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, phone them on:
024 7638 2020
Lastly, the NICE guidelines on treatment are useful:
cks.nice.org.uk/nauseavomiting-in-pregnancy
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.

In fact, they are so miraculous that I could do another HG pregnancy if I had steroids at start of second trimester. If I could know it was "just" for the first trimester I could cope mentally even though it would be awful. I could never do another pregnancy like this where I've been so ill up to 30 weeks.

@justtheonethen ok you've given me some hope!! I'm pretty much bed/sofa bound now, I feel like a terrible mother to my DS, fortunately he is only 7.5m so isn't too much of a handful!
Are you taking prednisone or dexamethasone?
I'm just getting through this by thinking each day is a day closed to never having to feel like this again - definitely having no more after 2!!!

Prednisolone

Didn't I was just thinking - I am sure I have heard that there is a tie in between woman having some condition that gives them heartburn and Hypermesis. There was a discussion about it on here a year or so ago about it. Some connection with the sort of ulcers that can be treated with antibiotics. I think you may be able to test for it. Now what is it called? I'll have to do more research. A minority of woman with Hyperemesis have it.
thingymaboob I am so glad you are a lot better and gentle cyber pats on offer to all suffering badly in the first tri and beyond.

Lucinda Is that helicobacter pylori by any chance? I had GORD pre-pregnancy since late adolescence but no HPylori or anything, nobody knows why I have it and no doctor has ever been concerned enough to send me for an endoscopy or anything as the PPIs like omeprazole basically sort it out. Been on and off PPIs since I was 17 and I'm now 24. I imagine I'll be on and off them my entire life really.

Welcome newcomers, I know how you feel about feeling awful in first trimester and thinking how will you cope with the whole pregnancy etc. I'm nearly 17 weeks now and have pretty much made a miraculous recovery over the last few weeks. I'm still not 100% - I was sofa/bed bound for weeks so my muscles have gone all weak so I can't do much walking or anything, I still can't cook or really go in the fridge because of the smells, still have the odd vomit here and there when I've caught an awful smell or I'm brushing my teeth etc but miles better than I was, slowly going back to my normal self. I'm back at work tomorrow part-time so just 1.45pm-5.30pm then reviewing it at the end of the week.

I also got some good news, the merger date has been suddenly pushed back a few weeks so that helps my anxiety - it was supposed to be the week after this one so I was really worried as I haven't had any of the training on the new systems, have been out of the loop with new rules, all of that stuff but now I have a good few weeks to get up to speed on everything as the date's been put back, phew! I'm also pleased that the dress code is changing from 'smart business attire' of my old company to 'appropriate attire' of the new one, with immediate effect even though we're not moving for a few weeks, which if you're not client-facing means smart casual is acceptable which will make things much easier for me in terms of finding comfy and affordable clothes now I'm pregnant! I think I have only one work skirt that I actually fit into already . I had a look in the sales but couldn't really find mat work wear in the sales which is a pain, or at least not smart enough for where I work but now the dress code has been relaxed that will make it easier. Where do people buy their maternity work wear from that is cheap as we are really skint atm?

Ooh Lucinda do let me know if you can think what it was as that definitely sounds like a possibility.

Having a much brighter day today. Combination of cyclizine and metoclopramide seems to be working relatively well for me. Still feel nauseous obviously but haven’t actually vomited yet today! Have even managed to have a couple of ginger biscuits and a small bowl of pasta!

Can I ask if any of you drive or commute any distance for work how do you cope? I live one end of the county and can be in any corner of it at any given time. My nausea and sickness is getting worse daily and as it's a new job I'm loathed to go sick unless I'm really in dire straits (Can see that happening the way things are going tbh). I've bought some nappy bags for the car and wet wipes for clean up. Anything else?

Namechanged I drive about 40/45min tp and from work. I have a plastic bag, toothbrush and toothpaste in my handbag. I always have my hair tied as well.
It helps if I have a lemon sherbert or some mint gum while driving.

I'm suddenly feeling really weak and dizzy, anyone else had this? I'm a bit worried.

Yeah a couple of times, I just put it down to low blood sugar and forced a biscuit and some water down myself. Dioralyte if I was really struggling.

Are you checking your urine for ketones Natsku? You might need fluids for rehydration if you’re feeling like that. Might be worth ringing 111 if eating doesn’t help and/or you aren’t able to keep anything down.

