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.
On my image of a pink castle: that is an image I use because when I was little, my family had a Snakes and Ladders board with an image on the last square of a pink castle in the clouds. As Hyperemesis is so like a grotesque version of Snakes and Ladders - eat a meal, go up a ladder, first thing in the morning bile run, down a snake - I have used the image of that pink castle on the last square of that Snakes and Ladders board as a metaphor for the happy end of Hyperemesis.

forever From my previous experiences they’ll usually try abdominal first and then go for vaginal if they can’t see enough. I was always dehydrated and have a tilted uterus so at my early scans they almost always had to be internal but they did try external first, so don’t beat yourself up if you can’t keep enough down for a full bladder.

I have to have an additional scan at 32 weeks and my midwife just told me at my last appointment it will be vaginal! I don’t really mind but thought it seems a little strange so late on...

kisses so sorry to hear about your loss. I also had a loss in my first HG pregnancy and it really makes you so anxious the next time around! I had a lot of cramps and still do get them occasionally at almost 28 weeks, there’s so much stretching and adjusting going on in there at the early stagss that some people feel a lot of cramps. Doesn’t make it any less scary but in most cases they’re harmless. Hope yours will be gone soon

@reastiepeace. I’ve also got fybogel and movicol prescribed as I got into a real mess (2.5 weeks of not going). The ondansetron is a nightmare for me with constipation and I had a week of 3x per day iv which I think did me in. But the obs consultant was happy with both these being prescribed - lactulose did nothing x

I think I’ve got a gum abcess now. One thing after another! x

Olivecake and Reastie so sorry about your former mc's. It spoils everything - even apart from Hyperemesis. Reastie As others say, it could well be wind, which can be agony, or constipation. I know you have only just started on Ondansetron, but the lack of fluids can cause it. too. I do remember a lot of cramps for no reason. Just for reassurance, it might be an idea to have it checked if it goes on.
A number of women on here have been on three or four anti emetics, It wasn't what they wanted,but despite it the babies thrived.
elpreggo27 I so agree that snot combined with nausea and vomting is awful. I remember it as so disgusting. For some unknown reason, I always get it with puking with migraines to this day. Much sympathy; it's really grim.
foreverblues Might that be a mouth ulcer? They can be really painful and seem, like cold sores, to happen when you're run down - which happens with this. I never heard that you can't take diarylite (sp?) when pregnant.
SeaEagleFeather Very wise words.
eallison I am glad you can manage milk and chocolate biscuits, anyway. So true that there is no judgement on here. The scourge makes sufferers despair.
bumblebee Really happy to hear that Ondansetron and Procloperazine have helped you so much. Thanks for coming on with your lovely encouraging message.
beanhunter Congratulations on being able to take Fibrogel. A lot say that if only you can retain it, it is one of the best.

Kisses45U Sorry, silly me, it was you who had cramps and had an mc before. I gave the advice to Reastie!
Reastie I do hope you feel a little less bad today, with the Ondansetron helping a bit.

Ah, and Reastie A lot of women find the suppositories from Boots really good,but they won't sell them to pregnant women though they use them in maternity wards, so often they have to send someone else to buy them.

Thank you for the comments. I’ve spent another evening sobbing thinking about getting an abortion again. I guess I thought ondansetron would save me and be a miracle but it isn’t. Gp has only prescribed 4mg when I know dose can go up to 8mg so I’m tempted to double it but then I won’t have enough pills to last. Gp has spoken to hospital registrar to get expert advice about me and registrar told her they have never ever needed to prescribe more than 4mg for anyone . I think I’ll ring up pg sickness support tomorrow to get their advice and probably sob uncontrollably to them. In good news it’s still up and down and my ups are probably better than last time without so much medication but the downs are just as bad and are only going to get worse as I get further in.

Handhold, reastie. I do hope that the PSS can help better.

I can't access the NICE guidelines on meds in preg, but if anyone can it might be worth looking up if it clearly states the max dose of ondansetron. Then if reastie can talk to the doctor again it might help

Thanks sea eagle, I feel so pathetic! I have the guidelines and it’s definitely up to 8. I think I might try 8mg to see if it helps tomorrow and then I can go to the gp saying if it makes a difference but I’m nervous of getting her to increase the dose before she had even put it on my repeat. She only works mon, thurs, fri so I wonder if I should aim to get it on repeat tomorrow then contact her about increasing dose later in the week.

I think that might be best, it would be awful to run out.

You are not pathetic, you are suffering a horrible, horrible illness that people just don't get.

