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.

nutty when it's that bad, you need more than only cyclizine.

Can you ask the doctor for prochlorperazine as well? cyclizine will still help, so don't stop it if you don't have to. But you do need more.

You might not ever feel exactly well during the preg, but being confined to bed - well, it's time to try something else as well.

ondan is the most effective and also the strongest, but it's also the most expensive so some doctors won't give it out. Personally I think that start with the weakest meds and work up the ranks to ondan ...it's brilliant stuff but if you -can- get away with less strong then that's not a bad idea. But of course, if you need it to have an endurable life then it should be prescribed!!

Thanks very much once and meer, that's useful info. Back to the GP it is, i have phoned and have an appointment for Weds. I would really just like to sleep through this year to EDD in Dec!

nutty this is a brief summary of the safe anti-sickness meds, taken from the PSS website and the Government's own best-practise organisation, 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 very 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).

Sorry, that should read -
Thanks once and special.

Hi everyone
ickle I quite agree on the 'proper meal' front. I have more success with snacks / very small portions. Hope you are coping ok with work
sleepy that sounds a tough day, at the risk of stealing mother hen's lines - are you sure you're not doing too much? I've found things a lot better now I'm not at work.
special sorry to hear you're feeling so grim.
eternal pleased to hear GP was supportive, that makes all the difference.
nutty like the others say do try another medication. I was given cyclizine to try alongside Ondansetron (as still vomiting a bit on Ondansetron), but unfortunately just one cyclizine tablet made me v dizzy and had to get straight to bed, I felt really 'trippy', so he said not to take it again. Just not possible for me to take that with a toddler in the house. So there may be something that lets you get out of bed more.
Sorry to whinge but I'm a bit miserable and lonely at the moment. Had FIL here all weekend and I found that v stressful, but DH not understanding why - I just hate having people staying over, find it hard to eat in front of them etc. Was sick both sat and sun, think due to extra stress tbh. Wanted to spend time with DD but couldn't be bothered to chat to FIL and wanted to be free to burp and retch. I know I'm being unreasonable but just so shit not feeling comfortable in my own home. FIL always insists on greeting in the morning with hug/kiss (cultural thing), and I feel super uncomfortable being touched when not dressed yet, yucky teeth etc (had to get up with DD so hadn't dressed before coming downstairs with her). But couldn't find a way to say that without sounding rude so didn't say anything! He looked after DD whilst DH and I went to get dressed yest, but when I stepped out of the shower I could hear her crying for me so had to go to retrieve her and bring her upstairs with me in nothing but my dressing gown, aargh (DH was oblivious and enjoying a long shower in ensuite, grr!!) Anyway FIL went home this morning so I can go back to walking around naked between bathroom and bedroom and vomiting in peace! Would I be unreasonable to say no more overnight visitors until (well) after baby arrives?!
In brighter news, I have washed AND dried and straightened my hair this morning for first time in quite a while! Quite an achievement I feel.

Thanks once, I will take the list to me to the GP- armed and ready .

Mrsmonkey, that sounds exhausting. No matter how lovely visitors are, the last thing you need when feeling awful is people staying even if they do look after themselves. I know I just want to be left in peace to try and muddle through rather than make conversation etc. Sounds like a good idea to put off future visits for a while if you can.

Thanks once, I will take the list to me to the GP- armed and ready .

Mrsmonkey, that sounds exhausting. No matter how lovely visitors are, the last thing you need when feeling awful is people staying even if they do look after themselves. I know I just want to be left in peace to try and muddle through rather than make conversation etc. Sounds like a good idea to put off future visits for a while if you can.

mrsmonkey not even a little bit unreasonable to ban visitors. We have done the same can't face them (and having building work so all stuff from kitchen and dining room is in spare room- what a shame!)

nutty glad you have an appointment really hope it is helpful. Definitely worth trying something else. If it's no better than can always go back to cyclazine/ try something else!

special hope work is going OK for you. I felt pretty useless today however managed to get through it and need to decide what best thing to do tomorrow is. Again there is 1 thing could do with getting done first thing so may go in for an hour. Dh will not be happy... I wish I didn't have to make the decision but never mind bank holiday next week so definitely only 2 days!

mrsmonkey you have my in law sympathy! It's really hard having people staying when you're not well. Congrats on managing some grooming today! I'm still in pajamas!

nutty go have a chat with your gp (do you have a friendly one?). If they are reluctant to prescribe, ask if they can take advice over the phone from the on call doctor for your local maternity/early pregnancy unit.

