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.

@happydays, I’m on my third round. We were a bit traumatised after last time and did our research- there’s evidence to suggest that taking anti-emetics before sickness starts can keep symptoms more manageable for sufferers. It’s not a foolproof but it has worked for me and many others- I’m still very much suffering but I haven’t needed anything more than cyclizine to stay ‘well’ (nutritioned and hydrated!) and no hospital stays for me. Im now 12+6 and managing to cope with my days a bit better. I’m sure others here can back this up. I was lucky and saw a sympathetic, informed doctor at my first appt who prescribed straight off the bat. I already had a spit cup and nausea at 4 weeks, but she was comfortable to prescribe on history alone regardless!
@canonlyhopexo, could you request to see another gp, and maybe bring print outs of evidence for further safe medicine? The pregnancy sickness support site is great. I have a lovely older doctor at my practice who unfortunately believed cyclizine the only safe medication, and I had to get her to look at my notes from my previous pregnancy to prove otherwise! She was happy to be corrected. It’s firstly fairly rare to need an anti-emetic (although I believe less rare than statistics show!) and even more rare to need more than one.. but coming ready-armed can help.

Ps sass sounds like a nightmare pg, especially how those drugs interact to make you feel. Really feel for you. Is the gd drug likely to settle down after a while at all? You were off ondansetron weren’t you? Would you manage cutting it down and taking the other anti sickness meds?

Nighttime it’s interesting as I think antiemetics are now used more commonly in pg (purely from my anecdotal knowledge). When I was pg with dd on my mn an group there was me and maybe one other person on medication and we were both just on cyclizine. This time 8 years later there’s a fair few on medication. I don’t know if that’s because it’s more readily prescribed or because people aren’t coping with their life and pg sickness. It’s rare that I’ve known anyone outside of this thread on more than one medication for it.

I was trying to come off ondansetron, but after my relapse I am back on it again 2-3x a day. I have considered going back onto stemtil or cylzine, but not hopeful for results.

At consultant appointment tomorrow, so will probably get my metaformin upped or put onto insulin. Sigh.

Did you have to take the gd drugs last time?

nightime and reastie thanks for your messages. I've got a doctors appointment tomorrow to discuss pre-emptive drugs: I tried cyclizine, metoclopramide and odansetron last time but we never got on top of it and I think that's because I didn't try ordansetron until about week 30.

Ordansetron stopped the actual sickness but didn't take away the nausea and left me feeling completely exhausted and with headaches so I decided at that stage I would rather vomit 4 - 5 times a day than take the drugs. Had I have been offered Ordansetron at week 10 when I was vomiting 20 - 30 times I obviously would have re-considered putting up with the other side effects.

Hopefully the doctor can help advise tomorrow and also with regards to travelling and hopefully supporting signing me off from having to fly for work.

Hopefully happy you’ll get on top of it with preempative meds which can make a big difference. Ondansetron has been the game changer for me, given you had it last time you shouldn’t have too many issues to get it again.

Hi all I'm taking ondansetron and prochlorperazine which are helping(They are a life saver) but I have really bad constipation.. Did anyone else get this side affect? is there anything I can take for it? Thanks

Yes mumoftwo, I’m pretty sure all of us have had ondansetron induced constipation! Ask your gp for a laxitive as soon as you can before you get too backed up. We all seem to be on different ones but lactulose seems popular. It’s a known side effect.

mumof2 yes, most of us on ondansetron and up with constipation too, it's a joyous common sixe effect i take daily lactulose (get GP to prescribe, you're gonna get thru a lot!) to keep on top of it.

Got moved to antenatal ward last night, no beds in gynae. In my own room. Had 4 bags of fluids, ketones at 4+ this morn as not eaten since mon eve byt have managed breakfast and lunch today. Struggling to drink, which is a problem. Presvribed ranitidine last night for heartburn and been written up to have it regularly along with other meds. Doc rhis morn says he doesnt care what i eat i need to drink erm, no, it does matter what i eat, as fluids alone wont clear ketones.

Also hair many foods have water in them so will contribute a bit towards the amount of liquid in your diet. Poor you, I hope you improve soon. Hopefully the ranitidine will help.

canonly I'm angry that the midwife talked about 12 weeks. The 12 week point isn't even really true in "normal" pregnancy sickness! I suggest asked the GP to do your next sick note for at least 2 weeks maybe 3 or even 4 - lifts the weight on your mind a little to allow you to concentrate on yourself. I would also suggest asking for different meds; HG needs proactive and aggressive management and if a med isnt working it needs swapping/something adding in..

Has anyone survived a GTT? I've got mine tomorrow and I swear I'm already feeling more sick just at the thought of it

HappyDays and MumofTwo1988 I think you have posted before - I may have got it wrong - so I wont' give my welcome speech. You have had great advice already.

