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.

Twinkle so sorry about the sickness. Have you tried ondansetron three times a day and avamine at night? Sorry I can't remember what you have tried
Reebok I feel such a connection with you remembering clearly your early days last year and our messages encouraging each other, you have done so well in terribly difficult circumstances,
isn't it amazingly annoying how some sail through pregnancy. When people say to me "I never had any symptoms, didn't even feel sick. Didn't have any trouble conceiving either" I think to myself (after wanting to slap them of course!) Where's the fairness in that? I battle unexplained secondary infertility for two years, finally get pregnant, housebound with intense nausea and vomitting, comforting myself that vomitting means the baby is healthy then get told the baby is very sick, then lose the baby then go through labour and birth, sorry to rant it just all feels very unfair. I'm seven weeks Sunday and having a ten week scan as they will see more then, an early vaginal scan wouldn't show if any problems. I just can't get excited about it at the moment knowing what could happen. Sorry to be a downer, you ladies don't need this negative talk. I just felt like ranting and you were closest....
Lots of love to you all and as a wise doula said to me last year after hearing my baby might not live "try to find moments of joy in your pregnancy, pregnancy itself is a gift denied to so many" xxx

rocket I'm glad things are a little better, and that omeprazole is helping. Acid definitely plays a part in this, I take ranitidine which is similar to Omeprazole.
ickle so sorry to hear of the exhaustion, I completely understand how you must feel. Glad you have some support tmw. Pls be careful about work - you prob need a whole week to recover! It doesn't matter why you're exhausted, just that you are - and you must put your health first. Good luck with doctor X

Hello everyone! Thought I would mosey on by and see how you are all doing So exciting that the end is in sight for so many of you now.

DS is 2 months old today and is sleeping on me now. The wee tyke is one hell of a boaker though; must have inherited that from me He seems to save it all up and then barf all over a new babygro/top/health visitor. I have to wear something dry clean only tomorrow and I could almost see a glint in his cheeky wee eyes when I mentioned that to DH. An expensive blank canvas! That and I seem to smell like a rancid rind of pecorino. He is absolutely gorgeous though and his first smile last week almost melted my heart of coal; the seemingly never ending nausea and sickness is a dim and distant memory. That and I am a stone down on my pre-pregnancy weight so there is an upside of sorts to the misery of HG...

Best of luck to you all and looking forward to reading baby announcements! X

Fresh you have really been through it, I'm so sorry. I have wanted a baby for so long and now I feel almost angry after finally getting the chance to start a family that this much suffering goes with it.

I'm feeling really miserable tonight. Relentless nausea has not gone and been sick again several times this evening. Ondansetron is the name I keep hearing, can I ask my doctor for it? They just seem to keep throwing the same kind of drugs at me and they aren't working and I feel that nausea and sickness are getting progressively worse each day. I don't have much faith that my doctor knows what he's doing and I'm starting to feel really desperate now. I'm seeing the midwife tomorrow for my first appointment, can she help me? I just want some relief from this misery

Cross-posted earlier and only just seen... icant so pleased to hear about proactive caring consultant and induction plans - you are so nearly there! Best wishes for safe delivery.

fresh you have really been through it. Sorry to hear you are feeling low, I'm not surprised with everything thrown at you. Pls don't apologise for offloading - that is the point of this thread. Hang on in there for 10 week scan. Will keep everything crossed for you. Sending you gentle cyber hugs.

Conception and pregnancy is anything but fair. My two best friends are struggling to conceive, one keeps losing babies. I feel so helpless with the unfairness of it all. I am trying very hard not to mind having HG as long as I know my baby is ok, I can get through this as long as I'm not harming her, and I know I'll be well as soon as she's born.

rubys lovely to hear your little one is doing well!

twinkle I do feel like Ondansetron is the 'big guns' in terms of drugs. I believe it's very expensive so tends to be last resort, and some ppl have problems getting it from GP. Mine was prescribed by consultant (who interestingly didn't bother trying me on anything weaker this time - although was 12 wks by the time I saw him). Do speak to your midwife but she may not be able to prescribe, so I would go back to your GP and ask to try different drugs. How are your ketones? IME some midwives can be v dismissive of sickness, so do prepare yourself for needing to explain exactly how poorly you are. If you have lost weight do flag that up as that helps to make HCPs understand how bad it is. How many weeks are you now?
Love to all x

Hey icant so glad that the end is in sight for you!!! Your body has been through so much, I hope once the baby is here you can begin to heal and recover some... DH is much more on board now btw, he's become more proactive at doing things in preparation for the arrival.

fresh the last year must have been such a journey for you, think positive for your scan, these little beans have a way of putting us through the mill both mentally and physically. I didn't think we'd come through a 1:5 chance of downs/edwards/pateau but miraculously I think we've come through the other side unscathed, praying for your little one to be growing strong.

ruby glad to hear life on the other side is goooooood 😁 your little one sounds adorable, and cheeky!! Not looking forward to that rancid parmeggiano smell again 😆

Waves to else.
Took my first omaperazole this morning and had the worst heartburn ever! But am taking alongside antibiotics for a sinus infection so I'm hoping its to do with that and the Weetabix I wolfed down touch wood is been all good since and only took three Rennie instead of the dozens I normally take!

twinkle Phenergan to take alongside the cyclizine please get that checked out in a pharmacy. Ring them up if you can't get there physically. Phenergen is promethazine, the big brother of cyclizine, and it's not really common to take both. Not sure how effective it would be since promethazine is stronger than cyclizine but the same sort of med, too. If the pharmacist ok's it then fine, but please do check it.

