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.

Welcome Parsnips, sorry to hear you have been suffering with nausea, it's horrible and please don't feel like a fraud. I also have crippling nausea and it's rare for me to vomit. The good news is that your GP can prescribe medication that might be able to help (or at least take the edge off it). Make sure you tell the GP how bad it is and how it affects your quality of life. Resting definitely helps.

South - I completely agree with you about stemetil. The leaflet says most patients don't notice it after a few minutes, I could still feel (and taste) it for over an hour and it made no difference to nausea. I once made the mistake of moving it back into place with my tongue - ended up with a numb tongue for hours! No advice I am afraid, I only lasted 3 days on it, was so relieved when doctor put me back on cyclizine!

Great scan picture blondes.

Hurray for feeling better peace hope it continues.

Sorry to hear you have had a rough time baby, hope scan today goes well.

Waves to everyone else

I have a cold so lovely ball of snot accumulates in my throat overnight, makes me cough when I wake up, which of course makes me sick :(. But despite vomiting every morning since Saturday, I have actually had a few good days as nausea hasn't been as bad. I even managed to wrap the Christmas presents yesterday.

Stemetil comes in swallowable tablets too, could you try that sneezy and south?

Had a rubbish day here, nausea was back on and off, think it was from being out too much with the scan and running round after DS etc. On the bright side, baby is totally fine, very wriggly and not at all affected by the cocktail of pills I'm taking every other hour of the day! Looks very chilled out in this pic though.

Lovely scan pictures Captain and Blondes and so glad to hear you are doing better peace!

Welcome parsnips. Please don't feel a fraud. This thread is for everybody who is struggling to cope. My main problem was also nausea rather than throwing up (I was only throwing up once a day, less than that on drugs) - but especially when you are trying to work and/or look after other DC (which practically everybody is!) that is still tough enough. Have you found foods that help? I've found different things help in my two pregnancies, but mints, fruit (particularly melon or tinned fruit like peaches or pears) etc. have been good for me consistently. Other things have changed. My first p/g I was all about crisps but this time they made me feel worse. Bagels and that kind of boring carbs can also be good (e.g. plain pasta). I do not recommend potatoes, and I know others have had a nightmare with rice.

Rest definitely helps, and please try not to feel like a wimp. Most people just don't get nausea this bad. All nausea is not alike. I am now 28 weeks and have constant nausea but it's like the final stages of a hangover or going on a very slightly rocky boat: annoying but low level and still possible to get on with life. Many people never have it worse than that! The kind of overwhelming exhausting nausea that you are describing is not "standard" so that explains why you are finding it harder than some of your friends/colleagues. On the positive side, hopefully it should start to get better: a lot of us have seen improvements at around 14 weeks and again around 20 weeks, and if you get a break over Christmas hopefully that will help too.

All is well here. Still retching occasionally but never with any serious thought that I might actually puke - almost more psychological than physical response to the nausea when it's worse in the evenings. But days are fine - just a bit of a dull slog, but really looking forward to getting to 30 weeks. I feel that having a date with a 3 in front of it will be a big breakthrough ... it will really feel like the home straight then!

Waves to everyone xxx

This morning I went to walk in antenatal at the hospital. I've left with laxatives prescription and a consultant telling the doc that saw us that they should not medicalise something that happens naturally in pregnancy! He said that although I'm not comfortable my sickness is manageable and that I've got all the tablets so to find a combo that works best.... best to not take it at all though.... as if no one knew that!!!!

I was sick on the corner of a busy traffic junction walking to the mat unit at 10am and still not recovered. Really hurt my throat. Waiting for prescription now. Feeling very helpless and miserable!!! Still hoping to go back to work Thursday ... I'm going to take ondansetron regardless! Hope headache doesn't come back.

May I join?
My name is Alizée I'm 30 and I'm 7 weeks pregnant with my first child (this is my second pregnancy, I suffered a miscarriage this summer).
Last time I was pregnant (my miscarriage was at 6 weeks and a bit) I didn't experience any nausea but this time, my goodness, it's been absolutely awful.
It started around the time I found out I was expecting so two weeks ago or so, and has been getting worse and worse. Yesterday I spent the day in hospital on a drip (fluids and cyclizine) as I was sick and had diarrhoea all weekend (I had the norovirus on top of my morning sickness...just imagine).
Today I am no longer physically sick and diarrhoea also better but the nausea is CONSTANT. Is this normal? Will this last until I give birth or ease up? I've had to take the week off work and as I'm self employed that means no pay
I'm so miserable and would love to make friends

Hooray! I have found you all again.
*waves

Having the same issue as before where the thread disappeared and I could find t when searching. Apparently it's a app issue? Very frustrating as I have missed you all.

