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.

I think it's time to introduce myself since I've been lurking for a few days now. I'm not sure if what I have can really be called HG because I'm not in any danger of dehydration atm. Reason being when I was 17 I had surgery for severe reflux which tightened the valve at the top of my stomach meaning that even with the most forceful retching very little gets out. So that's a massive relief. But also the nausea is debilitating.

On Monday I had at least 10 episodes of retching so hard I thought I was going to poo myself and was bringing up small amounts of acid. I saw the doctor on Tuesday and got buccustem/prochlorperazine which has been helping me cope, reducing episodes to 2/3 a day. This is my second pregnancy, DD is 19 months and wondering why her mummy has become so boring. I had bad morning sickness with her but not like this. I'm also due back at work tomorrow after annual leave so I'm panicking. I work in a coffee shop and that's one of my worst triggers.

You all sound so brave so hopefully I can soak some of that up from this thread!

Sorry posted too soon! That is really awful, I'm so angry on your behalf that they are leaving you unable to keep meds down with 2+ keytones - it's just disgraceful. Maybe a&e is worth a try though I'm sure it's the last thing you feel like. Perhaps the pregnancy sickness support helpline can help advise where you may be able to get more supportive treatment in your area? Maybe your DH could ring them if you aren't feeling well enough to talk on the phone (I know how talking could set off the vomming for me). Sending a gentle hand hold.

just good luck, so exciting that you'll be meeting little one soon.
Sleepy I just can't believe that you are being treated so badly, it makes me so angry. Hopefully going through A+E will get you some fluids. I'm rubbish at putting links on, but your husband could read some links on how ketones aren't necessarily correlated with symptom severity on the HER Foundation Hyperemesis website. They have some links on the home page showing presence of ketones is not required for diagnosis of HG, and doesn't correlate with symptom severity.
I've said before on this forum that I'm a vet and any animal vomiting for more than a few days would always go on fluids to make them feel better. Ketones are a sign of starvation basically, you can be severely dehydrated without them. The lady at Pregnancy Sickness Support told my husband that in virtually any other condition causing vomiting and nausea you would get fluids, why they are so reluctant for pregnant women I have no idea!??
I was told that I wasn't dehydrated as my mouth wasn't dry - I am constantly hypersalivating with the nausea which is a well recognised symptom.....I was very tempted to go to work and set myself up in a kennel on a drip myself........
Good luck today, thinking of you, it's just so awful, even getting into hospital is horrendous when you feel so terrible.

And oral meds are just never going to work when you are vomiting so much, have they at least injected you with some to break the cycle? I think you obviously need fluids, but at the very least they should be injecting your meds into a muscle so they can actually work.

That is really crap sleepy makes me so angry when dehydration in pregnancy and HG in general isn't taken seriously by doctors.

So cyclizine gave me 8 days without heaving. But it's back again today. What's the best thing to ask for next?

I don’t know if this will help anyone but over the last two days I’ve managed to drink a couple of glasses of blended watermelon. This is great as I was only managing occasional sips of water before that.

@nailsathome When cyclizine didn’t work for me in my last pregnancy I was precribed ondansetron. It was amazing and I felt a lot more normal on it although was still being sick. It was a lot less frequent though. Maybe you can try to get hold of that.

Welcome to Poodle and Honeycakes and Somebody. Honeycakes I am glad you found the list of liquids and foods helpful. Ah,and someone said cornflakes recently, which does ring a bell. Anyone else who might find it helpful, it's on the page before this. I would normally copy it out, but the library will kick me out in fifteen minutes as I am still on the good old library pc. As others say, dry skin, skanty urine,chapped lips and headache and blurred vision seem to be a more reliable sign of dehydration than ketones, but as they do take note of those pesky things when assessing for fluids,it is worth investing in some from a chemists to check with.

Somebody That is useful about the operation making vomiting more difficult, but do make sure that you are taking in enough liquids, as it is possible to get dehydrated without vomiting, though it doesn't happen as quickly.
Poodle It does tend to make people very drowsy at first, but that side effect tends to wear off. As this is such a horrible time to get through - particularly feeling bad at night - that is all to the good but can be difficult if you have to wake up to get to work.
SleepyBadger I am disgusted. This is ridiculous. Do tell A and E that you have been unable to retain any fluids for forty-eight hours. I have always understood that they are obliged to treat that as a medical emergency in a pregnant woman. Also, Pregnancy Sickness Support will advise you on how to get meds on 024 7638 2020 - but they do have to ring you back, and this is turning into an emergency.
Did you say that ice lollies weren't helping in the meantime?
justtheone I so agree with others. You are being very brave about a stressful time. The best of luck and lovely that you wlll be meeting your daughter. You have been a at supporting others. Emu All luck.
nails There are several others, like Stemitil and Metoclopramide. They tend to leave Ondansetron until nothing else has worked. An effective anti acid can really do wonders.
Mustang Anitidae Shehz21 Emu31 and everyone, thank you so much for your kind words about the thread.
Natsku What a lovely picture.
HotChocolate and everyone - how are things? Thinking of you all, and much sympathy to all. I am being kicked off now, but apologies to anyone I have missed.

