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.

I've spent most of the last 2 hours doing battle on the phone with care professionals he constantly forget that I am scared pregnant woman feeling like crap. Long and short of it is that after initially refusing to prescribe more steroids without seeing me (But not giving me an apt to go in, just turn up and wait) she did concede to writing a prescription I can collect on Monday. I think I managed yo make her see that having to wait til Thurs, when meds run out on Friday, is not acceptable with my mental state. Now I just have to wait until Monday, when I need to get an urgent apt with a GP and hope they cn do an emergency referral to a consultant at my local hospital. The I have to hope it comes thru quickly. Then I have to hope that whoever I'm referred to is prepared to continue with steroids as needed, with no arbitrary deadline etc. This is just flipping exhausting.

Eal, this is what I really hate, that we finally get medicatoin that makes a difference yet we’re made to feel that we have to fight to be able to maintain having it and hurdles are put in place for us to have to work through. I’m exactly the same with anxiety if I’m running low on medication making my symptoms worse. When I think of the amount you had to go through to get the steroids I can’t believe you have to go through so much to keep having them. Here’s hoping you can get them easily on repeat after this time.

Oh no @eallison88 how stressful! Last thing you need. I will keep my fingers crossed for you!

@Reastie I do not think is acceptable to require you to have almost finished a prescription to order the next lot. ESP with drug where many on here have had to call around pharmacies to check stock. Once you've set expectations hopefully they learn and in the future it will be easier.

Good news on the drug front. Husband came back with my full prescription - via the music shop but we will not hold that against him too much 😂 was a little late for drug but not the end of the world. Phew!!!

ksjourney I am so glad you've got the meds - definitely better late than never.

reastie Im sorry about the difficulty getting the ondansetron.

just a note ... you said you were taking it according to the instructions on the packet. were these the pharmicists/doctors instructions or just printed as part of the packet? If it's the doctor's instructions that the pharmacist has printed out, then all is well. If there are instructions printed on the packet and you're following those, please don't. You and the Passenger won't have come to any harm but ..

If there are instructions on the packet which you're following, they are for use during chemo treatment not pregnancy as it was licensed as a med against chemo-sickness. It's not officially been ok'd for pregnancy (very, very few meds are due to the old thalidomide scandel 50 years ago) but after some rather large studies, the view is overwhelmingly that it's safe. But it does have to be taken carefully, and for preg the view is 8mg 3x a day is the max best.

Just been catching up. Have been away this last week and actually had an ok time. DH was fab at getting the children up and doing pretty much all the childcare so I could get as much rest as possible which was amazing. It was also nice to spend some time all together.

Re ondanestron, my GP prescribed me 90 tablets last time and put it on repeat like that so I can have a months worth at a time. I even got a pharmacy to fulfill it just had to wait a few days whilst the medicine came in. So it can be done but I don't know how you persuade your GP to do more.

Seaeagle, should’ve been clear, following instructions on pack as in that gp did on sticker , all is fine. It’s annoying putting in repeats all the time but it’s better than not having them, and atm I have abiut a weeks worth on standby. Just means I have to constantly put in repeats and it’s awkward as have to get family to collect but touchwood atm the surgery are getting the pills in ok which makes it easier. Worried about Christmas and new year though when things will be closed and my gp is off for about 3 weeks after Christmas so I hope there won’t be any issues with other gos signing off the repeat (as last time that happened they refused). Gah, I’m getting anxious at the thought now.

Well I have now opened my bowels! Sorry for the Gross post lol still feel bloated though! Perks of being pregnant 🤰

@reastie .. ordansetron cost around 100 pound per 30 /4mg tablets. And some gp practices dont like that. Compared to cyclizine that is 100 /50mg tablets for about 12 pound. Everything in the nhs is about cost unfortunately. However, it’s about your health so they should do what works for you. And yes if the condition was more known about Like cancer.. they would be less dismissive. I am also only getting 10 days worth of ordansetron and having to ring for my next prescription. Annoying as I can’t function to go get it so my partner is running round for me.

