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.

Sprite. Moan away :) and inform your friend that she is lucky to have easy preg and hg is awful

MEL glad you have turned a corner. Long may it stay

Haich. Sorry your mh team weren't more supportive :(

Shirley - glad sickness gone tho nausea can be as bad

Are you taking vit d? Gp told me to take thro whole preg when I told him I was preg

Lucinda. In early weeks and up to maybe 16w I couldn't stand chicks at all but could have chicken cuppa soups

Hey all. I've been reading the thread for a while & finally joined. First pregnancy, currently 12w+6 (due 25/8/17) and suffering with the dreaded HG. Sickness started around 6 weeks & have now been off work for 5 weeks with it! GPs prescribed cyclizine upto 3 times a day but just taking 1 completely knocks me out for the whole day! By week 11 I thought I was getting better- only being sick 2-3 times a day & managing to keep at least 1 meal a day down but OMG was I wrong. For the last week I have returned to throwing up every single thing I eat plus bile when my stomach reaches empty- it's been horrendous. Due to go back to work on Monday but just can't see how. I work on a busy ward with community visits & a long commute also but the guilt of being off for so long is taking its toll too. I have no energy whatsoever and starting feel dizzy & faint. Had my 12w scan yesterday and just didn't have the energy to be as excited as my husband which made me feel awful as I feel like I'm ruining the experience for him! GPs I've seen have not been sympathetic, I have another appt tomorrow morning and think I'm going to ask for alternative medication options. Any other advice for a terrified first timer who had no idea whatsoever about HG?!

Mandy - I think the next step is metachloropromide and then the step after that is ondansetron. Or at least it was for me.
I know it's so hard feeling like you're letting work down, but being off is the best thing you can do. Your body needs as much rest as possible. I was off for 4 months with my first pregnancy, and fortunately this time around I'm a stay at home mum, so nobody is judging my lack of production 😊

Hi all,

New to this thread and to pregnancy... found out at about 6 weeks that I was suffering with HG. Was signed off work for about 3 weeks (started back a couple of weeks ago), but have had a terrible relapse with the sickness (will be 12 weeks this Saturday) and have been off work again since Monday.. it's my birthday today and I've not even managed to leave my bed for a shower. I've been on Ondansetron 8mg every 6 hours since and once-daily omeprazole for the reflux. I've gone back to throwing up about 3 times a day (probably throwing a fuss over nothing, I know) and with the protracted, non-productive retching (which can be heard all the way down the corridor in my block of flats) probably about 10 times a day.. doc has now put me on additional buccastem. I just feel incredibly down.. any words of advice? Next steps?

Thanks xxx

Sorry to just drop in to ask a question but can anyone tell me if taking omeprazole as a once off for acid reflux will be OK with cyclizine? Gonna get some gavisgon tomorrow but if I'm not nauseous I've got serious heartburn

Thanks Melleebacca, I'll ask about those. did either of those meds help for you?

KikiA, it's my birthday on Saturday and I've got a feeling mine will be spent in bed/throwing up too! I feel your pain. Have the meds made any difference?

I've lost about a stone in weight so far and losing more by the day, the GP said he wasn't concerned about this because I'm 10lbs overweight according to my BMI. Is this really the case? That it doesn't matter if youre losing significant weight in a short period of time unless you're underweight according to BMI??

Mandy - metachloropromide pushes food through your system faster so you have less in your stomach. Ondansetron works to seal the valve and makes it painful to vomit, but still possible. I'm only on ondansetron this time around, and it takes the edge off but I'm still losing dinner, and it does nothing for the nausea.
Your GP should be concerned about significant weight loss, but they generally don't panic until you hit 10% weight loss in my opinion. And in NZ they won't do anything until you hit 12/13w. The dietician I saw this week told me the criteria was 13w, and 10% loss before I could get a prescription for nutritional powder.

Sprite - I can't help with that, as haven't had that combo. I found gaviscon did little tho.

Kiki - maybe you need stronger meds?

Hi MardyBum2017 & Melleebacca...

Well, I'm just in the process of starting the buccastem as well.. so far, so good but as they haven't finished dissolving yet (still stuck to my gums) I'm going to reserve judgement... seems to be helping with the nausea which was impossible to control previously.

My doc has been very supportive and keen to get me onto most appropriate treatment from the moment we identified it, so managed to keep weight loss to a minimum and even recently got back up to pre-preg weight.. have lost 2lbs in the last four days though, so he said if we can't get it better controlled then it would be a case of hospital management... but what would they do at the hospital though? I've made sure I drink constantly (small amounts) and have been checking my skin for dehydration, luckily no sign of it so I doubt they'd give me IV fluids. Would it just be IV Ondansetron?

Thanks for your help... just so exhausted and fed up!

Mardy - I hope you at least get through your birthday relatively unscathed, and with any luck you might find you have a better day - here's for hoping you do!

Kiki xxxx

Kiki - it's just sodium chloride in the IVs to help with dehydration. If you get IV anti emetics, it's usually metachloropromide. Your doctor sounds amazing though. I've lost 6.5kgs (over 10%) and I'm only just getting more help now.