Hi Lucinda Thanks for asking how things are. I am feeling very rough. Lots of dry heaving and retching but only being sick between 3 and 7 times a day. I am bed and sofa bound and my lips are very sore and chapped. Any movement triggers a nasty bout of retching or vomiting. Luckily though I’m managing to keep down some fluids and eat small amounts of food. I mostly eat mashed potato and a bit of cheese as I can’t seem to face much else. I’ve got a milky jelly setting in the fridge though to try. I’m still not sure I’m sick enough to be classed as having hyperemesis though so I sort of feel bad being on here when there are people so much worse off.
I hope everyone is doing ok today.

somebody that sounds really tough, I hate the non-productive retching almost more than actually vomiting. I tend to find I get about 5 minutes relief from the nausea when I actually vomit rather than just retch.

Hotchocolate don't be too hard on yourself - vomiting that many times a day is horrific. The GP looked at me like I was mad yesterday for being pleased that my most recent drug combination meant I was only vomiting a few times a day now, despite still having constant nausea.
P.S. I have found mashed potato a life saver too!

Hotchocolate I am dry retching rather than actually vomiting and I have a hg diagnosis and have been in hospital for fluids. I thought that it couldn't be hg but apparently you don't have to actually be vomiting.

Aww so cute Nat!!

@sandybabytoes did you do a test?

Oh I didn’t realise that nails but it is definitely interesting to know. I thought you had to have severe vomiting as well.
Bored I’m glad your recent drug combinations is helping a bit. How many weeks are you?

HG is more of a spectrum I think hotchocolate and if you're suffering then you're suffering and need treatment even if it might not be at the level of "official" diagnosis.

Just over 11 weeks now, I had quite bad nausea and sickness until 20 weeks last time, but nothing like this time has been. My GP said hopefully it will be worse but for a shorter time this time - wishful thinking I think, but I hope so!!

@nailsathome is that due to you finding it so hard to drink? Not sure if you saw above but it's physically challenging for me to be sick so I thought I'd be fine re: dehydration but apparently not! I'm struggling. Ice water and sometimes coke.

Omg
Good luck Just and Emu!

Somebody's yes because of not eating nor drinking. I'd been having a can of Dr Pepper and not much else. My ketones were 3+ when they admitted. I was so dehydrated they couldn't even take bloods from my cannula so do be careful and keep an eye on it. It only took just over 2 weeks to get in that state.

Hi everyone PLEASE HELP!

I’m currently about 13 weeks with identical twins. I’m suffering with Hyperemesis and have been in hospital a couple of times so far. I’m on Ondansatron and I’m suffering with terrible constipation. I’ve been on movicol, lactulose and fibogel for weeks and still nothing, I am so uncomfortable. Does anyone know what else I can safely take? I’ve been to see the GP a number of times but they are reluctant to offer anything else. Thanks in advance

worried you are not alone! the only thing that has helped me is an enema that you can self-administer at home. just check to make sure it's pregnancy-safe, apparently not all are. but also keep in mind that if you're not managing to eat/keep food down, there might not be much there except trapped wind - the enema will help with that too.

good luck to emu and just

natsku thanks for sharing, Mr. Justice is adorable!

I think I'm starting to feel the baby move, is 14 wks too early for that?

also, the dietician I've been speaking to in order to control the GD tells me that packaged hummus is dangerous in pregnancy??? This is my 3rd pregnancy, and I'm absolutely shocked. It's one of the only things I can stomach these days, and I would have thought it was a good choice over other simple carbs. don't know if I should take her seriously or not.

Worried it's grim isn't it. I asked a GP friend the other day as I hadn't been for 10 days, thankfully finally did by increasing the lactulose and I can drink a bit more at the moment. She suggested glycerin suppositories if I still couldn't go. Think the lady on the Pregnancy Sickness helpless said the same to my husband when he was asking them for advice a few weeks ago.

Endorra never heard that about hummus - looks like there are concerns over listeria but guess it's weighing up a good source of nutrition over a tiny risk......
I thought 16 weeks was usually about the earliest, but think some people feel movements earlier - so exciting that you are, makes all the terrible symptoms feel more bearable hopefully!

I can’t keep anything down this morning. I’ve been sick 7 times and I’ve only been up an hour. That doesn’t bode well for today. How is everyone else feeling today?

@Endora44 I thought I felt my baby at 11 weeks last pregnancy. I still couldn’t say it was definitely him but the sensations didn’t really change so who knows. I certainly thjnk it’s possible to feel movements earlier than they say.

Still not quite being sick but getting closer every day.
7 +2 now.

Think I need to start taking Promethazine but my 3.5 year old bed shares with me and it makes me really groggy.
Also been off work on AL this week and dreading going in tomorrow.
Don't get me wrong, I have parts of the day where I don't feel too bad, but it's pretty unpredictable.
Also, if I start Promethazine I'm likely to need a few days off while my body gets used to it and the hung over/sedated feeling eased off in the mornings.

I drive a few short distances every day as part of my work so it's not brilliant.

Hotchoc that sounds awful and were I was by about 10-11 weeks last time.

Just force fed myself a bit of pineapple. It was better than I thought it was going to be.