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.

Hi Lemon - I can't believe I'm doing it either. I genuinely think I forgot how bad it was, and even though I said I was dreading getting pregnant again, I had somehow put it out of my mind.

The 2nd/3rd trimesters were better for me last time, stayed on meds all the way through but functioned, ate and put on the stone I lost in the first trimester... I'm really hoping it turns out like that this time. I'm on cyclizine and metoclopramide as well - great GP - and could go up on ondansetron dose but am trying not to.

I don't know how people who suffer dreadfully all the way through cope - they are amazing, it would ruin my mental health. I have said that if anything goes wrong with this pregnancy, I'm not trying again, and I kind of wish I'd stuck with one tbh. Sorry, but of a ramble, it is really helpful hearing other peoples' stories, I'm so sorry everyone is going though this but I'm grateful I'm not alone!

Hi All hoping you don't mind a new person joining you all. I've just posted a new thread below and then have found this existing thread so posting here. Sorry to see so many of you suffering. Xx

I am 7+4 and I knew I was pregnant before my period was even missed due to the awful intense feelings of sickness and nausea. This is my third HG pregnancy and I already feel desperate. With my first I was ill right up to delivery and with my second I started to feel a lot better at 24 weeks.

I feel as though I have been pregnant for ages already and just don't know how I will make it through the next 33 weeks (if I am unlucky).

I feel so sad because I can't do anything but lie flat and I am stuck in bed. My little ones (3 and 1) are heading out with my husband and I can't join them. My eldest keeps coming in to ask me if I am okay and asked me the other day if I was going to die - I obviously re-assured him I just wasn't feel well at the moment but being poorly has happened so quickly and I am clearly not myself that it's obviously been a big shock for him. I feel so guilty that I can't spend time with them at the moment.

Clutching at straws just wondering what if anything might have helped other people in a similar scenario. All the things that slightly helped me previously are having no impact this time. The only time I don't feel sick is when I'm asleep. I am beside myself about the prospect of the weeks ahead. xx

Katiegator I'm exactly the same as you. I think I remembered the facts but not actually how awful it is. My daughter is 2 and a half so it has had a while to fade. My parents and in laws and husband are doing everything. My poor husband is having to pick up sooo much slack.

I was sick the whole time last time so I am just desperately hoping that doesn't happen again. I'm not doing this again, if anything happens to this one Oklette will be an only child. I can't put us all through this again.

Hi Keeping welcome to the club no one wants to be part of. Sounds like you're a veteran so I won't give day to day advice. In terms of mentally coping I thought it would be easier this time as we've done it before but I'm not sure that is the case. I'm just taking it day by day and not aiming to achieve anything. Oklette doesn't understand and every morning the first this she says to me is 'all better now mummy'. Just hang on in there and rant at us as much as you need.

Keeping are you taking medication? I didn't take any first time round until about 6 months - when to be honest it didn't help much and I was sick until the end. This time I started medication immediately and it has made a big difference. I am still being sick several times a day, and am extremely tired. However, I don't have the awful, constant relentless motion-sickness like nausea I had last time. It is getting worse as it reaches it's peak at the moment, but I'm glad I started medication early.

Hi all, sorry for the silence from me. Sorry a few new people have had to join us. I am in complete awe of those knowingly putting themselves through this again. What incredibly strong women you are.

Keeping, I dont have much in the way of suggestions, but someone on here (I forget who, sorry whoever is due the credit!) mentioned they had a big wall planner where they ticked each done day off to due date. I have picked one up today and as Mellee suggested, am going to try and have something to look forward to each week to try and make it seem more manageable. This is really for your mental health, sorry I cant be more helpful on the other side of things.

I have been up and down recently. Met up with some supportive friends yesterday and it was lovely to be well enough to get out the house and have conversation other than with DH. I am paying for it today though, still not been sick but definitely feeling a bit sicker... I am also living on edge a bit as my symptoms are starting to fade like last time so I am worried about it coming back again. I know, in the grand scheme of things I shouldnt be complaining and others are much worse off.

To answer a question much further up strand, my HG definitely came back worse the second time round from week 22/23. But the early weeks in the first trimester were definitely worser than the last.

I hope people have managed to have as good a day as possible. Sorry so many are still suffering. I would recommend, if possible, seeing a friend (or one who can come to you!) I really got a big boost from yesterday. Waves to all.

Oh and Devil, I have picked up that lovely side effect this time round. I am more violently sick since the relapse (one particularly nasty session resulted in a tiny amniotic leak) so often wet myself. Its grim enough at home, but I am due back at work next week so will be wearing some pads. Oh the glamour never ends with HG...

Holly - glad you got some good company and a wall planner. 😊 Really hoping your mental health improves. With DD, I got much better after 30 weeks when the countdown is really on.

Katie - I said the same thing. And at my worse I did hope that the most horrible thing would happen and that I could continue my life with one DD and no more sickness. I have a fair bit of anxiety about what the next year will entail, but once they start playing together, I know it will be worth it.

Devil - can't help with the peeing part, I've managed not to have to endure that in either pregnancy, but am always prepared just in case.