Thanks @LucindaE I'm certain the cramping pains are bowel related so I'll need to look into ways to help with this. My breakfast of Rice Krispies is about all I can manage... don't think anything I eat contains much fibre tbh. Fibrogel won't work for me, I could barely stomach it at 6 weeks and now HG has really set in I will just vomit so would be pointless! A suppository would suit me better I think. I've managed to get something out this evening (sorry tmi) so least that will help for today at least. I think the combination of medications I'm taking now seem to be helping as I've not actually bought anything up since Thursday! Lots of heaving still and retching but no actual vomit. I'm hoping it will last and I might be ok to start working again soon. I miss my routine.
@Reastiepeace You are not alone in your thoughts, I've often imagined another mc would be better than all this horrible nausea! It feels like such a long road ahead. I keep looking at my pregnancy app. As if it's suddenly going to change how pregnant I am... feels like time is going so slowly 😩

Lucinda I think it’s just swelling but probably needs looking at. It’s so hard to have good oral hygiene with this sickness. Yuck x

Reastie, 4mg how many times a day? x

3 times a day forever.

Forever I had terrible gum problems, really swollen and bled a lot. Dentist checked and luckily it wasn’t infected but gave me a gel to use twice per day and it has made a huge difference, one month later and they are back to normal. He checked gel was safe for pregnancy too - said gums often play up in pregnancy from the hormones but also believed the medication combination I was on had caused them to get so bad which is probably true in your case too

Hi guys, been to gp today and been given movicol. That’s nasty stuff too ha. Does anyone know if it’s to be taken before or after food? I’ve put cordial in it because it’s vile lol. She said she won’t give me the fibre gel as will bloat.

Told her my concerns about not taking the folic acid, she just said the neural tube will already be formed and prescribed me tiny folic acid pills. Scan tomorrow. Feel a bit like I could have let the baby down (I suffer with anxiety anyway but I feel nervous now I’ve not done all I could. Feel stupid tbh) x

If you can tolerate orange juice it can be mixed in with that. I've needed thicker drinks and found the movicol & orange stayed down. Plus I felt like I was getting some nutrients from the OJ that may help with constipation.

I've had a couple of really good days in terms of nausea and vomiting. One vomit Saturday nd Sunday nd barely even nausea today. I'm being relatively careful about what I'm eating/drinking and quantity (ie small amounts). But what I've eaten/drink in the last few days would have left me in a right mess in my first pregnancy. I'm seriously freaking out that something is gone wrong. I can't rock up to the early pregnancy unit cos I feel ok, can I!? I've got my booking in apt with midwife on thurs, I reckon I'll be about 8 or 9 weeks. Will she be able to check anything? Freaking out.

Eallison I’ve had days where I’ve thought the sickness was gone. Then got really bad again. It’s strange but don’t worry...easier said than done, I know xxx

eallison Try not to worry - good days, or a couple, are so common. Also, I remember from an mmc the symptoms going gradually - not all at once. It is very hard not to worry, though, so you can't enjoy the good days! Hugs.
foreverblues I did find kids' strawberry toothpaste the best to use, and a kids soft brush too, and that helped with the delicate gums. Would rinsing out your mouth with salt water ease the pain if you haven't any gel?

Good advice from Reastiepeace SeaEagleFeather Olivecake Priscilla and others.
Reastie Have PSS got back to you yet?
I hope everyone is coping today.
Well, I have heard that we are in for another severe, snowy winter -and it's very cold for October, so it did occur to me that it mightbe a good idea for everyone to stock up on their Hyperemesis Sufferers necessary requirements...

On the toothbrushung front- I've started using one we bought for my son (from the packet, I've not stolen his!). It's one of the first toothbrushes, very small and very soft. I'm finding it really good for brushing my teeth. I've also ordered a milder chidls toothpaste in our weekly foodshop (My son has always just used normal toothpaste), it has same amount of fluoride in, but milder taste, so I'm hopeful it will make it even easier!!

Funny you are all talking about toothpaste and brushes, I was just thinking the same. I've been using DS spearmint which has a much milder taste. I had to use strawberry flavour toothpaste in my last pregnancy as I had the same problem with mint. Even the smell of it made me heave! Chewing gum too 🤢
@eallison88 I have good days and bad days. Normally I have a good day then a dreadful evening, but I've also had that horrible thought of 'oh god I don't feel sick! Something must be wrong' but then boom, shit day the next day. I'm just hoping as the weeks pass by the sickness gets less and less...
I remember last time being st a wedding when I was 18 weeks and feeling ok. So I'm aiming for ok again at 18 weeks! With any luck anyway! Obviously each pregnancy is different though.
Re. Booking in app @eallison88 There's no physical checks they can do for baby, I asked this at mine (last week so I was 10 weeks on the dot) and the MW said they can't do any checks until 24 weeks! Not what you want to hear I know. Only thing you can do if you want reassurance is pay for a private scan? I'm planning one at 16 weeks.

If I continue like this I'll just rock up at the early pregnancy unit and cry til they scan me!!

Can I also re-recommend calyppo lollies. Lovely and refreshing!

Has anyone here actually had a termination because it got bad and they didn’t think they could cope? I want this baby but I truly don’t know if I can do this.