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.

@hotchocolate86 I've had a nasty taste in my mouth for 10 weeks now, started the same time as the sickness. It's like something has died in there 😩

Much sympathy over that fatigue and foul taste, everyone. I remember reading in a book of someone waking up with a hangover, with mouth tasting as if 'A small animal had used his mouth as a laterine, and then a mausaleum'. Similar. Some people swear by parma violets for relief. Someone else said pear drops, though I found they gave me mouth ulcers. I found barley sugar helped a bit, as I think has been said, but inscreased saliva.

I have so much sympathy with the tiredness and the metallic taste. I had that constantly for the first half of my pregnancy. I found lemon and lime ice lollies helped with the metallic taste, also those chocolate after dinner mints which was what I basically lived on over Christmas.

Cyclizine is meant to make you tired, but I didn't feel any more tired after I started taking it if you are existing on much fewer calories than your body needs to survive and grow a baby that is reason enough to be tired.

I am 33 weeks now and the sickness is a lot better. I have been eating proper amounts of food which is nice. The baby has grown quite a lot in the last week! I worried that he would starve in the beginning but now I think he is going to be huge. I am hoping that I will be alright now for the last few weeks of pregnancy.

I've got the awful taste! It truly feels like something died in there. And I have the paranoia about bad breath.
I'm having some good days and some bad days now at 23 weeks. @Elephantgrey are you still on any meds? I'm mainly relying on doxylamine but already getting nervous about having to stop taking it before baby is born. Because it is a liquid capsule there is no way to wean off - I'll just have to go cold turkey when I stop

Hi all,

I was prescribed cyclizine yesterday by my GP but he was very vague about instructions of when to take it. He seemed very cautious about prescribing at all and then spent a lot of time googling things Obviously I did the classic timid thing of not asking any questions...

So, he said I can take up to three a day but suggested starting off at one. I took one last night before bed and feel much better this morning already, partly because I think it knocked me out for a really good sleep for the first time in ages. Should I just wait to see how my sickness goes today and take the next dose when I feel ill? What have others done?

Thanks for any advice

Hanegg hi, I tried cyclizine (unfortunately didn't work for me) and decided to take the full dose of one three times a day from the start. It is one of the very commonly used first line ones and very safe so I had no safety concerns over doing that. The problem is that it is less likely to work if you are already being very sick so in my opinion I would take it regularly from now especially as you had a good night and are feeling a bit better. You can always ten cut back to fewer tablets daily if still feeling better.
Hope it helps, some people on this thread have found it helpful. Can be sedating, but most people find this wears off after a few days.

A lot of the drugs used work better I used preemptively before the nausea/vomiting starts, so I wouldn't let it get bad again before taking another if you felt bad enough to get meds from the Dr in the first place IYSWIM. Hope that makes sense!

Thanks for all the advice on the taste everyone. I will try and get something minty today. I’m not good with strong mint flavours at the moment but maybe spearmint or something mild might work.

han I think I would take at least two cyclizine a day. Morning and evening to try and prevent the sickness from getting too bad. Once the sickness gets bad the drugs don’t work so well.

Hi all.

Can I ask how many of you are off work, and how many manage to continue?

I've been off for 3 weeks and am desperate to return. Sick leave running out. Miss my colleagues. Cabin fever setting in. Is it possible?

@Haneggsandchips I'm currently on cyclizine I would say take it before you feel sick otherwise in my experience it doesn't actually stop the vomiting. I take one as soon as I wake up in the morning. Then another one in the afternoon. It says to leave 8 hours between doses so I usually only manage 2 a day as I can't seem to get the timings right, also I'm lucky enough that once I'm asleep I generally don't wake up in the middle of the night now (only did in my worst 2 weeks). Don't know if others on here have left smaller time between doses though. Hope you start to feel an improvement with them. As others have said look on the website at the beginning of the thread as there is a lot of handy info on medications there is you do have to do back to your dr to get something else.

@Caramina I'm partially off work I'm an osteopath but also cover reception for the clinic. I haven't done any osteopathy properly for about 6-8 weeks. I am currently only doing reception 2 half days a week (it's easy work in this clinic as not too busy) and am hoping to return next week to doing limited osteopathy when I'll be 18 weeks. As I'm self employed I haven't been able to take as much time as I needed so I think it can be done if you listen to your body and break in gently and depending on how demanding your job is. If you wake up too ill to go in don't force yourself you'll pay believe me!
Take lots of snacks with you so you have choices and maybe start back with flexible hours/less hours than usual like some others have done. Don't push yourself too quickly.

Thanks @RockinRobinn - it's hard when you have your health to think about but also cannot financially afford to be off any longer. This board seems amazing for support!

@Caramina I literally just managed to continue working (same thing, couldn't afford not to really). Took 2 days sick and 2 days annual leave (basically if I wasn't actually in the hospital I was in work and generally timed going to A&E over the weekend). Looking back on the horrors of the first 20 weeks I wish I hadn't forced myself to go in, should have just taken more time (don't get any guaranteed sick pay from employer, they just decide on a case by case basis if they're giving it or not). Employer has made some adjustments, eg some time off for working the weekend and rearranging my day off in the week (I do 4x 11 hour shifts so get a day off).

Working with hyperemesis is miserable though :-( if you do go back then ask your employer for adjustments that you think will help you (eg starting later, working from home if possible, regular breaks etc).