Keeping - oh goodness. 3rd time veteran. It's hard with kids, but I also think it's good in a way. DD won't remember this time, and we've had to find ways of entertaining her so I can rest, which we will use when baby arrives and requires attention. DD has sort of gotten used to the world not revolving around her as much anymore.

Waves to all.

Thank you all for the welcome although I'm sure we'd all rather not need to be here.

Oklahoma - Thank you. Bless your little one. This is a surprise third pregnancy for me - 40 years old and not trying. We've conceived previously with the help of fertility treatment so this is a huge, huge shock and I am not mentally prepared but I agree with a PP who said you forget what it's like. Just like labour. I knew labour was painful and not much fun and when I had the first proper contraction with no 2 the memory of the pains came flooding back and I feel the same about HG. Trying to take it day by day but I work in a high pressure job and still at work so having to act as though I'm fine when I'm really not is so exhausting and I get to the end of each day and just don't know how I've made it through. Hope you are having a good day today X.

pippanippa - no I'm not on medication. My doctors have put me off it in both my previous pregnancies by telling me that there are risks to the baby by taking the medication. They were supportive in other ways eg sick notes etc. I've read so much on boards about others been prescribed it and wondered if it really is such a risk? I feel so torn about it. Do you mind telling me which medications you've been prescribed? Perhaps I should go and discuss it with the GP.

Hollyhop - thanks for the suggestion. I feel it is mental health that suffers so much. No-one apart from fellow sufferers understands however much you say and my friendships have really suffered. I realised a group of close friends were not really there for me when they drifted off in my first pregnancy and just put pressure on me for not been around and not been able to meet up with them - even though I was signed off work for 5 months....

Thanks for your support. My husband is really taking the full brunt of looking after the house and the kids but as much as he tries he just doesn't 'get it' and I am really struggling with everything.

Wishing you all good days tomorrow xxx

Sorry its so overwhelming at the moment Keeping. There are lots of anti emitics that are perfectly safe to take. I personally am on a combination of ondansetron and promethazine. I have been on some type pf medicine since week 7 and am at 27 now. My baby is fine, everything normal at scans, appts etc. I also had a big chat with the Pregancy Sickness Support charity, which has a helpline and is run by clinicians. They also advised me what was safe to take. I would definitely recommend giving them a call so they can reassure you.

Hollyhop - thank you so much for the information re your medication. I will definitely call the pregnancy sickness support line on Monday and have a chat before going to see my doctor. Thank you x

Keeping - I know what you mean, it's why I resisted for so long last time, until I really couldn't bear it any more! I still feel guilty even though I've been told it's safe by my Dr, but I honestly don't think I could do it without. I started taking them at 7 weeks, just a few days after symptoms started. Like I say, it's not necessarily a miracle cure and can have some side effects (like being very tired), but is honestly much much better than being so poorly.

I'm overseas so they use slightly different medications to those in the UK. I am currently taking one called 'meclizine' (sorry if misspelt), which I understand is very similar to cyclizine which is used in the UK. If things get worse over the next week or two I will also start taking metoclopramide. I second Holly's suggestion of looking into the pregnancy sickness support charity, their website has lots of useful information and reassurance on medication: www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/help/treatments/. They also have a really useful section on planning another HG pregnancy. I found it really helpful to talk this through with my husband as the last pregnancy did put a big strain on us. As soon as I found out I was pregnant we sat down again and I got him to read the website and ran through what I'd need from him: things like emptying the bin regularly to get rid of smells, getting rid of out of date food in the fridge, making sure there was a ready supply of snacks so I could eat when needed. We also bought and stocked a freezer with food I found vaguely edible last time so that I didn't have to cook every night (and so he didn't have to either!). We went into this with our eyes open, but if I'm honest, like you said, we had forgotten just how bad it was. This will also be our last baby!

Keeping - I've tried metachloropromide to no avail and I've had ondansetron for this pregnancy since 5w. With my DD I was on ondansetron from 7w to 34w and she's fine, so we didn't hold back at all with this pregnancy. Of course everyone is different, and it's your own personal choice as to whether you want to take meds and which ones. Good luck

@katie. I will only be having the one. Even if I wasn't 43 and taken 10yrs ttc and 5 private ivf - and could get preg naturally and easily I wouldn't get preg again

Did not enjoy preg. Bad hg till 5mths then on and off sickness exorcist style esp 26w and xmas time plus then had serious swollen ankles and legs and edema set in at 32w and serious heartburn whole preg

Anyone who does this more then once is amazing and a 🌟🌟🌟

@fingers welcome. Are you on any medication? If not the. Get self straight to gp to get some

Test your ketones daily to make sure not dehydrated if sick lots

Some cope with tinned fruit and bland plain food. Others the more junk the better

Sounds like dh is supportive so a bonus sadly some on this thread don't have supportive partners

OH Crossed posts. Sorry

Def get medication. Some gp say this as no tests /data on preg woman but the drugs mentioned below are safe

Many get put on cyczline - I have spare if you want some

And congrats tho a surprise preg. Hear that often that after ivf people get preg naturally

keeps legs crossed and sorts out contraception before allowing df near me 😉

I second that Blondes. I am looking forward very much to meeting my little boy but I am also massively looking forward to not being pregnant anymore. I have had so many issues as well as the HG, it has felt like 6 months of hell.