Anyway. I hope you are all well, and things are going more smoothly for most.

I have had to come off the ondansetron as I needed to restart a heart medication that it interacts with. So have been feeling quite ropey. Back to calippos and tinned peaches.

On a more cheery note we are all set for Christmas and my DD is loving the tree and lights. Can't wait for the big day (even if I do miss out on all of the yummy cheese!). Xx

Welcome Lizzie - so sorry you are having a rough time of it already! Hopefully your sickness should get at least a bit better naturally (often at around 14 and 20 weeks, though everybody is different) - but 14 weeks still feels like a long way away when you are at 7 I know!

Have they given you some cyclizine or something else to take home with you? If so, I would start with that and see how you go. It makes some people very woozy although that often wears off after a few days/couple of weeks. If it doesn't (or if the cyclizine isn't enough to get the sickness more manageable) there are other things you can try so do go to your GP. Some GPs are more helpful than others, but you will get lots of advice here if you are unlucky and get an unhelpful one.

If you haven't been sent home with cyclizine then definitely go and get some!

Hang on in there. It is miserable but the only good thing is there is light at the end of the tunnel (eventually) and you will have lots of support here to see you through it.

And welcome back Shirley! Sorry you are back on the peaches. Are you taking anything else/is there anything else that wouldn't clash with your heart meds? I can't remember how many weeks you are now?

Hi light,

I'm now 17+4 weeks. Definitely counting the days! I'm nowhere near as bad as week 8/10 but the ondansetron was working really well for me and I was only being sick a few times a week. Now I'm at twice a day on average but feeing very queezy all the time. Still, it's a vast improvement on those early weeks.
I think last time I got quite a bit better from 25 weeks onwards.

I still have the cyclazine and metaclopromide, so they are helping a little.

Sorry to see so many new faces here, I hope you have been finding the advice useful- it's been a fantastic source of support and advice for me. Xx

Welcome to Parsnips82 and Liziedoll. Parnsips82. You've already had great advice. It's possible to have Hyperemesis without vomiting. The debilitating level of sickness you mention isn't normal MS at all. Do see if you can get meds and take an 'advocate' to argue your corner if there's one available and you feel too ill to argue. On foods you can stand, it's odd, but everyone is so different. Unlike LightTripper I could sometimes stand chips and baked potatoes,and potato cakes, and crisps, but I had a terrible experience with a pasta bake that I still remember. I found tinned fruit and the juice of tinned fruit really good peaches and pears), and sips of coke,and ice lollies, and ice cubes, sometimes cheap ice cream. Many swear by sips of cold chocolate milk and Elderflower water and cuppa soup was, I think, a Blondes discouvery. Thing will get better. As others say, watch out for dehydration; invest in some kesostix from any chemist to check for the early stages. Most people see and improvement between 14-20 weeks and even those unlucky ones who suffer throughout almost never suffer as badly later on as in the first tri.
Lizziedoll That's a lovely name, 'Alizee' (I can't add the inflection on this website). Sorry you've already been hospitalised and horrible to have a virus as well as Hyperemesis. What meds did they send you home with? As above, for food and drink recommendations. Things will get better.
Have you got some kesostix to check for dehydration?
SouthLondon Poor you, about that Public Puking Performance and the unaware consultant.That sounds foul about the stemetil not dissolving. I know they give it to avoid the stomach but it seems to have its own problems. The only good thing about excess saliva is that it does seem to dissolve it.
CaptanWarbeck That's a nice scan picture. Glad all went well.
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirely It's awful we lost you. I haven't come across that app problem before and I hope we don't lose all sorts of people.
LightTripper Good advice as ever. I hope you are still OK?
Sorry if I've missed anyone. Watch me cross post...

Parsnips and Lizzydoll as below. Really feel for SouthLondon with first a humiliating puking experience, and then an unsympathetic consultant.
DueDates
Lucy 15 December
MrsM2016 5 February
Light 3 March
Blondes 30 March
NerrSnerr 18 April
Castlefeck 19 April
moonoverthewater 10 May
user1477 14 May
Robber Bride 29 May
LHReturns 1 June
PeaceLove 3 June
Boobs 6 June
South London 6 June
fourcorneredcircle 7 June
squeezypeasy 13 June
Babyand 23 June
Captain Warbeck 24 June

If anyone's having trouble getting through the weeks, I cross days out on my calendar using red orange and green ones, depending on how good the day has been.

