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.

[Lemondrop09]

Holly, I know it's difficult but I really think you need to be honest with the midwife. Even if you already have some pre-existing mental health problems, everything is being hugely exaserbated by HG - an awful condition which is totally out of control and affects all sufferers moods. You're just more vulnerable. I truly think they will give you support. They don't rush to take children away from women with post natal depression. You could have undiagnosed antenatal depression. Tell them you're scared to be honest because of the repercussions, they should be able to reassure you. I'm sorry you're going through this and I hope your midwife appointment today is positive for you.

[Oklahoma]

Congratulations Castle it's the best feeling in the world!! We should get 'I survived HG' badges made up...

Putput that sounds really scary - everything crossed for you!!

My mother just send me an article saying that half a cup of beans with every meal cures HG. I didn't know whether to laugh at the concept of eating 'meals' or murder her .

[Oklahoma]

Turquoise agree with others, I found cyclizine useless. There are loads of more effective meds all of which are safe in pregnancy. Welcome and hang on in there.

[Hollyhop17]

Yeah I'll third that on cyclizine. I have haf it twice now and each time it has made no difference whatsoever. Promethazine has been the best for me, though I appear to be one of the 'lucky' ones for whom it doesnt make me drowsy.

Oaklahoma, ugh how annoying. But glad I'm not the only one with an unsympathetic parent! My dad and step mum are firmly in the 'well everyone gets morning sickness dont they' camp

[Lemondrop09]

Oklahoma - are those ginger beans?

[sunbird17]

Hi all. I don't think I have HG but am feeling terrible and reading this thread makes me realise that I am not the only one. I'm 13+4 and have constant nausea and frequent vomiting. It started at 6 weeks and has been getting worse and worse. Since yesterday morning I haven't been able to keep anything down. I can't work, I'm just splitting my time between lying on the sofa, sleeping and vomiting. I've been prescribed tablets but they don't work. I've told my doctor but his advice is to basically wait it out. I'm really impressed at how you are all able to cope!

[Lemondrop09]

Hi sunbird. Sorry to hear you're struggling too. What medication has the Dr put you on? I really don't think his response is good enough. Don't always take their word, I had to fight mine to get stronger medication. It's helped me. I'm still not great but it's made it more manageable (where as before I was the sane as you - just sleeping and vomiting).

Take a look at the Pregnancy Sickness Support website (their helpline is also excellent) and also the RCOG green top guidelines. Then go back to your Dr armed with information.

Are you managing to stay hydrated? If you're vomiting frequently, you might be dehydrated and need a drip. You can get ketostix from the chemist and check if there are any ketones in your urine.

Try small snacks if you can. Bland salty carbs worked well for me. Also sipping Lucosade helped a little.

[sunbird17]

Thanks so much for your response Lemondrop. I spoke to my doctor again and he's now prescribed me Emitino. He says it's really strong. I will pick it up tomorrow (I live abroad and the closest town is over an hour away). Dehydration I think is definitely a problem, although I am trying small sips frequently. Thanks for the website - I'll look at that.

[Lemondrop09]

That's good news. I've looked online and it appears that Emitino is presumably a brand name for odansetron. This is a good drug and helps a lot of people. Not necessarily a magic bullet but I hope it makes a difference for you. It can be paired with antihistamines too, if necessary.

If you can't keep water down, try other liquids (flat Coke, Lucosade, lemonade etc). Ice lollies or sucking on ice cubes can work. Also high liquid foods like jelly.

[fourcorneredcircle]

Sunbird - major side effect of ondanestron is constipation... if you are one of the unlucky ones to suffer this then we have LOADS of suggestions - no TMI on this thread!

[Lemondrop09]

Four - you haven't heard how I have to deal with my constipation. Now that's TMI!!!!

So my boss rang me today to have a frank discussion about whether I was really well enough to work. For some reason I insisted that I wanted to carry on WAH and not be signed off What is wrong with me? Probably because I'm in a slightly better frame of mind than I was last week, if she'd said the same thing on Thursday last week I think I'd have run to the Dr for a sick note! I suppose I just don't want to give them any chance to penalise me when there a teeny chance I might hang onto my job through all this.

Sitting here feeling sorry for myself after I just lost my lunch. Watching the clock tick down to 4pm so I can log off and go to bed.

[Oklahoma]

Welcome Sunbird sorry that you have had to join us. I have been living off fruit as it's about all I can tolerate but different things work for different people so try lots! Ondansetron is good but as Lemon said the constipation is pretty brutal - make sure you start taking something like lactulose preemptively when you start taking the ondansetron. And yes, no TMI on here.

Lemon noooooo why did you opt to keep working?

[Oklahoma]

Holly how was your appt? Ante natal depression is a lot more common than you think and doesn't mean they'll take your baby away. It just means they'll put in place the support you need to get through it

[sunbird17]

Thanks Lemondrop, Four and Oklahoma for your messages of support. Noted about the constipation!

[Hollyhop17]

Hi all, sorry you've had to join us Sunbird. Hope the meds work well for you.

Lemon, are you able to change your mind if it gets worse? Ive got to decide whether to go in the rest of this week of not...

I'm having an amazing day, I dont feel sick!! I have had a lovely lunch that doesnt feel like its coming back up and although I was sick at my appt I didnt feel sick. I would love so much for it to be over, but I dont have much faith. The consultant I saw was very nice and knowledgable about HG. I am going to have regular sessions with her so thats helpful. They are keen to put me on anti depressants but agreed to wait until after my appt tomorrow and see if ondansetron makes a difference.

I hope you feel better Lemon.