HappyDays Sorry that Ondansetron gave you headaches. This unfortunately is a fairly common side effect. I hope they can give you an effective combination without. When you say 20-30 times a day, is that invividual sessions - or heaves? The reason I ask, is doctors tend to count each heave as a vomit, and so can masively underestimate the severity of the sickness. A good anti acid can make a huge difference.
MumofTwo1988 As others say, do ask the GP for a laxative like lactulose. You can get those suppositories over the counter, and they do use them in pregnancy wards, or did not long ago, but pharmacists may be reluctant to sell them to pregnant women. Can you face tinned peaches in the meantime? Some find them a very good laxative.
On which, DeadDoorPost I am so glad you got Ondansetron. I do hope s/he prescribed a laxative, too.
silversplodge Many people on here have been through GTI tests, SassehMonsta among others. I do hope they can advise soon. I gather from what people say on this thead the thing to do is to point out - as you shouldn't have to, as it seems so obvious and it must be on your medical notes, that you will probably vomit the drink they give you.

Hairgician I hope you are feeling a bit better for fluids.
SassehMonsta I so agree with others, I am concerned that you are working if you had to be admitted, even if you feel a lot better. I think you are being too stoic, says Mother Hen.
Great advice from Reastie and eallison as ever. I so agree, where does this 12 week figure come from?
canonly I so agree with others, it might be worth phoning Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7638 2020. They will phone back with good advice.
eallison I meant to say, congratulations on surviving a day with sole care of LO.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Took me a while to find this thread

Catching up as much as I can
I am 10+4
Lost a stone in weight and been signed off work for the last 4 weeks as unable to manage xx

emma1234 are you on meds, as well as signed off (I'm glad you've been signed off for 4 weeks, gives you opportunity to rest without worrying about work for a bit, which is so important)?

lucinda 20-30 individual sessions with about 20 dry retches/heaves as well. Does anyone else do a lot of heaving and retching without vomiting?

silver I think it was you who asked about a GTT? I had to have one in my last pregnancy, I was so anxious about it and convinced I wouldn't manage it. The nurses were fantastic and found me a private room where I could lie down. It was the longest couple of hours ever but I managed it. I really hope you do too!

happydays in both pregnancies I've done for more of the dry heavinh/retching than actual 'productive' puking.

Sorry to read about what others are going through. Wishing you all some easier days.

I've been back at work since Monday but taking some holiday today and tomorrow as it's a training/admin week. I'm scared to tempt fate but I'm feeling a lot better. Nausea is there but my sickness has pretty much stopped. Only problem is I've noticed it's harder taking cyclizine and working because it makes me drowsy still.

Have nipped in Aldi and bought my first baby things today, it cheered me up and made me realise this will all be a memory soon.

Really hope you all start to feel better soon x

11yrgap that's wonderful news that you're feeling so much better. Still rememeber to be kind to yourself, and not push yourself too far!

This thread is so useful for picking up tips etc. I didn't realise heaving contributed in the eyes of the GP. I just had a returned phone call from my midwife. I rang yesterday just asking for advice and support as I'm feeling pretty low now. She asked me if I was taking the prenatal vitamins still and I explained that I was finding this really difficult and often bringing everything back up and she really came down on me with the importance of it and how I'd be risking spina bifida etc. It's make me feel like shit.

Hi ladies. Just checking in.
I feel like my husband is fed up with me, he’s not being very supportive. He’s not really spoken to me except to ask if I’m sure my body can handle this. I know he’s talking about termination. He keeps saying little comments like I should just go to bed because I’m in the way. I know it’s hard for him, he’s having to do everything, all the household chores, looking after the children and also his full time job. I just feel like I don’t have his support.
My doctor doesn’t seem very supportive either. She says the more I get up and do stuff the better I’ll feel, but actually as soon as I get up from where I’ve been sat/laying I’m sick and feel exhausted if I do anything. She implied that’s it’s all in my head. She said I’m already on the best tablets there is (ondansetron) so there’s nothing else she can prescribe me.
Just a moan really.

@eallison88 yeah I was prescribed cyclizine which I didn't find that great but they do help me abit although I'm like a walking zombie and they just make me sleep which doesn't help as I've been told I have to eat every 1-2 hours so I'm taking them as and when I really need atm

This is so frustrating Blii not having the support and understanding on top of feeling horrible. I keep getting the same advice from people around me about how I just need to stop thinking about it and move more and all that (probably similar to "try ginger" and "it will be over by week 12" kind) Clearly that's not true, every time I have a day of increased activity, I really pay for it the next day. Whereas when I actually get a chance to rest properly, it seems to be helping. I'm also not happy being stuck in the house but what can I do?