Thanks @Aw12345 - I work 40 hour weeks and just find it so, so long. If I go in late I just end up being there super late as they won't allow shorter days (a shift is a shift where I work annoyingly!). I'm going to go back in on Monday and pray I don't vomit on anyone!

Catalina I've been off for 10 weeks so far and I don't think I'll be going back before Mat leave starts in another 8 weeks. I'm not prepared to work myself into the ground as I have done with previous pregnancies. I am going slowly insane but have been too sick to worry about it!

On the sick leave front; I work in a school, so was lucky that every 6 weeks or so there was time off. I was also incredibly lucky with my employers as they basically told me to go home and puke in my own loo, sleep when I could and eat when I could until I felt able to go back. Then went reduced hours initially. Is that a compromise you could make? Some money, but not as much? GPs can do sick notes specifying reduced hours.

Are any of you finding that you get headaches if you are in bed all day? I'm on week 4 of being stuck in bed, and I'm starting to notice a pattern of getting headaches in the afternoon, a bit like the top of my head is in a vice. Just wondering if anyone else gets this or if it's just me!

Boo your auntie sounds like my mum. She thinks it's all in my head and if I just take my mind off it I'll be fine. I'm apparently dwelling on it. I mentioned all the meds I was on and how unlikely it was that they would prescribe meds. It's great that your partner is on board.
The horrible taste. Was trying to describe it to my hubby this morning. I brush my teeth constantly but can still taste it.
Bergamot I read that too. In the end my consultant was happy to prescribe it and it's made a massive difference. I've gone from throwing up 10 times a day, to just feeling nauseous. There was a Swedish study, I think that showed no difference between people taking the meds and the control group.
Aw12345 I'm the same, I could sleep constantly. Asked the mw and she just shrugged and said, just sleep then.
Catamina I've been off work since October, due in 4.5weeks. My work has a really good sickness policy. So I'm lucky and get my full salary. I had cabin fever and was desperate to get back (been there 10 yrs and was doing a project I really enjoyed) but they have barely bothered keeping in touch and I'm now feeling abandoned and like they don't give a toss. It's made me really reconsider things.
Hugs to everyone that needs them.
I packed my hospital bag today, it's all getting very real!

Caramina Welcome. You are right; this board is full of wonderful people. There's also an old Mother Hen - me. Can you possibly extend your sick leave? With Hypermeesis, it is very hard to work punishing shifts, and your work sounds highly lacking in understanding. Also, lying down is one of the few things that can help in the early stages. Three weeks isn't very much to have off for this illness, though I know it is lonely. A lot of sufferers go back too early and then have to go off sick agian. Is the GP understanding? People end up watching lots of films and listening to the radio or audo books, or reading for hours if they can stand print. What meds are you on? What liquids and foods do you find you can stand? Do you find flat full sugar coke, ice lollies or the juice of tinned fruit any good (and the tinned frit itself). Have you got kesostix to check for the early stages of dehydration?
nails Too right!
hotchocolate I hope sucking mints helps. Oddly, I couldn't stand the taste of mint except fresh mint picked from the garden and made into a tea (that is an eighteenth century anti sickness remedy, though I didn't know at the time). Because of that, I had to use strawberry kids toothpaste.
Hane I so agree with others. Best to start the cyclizine asap. It has been used safely for over thirty years in pregnancy, I believe!
Foodylicious Congratulations on a good day and a lovely walk in a National Trust park and on cleaning the bathroom. I hope you feel reasured about feeling too good by mild twinges of nausea?
AW12345 Much sympathy over exhaustion.
ElephantGrey Good news. and Ohiwa Glad to hear of your improvement.
RockinRobin Great advice. I hope all goes well on your return to Osteopathy (which is certainly a physical occupation!)
eallison Glad you were lucky at least in escaping those locked bowels.
Great advice from everyone. Apologies if I've overlooked anyone.

sieze Cross posted! Sorry your mother is dismissive. Congratulations on hospital bag.

LucindaE
Yes
Been feeling more sicky and exhausted today.
Sneaky extra scan was all good too!

Sabulous when I was at my worst a few weeks ago I found that I was better if o could just about manage to stay sat up.
So very relaxed on the sofa and barely moving, but not lying down.
If I got up first thing then lay down on the sofa from mid morning (as I was knackered and thought it helped the nausea) I would have a headache and just feel worse from mid afternoon. A horrid tight kind of headache on the top of my head.

@seizethecuttlefish that is exciting!
@Sabulous have you tried the 4head sticks? Sounds like a tension headache probably from a mixture of lying still, vomiting and being dehydrated. I think we can use vicks but check first sometimes I recommend rubbing a little over your shoulders and the back of your neck basically give it a gentle massage/rub. Obviously if the smell doesn't make you feel sick! Deep heat can be a little strong/burny.
@Caramina I would never be able to do a ten hour day even if it was a desk job I do 6 hours and am knackered! Definitely ask about coming back part time or talk to hr/occupational health and see if there is anything they can do.
@LucindaE Thanks for the luck I'm am taking it easy with half hour break every hour/hour and half and have shortened my hours a lot and I'm lucky I have a supportive team. I have had to be quite realistic/firm with my boss as he kept saying your back to full steam next week eh?! Luckily the receptionists are more understanding and will make sure I take it easy.
Hello to everyone else I hope today is a good/better day for everyone

Thanks all for the advice on the cyclizine.

I feel like it's making a difference - I actually feel like I want to do things for the first time in weeks. Now just contemplating return to work - I've been off for nearly 6 weeks so far so bit nervous about how I'll manage.