Cyclizine experiences

[Buglife]

I’ve just got a prescription for Cyclizine as at 8 weeks my sickness has really ramped up. Knowing from my first pregnancy that I was vomiting up to 8 times a day by week 9-10 I really couldn’t handle the thought of it getting that bad again whilst looking after a 3 year old and hosting family and cooking (ugh, the nausea at the thought) over Christmas! I didn’t take anything first time (people endlessly telling me that sickness is just to be expected and you have to carry on etc) so was hoping to hear from people who have had it, does it actually work? Will I be vomit free? Also Dr said that I can just take it as and when I need it, have people found that effective or would it be better if I tried to take the 3 a day regularly? Any information welcome.

I took 3 a day like clockwork. For me, it worked! I really recommend it and will be getting it really quickly next time I'm pregnant, although I know it doesn't work for everyone. I still felt pretty ropey for a while but I had left it far too long in the first place and ended up in hospital on a drip for Iv fluids as, like you, I thought sickness was to be expected!

I had hg with all my pregnancies. With my first it was a bit hit and miss to find a combination that worked (eventually found a mixture of metaclopomide and cyclizine did the trick), however with my last pregnancy it only kind of worked when injected at the hospital. After lots if admissions I was finally prescribed ondansetron and metaclopomide which was magical and kept me out of hospital mostly. Friends with hg found phengran (?) helpful but it didn't work for me.

I'd try the cyclizine for a few days but if there is no or little improvement get back to the gp/midwives.

Also, can you get out of sorting Christmas dinner - there would have been no way I was capable of hosting and cooking (or even making a slice of toast) when I was pregnant.

There is a strong feeling that you should just vomit your way through isn’t there. I found most the people I spoke to had maybe felt nauseous and maybe been sick a couple of times a week. I was a shaking mess who could barely keep food down and who couldn’t even look at food packets in Tesco without reaching! I don’t want my DS to have mummy upstairs in bed all Christmas. I was thinking I’d rather take them regularly. We are going away next weekend which is what prompted me to go today, the thought of being stuck abroad too ill to go out.

Peekaboo I will definitely be passing a lot of the cooking to my DH! I intend to relax as much as possible but I don’t want to be an invalid, I want to be able to get stuck in! My first trimester last time was over Christmas too, I need to stop getting pregnant in October! I’ve only been able to eat toast and crackers this weekend. And also it’s hard because I can’t bear the smell or sight of DH and DS eating.

I was on it last pregnancy. Took three pills a day and over the course of a week went from vomiting if I moved, to being able to work. I scaled it back when the nausea lessened at the end of first trimester. It did make me really sleepy when I first took it though.

somerset glad it worked so well for you! I was getting quite panicky and teary at the thought of it happening again and when I was sick 3 times after dinner (plain pasta with some cheese!) last night I thought “it’s happening again” I have been sick and nauseous the last two weeks but it was just bearable. I have taken one tablet and hope that works. I’ll take one before I leave for nursery and hope that gets me to DS bedtime ( which is pretty much my bedtime now)

I also took three a day like clockwork through both pregnancies. Initially I took it as and when but found it to be too late by the time I felt awful. Regular doses is definitely better. Didn't make me entirelt sickness free but did improve things.

In my second pregnancy I also took 75mg of vitamin B6 everyday (can buy over the counter in boots, it's not in main vitamins section but women's health section). It's commonly prescribed for morning sickness in the USA. It was slightly better in my second pregnancy although started off just the same so I think it helped.

Good luck. This time last year I was in the throes of it, really feel for you.

Thanks, I’ll look for the vitamin B6. Just knowing I have got something to try and help has made me feel much more positive.

Hi OP, I'm glad to hear that you've got some meds to help you through the horrible sickness. It really is absolutely awful and I think many people don't understand at all how difficult/impossible it is to function when you are feeling so unwell. Cyclizine may help, though it is to be honest unlikely that you'll be completely vomit free on it - you may find that you need something stronger as cyclizine is a 'first line' treatment. Pregnancy sickness support have loads of really helpful info, including a list of the different treatments used and more information about them. www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/documents/page_pdfs/PL14_Treatments_Information.pdf . They also have a helpline. With the cyclizine you may also find that it rather knocks you out. I've been on Stemetil/prochlorperazine up until now and am 30 weeks, I have found it pretty good, though many ladies with hyperemesis end up on Odansetron and find that the best. I don't know if it will be helpful to you or not but I wrote a blog post about severe pregnancy sickness for people suffering to share with friends/family who might struggle to 'get' it - emumusings.blogspot.co.uk/2017/10/hyperemesis-gravidarum-surviving-or.html#more . There is also a hyperemesis thread on here that you'd be very welcome on, lots of solidarity and support to be found there.

Thank you Emu, that’s all very helpful. I haven’t been sick today, have only eaten toast and noodles though. I started to feel very sick and shaky at 4pm but another tablet means I’ve been doing the dishes, made DS dinner and am contemplating defrosting some beef stew from the freezer for DH and I (I have been massively off meat, I’ll probably have a pile of mash and a tiny bit off stew but it’s a start. I will be stocking up on my crunchy salty carby sickness foods tomorrow again though as I don’t feel completely normal by any means.

Sounds promising so far, Buglife. I hope it keeps improving things for you.

I take 3 a day and have done with both pregnancies. I can't function without it. Second time around I've had to pair it with ondansetron or metoclopromide to help the nausea/vomiting. Absolute lifesaver of a drug and has been used safely for decades.

Hi, if you would like to talk more about this you are welcome to come over to the 'hyperemesis support' thread.

I have HG and at its worst was vomiting like 15-20 times a day, it began in week 6 of my pregnancy. I'm 13 weeks now and I take ondansetron, if I stay in one place all day that helps me manage the vomiting to only a few times a day but means I am virtually housebound as any movement triggers vomiting, and so I've been signed off work for the last 6 or 7 weeks. It's awful, so you totally have my sympathies.

The first anti-emetic the GP tried me on was cyclizine, unfortunately it did absolutely nothing for my sickness and also had the horrible side-effect that it knocked me out, I felt so drowsy and out-of-it. However for other people it can be a really useful drug. It sounds like it is helping you which is really positive, but if it doesn't, there are other medications you can try so please do not suffer unnecessarily.