[Hollyhop17]

Cross posted Oaklahoma. It went well thank you. She was very sympathetic and reassured me that she thinks I'm going to be a good parent and that I'm coping really well given how much I have going on. It made me feel a million times better. I am pleased I was honest.

[LucindaE]

Goodness, a lot has happened in a few hours!
CastleFeck How wonderful - huge contratulations - Thank you so much for coming on with your lovely words, and enjoy your baby. You deserve it. I am so glad the fabled Pink Castle lives up to its reputation.
Welcome to the veteran turquoise88 and to subird17. As turquoise is a veteran, I don't need to ask my usual question of have you got kesostix for dehydration (available from any chemists) but I will ask sunbird that. It looks as if you have had great advice from Lemondrop already, and I will just add Elderflower water, ice lollies, Dr Pepper, the juice and fruit of tinned fruit (especially peaches and pears) and sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya) and cuppa soup. I am so glad you have got what someone else says is Ondansetron here - and as others say, do take steps about constipation. Those jelly suppositories are good - though you may have ot send someone else to get them, as though they are used in hospital, like Cyclizine they often wont' sell it to pregnant woman.
putputput I am so sorry to hear about the bleeding - how awful for you. Have they been able to give you any reassurance - I'm assuming they did a scan.
katemeister I do hope you managed to get to the appointment, you poor thing. Dragging yourself to appointments can be so hard.
Hollyhop I am so glad you got great advice from others about how they are extremely unlikely to remove a baby from its mother just because of depression or PND - and nobody with Hyperemesis finds it easy to be happy and enthusiastic about their pregnancy. Employers can be awful about this scourge, and judgemental, and its probably a good thing you have only got a contract job with people with that attitude.
Oklahoma Beans? Is that baked beans? Excuse me? If they were a wonder cure, I think the word would have got about by now. It would have saved on so much money for drugs and hospital beds. So far as I know, the only thing they are famous for is making you break wind. If it was anybody but your mother, I know what I would suggest you do to anyone who recommended that, after eating some of the said beans...Oh dear.
IAmSerious Lovely to hear from you, and I am so glad the anamoly scan went well.
fourcorneredcircle Ahem! I think a few discreet mentions of 'digital extraction' have been made over the years - but some people have it so badly its got beyond even that, and they have to get one of those home enema things online...
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

[LucindaE]

Hollyhop Cross posted. So glad it was OK and Oklahoma cross posted - meant to symapthize about your job. Mother Hen will have to Make An Example of you again, for being pushing yourself too far and for being too stoic...

[Lemondrop09]

Yaaaaaaay Holly does a happy dance I'm so so pleased you're having a good day. Even just the smallest break from symptoms can help. Just revel in every minute of it while it's lasts! I'm really glad that your appointment went well too, I hope the ongoing support helps. It's good you'll have a constant person to see. Every day that passes is amother down to having your baby in your arms and the end of HG

[putputput]

Epu can not see me until Friday - back log due to bank holiday weekend . I couldn't wait so I went to a private clinic (thank you overdraft) and all seems fine with the little bean. Relief doesn't cover it! They measured me to be 10+2.

Please feel free to hit me with your constipation relieving tips. I'm attempting lactulose when it stays down and glycerine suppositories but limited success.

[Lemondrop09]

Awww yay, today is a day of good news. I'm really pleased for you putput. Did they find the source of the bleed? Are you still going to the EPU on Friday? I have some brown discharge and panicked (probably overreacted!), this was on a Friday afternoon and EPU couldn't see me till Tuesday. I paid for a private scan and to have peace of mind was worth every penny.

[putputput]

Yes, there's an area just outside the pregnancy sac where there was evidence of a bleed. Sonographer was reluctant to say anything about why/further risks etc. So I will still be going to epu on Friday but feel a lot calmer about it.

[Hollyhop17]

Really pleased to hear that putput. I think early bleeding is more common than we realise but it is so, so stressful when it happens. Glad you've got s good outcome.

Guess who was too quick to brag? About 2-3 hours ago the nausea suddenly hit having been absent all day. I went for a nap in hopes of warding it off and have just woken up to be violently sick. So there goes my lunch and chocolate is rank on the way back up... Trying to remain positive that I had half a day symptom free but its hard

[Melleebacca]

Holly - chocolate is the absolute worst coming back up. I have such an aversion to it after DD, I can't even get it to go down this time around. But as soon as baby is out, it will be my best friend again😊. So glad your appt went well today. I chose not to get the anti depressants, but that was because I've done this before and I was turning the HG corner when they offered them. Ondansetron takes about 3 days to get in to your system, so if you only need to wait that long before deciding whether you need the meds.

Putput - I had a large ovarian cyst when I had my dating scan and they warned that could be a cause of bleeding, and is very common. Glad your scan went well, a light of positivity in HG darkness.
Constipation wise - I love lactulose. I took the max dosage and then within an hour I would be on the loo. I have laxol tabs this time and have to take them daily and still suffer sometimes. Squatting helps. As does a warm bath. I also can eat licorice which helps too. Good luck!

Oklahoma - beans?! Good grief! My grandma rang me up a couple of months ago and told me watermelon would be the cure of all my sickness. I told her, politely, that I hate watermelon when I'm healthy and there was no way I would go near it when sick. Bleugh.

[Hollyhop17]

Thanks Mellee. I'm certainly off it now. I dont feel like eating anything for the rest of the day. I want to feel happy that I felt better but I just feel worse that it came back so quickly. Dont know what to do if the ondansetron doesnt work, or indeed they refuse to prescribe it to me.