Anyone else been prescribed medication for nausea without vomiting?

[KateTheShrew]

Haven't posted on MN since I had my DS a couple of years ago. I'm now 7 weeks pregnant with no. 2 and have been having severe nausea (pretty much all day, every day without any let-up) since 5 weeks, but no vomiting as yet.

It's been so much worse than anything I had when pregnant with my DS that I saw my GP to ask if he could suggest anything in addition to the usual (ginger, eating little and often, blah blah blah) and he said if I'd tried all the lifestyle/dietary changes and they weren't helping, he would prescribe me cyclizine. I was pretty surprised as I've only heard of women with HG who can't keep anything down being prescribed medication, and that's definitely not the position I'm in. I filled the prescription and took a tablet to help me get through a work meeting, but I'm torn as to whether to take it more regularly.

On the one hand, it definitely worked and allowed me to function, whereas lately I've been feeling so sick that I can barely get off the sofa and DH has been doing basically all childcare and housework etc. On the other hand, I'm not dehydrated and I can keep food down if I force myself to eat, although I feel miserably nauseous and quite depressed about the thought of feeling like this for another month (it's so bad that I'm finding it very hard to leave the house).

Has anyone else been prescribed anti-sickness drugs in pregnancy for nausea alone? I have literally never heard of this before, and was a bit shocked at how easily the GP suggested it. Should I take them, since they've been prescribed and would help me function more normally or just grit my teeth and try to ride it out?

Disclaimer: I realise how lucky I am not to be vomiting (yet), but the nausea is like nothing I've ever experienced before, and I've been pregnant twice (one successful, one miscarriage).

Hi everyone,

Just checking in to see how everyone's doing.

Lynsey don't worry about having a vent on here!! Sorry to hear you've been stressing, and you're NOT ungrateful. I think it's natural if you've already got boys to think it would be nice to have a girl, and to know what that's like -- nobody would think that meant you wouldn't be just as happy with another boy. We're planning to stop at two, and we've already got DS, so the way I'm looking at it is, if this one's a girl then it would be lovely to have one of each, and if it's another boy, then that's great too because DS is fab and who wouldn't want two of him?

I also think (and do forgive me if I'm overstepping here) that when you've had miscarriages, you can spend the whole first trimester stressing about getting to the magic 12 weeks (believe me, I'm doing that myself at the moment!) and once you do, it's a huge relief but your brain is so used to obsessing and stressing that you find something else to fixate on, and that could be something like gender. Maybe this is a manifestation of all your first trimester stress?

Blondes, good luck at GP tomorrow. Don't be tempted to play down how much its affecting you life. Hopefully you'll find something that works for you very soon.

As for me, I had a horrible day yesterday, could barely get out of bed, but today has been a bit better. I've been dressed and downstairs since this morning and managed to play with DS a fair bit. I've given up hoping that a good day means the start of feeling better permanently, because that just leads to disappointment, but I'll take a good day when I can get it...

Also, 12 week scan on Wednesday. EEEEEEEKKK!!!

Thank you kate for that lovely message. I'm so glad you understood what I was saying instead of thinking I'm a selfish idiot. You could be right about the shifting anxieties. I've had stages of different obsessions that go as fast as they arrive. The one before this was germs. My hands got sore from washing them and the kids were barely able to put a hand on me or kiss me without me running to wash it off thankfully I can now give my boys a kiss again without freaking out!

Aw I really hope today is a sign of better days for you. I'm so sorry your still having a rough time of it.
How exciting only one day left before your scan!! Once you see that little one (if only for a little while) you'll forget how ill you feel!!
And to make it even better you'll have your scan picture to look at and tell off for making good you this poorly

Making you feel this poorly**
Phone keeps adding the word 'good' after any word that ends with a g

Hello blondes (waves back). Sorry you are getting worse. Hopefully it should have reached its peak now, so at least the drugs won't be competing with sickness that is still ramping up. I think which one(s) work and to what extent is really trial and error. I'd get started on something and make another appointment for a few days time so if it isn't working you can try something else quickly...

LT xx

It's that quick in making me feel better?

Wow. That's good !!!

Yah for 12w scan

I'm seeing midwife for first time Friday at 9w

May have 10w scan to re assure me plus then the 12w via NHS

Finally got my pregnancy pillow ladies, worth the money! Its funny how big they are (as long as I am). I've got to get used to it but would definitely recommend getting one.

I tend to find if something is going to work then it has a bit of an effect within a couple of days Blondes, so it's worth planning to go back say 4-5 days after your appointment if there is a long lead time to get into your GP, and then you can always cancel if you don't need it.

I've found both my pills work better if spaced out: so if you can take 3 a day I take one when I wake up, one early p.m. and one when I go to bed. With Metoclopramide you have to space them at least 6 hours apart. Cyclizine doesn't say but my GP suggested spacing them out the same and I do think it works better that way - to begin with I was waiting until I felt particularly bad and then taking it, but started to find I was throwing up even half an hour or an hour after taking it, so I think it's more a thing that builds up over a couple of days than a thing that has immediate impact.

Try not to expect miracles: I think most people find the nausea doesn't completely go away. But I've found even a 20% improvement in how I feel tips it from being really hard to cope with to being bearable and more of an annoyance, so my feeling is whatever improvement you can get you should go for it!

Good luck with the GP today xx

i have a lovely gp, who listened to me, has prescribed Cyclizine, whoop, 3 times a day

he said all the symptoms i said about sickness 4/6/8 times a day, constant nausea, salviatating all the time,retching etc suggest that i do have Hyperemesis gravidarum

Hope the cyclizine works for you. I managed on one a day but your sounding worse than I was. I found having it before I even moved in a morning helped. I only attempted to come off them once I knew I didn't have to leave the house. Thankfully I haven't needed them since. It definitely seems common for it to need a few days for you to feel the full affects so don't be disheartened if you don't see immediate improvement. Good luck!