Nutty You've had such great advice from OnceaMeer and Special& I can't add anything. I'm sure you and 'Eternal* are monitoring those ketones, says bossy Mother Hen. I hope you get something that works a bit better from the GP.
Eternal I'm so glad GP is supportive over phased return.
I think Ican't and Reebok have under a week to go. Thank goodness.
It's awful they have suffered so much.
mrsmonkey I have belatedly to join the chorus that it is too much to have overnight visitors, however nice,when suffering form this.
Special Did I forget to list full sugar coke, my lifesaver, among recommended drinks? How stupid of me! I found it best left to go flat or even flat and then frozen into ice cubes. I hope MIL is not being so demanding any more.
SleepymrsE and icklekid I hope good test results com back soon to stop the worry. icklekid A rugby match, you energetic thing? SleepymrsE That sounds an exhausting day. I do hope you are all right.
I hope 1More and Twinkle and spandau and squeezed and Reebok and Ican't and everyone is - if not OK, then coping.
I won't be able to get on the PC tommorow, as I have to be away, but Mother Hen will be back flapping and clucking the day afterwards What with lovely OnceaMeer and your mutual support the advice will be brilliant.

amysmummy I wasn't sure if you saw my message about chiropracters and osteopaths, or if its possible to see one, but might they be able to help? Seeing a physio on the NHS isn't always as useful and takes so long.

Hi ickle work is going OK. I've had a couple of odd days off since going back, so I hope they're getting to annoyed with me. I'm starting to take all my annual leave in mid June before starting mat leave at end of July, as I hate feeling this unreliable. Had today off. I've hauled myself in on a few days where I've spent a couple of hours retching and having to dash to the nearest clinical waste bin and it's not worth martyring myself for. How are you coping with work?

nutty and eternal one of the best tips I had on here for the horrible metallic taste/foamy mouth feeling was to use mouthwash throughout the day. Can't remember who recommended it to me, but if either of you are suffering with that particular symptom, mouthwash was the best solution!

Has anyone else felt constantly, painfully hungry? It's a new one for me, and feeling hungry is a trigger for sickness. I am eating, but ten minutes after my stomach hurts.

Ahhh, pregnancy. Every day a lovely new, unpleasant symptom for me to discover!

*hope they're not starting to get annoyed, rather!

Yeah special isn't it delightful. Empty stomach = nausea, full stomach = nausea. As mother hen said, grazing lightly when you can might help.

Hello all, sorry haven't been on. Tough couple of days. Increase in contractions that lead to nothing and no sleep so feeling extra nauseous. Birthday was rubbish. In floods of tears daily. Midwife tomorrow so hopefully she can do something or at least tell me I'm dilating. Sorry not to reply individually. Hope everyone is surviving as well as they can. X

nutty def ask about other meds. I was struggling away on just cyclizine but at a 7 week scan the midwife asked me about my sickness. I said I was still really struggling and she said to go back to the GP because you don't have to suffer like that. Although it wasn't until I was admitted for fluids, iv anti sickness and a combination of cyclizine & ondansatron that I turned a corner.

mrsmonkey sorry you've had to struggle with visitors. I would hate it. It really isn't much to ask to be able to retch & vom in peace without fear of bumping into an in-law. Well done on the grooming tho. I've had to make slightly more effort since being back at work but did go weeks without brushing my hair (washed every 4 days then tied straight up) and was only when I brushed it before going back to work did I realise what a mistake id made - thought I was going to have to cut some birds nests out. Even now though I can only manage to wash it every few days, run a brush through and leave it or tie it up.

