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.

Lucinda it is baking here! Went for a wander round a local event with some friends and DH earlier, we ended up camped out under a tree in the shade (they all claimed it was for my benefit but I strongly suspect that they were glad to have me as an excuse ) I'm now zonked out in bed, totally exhausted. Actually looking forward to an air conditioned office tomorrow!

Rae I'm glad you had a nice outing, but the heat can be no fun if you're looking forward to going to work.

Who knew that dry ryvita crackers would taste so good!!! First thing I have eaten in almost 48 hours. Feel like doing a dance except the others in the ward are likely already pissed off enough with me and my chewing said crackers.
On my 5th bag of fluid now. 5!!!! 4 water and one vitamin bag. Just started peeing again I was that dehydrated. Been injected to stop the nausea and hopeful that I will get home tomorrow.

jodders wow that is crazy amount of fluids you must be feeling like a different person! Really hope they sort meds so doesn't get to that point again!

rae wanting to go to work for a/c is only acceptable if you can eat ice lollies at your desk 😉

Urgh baby is so uncomfy, lots of movement (as ever) but really not helping with sickness levels and such a tight bump. Had a bath last night to try and calm down but made baby extra awake! Couple that with ds refusing to sleep in his bed at midnight (cuddled up to dh though-win!) And dh leaving for work at 4.30am to say I'm tired is an understatement!

Jodders My goodness, you must have been so dehydratged. What did the kesostix say? I'm glad you're up to munching something now.
kcklekid Sorry all baby's activity is adding to the sickness. That's dismal.
I don't suppose this continuing heat is helping anyone.

Hello! I don't post a lot but these threads have really helped me through my pregnancy -I've had awful hyperemesis throughout but yesterday I gave birth to a baby girl (via emergency c section) I was still puking to the last minute (vommitted all over the surgery floor!) but now I'm fine and despite a painful tummy and scar I feel amazing! Hang in there it's all worth it! Xxxxx

Congratulations on your dd snow hope the c section recovery isn't too bad and that you can enjoy some food!!!

Snow123 How lovely to hear from you with this happy news. So nice of you to call in and encourage current sufferers. Congratulations on baby girl.

Snow123 brew]. My presents didn't show up. I'll try again!

Snow Congratulations! Thank you for letting us know what it's like to come out the other side. Best of luck for you and your little girl!

Jodders Sorry to hear you are so bad. Hopefully they can put together a care plan to manage you a bit better at home. Enjoy the rivita!

Ickle Sorry baby is making you uncomfortable. I feel the same with the kicking.

My nausea and vomiting is slowly getting a bit worse. Had a couple of vomits a day for the last few days. Baby feels too big for my stomach and I'm hot and uncomfortable. I'm a little bit down mood-wise at the moment, not feeling excited, just scared at how much things are going to change and miserable at not eating properly.

Congrats snow. Checking in from work where I am hot, sweaty, swollen, uncomfortable, nauseous, tired... The list goes on. TMI, does anyone else feel really heavy down below? Baby was transverse last week so don't think it's got anything to do with pressure from its head. Most people enjoy a heat wave but I'm pretty certain everyone on here won't be enjoying it.

Hello ladies,

I'm sorry to jump on your thread when I don't have HG but I hope you will know the answers to some questions!

I'm 8 weeks pregnant. My last pregnancy ended in a MMC so I had a month of throwing up only to find there was nothing there. But the good thing is this means my GP is sending me for a scan tomorrow so I don't have to do the same again (or at least, reduce the chance!)

This time the sickness seems very bad given I'm only 8 weeks, so I want to make some plans what to do if I have a positive result tomorrow. With my daughter I was nauseous throughout pregnancy (the odd hour or two of not feeling nauseous in the last few weeks, but otherwise 24/7), and throwing up until 20 weeks, though I lost less than a stone and was always able to drink So it's not HG but it's also not very pleasant and I really struggled to cope last time, even without another child to look after. My OH is brilliant and basically does absolutely everything in the evening (when my sickness is worst), but I am still finding myself crying and getting panicky and not sure how I will cope. At least last time I kept thinking it's nearly over, just get through one more week... next time I won't be able to fool myself that's the case.

With my daughter my GP prescribed prochlorperazine (Stemetil). I only took it a few times as I was scared about side-effects, and I also didn't find it very effective (it definitely did nothing for the nausea and I'm not even sure it did much for the vomiting/retching). I never went back to try anything else which I probably should have done.

I have been reading the pregnancysicknesssupport website and I see they describe this as a "second line treatment". If it wasn't effective, do you still think it would be worth me trying the "first line treatment" this time (Cyclizine or similar)? And does Cyclizine do anything for nausea, or does it just stop you from physically throwing up (either is good but obviously if I could reduce the nausea a bit that would be magic!)

Also, I am tempted to try to go to the GP early - but will they just laugh in my face if I am not losing weight yet?

My GP can be great, but she is very no-nonsense and can be a bit intimidating, so I just want to be well prepared when I go to see her, especially given I am a bit all over the place. Obviously if I miscarry again it may all be a bit theoretical, but I know if there is a heartbeat on the scan tomorrow I might have a bit of a wobble if I don't already have a plan in place. I really want this baby but I'm so scared of the pregnancy!

Thanks for any advice!

LT xx

Hi Light sorry to hear of your miscarriage, and that you had bad morning sickness/hg in your last pregnancy.