@mamabear .. glad you enjoyed your hols 👍🏻 It may be a good idea to speak to my doctor too in regards to getting a longer prescription. Will speak to him next week. Is anyone else thinking that the doctors are probably sick of us lol I say this to my partner and he laughs at me..

@jamjarjem you mentioned about your miscarriage at 8 weeks but didn’t realize till your scan at 13. I have been worried about this happening after reading your comment. Did you have bleeding or cramping? I can’t imagine how you felt x

@reastie unfortunately from experience working in hospitals and with patients the louder you shout the more likely you are heard/seen/ listened to. Next time literally put your foot down and ask for what you want. Give your rationale and they give theirs. Tell them you will be attending a&e again as they are all that works. That costs a 100 pound a visit. They may change their mind x

Oh good that's great then reastie. Maybe your doc could give you the name of another sympathetic one in the surgery?

@eallison I’m sorry to hear about your struggles to get steroids. They shouldn’t be putting that stress on you! I know when I’m stressed i start vomiting more!.. I hope you get sorted soon x

Allie, I'm so sorry I didn't mean to worry anyone! I had no cramps, no signs of a miscarriage until the day before my scan when I had some bleeding when I wiped and all the signs of pregnancy were still there - sickness, tired, aching, sore boobs etc. I also had a miscarriage in September last year but that was at 6 weeks pregnant. We decided this would be our last try for another baby as going through the sickness each time is so debilitating so whatever the outcome my hubby's having the snip next year.
Really glad you've managed to go to the toilet, hopefully you should get some relief for a while.
The Dr mentioned to me how expensive ondansetron is, she said I'd been put on 'the big guns' 😂 I said I didn't care as long as it worked! X

@jamjarjem no you haven’t done anything.. I’m having cramaping but I don’t know if it’s from the constipation/stretching.. I’m still sick as dog 🐶 but I have no bleeding so hoping that’s a good sign. I’m sorry about your history and I completely understand what you mean. I have had several miscarriages and an ectopic so because of this I’m naturally panicking. I’ve never got this far in pregnancy before either 10+1 so that’s another reason for my doubts. Just have to wait till the 19th of December for my scan and I can have some reassurance. How far are you now? X

Thanks SeaEagle &Lucinda

My OH is working away of all days on Tuesday! Would have preferred him there considering he sees me everyday, however I’ve asked my mum to come along. I feel like I’m 16 again refusing to go to an appointment without her 😂

Good tip though I never thought of taking anybody with me. I’ll let you know how it goes. X

Allie I'm 12 weeks according to my calculations. Still waiting for an appointment for my scan but it has to be in the next couple of weeks. I found I've had quite a lot of cramping this time but the midwife and dr just think it's due to the constipation and straining to try and go to the toilet. I'm so sorry you've had to go through losses in the past. I've found it's just put a doubt in the back of my mind the whole time, I don't think it'll feel real until the babies actually here x

K, glad you got your drugs! At least you remembered to give it to the pharmacy, my mistake was forgetting to even do that. Oops. Fwiw, if you need some.emergency supply of drugs/medication, you can take either the green part of prescription or a box with the printed drs instructions to a pharmacy and they can give you an emergency 2-3 days worth usually. I was.super lucky that the OOH Dr prescribed me 30 tablets, and so did my own Dr, so I'm good for a while yet.

Also, at 14+1, some good news. I didn't take my morning meds until 11.30am, when I felt I needed to. Then my second dose at 6.30pm (again, felt stronger nausea creeping back). I have managed to do more me things, cooking, playing with DD, visiting a friend and her DS. It's bizarre how it's dropped off, albeit not completely. Bodies are weird.