Cyclizine & Prochlorperazine on the other hand are generally a good combination, or Promethazine & prochlorperazine.

reebok that itchy skin is pretty normal in pregnancy but just occasionally it can be a sign of a deeper problem so I do hope you can get an appointment or a telephone consultation.

rocket thiamine (B1) is an important vitamin. Can the doctors prescribe it in another form that's easier to keep down? It's probably best to at least let them know you're struggling. Usually doctors are pretty lax about the vitamins you go short on during HG, so if they are asking you to take it it's worth checking. Worst case, they can administer them via a bag (joy). Also about your teeth, is swilling mouthwash now and then endurable?

Excellent advice from onceameer
rocket re teeth I'm sure you know this but dentist advised me to rinse mouth out with water after each vomit, and avoid brushing teeth for half an hour after vomiting (know that's hard as brushing teeth often triggers the gag reflex). Remember we get free dental care whilst pregnant too.
reebok did you get any advice on the itchy skin? As onceameer says it can be symptom of liver issue (www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/pages/itching-obstetric-cholestasis-pregnant.aspx)
Very nauseous today. But on bright side, no vomits! X

I just threw up loads, sickness seems to be getting stronger even with three ondansetron today and a nap. Dd heard me being sick, she hasn't made the connection to pregnancy even though she knew pregnancy made me sick last year, I'm trying to protect her from finding out for as long as I can because of the horribleness of having to tell her last year that the baby had died. I hate it when the sickness is stronger than the medication

How lovely to have you back OnceaMeer our star for advice on meds, and just when needed for Twnkle.
Twinkle Hugs. Really sorry none of the meds are working. I can't improve on others' advice, but if - sorry about this - you can manage to vomit in front of the dr,, it does tend to impress them more, according to anecdotal evidence on here It's awful that the willingness of GP's to prescribe Ondansetron is so varied. It's a case of 'Do as I say, not as I did' from me. One is deprived of all dignity.
ICan't Wonderful that you have an induction date. Thanks for sweet words.
You have been really stoic.
Rocket Wonderful that you saw a GP who'd had Hyperemesis twice! I so agree about that awful acidity. After the symptoms subsided, I had heartburn for the duration., and I was a much milder case than most on here.
RubyReins Lovely to hear from you. I think Baby has inherited your exuberant sense of humour. Thanks so much for coming on to encourage others.
Freshbreadandfaith It is so unfair. I don't see why your associates have to gloat.
It's nice for them to have had complication free pregnancies, but they just ought to be grateful. I know how you feel. I had an mmc before, and I dreaded the scans because of that.
amysmummy it's great you came through that 1 in 5 risk. The relief!
squeezed You made me laugh about the Fresh man. Sorry to hear of pukes.
MotherofPearl You are moving majestically to the Pink Castle, along with reebok squeezed Ican't and spandau.
Who said a kaftan? That sounds most imposing
mrsmonkey Great advice. You are moving up to the Pink Castle at the finish, slightly behind the vanguard.
icklkid No wonder you are tired. I hope work went OK. and you get half days.
Apologies to anyone overlooked.

Freshbread Sorry, cross posted. Poor you and poor DH. Perhaps she'll be reassured if you say you're sick at the moment, but don't worry, you will get better?
It's a very hard situation to be in. Gentle cyber pats on offer.

freshbread are you on ondansetron -and- cyclizine? it seems to be a good combination, about the most effective you can get unless you get IV cyclizine or steroids. If not, it might be worth asking

thanks for the welcome back lucinda (I'll pop in when I can) and it's lovely to see that so many people have inched their way closer to the Castle at the End! Hello and much sympathy to newcomers. Hang on in there.

Sorry for all the 'me me me posts' by the way, I'm not functioning very well physically or mentally at the moment, thankyou for being there x

Ruby lovely to hear from you too. Your dry wit during the HG was fantastic, was in awe of how you managed to work with such illness too. You can get the little one to clean the house for the rest of his life to make up for it nodnod

Once a meer I'm on ondansetron three times a day then avamine over night. Do you take Cyclizine at the same time as ondansetron??

Yes fresh you can have cyclizine at same time as Ondansetron (not sure on avamine not familiar with that). I was prescribed it and def worked on sickness but I had a terrible reaction to cyclizine so can't take it. Do def worth you trying, not good to hear you're still being very sick on Ondansetron.

Thankyou Mrs monkey I see Dr on Monday so will ask then. Constipation is killing me at the moment too, 15 mls of lactulose a day plus prune juice isn't doing anything. 45 mls of lactulose plus prune juice gave me chronic diarrhoea so I guess I need a dose in between

Onceameer you were right about the combination- not sure what the docs were thinking.