Natsku I get that a lot cos my blood pressure is low and I get low blood sugar as well when I'm not eating well. It gets better if I try to increase my blood pressure, so drinking lots of fluids and eating salty and sugary things. Could that be the case for you? But if you're worried and nothing you do improves it call 111 I reckon just in case.

Maybe it's low blood pressure, have tried eating and drinking but no improvement, maybe I should try eating something salty though. Going to go to bed early and see how I feel in the morning. Not dehydrated I'm sure as I'm able to drink normally these days.

Hi ladies I can't believe I have stumbled across this thread! I never normally post but I think it's important we all spread the word!

First pregnancy for me, sickness started at 4 weeks (literally a day after BFP). Was expecting it as my mum suffered with HG. Admitted twice and now on cyclizine x 3 and ondansentron x 3. 15 weeks now and thought it was easing off after two days of not being sick when missing a dose so foolishly tried to wean myself off tablets only to admitted again as I couldn't keep the tablets down when trying to dose myself back up!

Oh dear weaning yourself off meds too early is never a good idea! Think we've all tried it though.

Have gone to the hospital because I started feeling worse and then got pain on my calf so started panicking about blood clots and PE. started feeling a bit better as soon as I got here, typical! Blood pressure etc. is fine, just checking my haemoglobin now and keeping an eye on me for a while to see how my breathing goes. DD really ought to be in bed now as she's back to school in the morning, poor girl.

LashesZ. Welcome. Sorry you are suffering. I am glad you've got effective meds. Nobody wants to be on them, and it is hard not to wean yourself off them too early, and so become very ill again. Hopefully you won't need them, but have you got keslostix to check for the early stages of dehydration? They're available from any chemists. ave you got keostix to check for the early stages of dehydration? They're available from any chemists. Some liqiuids and foods that have helped others: flat full sugar coke, ice lollies, ice cubes, soda water, orange squash, Elderflower Water, sips of chocolate milkshake, maybe soya, Lucozade, fizzy orange, Dr Pepper, Leomonade (flat) the juice of tinned fruit, slices of melon, slices of mango, tinned fruit, nibbles of chips and crisps, cuppa soup, cheap ice cream and jelly. Some swear by custard, too. Things generally get a lot better for most sometime between weeks 14 and 21. Even those who suffer throughout rarely feel as bad as in the first tri, thank goodness.

Meadhowhay That's it! Clever you. And I thought 'I'll never forget that name, because it is so daft, sounding like 'helicopter'.
Didn't I followed several links, but they all seem to be medical abstracts I couldn't gain access to. They all seem to say that there is a link between Hyperemesis and HP, though.
I am so glad meto and cyclizine are helping. Ginger biscuits? I do believe your eating them is a first on here! Well done!
Natsku Sorry about that scare, and poor Dd being up late before school.
Orange Good suggestions for Change.
I forgot to say how glad I am pippasnippa feels human again. Much sympathy over baby with colic.
Waves to all. Apologies to anyone rudely ignored.

Home now, with instructions to go back tomorrow if I don't feel better. Quick supper for DD then bed, nearly 10 here!

Hey all.
Welcome lashes. My dr likes to try and get me to wean off the ondansetron periodically. I'm 22 weeks and like you my hg started at 4 weeks. This is my second hg pregnancy and it's so much worse this time. I agreed to try reducing my dose this week and I'm back to square one. Add to that I have the bad cold that's doing the rounds and you get the picture. My dr won't give me more than 10 days ondansetron at a time and it's a complete pain to call up constantly. Told him I'd try weaning off again and magically I have 20 days supply.
Natsku sending you gentle hugs and best wishes. Hope you're feeling better soon and it's just a weird blip.
I'm planning to spend tomorrow in bed and see if I can shake this cold. Was so proud of myself, getting out a couple of days ago but at the moment I can't really get dressed, I just feel dizzy and sick when I stand up. Off work till the end of Jan and not sure I'll be heading back then. I have a 45min train journey in and a 10 min walk from the station. Not sure how I'm going to manage that when I can barely sit up, let alone walk. But on a positive, when I joined this thread I was 4 weeks pregnant, stuck on bedrest on holiday and never thought I would get this far. Now I'm being kicked to bits by a very active baby (never felt much movement first time, so this is new to me). My husband has felt his son move and so has my ds. It's all good. A day at a time, that's all I can do.