I hope you lot get relief when and where you can xx

@jamjarjem that’s a shame about you not having your appointment. When I saw the midwife for the first time last week, she booked my scan there and then. However it may be different in your area.. I’m in north east Lincolnshire. Snap with the cramping. And they are telling me the same as you. And I feel the same as you! I don’t feel like it’s real and viable until I have a healthy confirmation and even then I will probably think something may go wrong. Need to try and not think the worst but it’s hard when it’s happened so many times in the past x

Gosh I bet my GP is happy that the hospital prescribed me a months worth of ondansetron, and that she didn't have to!

Hey everyone, can I join? Warning: this is going to be a very self absorbed post!

I'm around 7+2 with baby number 5 (WHY am I doing this for the fifth time?! Other first trimesters were also horrendous) and I'm (mentally) spiralling.

I had a termination last year at 9 weeks due to the sickness. It was to be DH and I's first baby together. But I couldn't do it.

We married in August this year, got pregnant straightaway, miscarried. Pregnant again straight after the miscarriage, and here we are.

I've cried lots today. I'm sick of it. I can't go anywhere, I'm so fucking bored, Christmas is going to be a write off, I miss simple evenings of having a glass of wine and a laugh, I miss eating properly, I miss having a clean house, I miss being a good mum. It's breaking my heart. And to think there's 6+ weeks left of this...

Please, someone help! I've begun fantasising about terminating the pregnancy. Our beautiful rainbow baby. But my god, that feeling of relief when I woke up after the abortion last year. The sickness had disappeared.

I was so excited to be pregnant. It's DH's first child. Now I can't stop thinking "What have I done?"... :(

Allie oh my goodness, I'm also in North East Lincolnshire!! Whereabouts are you?

Allie Sorry to hear of cramps. Hopefully, it is to do with taking the stuff to move your bowles, but given your history of mc's, can they give you a scan for reassurance? Did your other mc's begin with cramps before bleeding? With me it was bleeding quite a while before the cramps set in.
MamaBear Glad you had a nice holiday and OH was so good. Welcome back.
Reastie MauisLeftNipple and others - my goodness, I am surprised, as I had heard since the manufacturers had extended, the price had come down.
Waves to Anya SeaEagleFeather eallison and everyone.

birthday welcome.

So sorry it's so bad again. It really is hell isn't it. Keep posting here, the support really does help. Nothing takes away the physical awfulness but at least here you aren't alone. We get it (all too well!)

What meds are you on and is your doctor supportive?

Are you managing to keep some liquids down? With four children already it can't be easy to grab even a few minutes' rest ...

@birthdaykake Im Sorry to hear your struggling so much. Has your sickness in the past subsided at 12 weeks? I really hope mine does. However with the way I’m cooped up and feeling naseous all the time I’m guessing I won’t be that lucky. It’s been a huge struggle to do anything since week 5 I think 🤔 it’s all blending together. I was crying a lot when I first started being sick. Hopefully it calms down for you too. I miss just having a life hahaha I used to enjoy a bottle of wine but the thought of it makes me beyond sick now. In fact most things I used to love (coffee, tea, Irn Bru, all alcoholic beverages, chocolate) makes me vomit now. You have answered your own question about termination. It’s your rainbow baby and you want it. So hold in there. This is my first viable pregnancy so experiencing this sickness is all I know 🤮x

@lucindaE Thankyou for your advice. If i start to bleed I think they will do a scan. And yes if I remember right I was spotting before I started having cramps with my miscarriages. Which has now relaxed me thanks xx

sea the kids are actually pretty good at letting me rest - although I feel bad telling them how sick I feel, whilst stuffing my face! They're probably thinking "no wonder she's feeling so sick!" I haven't actually started vomiting yet so yes I can keep liquids down. No medication. I'm bad enough at taking folic acid...

Allie I miss all those things too :( honestly though, you may have hope yet. With all of my pregnancies I've been housebound, depressed, horrendously ill - and then turned a corner at 12-13 weeks. In fact last time I was so poorly we had to hire help, then at 13 weeks I was baking my ex-MIL a birthday cake!

Thanks so much for the support though. I've calmed down a bit now! Xx