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.

pippa sorry you're ill again this time round. I get ginger rage too. Saw my GP last week and she said there's no harm in trying sea bands and ginger alongside the zofran. I wretched at the mention of ginger.

Pause - haha! Ginger makes me vomit, as does B6 which the naturopaths in my family keep recommending.

I tried so many things first time around and this time I've stuck to ondansetron, rest and being permanently attached to a bucket.

I've found bringing ginger up is also the worst after taste!

Saw baby yesterday, paid for an early scan and saw the heartbeat so clearly.

During my morning dry heaves this morning I brought up quite a bit of blood stained saliva. I'm not bleeding from my mouth anywhere, so assume it's from further down my oesophagus. Blood looked fresh. Had anyone else had this?

Can I join you? I need a moan. This is my 2nd pregnancy. Had HG in my first but it isn't as bad this time. But I still feel and am being sick so much. I just want a break from it. I'm taking sominex (can't remember its proper name) and it helps but it makes me zombie tired and I have a toddler and a job. I can't bear the thought of another 6 months of this.

Yes Mellee, B6 shudder. Am managing to keep down Superdrug folic acid, which is a miracle, as it's teeny with no odour/taste. Not sure for how long though.

putput I had the bleeding too. Think it's only a worry if you're bringing up blood that looks like dried coffee grounds?? Small amounts of fresh blood, I was told, were ok (although obviously alarming), as, like you thought, it's from damage to your throat and stomach from the acids and heaving. If it becomes a worry, maybe call the NHS line?

Welcome Lules, although sorry you're here again. HG with a toddler and job is hellish. Could you try combining the med you're on with another, or trying something else? Feel free to moan away, it completely sucks!

How is everyone else doing this morning?

Hey Putput, glad your a healthy scan and saw your little one. It helped me fight through and remember what is was all for.

I threw up a fair bit of blood last week, actually called NHS Direct and they told me to call the out of hours GP. Most was red but some was dark too. GP said that as long as it want excessive amounts (remember a drop of blood in bile can spread a long was a look like a lot more) and that I wasn't throwing it up too often, it was probably just a small tear in my stomach or oesophagus from wretching and nothing to worry about. However he said if it got bad, to go to A&E. luckily mine settled down and stopped by the next day.

It's alarming to see but not uncommon in HG sufferers. As a one off, don't panic. But if there's a lot of blood or it happens regular, I'd tell your GP

Lules Welcome. Do we know you under another pen name? This is incredibly hard to endure with a toddler. I believe that is promethezine?
I think as an anti histamine, that often does make people sleepy. How often is the vomiting? If you feel very discouraged, it doesn't look as if it is working as well as it might. Have you got any help for care of your LO? As you are a veteran, I don't need to give my usual speel about 'invest in some kesostix'. How do you find flat full sugar coke, ice lollies and the juice and fruit of tinned fruit? Opinion is divided over Lucozade, Fanta, cheap ice cream and sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya). Nibbles of crisps can be bearable. A recent discovery from Blondes who just had her baby, was cuppa soup.
pauseplayrepeat I hope you didn't miss my message below, and I wanted to post many congratulations on expecting a third. You are also a wonderful cook, as I recall from your website (I am not at the best of times) which makes things harder, having to live on the awful diet that one can stand...As I remember last time Acupunture helped you a little? Ha, Ha about 'Ginger Rage'. The midwife may be right, and it might not do any harm to use those; neither will not stepping on cracks in the pavement. But as to whether it will do any good...

putput You've had good advice about the blood in vomit. Glad you had the pleasure of a scan.
Melleebacca I hope the bucket is much less in use of late?
Waves to Lemondrop and everyone...

I am feeling so much better today . I've been taking a combination of odansetron and promethazine and have been a zombie. Yesterday I barely got out of bed, wasn't feeling too sick but was utterly exhausted. My legs were so heavy I couldn't move them.

Today I just took odansetron and I've been bright as a button! I did some housework and I even went to Mothercare to look at car seats. I'm now busy googling things I want but don't need for the nursery!

I think the promethazine was knocking me out even more than I realised. I've been working from home but struggling to think straight, so foggy headed. I know it's a sedative but I think I was underestimating the effects.

It was Lules post yesterday which mentions Sominax/promethazine making her a zombie which made me think. As I mentioned in previous posts Lules, major respect to anyone suffering HG and wrangling a toddler!

I go up and down, so maybe I'm just having a "good day". But I'm going to try dropping the promethazine and just taking odansetron tomorrow and see if that helps me focus on work. I've felt like a new woman today, like a dog has lifted or something!

(Watch me feel like rubbish tomorrow now, ha ha! Always get excited when I feel better then it comes back!)

*Fog not dog! Definitely no dog lifting free (stupid autocorrect)

"Lules" it sounds like we are in a similar situation, hope you had an ok day today.

"LucindaE" unfortunately I've never been given any real advice on dealing with HG, can you explain more about the kesostix? Last pregnancy I was just continually told it would 'get better', despite being sick a dozen times a day. I was never weighed during the pregnancy, or given any advice really (apart from the usual crackers and ginger). I only read about HG online and finally broke at 6 months and realised it really wouldn't get better and begged for some medicine - maybe awareness here is not so good.