Spoke to Pss after a bad night and they told me to go to doctors for a referral to consultant. When I arrived at gps i had managed a lucozade energy drink and wasn't deemed dehydrated enough to be referred. Doctor was unwilling to prescribe other meds and said he sees hundreds of women like me every day. I felt totally fobbed off. I know I'm not as sick as a lot of people but I thought the NHS were all about prevention!

Saw midwife today who saw how much I was suffering and referred me to epu who agreed to see me. They gave me an anti sickness jab (ouch?!!) and doctor prescribed ondansetron BUT only for three days. I'll see how it goes after that but think I may be at square one again after the three days.

Lucinda, I would be happy to vomit on my useless doctor. It may just come to that!

Fresh, hope you feel better soon. You've done well to manage with a dd in toe

twinkle that GP sounds horrendous! So sorry they didn't take you seriously. Absolutely ridiculous, am raging on your behalf. Glad MW was more sensible, hope Ondansetron works for you, and that if it does they give you more.
fresh I hope the constipation gets better, it's awful isn't it. Mine has got much better so hopefully yours will improve.

Sorry to hear so many ladies having such a rough time 😞 keep pestering and persevering for meds... Our doctors seem to be going downhill, Amy has a horrible dry skin rash at the minute on her cheeks and back, rang today and got an appointment for a week tomorrow

AIBU to want to divorce my dh and marry whoever invented omaperazole?! Male or female?! Lol 😁 heartburn has vanished completely within 48 hours of starting it! I can highly recommend!

Really quick one as I'm just heading to the land of nod after another tiring day, but for those suffering with constipation from ondan I have found I can tolerate a few fig rolls which seems to help a little. Still got piles but not as bad as before.

Sorry to hear so many are struggling. I've been having my own fights with the nhs this week over DS but that's another story.

Hope everyone has a peaceful and vom free night.

freshbread i don't think it matters what time you take the cyclizine as long as you space it regularly. If you get the sleepies, then maybe take one dose before bed. The sleepies sometimes wear off btw.

The ondan is also best taken regularly throughout the day, but time it so one tablet is about an hour before your worst time.

HG is a time for me-posts. You're ill as hell actually. Time to look after yourself and post when -you- need it.

twinkle glad you got some better advice. PSS are great.

Doctor was unwilling to prescribe other meds and said he sees hundreds of women like me every day.

The hell he does. HG isn't that common. He's a clueless arse. Glad you got the jab at the EPU clinic (it might have been cyclizine actually, it seems to work waaaaay better as an injection and it's good with ondan.).

--
Btw, I'm not a pharmacist. I can just give a few pointers =) I worked as a pharmacy assistant in a high street chain and then in a hospital a long time ago. So i've picked up some things and have done some reading around HG, meds and regulations etc, but for more than surface - deep stuff the Preg Sickness Support has more and better knowledge. A qualified pharmacist will also know much more about the effects of meds on the body than a doctor, even though their hands are tied by all sorts of regs.

Just dashing on very briefly to say how cross I am with that wretched GP Twinkle. If you're forced to see him again please print out the NICE guidelines for treatment of pregnancy sickness (see link in Lucinda's OP) and take them along. They clearly state that the aim of treatment should be to give the woman as normal a quality of life as possible. You can barely eat or drink, which is NOT normal. So what if you managed to keep down some Lucozade?! I'm really infuriated by his attitude. How would he like to be effectively just told put up with it if he had to endure even one day of HG? I do honestly think HG would be properly treated and cured if men got it too.
Will catch up on the rest of the thread tomorrow, can't keep my eyes open now.

twinkle am really frustrated for you and know I don't have the strength to fight gp's right now so am sure you don't either. Is it possible to see a different gp? for you

onceameer thank you so much for your excellent advice on drugs really helpful

sleepy sorry to hear ds is still not well not what you need right now. Hoping you get the support you need asap

amysmummy oh dear that is a long time to wait hope amy isn't in pain with the rash. So pleased the heartburn has gone!

fresh constipation is so unpleasant hope you find a dose that works out. Never apologise for me posts as they are all that get us through this horrible hg time.

rocket I'm at the dentist first thing this morning so will let you know if any helpful advice however I imagine not much they can do/say

Sorry ladies I've missed brain can only go back so far. Gp appointment went well yesterday signed off reduced hours and duties to try going back next week Monday and Wednesday morning so home Tuesday to recover. Got to try easing myself back think gp was surprised how much I want to be back (I suppose more people see them wanting to be signed off). Trying to think positively because sickness hasn't got any worse despite 2 weeks of looking after ds constantly. I've been tired and had to rest more but sickness stayed at 3-4 times a day which is good for me. Well positive side of insomnia is I've managed a proper post! Go me

Thankyou ladies
Mrs monkey what was your terrible reaction to Cyclizine??
I find about three hours after taking an ondansetron pill I feel sick again but I try and spread it out otherwise doesn't get me through the day, so I try and take it every four hours. Historically though and last night vom still gets me at bedtime, sickness ramps up from 4pm onwards
Hope you are all 'OK' today xxxxx