That's great Blondes

One thing I did find with Cyclizine is I think it made me a bit woozy the first couple of days (it is a mild sedative): for me that stage only lasted a couple of days and then I was fine, but I don't need to drive regularly. If I did I think I would have made other arrangements just for those first few days while I settled in on them.

Fingers crossed they do you some good! Do remember there are other things you can try (either instead or in addition) if they don't work for you, or do work but only a limited amount.

thanks light and lyndsey it was worth the wait to see him rather the any gp

just hope they work .............

i shall be snoring, as the ivf drugs im still taking shatter me, now these as well, but anything that helps has got to be good !!!!

How are you doing Blondes - may be a bit early to see much effect yet but is this morning any better? Thinking of you x

Hi. Still was sick and retching but think it was less then other days ...... So hopefully are slowly getting in my system

I am tired with them so just laying on sofa

Took one at 5am to try and halt the am sickness

Thanks for asking

Hi all,

Just popping in to say I had my 12 week scan and everything looks good Could see the baby wriggling it's little hands, and could even see individual fingers! And apparently I'm actually measuring 13 weeks 1 day -- more than a week ahead of what I thought.

Blondes, sorry to hear you're still feeling wretched, but hopefully once the cyclizine gets in your system you'll start to feel better. If you don't though, go straight back to the doctor and try something else. It's great that you've got a sympathetic GP.

Hope everyone else is doing ok.

Hey guys, I've been prescribed cyclizine too, currently 8+3. Dr said to just have one a day and that should be fine, although the packet says that you can have up to 3 a day. Should I up the dose, or go back the dr's and check with them?

Also what times in the day do people take it? before food? after food? first thing? I wasn't too sure!

That's lovely kate I'm looking forward to our scan when will look like a baby - last one at 7w was a blob with a blinking white but in middle (heart)

Doc told me to take 3 spaced out daily but I was /am in a bad state

Prefer to go full steam and if work ok then drop lunchtime one then evening

Mornings are the worst

So I do when I first wake 5am ish - 1pm and 8/9pm

I do the same as blondes: one in the am when I wake up, one at lunch and one at bedtime.

Glad it's having some effect *blondes but sounds like you may need more. If you're still being sick tomorrow I'd make an appointment for Friday or Monday, so you've got a point to look forward too!

I've made an app for tue as mon is bh and fri doesn't give it enough time

Just eaten spag Bol so be interesting if that stays down .....

I've made an app for tue as mon is bh and fri doesn't give it enough time

Just eaten spag Bol so be interesting if that stays down .....

Brilliant kate. That's lovely to hear and great about being moved forward!!
blondes any improvement?
summer if you're unsure, talk to your gp but most ladies find it helps more after a few days. If you've only just had it, maybe your not feeling the full affects yet?
I managed on just the one which I took before I got out of bed and ate ginger biscuits with them for good measure lol.

Well Havnt been sick this morning (yet) or retching so that's a bonus and a first for several weeks tho feel very queasy. Just eaten a bagel as that's all I can stomach am and see if stays down

Be amazing if does 😁

Fingers crossed for you. I'm having an off day, feel heavy, tired and fed up. First time in ages, my kids are being real brats today! They seem to play on me not being upto the job. I was sick last night, which is only the 3rd time throughout this pregnancy but shows just how sensitive our stomachs are.
I was glad it happened right before bed and really do feel for anyone being sick regularly. Roll on next year for all of us when we have healthy babies in our arms xx

blondes, so glad to hear you're a bit better this morning. Fingers crossed that bagel stays put.

Lynsey, Thanks for the congrats! I feel a lot better now I can tell people in rl about the pregnancy, and explain why I've basically disappeared for almost two months. Sorry to hear that you're feeling grotty and that you were sick. I wonder what's brought that on at this stage? Are you just a bit run down, do you think?

I've got a GP appointment for this afternoon for a medication review. Hopefully he/she'll re-prescribe the phenergan. I had a really good day yesterday, when I took an extra tablet first thing in the morning, and then went back to back to sleep for half an hour, so I'm trying to replicate that today. Also I'm going to ask the dr to have a look at my tongue which is really sore (like I've burnt it, but I haven't!), and a bit swollen and white looking. I thought it was just maybe from my odd diet, but now I'm wondering if it's oral thrush or something because it isn't shifting. I've never had any kind of thrush before, but I think it can be more common in pregnancy cos your immune system's a bit suppressed.

Wishing everybody a non-nauseous day.

I agree there kate, it's definitely a relief when people know.
My belly would make it quite obvious now though!
I just swallowed wrong, made me heave and then was sick. Other two times were triggered by coughing and brushing my teeth so it's not random as such as triggered.
Hope the gp is kind to you later! If it's helping, then stick with it!!

Hello Blondes - so glad the cyclizine is doing something for you! Don't worry about going back if you are still struggling to cope though, as they can prescribe a combination (they did for me), so may still be worth keeping the Tuesday appointment depending on how the weekend goes xx

Hope everybody else is doing well. Hope the GP goes well this afternoon Kate - if it is thrush hopefully they can give you something to clear it up quite quickly - does sound like it might be!

All fine here. Still queasy all the time and feeling very rough in the evenings, but only actually thrown up once in the last 4-5 days and managing to get a bit more done at work and at home, so I'm hoping it's downhill from here. Had my SAFE tests back yesterday and they were all low risk, so we can properly start telling people now (though anybody who's seen me in the last 2 months pretty much knows anyway, so there aren't a lot of people left to tell!)

Actually Blondes post has inspired me that I must make a GP appointment myself as I run out mid-next week and I guess they'll be busy after the Bank Holiday...