ickle hope you're doing ok, you sound like you're struggling a bit with work. Today has been long so just crawled into bed. Not eaten or drunk much today and after this mornings message I forgot to take my bottle of cyclizine to work so survived on ondan alone for much of the day. Forced a bowl of cornflakes down for tea.

special I know what you mean about the hunger thing (apart from today). I think my body is getting used to having a little bit more food that if I do miss a snack I get a real hunger that if not sorted asap will leave me feeling shocking and not wanting anything for the rest of the day. But too much food also pushes me over the edge.

reebok thinking about how hard things are for you. I don't feel like I can complain when you're dealing with so much. Hopefully the midwife will do a sweep or something tomorrow. You are so close now! We are all willing baby reebok to arrive soon.

16 week appointment tomorrow morning so hopefully will have some response to spotting. However after having the same midwife for first pregnancy she's pretty rubbish and doesn't even like to use the Doppler. Will also ask if bloods are back.

Right, going to torture myself with a bit of masterchef in bed then sleep time for me.

reebok so sorry to hear that your birthday was rubbish absolutely gutted for you. Hope that this baby arrives very soon and this agony is over

sleepy I do the same torturing myself over masterchef but do love it! Fingers crossed 16 week appointment goes well.

special I have had to stop worrying about what colleagues think and just do what I can. I am struggling but also putting pressure on myself to do more. I should be spending tomorrow in bed but am going into work for an hour as need to meet a parent. If it wasn't 30 min drive wouldn't be so bad... I also used to get awful hunger pains however think my body has just adjusted to not eating. I graze from 11-2ish and then that's all I can manage in a day and none of it healthy!

Been wide awake since 4am, my hips are agony and feeling exhausted. Totally fed up and just need a moan!

Booked a gp appointment for today. With rashes, swelling and vomiting all making an appearance together, I'm going to ask gp to take some bloods to check lfts and iron and though my BP is normal, just have them give me a once over as I am high risk for a lot of things. I really don't feel right. Got an appointment with a new gp so I hope he is nice.

Spent yesterday evening in hospital 😕 I'd woken up with a headache and by 1pm had to come home from work and go to bed. By 6pm sleep and paracetamol hadn't cured it so rang the MW, no answer left a message (they stop work at 5pm apparently!). Rang NHS direct who put me through to the pregnancy assessment unit at hospital. They asked me in. Had to drive as hubby at work and probably shouldn't have but got there. All obs normal except +++ ketones in wee. Infection of some sort diagnosed and abs to collect this morning. I've had no real symptoms, other than aches in lower back and groin, and the headache. Glad I went. Heard baby's heartbeat for first time too. Told to go back today if headache persisted. It was back at 2am but fingers crossed its gone now.

Hi cola, I was thinking about you this morning and wondering how you were getting on. I'm so sorry to hear you're not well, but glad you heard baby's heartbeat. Do you know what you're having? Hope the headache stays gone.

Hi all...well I had awful contractions all night and morning...they were a few minutes apart. Ended up in hospital to be told I'm not even dilated but in early labour. Baby's head is there. So it could be tomorrow, days or even a few weeks. I don't want to be induced unless she just won't come. Contractions ongoing...5 minutes apart at the moment. Sorry for the me post again.

Cola and rebook, just to say I hope you are both doing ok. That must have been lovely to hear baby's heartbeat cola.
Fingers crossed those contractions continue and it isn't too long rebook. 5 mins apart is sounds like a great step on the way.

Sorry, I am rubbish at managing to remember and reply to more than 1 or 2 things at a time.
I hope the GP can get your results back quickly special and sort out why you are feeling odd.

reebok all my hopes and prayers for you (if you don't mind prayers). Thinking of you