaceful.
I'm really enjoying being on maternity leave but nesting seems to have kicked in, so instead of resting I'm ploughing through a long list of domestic tasks! Also DD still on school hols (they seem interminable this time), so can't completely relax. Have consultant appointment on Wednesday where I should find out the date of my induction.
Hope everyone coping OK, especially the newbies.

Evening all, just a quicky! (I'm sure that's what got me in this mess in the first place :D )!

Got prescribed Omaprozole for heartburn/indigestion and wondered if there were any tips/hints for taking it? Good time of day? Before/during/after food? Just says on label to drink with a full glass of water...

Icant you are always in my thoughts, they must be planning an imminent baby evacuation by now?!!! Your poor body has been through so much :/

reebok same for you too!

ickle hope you managed with the little one today? Did I hear you had a scan?

fresh I know I shouldn't laugh but your posts have made me chuckle!... I'm a bit childish in my humour and poo things make me laugh!

Waves to everyone else :) xxx

amys you made me laugh out loud! Yes that's exactly what got us into all this mess! No experience with omprezole sorry, I'm a ranitidine girl. Hope it helps you though.
icant you poor thing, you're so nearly there, I hope the HCPs are being sympathetic and taking good care of you and come up with a good care plan for these final weeks.
fresh alas I have had that. You may have been too enthusiastic with the old prune juice in your eagerness to evacuate your blockage?! I hope you feel better soon. The lactulose as MOP said is a softener rather than laxative. I should give both a rest until your bum recovers! Bit grim but could you just whack a sanitary towel in your pants so you can go to bed - that should give you a few extra mins to make it to the loo? Seriously though, keep an eye on your hydration and check ketostix as diarrhoea on top of vomiting puts you in danger territory - if nec you might need buccastem to get you back on even keel? (We've had varying experiences on this thread about whether you can get it over the counter - I did with ease but may have been dopey pharmacist - it was on advice of consultant though so I knew was ok to take).
MOP I'm glad you're now able to enjoy mat leave, I understand the nesting thing, I keep pushing myself too much trying to get things done at home.
Bump feels absolutely massive. She's alternating between thumping me in vagina and kicking under my left ribs. I'm sure DD wasn't quite so spirited until later in the pregnancy?! Consultant said she was bum down but I guess she's still got room to move for the moment.

Thanks all.

Sleepy glad ds is ok.

Did Ickle have her scan? Hope it went well.

Mop try to rest up...sod the nesting (says she is cleaned like mad today in an attempt to kick baby out!)

I can't you poor poor thing! Always thinking of you. You are the strongest person I've ever come across with hg and you always manage to think of others.

Fresh I second suppositories or if it gets as bad as mine did enemas. Lactulous me made throw up so can't help you there. Dates are currently my saving grace as I'm no longer allowed enemas or suppositories.

Amys I take omeprazole. I have it while I'm still in bed with my ondansetron and then rest for about half an hour to allow it to kick in before even attempting to get out of bed. I also have one at night after all attempts at food for the day before I go to bed.

Has anyone experienced a really itchy bump in pregnancy? I've got these little red spots. It's driving me mad!! Can't stop itching. Midwife suggested calamine lotion which hasn't helped. Attempting to get a gp app as I'm going mad!!

Hope the rest of you are getting on ok. Sorry for anyone I haven't replied to. Keep scrolling up and down on my phone.