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.

Hi all I have been on medication since I came back from hospital 3 weeks ago and only physically been sick 4 times in 3 weeks (of course still have nausea 90% of the time) but today I feel like I'm back to square one.. could it be just an off day? Or is it possible for the medication to stop working?

Threw up today spectacularly in the van on the way to the new house when moving today. I've had 2 ondansetron tablets today and they've sort of worked to keep it at bay. But let pregnancy I only needed one so let's see how long I can keep this up for.

Booking appointment on Tuesday. Think we'll tell family after that.

hairgician lime and mint sounds good... might go and find some today!

mumoftwo totally possible to be having an off day. What meds are you on?

deaddoor sounds like the exertion triggered your nausea more. Try to relax as much as possible!!

I'm on ondansetron and prochlorperazine

Definitely possible to have an off day. I can have a few not so bad days and then have an awful one. Hopefully today is better.

Deadoor poor you, not the best time to be moving! Hope you’re safely in the new place and can get some rest today (although guesssing there’s lots of boxes to sort out).

Norbert I’m a teacher too. I’ve been signedoff since the end of October half term. I had bad guilt last time I was pg and had so much time off and was convinced this time I’d take the stress away from myself with guilt but it’s creeping back. Work only started after Christmas looking for someone to cover me and have had trouble finding anyone. So I know me being off has given a massive headache to a number of staff and I feel awful about that, but more so I’m wracked with guilt that my exam students are now so behind because school haven’t got anyone in sooner. I know I can’t help it but it doesn’t stop the guilt. It’s tough but ultimately you have to do what you can to get through this.

I have been really fancying weetabix and sugar since the mention of it on here but alas I don’t eat sugar and I’m gluten free so can’t have either!

Just checking in to say I feel rubbish

Cyclizine advantage: I can eat breakfast
Cyclizine disadvantage: I’m still super nauseous which seems to be getting worse, I’m really woozy and drowsy, I spend most of my time in bed

Don’t mind me I’m feeling sorry for myself!

I normally get a sort of respite in the evening, a couple of hours where the nausea dips to a more tolerable level before creeping up again before bedtime. Didn’t get that yesterday and still majorly nauseous today, so feeling a bit more miserable as a result.

This is day 5 of cyclizine, no idea how long it’s all supposed to take but I was given a week as a rough ball park. So back to GP tomorrow or Tuesday and try something else. I’m nearly 8 weeks, which just feels so early on!

DeadDoor hope you’re feeling better! House moves are so tiring and stressful even at the best of times.

Before definitely see gp as soon as you can to see if they can add something into the mix. It’s awful when you don’t get that better time that you usually get but it might be nothing to do with the cyclizine, I’d get random awful days and there would be no obvious reason for it, just crazy hormones. Take it a day and a week at a time as thinking about the months ahead really is too much to think about right now. I tick off every day and see it as another day less to endure and a day closer to it being over. Doing it like that days have built to weeks which get eventually to months.

Thanks Reastie absolutely, on the worst day I agree, not a cyclizine issue, just realising that it can get worse and not really wanting more of that!

Yes, one day at a time... just need to keep trying that and finding something to smile about for each day! Today I have DC2 with me in bed whilst DH is out with DC1. DC2 is incredibly cute, building all sorts out of Lego and watching cartoons. So that’s quite nice and a good reminder of why we decided to try for DC3!

Thanks @Reastie I know you're right. I think I'll go in tomorrow and try my best but fully expect to take time off soon as last time it peaked during the upcoming weeks. I've been in bed all weekend and that's made it much easier to feel like I can have a go.
I'm sorry about the weetabix craving by the way, it's weird how your mind fixates on random food isn't it? The other day I was desperate for spaghetti hoops.
@beforeihit30 I'm also on cyclizine and was woozy for the first week / 10 days but then it got easier. I think all the sleeping is helpful on some level anyway. I'm trying to work out the best timing for mine and still not sure.

Yes def can be an off day. Been happening to me too. Have had to cancel final assessment at tech twice because of having a shitty day. Hoping to get it done tmw or tues.
And yes to overexerting yourself causing nausea and puking.
Managed to go do food shop yest and make dinner. In bed by 10.30 feeling yuk. Not eaten yet today either.

Urgh, bad afternoon this afternoon, and after having two so good days where I really thought it might have been the start of the end. I’m feeling so fed up, one step forward two steps back.