In terms of medication, cyclizine is a very good option and lots of women (including myself) do find it very good. It's also very safe and has been used for a long time in pregnancy. It might also be worth considering promethazine, which again is very safe. Often the 3rd line defence is ondansetron, which I have to admit worked best for me, but as a newer drug, gps can often be reluctant to prescribe.

Purely from personal experience, not evidence based, stematil didn't help me at all, promethazine/avomine helped a little but made me very drowsy. Cyclizine was good for a few weeks and ondansetron stopped most vomiting but not the nausea. Some women end up on combinations of medicine.

Best of luck for everything. I hope your scan goes well.

Hi lighttripper there isn't a set point where sickness becomes hg so feel welcome here! Yes definitely go back and ask about cyclazine or similar. I think there is some thinking that starting medication early can make it very effective. Even with hg people do often experience an improvement in symptoms both nausea and sickness during pregnancy and each pregnancy is different so not set in stone. Cyclazine can help nausea as well as sickness- it did for me last pregnancy. Your absolutely right to have a plan in place and hope gp is supportive

Re-reading your post you mention you were worried about the safety of anti emetics last time.

I describe cyclizine and promethazine as safe only because they have been used for donkeys years with no reported adverse effects. Ondanstetron and others are also safe, lots of large scale studies to prove this, but are newer classes of drugs to the older antihistamines and so haven't been used as long.

Doctors are so cautious about prescribing to pregnant women, all the drugs in the nice guidelines are fine is prescribed correctly so try not to worry to much about that (much easier said than done!).

Thanks Special! I am also fairly relaxed in my rational mind. But I guess it meant I gave up fairly quickly when it didn't seem to be doing anything for me...

Thanks, if the scan goes well in the morning I will make a GP appointment as soon as I can and see how helpful she is. There are a few GPs in the practice (including one more cuddly one, but she doesn't know me so well) - so I will try the one I know first but if she isn't helpful I can probably try a different one a bit later.

And thanks for the other advice both, and the welcome ickle. A friend of mine had proper full on HG (on drips for days on end etc.) so I feel like a bit of a fraud by comparison (though she would never say that and has always been very sympathetic and lovely!)

Goodness it's been busy on here today!

Jodders sounds like you're getting the same treatment I did, they were flushing bags of fluid through me in 2 hours. God that you're managing to eat- hope you continue to feel a bit better.

ickle my baby was going nuts last night too. I felt so ill this morning from the heat and lack of sleep! Dragged myself in to work though as my boss is off sick. Hope your DS gave you an easier time today.

Congratulations Snow, lovely news!!

Special I've been thinking of you. So sorry to hear you're feeling down. You haven't got long to go now have you?

Sleepy I don't have the 'down below' issue yet but I feel your pin with everything else! Hope you're home now and have managed to cool down.

Light welcome. I had cyclizine and it definitely helped. Worth a go? I'd emphasise to your GP that the sickeness and nausea is massively influencing your quality of life, and that you have another child to care for. Please keep an eye on your ketones if you can. I hope the scan goes well! Any kind of sickness and nausea is miserable, so don't feel like a fraud

I'm okish today- felt horrific this morning (the heat!) but I think forcing myself to work was the best thing because the office is so much cooler. I'm shattered and very nauseous though, and it's only Monday!

LightTripper Welcome. Hyperemesis varies in severity, so just because you are not suffering as badly as your friend doesn't mean you don't have it and need treatment. A stone is a fair bit of weight to lose. Have you got some kesostix to check for early stages of dehydration? How do you find flat coke, ice lollies, ice cubes, the juice of tinned fruit, chocolate milk and
jelly? Cheap ice cream and crisps can be bearable. Do go to your GP. You've had great advice about meds. If you have difficulty obtaining them, the number in the introductory post will help. You'll get great advice on here.
ray Don't overdo it. I'm melting, and not pregnant...Poor mrsmonkey who is so soon due; and all others, with all that extra blood heating them up.

rae I walked into air conditioned petrol station and it was amazing so can well imagine the relief. I worked from home today (with feet in paddling pool!) However in a very hot office tomorrow morning and dreading it!

light do let us know how scan goes- will be thinking of you! Hope gp is understanding too.

special how you feeling today?

So trying not to panic...am only 34 weeks however bump has hugely dropped last few days and today had lots of mucus like discharge...no blood but possibly show. Got midwife on wed so will mention it to her however I am not mentally ready to have this baby yet!

So sorry I've not been posting, I'm lurking but too knackered / agitated to join in!
Many many congrats on your baby girl snow !
Pleased to hear jodders doing well after fluids, hope you get meds sorted.
Welcome to light and so sorry to hear of your loss. You will get excellent support and advice here.
lucinda as always, thank you for thinking of me.
ickle bump dropping and mucus sounds alarming! Hope you're ok - was DS early? Def check in with MW.
Sorry to hear everyone struggling in heat, I'm not doing too badly but sweating a lot!!! Fortunately I generally like it warm so have been ok staying inside/ sat outside in shade. Still nesting like mad.

Am very nearly there. Will let you all know when I have news. Cyber hugs to everyone suffering. Xx

mrsmonkey glad your doing ok in heat- I've been sat in shade with patio doors wide open and not too bad but meant to be even hotter today! Can't wait to hear your news! Hope I'm over reacting but will see what midwife says on Wednesday!

lucinda just seen you mentioned jelly-I tried some last night and had THE worst heartburn. No idea why it set it off but I'd proceed with caution ladies!

Oh and no ds wasn't early -due date baby!

ickle hope you get on ok at work today. Fingers crossed your midwife will be able to reassure you- maybe call now if it's worrying you?

Thinking of you mrsmonkey!