It helps me see that things are slowly getting better

Sorry, I meant to say pens not ones! Lol

Pastie, that's a good idea to monitor how you are doing. Some days are worst than others but I find Monday's and Wednesday's the absolute worst ... no idea why. Could expand it to write down food on those days too .... I might get a little calendar although totally useless at filling these things out lol.

Lucinda .... this is not my first PPP, just another on my list of horror that includes pavements, bus stop bins and supermarkets!!!!!!! I'm a pro and really good at holding back my hair and avoiding shoes now. Also keeping tissues in my bra to wipe my eyes (they always water!!), then my mouth and another to spit into when it's finished. Plus spearmint softmints for the taste .....! I never get my sick bag (co-op bag!!) out in time .... although managed to get it out in the supermarket once (win lol). In cars and taxis etc I travel with my sick bag in front of me and never eat before travelling.

Lucinda I don't know when my due date is yet, sometime in early August. I haven't had my dating scan yet, it is next week.
I had a horrible reaction to IV cyclizine so they sent me home with nothing
I'm trying out different foods and drinks to see what I can keep down and I find flat coke and peanut butter on toast the best so far, pretty much the only things that I can manage.

Hi everyone, sorry to hear of more poor sufferers
I've sent my dh out for more chocolate milk and melon...saw it mentioned here and it sounded nice! I have survived today on ice water, fruit pastilles and a babybel.
Tried stupidly to reduce my cyclizine today as it's making me feel SO weird even after 7 days...big mistake, vomiting restarted. It's obviously working well with the ondansetron. Have some good going constipation too so that's been nice to deal with! Will get some glycerine suppositories tomorrow if I can face leaving the house!

Lizzie- go to your GP and ask for different meds, to be honest I think cyclizine produces an odd reaction in most people and that's a normal side effect, I felt absolutely off my head for about 30 mins or more when I had it IV in A&E!

Hello all, welcome Parsnips and Lizzie and welcome back Shirley!

South you rock. I can't believe how organised you are for vomit. Even in my own home I'm often woefully unprepared and scrabbling around for tissues etc 😂 However, that consultant sounds like a knobber. I bet he's a ginger-pusher too.

Lovely scan of BabyCaptain 😊

Rubbish day here. We booked train tickets months ago to go to the Christmas markets in Manchester (you know... back when getting mildly tipsy on mulled wine was appealing!) but this morning I wasn't up to it. Poor DH had been really looking forward to it but he was very lovely about not going. We drove in to town this afternoon and went to Waterstones, spent a fortune. Everyone on my list is getting a book this year - can't face more shopping 😂 I made it up to DH by buying him a festive slice and a doughnut from Gregs. easily pleased that one

Anyway, apart from that little trip out I've spent hours and hours asleep today in preparation for work tomorrow. Fingers crossed for an easy morning.

Four! You are so right!!! F%#$ing GINGER!!!! Also... 'have you considered small meals, little and often'. ... 'YES YOU MORON, meals are small because I can only eat two small a day because otherwise I will vom!!!' It was literally like my first GP appointment 9 weeks ago when I couldn't keep a single thing down. He also mentioned 'vomiting in pregnancy is usually the sign of a healthy baby' followed by 'no medication is safe' and 'we shouldn't medicalise something that happens naturally in pregnancy' .... lots of things naturally happen in pregnancy that are not good, so why is this the exception?!? Anyway, I'm back on ondansetron, if I get another bad head I'll switch back to metochlopromide.

Good luck for work tomorrow, let us know how you get on. I want to try work Thursday but will see. Saturday I've got 4 sister in laws, possibly a neice and friend staying in my 2 bed flat so we can see dreamgirls at theatre as Xmas outing. We booked back on pre-sale (I think March?!?) so I totally know what you mean about things being a good idea day dreaming about Xmas months ago! I'm totally dreading it and have no idea how to survive it.....

Final top tip on catching vom at home which you have probs done but ... sick bucket!!!! It's actually now by best friend. Too many times the kitchen cabinets took the brunt before kitchen sink. Also cause I eat after medicated now when I'm sick in the morning it's just fluid so I do in the sink ... haven't had my head in a toilet bowl for a couple of weeks now ... although that would be preferable to a public bin or pavement I suppose (although, you don't have to clear it up then!!!)

Hi all

Pastie that's a good idea about the calendar , I think I'll do that.