Welcome to Mardybum2017 and Kiia.
Mardybum2017 You really cannot go back to work in this state. It is not your fault; don't feel guilty. You need stronger meds, by the sound of things. There are various combinations they can try. Also, do invest in some kesostix - just in case you are becoming dehydrated, which can happen very quickly. I think you need to see a dr before Monday. If you can't keep water down when pregnant for over twenty-four hours, its a medical emergency anyway.
Kiia I'm glad you are managing to retain enough fluids for your skin to be OK, but they might need to give you vitamins via IF. I am glad the doctor is monitoring you well. I hope the addition of the buccastem helps. I have heard from some on here that it is often helpful with nausea if you can stand the lengthy melting process. I won't say Happy Birthday but I will say Many Happy Returns and give you some .
Do either of you find sips of flat coke, the juice of tinned fruit and the fruit, chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), ice lollies, slices of melon, elderflower water or Dr Pepper any good? Many swear by cuppa soup, or cheap ice cream or jelly.
sprite25 I wish I could advise; I don't know if that's OK or not.
Mellebacca A good description.
Blondes Many have found your cuppasoup discovery a lifeline!
IAmSerious Pembrokeshire is lovely; there's a wonderful coast, nearly as good as the Llyn Peninsula, which I highly recommend.
Watch me cross post. Sorry if I've rudely ignored anyone.
Due Dates
LightTripper 3 March
Mama Ermintrude 3 March
Blondes 30 March
HurryUpApril17 17 April
NerrSnerr 18 April
Castlefeck 19 April
moonoverthewater 10 May
user1477 14 May
IAmSeriousAndDontCallMeShirley 20 May
Robber Bride 29 May
LHReturns 1 June
PeaceLove 3 June
Boobs 6 June
South London 6 June
fourcorneredcircle 7 June
Pastiemaid 12 June
squeezypeasy 13 June
Babyand 23 June
Captain Warbeck 24 June
HollyHop17 20 July
whoate 1 August
HaichM 1 August
SociallyAcceptableCookie 5 August
JimmyJay Early August
Daffodil 11 August
SickRose 18 August
Pip1982 20 August.
Melleebacca 22 August
Mardybum2017 25 August
MagnumAddict 1 September

Hello all - just popping in to say that as per usual you are all doing amazingly. I get so excited looking at LucindaE 's due date list and seeing how soon some of you are about to be released from your misery!

For those further down on the list, I know it seems as if relief will never come, but believe me, it does eventually and although you won't quickly forget how hideous all these weeks and months were, you will sincerely consider every last second as worthwhile when you're gazing at your gorgeous children.

So stay as still and relaxed as possible until then! :: waves to all ::

Thanks Melleebacca & LucindaE for your replies and birthday wishes.

I must say, I have been horrified to read about how awful some GPs attitudes are towards what is essentially not dissimilar to food poisoning/norovirus. I sincerely hope more concrete guidelines for treating hyperemesis are enforced. But as I say, my GP is fantastic - he (yep, 'he') even said "you women are heros for what you go through to bring children into the world - there is no other way to put it." I can only imagine how unwell I would have been had it not been for his immediate intervention. I can only imagine the hell some of you ladies must have been dragged through before you were treated with the appropriate medicines.

I don't want to jinx myself, but I do feel a big difference since having taken my first dose of Buccastem this evening in addition to my Ondansetron..

Hoping I can draw a line under it now and start to function like a normal human being again, but we will see!

Thanks again - you've been massively reassuring after what feels like an eternity of being trapped in my bed, drowning in an ocean of my own tears. Thanks so much, and I hope you all find relief from the agony of HG.

Kiki xxxx

Welcome to Mardy and Kiki, sorry to hear that you have both been having such a rotten time.

The advice here is always good, I have used the helpline listed on the thread for medication advice and they were great. Gave me real ammunition for my GP- so might be worth a call?

I can't remember who asked now possibly lucinda? But I wasn't on any vitamin D before now (other than what's in my multi vitamin). But now have Vit D, Iron and a combo of B vitamins to add to my hearty tablet regimen. I hope they improve my fatigue as I'm feeling pretty useless.... xx

It was Blondes who asked! Sorry!
Baby brain has hit hard! Lol.
And yes, nausea has been hard work, but a relief from bile so I think still and improvement? X

Hi all, I'm sorry I've been quiet, my lovely parents have been staying with us and keeping me company, which has been absolutely heavenly. I'm now 37+6 and have been awake since 2am with nausea. Fun. During that time I've been torturing myself worried about the fact I'm not going to love the baby. I mentioned previously that because of the HG I only felt excited for the first time about 3 weeks ago. It was lovely to get some flags of excitement but they haven't lasted. I feel like I'm living in some surreal dream-like state and that there's not really even a baby in there, but that life is just going to continue on in this state of half living. I just don't feel connected to her at ALL, I just want her out to feel normal again. So please, to any second-timers, did you feel this disconnected so late in the pregnancy last time, and did it affect you bonding with your baby? Am I going to love her or just resent her for destroying my life since last July?!? This was a planned and much wanted pregnancy before it began, I hasten to add.