Evening all. Sorry I’ve not been on for a bit. I’ve been trying to rest/sleep lots but tomorrow the DCs go back to school. I have no idea how I’m going to manage the school run and I’ll still have a toddler at home who will be more work without his older siblings around. Even the ondansetron isn’t stopping me being sick just reducing the vomiting. I’m only 8 weeks and normally at my worst from 10-12 weeks so no idea how I’m going to cope. I just want to hibernate for the next month. Sorry. Totally selfish post. Just had to let it out somewhere.

Hope you shake that cold soon seize it's horrid when pregnant as you can't have lemsip and good stuff like that.

NoRoom just take it one day at a time. Is there anyone who could do the school run for you on your worst days?

DD is back to school today too but thank goodness she gets to walk alone, no way could I handle the walk to school. Usual 4am insomnia so I've got a couple hours yet before I need to try and wake her up but I bet she won't get up easily after last night's late night!

NoRoom Poor you, Natsku's advice is a good one. Is it a long journey? I never knew that about lemsip. Obviously, with an acid stomach anyway with Hypermesis, the fresh lemon lemonade would be far too acidic. Does breathing the steam from a boiling kettle help? Sorry, remind me; was it you, who was allergic to many of the meds?
seize Poor you, too. I wonder if there are other meds that they can try?
Don't think of going back to work.

Natsku Oh dear. Early bedtime for her tomorrow. Glad all is well.

DS back at nursery today. Cheers all round. I love him to bits but it's been hard work during the holidays. My amazing, god like, husband has ordered me to bed for the day. He's supplying tea and anything else. Sometimes he's a good 'un 😍
NoRoom just let it out. This is my second HG pregnancy and this amazing bunch have kept me going since week 4. Bit traumatic all in but I'm 22 weeks, more than half way there now. A day at a time and don't be hard on yourself. Even wonder woman must stop to adjust her clothes, every so often. I have a 4 year old and it's exhausting but he's adjusted ok to days where I admit defeat and we just watch tv. I used to cook loads but I get quite bad smell aversions. He's not died via his slightly beige, mostly freezer diet. You will get through this.
Natsku did you have a grumpy DD this morning? The insomnia sucks. No insomnia here but I'm at the peeing every 10 mins stage. Just get comfy, need a pee! At least I'm burning calories, as I'm not moving much this week.
Ever optimistic, I've been reading the Organised Mum blogs and thinking of ways to clean my house before baby number 2 arrives. So far, I've created a nice journal with all the print outs, bound it, colour coded it and that's about it. Looks nice but house (unsurprisingly) no tidier. 🤣

I've spoken to my gp on the phone this morning to ask for more ondansetron- have recently registered with a new GP and he didn't sound keen to prescribe 🙄 wants me to go in at 11:45 so he can discuss it f2f. I'm literally going to have a breakdown if he won't prescribe it, I'm scared and don't really know what to do 🙈 I've downloaded the RCOG hyperemesis guideline onto my phone so I've got that to show him, any other tips?

The weeing all the time stage soon led to the insomnia stage for me as after the 4am wee I usually wake up too much to get back to sleep. But I was able to take a lovely nap after DD left for school so feeling much better now in time for her to come home. She was so very grumpy this morning though, was thoroughly unpleasant for both of us getting her up! And she had a bit of a wobble when it was time to leave for school as she hasn't walked in quite a while (as there were scary tractors on the route the two weeks before the Christmas holidays) and it was still very dark when it was time to leave so she was scared. Poor girl, I wish I could walk so I could have walked with her but had to just give her extra cuddles and tell her to be brave (only a short part of the walk is in the dark, then there's flood lights for the rest of the route, and she has a torch and a hi-vis vest)

Maybe print out this page from pregnancy sickness support about ondansetron too? www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/healthcare-professionals/ondansetron/

@mummadave I've taken to waving the print out natsku linked to under my drs nose. What are you on at the moment? My gp wanted to try all other solutions first, so took me a few weeks to get onto ondansetron. I eventually ended up with it prescribed after a hospital visit.
I try to come off it, every so often but it's not worked so far.
It's your body. You know how you feel. Good luck.