Sorry, bold fail once again, I'm still learning!

No I only use this one lucinda. I don't actually think it's HG this time just bad sickness so I hope you don't mind me joining. It's nice to hear from other people who understand. I did feel a lot better once it got to late morning. Toddler is asleep so I'm tempted to go to bed now. I'm sure I'll be woken up at 5.30 as normal tomorrow!

Pippa - ketostix are available from the pharmacy and measure ketones in your urine. If you get 2+ or higher, it's a sign of dehydration and you will need IV fluids. Ketones are most likely present early in the pregnancy, as I believe your body can get used to them (from research with previous pregnancy).

I'm not sure who are all that are struggling with a toddler, my DD is now 17 months old and a whiz with the iPad. I had family come and look after her for the first couple of months of sickness. Now is the time to ask/beg for all the help you can get, because you need it.

Lucinda - put my bedside bucket away this week! Now I'm only retching when I'm too tired and cleaning my teeth, I think I'm pretty safe. Fingers crossed. Slowly weaning myself down to 1 ondansetron a day.

Waves to all.

Hi Guys (waves to Lucinda) mind if I join you?

Sooooo I'm back. Oklette is 2.5 and I had clearly forgotten quite what a joy HG is when i agreed to have another one.

Now due end of November with #2 (assuming I survive that long).

Lules exactly what you said. But we will get through it.

Oklette watched me threw up this morning, patted me on the leg, and then said 'not sick on my sock mummy'. The sympathy of toddlers...

Wishing you all the sympathy and strength in the world ladies.

oklahoma mine patted me on the back while I was being sick the other day. Which was sweet. And then I cried and he laughed at me. Which was less sweet. But he's only 18 months so he doesn't really understand.

Hello. Having a terrible day- feeling rotten.

Just checking in as the thread had vanished again for me. Will catch up later.

Waving to you all. X

Oklahoma Welcome back. Of course, I remember you; so LO is now two and a half? Sorry you are suffering again. At least this doesn't come as a terrible shock this time, but it must be very difficult with a toddler.
pippanippa As others say, kesostix are very handy to check for dehydration early on before what is known rather dramatically as 'long term starvation' sets in. it is awful that you didn't receive any treatment until six months last time. What meds did they give you?
How did you find tinned fruit and juice, flat full sugar coke, ice lollies and soda water, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya) slices of melon, jelly, cheap ice cream, cuppa soup and nibbles of soup?
Then, there's Dr Peppa and some can stand Fanta and Lucozade.
Lules There is a grey area between bad pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis, and you deserve every sympathy, particularly with a toddler.

Meleebacca I am so glad you put the Bedside Bucket away! A sure sign of progress.
LemonDrop Congratulations on the Ondanestron only regime helping. A good day is usually the sign of a general improvement on the way.
IAmSerious Sorry to hear you feel awful so late on. Has the returning sickness persisted?
Much sympathy to all.

Can I ask a question about toothpaste? I've really gone off normal stuff so I've been using baby toothpaste as it doesn't taste of anything but the enamel on my teeth is really suffering so I think I need something with more fluoride. Any recommendations?

I know someone who used a kid's toothpaste, Barbie! Strawberry flavour. Not sure if you could stomach that or if it's any higher in fluoride. Could you manage a bland mouthwash?

You get free dental care too, maybe ask about going in for a polish if you think you could cope?

Not sure I could manage strawberry flavour! I do have a dentist appointment booked so I'll ask her then.

Hi everyone, I am really sad to be back . My HG seemed to ease off between weeks 18-19 but for the past two it has beeb back with a vengance. I am now 24+5 and convinced I am just going to suffer tbroughout the whole pregnancy. I am back to throwing up every single day, though only 4-6 times but the nausea is getting unbearable again. My GP has been awful today, as usual and has switched me back to cyclizine from promethazine. I did try cyclizine early on but it didnt seem to help much so I'm not holding out much hope. I just feel so depressed as I have so much of the pregnancy still to go.

Sorry the the self indulged rant. Has this happened to others? I really thought it had gone, it is torture that it has come back...

Hello all. Bad sickness today. Weirdly if I wake up with a headache I know it's going to be a bad day? Resorted back to sips of dr pepper which thankfully seems to help.

Meant to say - I'm sorry that everyone is suffering. What a support this thread is to us all.

Hi all, I've been so tired lately that I've not been on much. Blood tests came back -ve for deficiencies but I've been given a vit d supplement as it was a little low, but he doesn't think that is the reason I'm so tired.

Good news: I think my hair loss is stopping and I have a definite bump now. I'm also on my 7th week without being sick though the HG is definitely still here with food aversions, bad taste and nausea - thankfully mainly mild. It's still the vertigo, SPD and headaches causing the most trouble. I had to put my head down in a darkened room at work today and then wear sunglasses for a while.

Anyone have stitch like pains in their bump area? My overactive imagination has me visualising baby pushing against the inside demanding more room. Whatever is causing them, they're not very comfortable at all.