Hi MamaE

I'm a second timer. It's totally understandable to be feeling mixed emotions and I can definitely relate. I didn't suffer with as much nausea in the third tri but I was sick every day and struggled to enjoy pregnancy, I also had SPD to the point I could barely walk with crutches and definitely felt like this baby had destroyed me. I tried to focus on things I was excited to be able to do with her after she arrived - like taking her for a walk in the pram, meeting family/friends and that her coming would mean an end to the horror of hg - she may have caused them but her arrival was the wonderful marker of it ending (for me I was sick continuously through labour and then it stopped and there was no nausea, although I know sometimes it takes a bit longer)

In the end we had real trouble with feeding, she would scream in pure anger every time she came near my breasts and although she could breastfeed as she did it once or twice, she just wouldn't. It meant she lost too much weight and a 10 day stay in hospital where we ended up deciding to express and then bottle feed, but I struggled to bond with her because of all that. I felt traumatised by the experience of people in my space trying to get her to feed and I felt like there was something wrong with me. I loved her, I wanted to want her but I didn't feel able to care for her. In the end I was diagnosed with post natal depression and took anti depressants which really helped and by 6 weeks it was getting better.

My lg is now 3 and she's the best, i love her so much and I view pregnancy as the thing you have to do if you want children, I'm not enjoying this pregnancy at all! And I had actually forgotten how awful the first pregnancy was in my enjoyment of her now and those tough early weeks are a faded memory too. (Obviously now I remember how awful pg was - the irony!)

I would mention your concerns to the midwife now so that they can support you post birth and keep an eye on you. Sorry for the long post, I hope being open with my struggles helps you feel less alone and encourages you to hold on because it will get better and you will enjoy her whether right away or in time.

Mammabear x

So I've just been back to the drs. He was newly qualified, had to phone another GP for advice and basically prescribed me gaviscon and told me that there were no other medication options other than cyclizine. I was unfortunately in too much of a state by this point to push for the ones suggested on here and feel like I've been completely fobbed off. I'm absolutely exhausted, close to fainting on occasions and fed up. He felt it was a matter for the midwife to deal with, signed me off work and that was that.
I'm close to breaking point now with no idea what to do next. Kiki I'm so envious of your GP experience!

MamaE: if it helps, I didn't bond massively with DS during pg. Even though I didn't suffer from HG at the end, I was really uncomfortable and felt rotten and just wanted it to end. It was fine when he was born though, once I'd got through the first few days and some of the initial fear faded. He's still the best thing I've ever done and I still look at him now and wonder how auch a person came from me, how I got so lucky to be his mum.

MamaB: DA also had feeding issues. It's heartbreaking isn't it?

Mardy: see a diff GP. As there are other options and you need someone sympathetic and supportive during this pg. As far as I know mw can't prescribe and you don't see them much at the start

kiki and mardy welcome. The early weeks even months are draining now but will all be worth it

I can't believe I'm going to be a mummy next month

As the regulars know I still have blips. But are much rarer and can see a light at the end of the tunnel

@shirley. And your mw didn't say take them either? It's a new thing folic acid and vit d should be taken as soon know preg

MardyBum2017 Oh dear. Sorry to hear this. I think the only thing to do is to phone up Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7368 2020. They will have to phone you back, but they will, and they have been great at getting meds for women on here.
MamaErmintrude You''ve had great advice already. Do try not to worry about bonding - it might take a little longer than average but it will come if it doesn't come immediately, and with many women, despite being so ill, it does come immediately. I was ill after birth and so felt too drained to bond properly, but I read the advice: 'If you don't feel love, act as if you do, and it will come in time' and sure enough I did.
MamaBear Great advice. Sorry to hear you had such an awful time with feeding.
TwoDrifters Thank you so much for coming on with such nice encouragement.
Kiia I am so glad a (male) GP takes that line! Some do; and hopefully they are becoming far more common.
HiachM Great advice again.
IAmSerious I do hope the vitamins make a difference to the fatigue. Mother Hen also worries you are not taking it easy often enough.
Waves to LightTripper (the invaluable) and everyone.
Apologies if Ive missed anyone...
IAmSerious

MamaE - yes. I was disconnected from my pregnancy until the end. My DD came out a little blue and had to be whisked away to the NICU, and I only felt relief that it was finally over! It didn't take long for the connection to build after that tho. 2 good massive meals and I loved life to the fullest again.

Mandy - depending on how faint you are feeling, you might need fluids from the hospital, who should be able to give you some stronger meds too. I have low bp anyways, and with HG, I'm borderline for needing fluids to keep it up enough. From past experience high HR, low BP are signs of dehydration.

Blondes - not long now! Can't believe how long the due date list is, and like no babies have been born since I joined at the beginning of the year.

Melleebacca How are things now?
Blondes I meant to say -you'll soon be walking (maybe even waddling) over the Pink Castle's drawbridge!

I'm waddling now ......

I'm waddling now lol

Lucinda - just been at the mall (!?!) for the first time this year! Got my niece a birthday gift and didn't fall over. Rest of the day in bed though.