My meds for the heartburn are still working a treat and so grateful for that. Still nauseous all the time but it's becoming manageable.

A few people have mentioned chocolate milk , weirdly that's something I keep craving too!

Hope everyone is okay, hugs to all suffering

South... I don't have a bucket... but I do have a washing up bowl that I wander around with when feeling particularly vommity. I named it soapy mcboaky but that was too much of a faff... now I just call it MY bowl 😂

Work was ok. Hell of a meeting to sit through but I made it all the way. Home now on my sofa with a cat, a hot water bottle and my pint of squash!

Glad your meds are still working moon 😊

Hi all, not been on much recently. So sorry to see new names having to suffer this miserable illness. Welcome and I hope time passes quickly for you.

I'm back on metochlopromide after stopping for a week and starting to vom again and the nausea increased. I just want to feel normal again, pregnancy is crap enough without this puke nonsense on top.

I see its pink castle day for Lucy tomorrow, good luck. It's been a hellish journey for you, I don't know how you've done it.

Hi everyone else

CastleFeck Lovely to hear from you again. Sorry being off meds didn't work. I' join you in wishing Lucy all luck tomorrow, and admiring how she's handled an awful journey.
SouthLondon I put that badly about 'first Public Puking' what I meant was, what an awful day with first that, and then the consultant talking rubbish . I seem to remember you have had several awful street experiences, and a train on. I join others in admiring how neat and organised you seem to be about puking sessions!
fourcorneredcirlce Lol about ginger pusher! That sounds as if he beckons and hisses out of the corner of his mouth from a dark corner, some ginger in his hand.. Lol too about 'soapymcboakie'. Someone on here had 'Bob the Bucket' and 'Tilly the Toilet'. I unimaginatively called mine, 'The Puking Bowl'.
Lizziedoll That's awful! I'm horrified that after an admission, they sent you home with no meds. Even if you had a bad reaction to cyclizine in the vein, surely there would have been other meds you could have had? Do ring the Pregnancy Sickness Support 024 7638 2020 number for advice. They'll have to ring you back, but will and have been great at getting meds for many women on here.
Pastiemaid That colouring idea is a great idea!
Ijumpalot Melon - I keep forgetting that and then remembering. A woman on another thread swore by putting it in a blender and freezing it into cubes. Good luck with chocolate milk and to four.
Waves to all. My unmentionable PC was down for hours, but has staggered back into life.
Apologies if I've missed anyone.

Sorry, moonoverthewater it was you with an urge for chocolate milk and I meant so say, poor fourcorneredcircle who had to miss the Christmas markets. Much sympathy for those who are dreading Christmas festivities and I meant to say SouthLondon Four sisters-in-law, two niceces . So brave; glad you have avoided head down loo for a while, with this prospect!

Hi all, sorry for the MIA, I've been in hospital 😭

So blinking sick & been having contractions every 2/3 minutes for two days. They were going to bump up my c section, but the contractions aren't doing anything & baby seems fine because I'm not really in that much pain. Sounds a bit nuts to have been in labour for 2 days & barely touched the paracetamol, but there we go. Always knew I had a high pain threshold, but even I'm a bit surprised by this turn of events. Yesterday afternoon they were measuring the contractions & saying I should be unable to speak & doubled over in pain & I'd give it maybe a 2 out of 10. It's so bizarre. Think it's possible that I've been just so ill that I can now completely switch off?

Anyhoo, they decided to send me home this afternoon for the night as he doesn't seem to be in a rush & they think I could be in labour for a few days yet.

C section going ahead as planned first thing tomorrow. Just took the first of the meds - I can't believe it's finally here! Just been speaking to my mum & saying I couldn't decide whether or not I was more excited about meeting the little man or not feeling sick anymore.

Much love to everyone & hi to the newbies. I would say welcome to the club, but I don't mean it - sorry you're in the club! Parsnips I've been sick hundreds of times a day on occasion & 100% think the nausea is worse, so please don't feel like a fraud. People can be well meaning with their advice, but not many pregnant ladies (luckily for them) feel sick 24/7 so it's not really something even to consider comparing. Morning sickness & HG are like a bit of a tummy ache vs noro virus!

Just think, tomorrow you all get to move up a spot on the game board! 💖🏰💖

Hi Lucy,

Good luck for tomorrow- how exciting! You'll meet your baby (with the added bonus of not feeling sick any more!).

Lovely to hear baby news- makes you realise it's all in a good cause in the end. So let us know how you get on.

Sorry to hear it's been a rough ride. Xx