My non being sick streak came to an end today, so thats depressing. I had a slightly exotic lunch in celebration of feeling a bit better and woke up from a nap to bring the whole lot back up. DH feels terrible as it was his idea. Must remember to stick to plain, boring bland food for the duration, even if I do feel better, it NEVER stays down otherwise...

I can't remember who said they are on both cyclizine and metoclopramide, but I would advise you to go back to your gp. They shouldn't be prescribed together as they have opposing effects on the gut (basically they cancel each other out).

@holly in the end I was going to be sick regardless so I ate what I liked. If I lost it I lost it iyswim

Tho avoided rice as every last grain comes up :( tho occasionally I yearned for a curry so much that would eat it knowing it would return but didn't care as so yummy going down

Since giving birth I havnt had a single curry 😂😂

Thanks so much everybody.

Pippanippa - thanks for the information and th page on pregnancy support is great.
Going to send it to my husband today. There were a few tears last night as he is stressed about what to cook for me (I just can't do any of it myself) but I obviously don't have anything I feel like eating and we go around in circles whenever we talk about food. I think he started to understand last night how his approach isn't really helpful and so this page may really help - thank you.

@mellee thank you I will discuss these medications with pregnancy support.

@blondes - thank you. How do you test ketones at home? What Kit do you need and where can you buy it? That would help me to feel better about things. Haha - your last crossed our sentence made me smile. Don't think husband is ever coming near me again until that is sorted!! I actually said this to him through tears last night. 😂.

Holly hop & blondes - so sorry you've had such a rubbish pregnancy. I was like that with my first (lots of other issues on top of HG) and then with my second it wasn't as bad but that's just the luck of the draw and you never know. Just beware the fading memory of HG.... It does funny things as you forget how bad things are.

Thanks all for the support. Feeling vaguely human this morning so going to try a shower and see how things go once I've eaten.

Would be interested to know what snacks you guys have? I'm only 7 weeks and feeling like I am sick of stuff already. Tried crackers, nuts and raisins, crisps etc but could do with some inspiration. Husband got me some melon yesterday given a few comments this is good above. Thanks again everyone. X

Keeping, my snacks of choice (some a little bizarre...) are either super salty or super sweet, the bland plain biscuits never worked for me and it is unfortunately junk food all the way:

• Crisps (frazzles, salt and vinegar chipsticks and pickled onion monster munch...I know...)
• Fruit (someone suggested mango which is working well for me, also grapes kept in the fridge and those little plastic tubs of peaches in juice you get which are nice from the fridge)
• Ice cream
• Pop tarts
• pepperami or a slice of ham
• yoghurt and fruit ice lollies (my husband just blended together some mango and greek yoghurt and froze, I find the cold helps a bit in the morning)
• Fizzy drinks

We did an online bulk order of everything so have a snack cupboard bursting as it was my biggest bugbear last time, never having food in the house and feeling too unwell to go and get any. We now have enough food to rival the doomsday preppers on tv.

Lapin thanks for the warning about the meds, I'm not taking them together yet and am hoping to avoid, but will definitely be going back to the dr before I do now. They are the only 2 medicines they will give here, so the choice is unfortunately a lot more limited than in the UK.

What is the point in taking all these meds if they don't stop the freaking puking. So. Over. This. Gah!!

Morning, it was me that suggested mango, it has been the best snack for me. Rarely comes back up and doesnt taste awful on the way back, I would definitely recommend. I also found cereal bars weirdly stayed down. I keep them on my bedside table and have one as soon as I wake up.

Sorry Oklahoma, it is really rubbish. I was sick yesterday as well, which was a bit demoralising. I wish I could say something more helpful

Horrible morning, horrendous constipation leading to blood, lots of blood I'm going to go back to the GP as I can't go on like this, I need more than lactulose.

Was in a foul mood, but my scan this morning cheering me up now end! SO relieved that baby is ok. Got to hear the heart beat for the first time which was awesome. So cute, baby kept hiding its face Also found out we're expecting a little boy!

Congratulations Lemon!!! Sliver of a silver lining xx

Ah no, sorry to hear about everyone having bad days. Though Lemon what lovely news about your scan :).

I'm having an unusually good day, only sick once so far, and even managed to do a little cleaning this morning. Did too much though and now exhausted again - back to the sofa! Need to enjoy my last day of rest, my husband's back at work tomorrow after the holidays, so I will need to step up and go back to full-time mum mode. Really not sure how - poor thing gets very upset when she sees me sick, bless her, she gives me lots of cuddles to make me feel better though.

Brilliant news Lemon! Really happy for you. Sorry you are feeling so bad, definitely go back to your GP. Blood loss is always a concern. Fingers crossed they can give you something better. Hugs.