Much sympathy to all those feeling bad.
Great advice from SeaEagleFeather eallison Restie CalmerComber and others.
SeaEagleFeather I so agree about swallowing saliva can lead to vomiting, while spitting seems to lead to more. You feel as if you can't win. It's very horrible.
DeadDoorPost Sorry to hear of removal van vomit. I am glad you have meds and that move out of the way.
emma Much sympathy. It is very hard. How far along are you? Things will almost certainly get better. It is hard for OH's to understand.
Bili Have you - change the record, Mother Hen - got any kesostix to check for ketones, as while they are not the best test of dehydration, they do take the measurements seriousy in A and E departments?
Congratulations on chips.
norbert As others say, you mustn't feel guilty. You must put yourself and your baby first.
Hairigician That cordial sounds good.
Mumtobe It could well be a hormonal surge and temporary relapses are common. Take heart.
beforeIhit30 That sounds a good plan.
Reastie Sorry about disapointing bad days.
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored.

@Hairgician I have the rhubarb, raspberry and orange blossom cordial from that same range and it’s so nice. I never normally drink squash but it’s doing the trick at the moment.

@LucindaE
I'm 12 weeks! Scan on Wednesday! That's making me a nervous wreck too 🙈

reastie you'll probablyk start getting more and more good days, and the bad days won't (usually) be so bad.

If it helps at all, when the occasional awful day hit again I used to think of it as reminder how much better it all was. It never went away fully but it does get to the point where you are semifunctioning. I managed to very, very slowly renovate the older son's bedroom (and electrocuted myself in the process oops. Might have given the younger son's brains a kickstart after such a rough time because he's unstoppable)

Thanks SeaEagle. Do you still get terrible days? This evening has been truly awful, as bad as my worst in first trimester. All I’ve been able to do is lie in bed listening to meditations and trying to deep breathe through the nausea. I’ve just had (tmi) a huge poo and feel marginally better so I’m not sure if it’s coincidence or if that was the cause. Had the whole ‘I can’t do this, why did I think this would be ok’ and took ondansetron dose a little earlier than I should to help (please don’t shout at me for that).

@Reastie it's really hard when you have a rough day after thinking you're over all the hardest phase, I'm sorry that you're suffering. Hopefully you can nap or fall asleep soon to give yourself a break from the nausea. I hope it passes quickly x

I'm a graduate Reastie, so thank god No though the memories are unpleasantly vivid still. Specially if I get a touch of nausea, it brings it all back.

In both pregnancies there were bad days throughout but even the worst was never as bad as from weeks 5-24 (1st preg) and 5-14 (2nd, when I had hospital rehydration). When they did hit, it was horrible but they passed, though sometimes the day after wasn't that great.

Overdoing it gave a guarenteed bad day but sometimes they just turned up anyway.

I hope you can sleep and the hormones have subsided tomorrow

@Reastie I can totally sympathise with how you are feeling. I had two days of no sickness just intense nausea and then the sickness has come back with vengeance last few days and it's so disheartening. How far along are you again?

I've weirdly found being in the shower really sets off my sickness. I've been gagging ALL day and so I got in the shower just to encourage it along. 1 minute in and I was sick everywhere. I've been like that since about 6ish weeks so showering is never a nice thought although if I suck a small sweet while having a quick wash off all the vitals that seems to help.

@lucinda tis lovely!!

@calmer that sounds lush, must have a look for that one!

Feeling pretty wiped this eve. Managed some homemade sweet potato fries for dinner, after puking up some sponge and fruit flan🤮🤮 fries hit the spot.

I lasted until 6+5 and then the return of the retching hit me like a bus. My lovely doctor had prescribed prochlorperazine and ordansetron in preparation so I have started taking them immediately. Luckily this ha definitely reduced the nausea and kept the vomiting at bay but has completely wiped me out. Do others find this combination has that effect?

Happy it might be the drugs or it might be pg making you exhausted. It’s usually cyclizine and avomine that cause the tiredness I think. Does it have tiredness on the side effects list?

Thank you so much for the sympathy last night. It was a real low point after getting this far. This morning I had another giant poo (that’s 3 in less than 24 hours) so I’m wondering if it was that causing the extreme nausea. Have been googling my laxitive and everywhere it says do not take for longer than a couple of weeks because bowel can become dependent on it. Gp isn’t always overly knowledgable on all drugs so worried she’s just given me one not realising I shouldn’t take it for so long but I’m scared to trying others as so many of them you seem to need to drink with large amounts of water that I can’t manage. Not sure what to do for the best. Does anyone know if PSS are as knowledgable in laxitive options in pg as anti emetics? Wondering whether they can help advise. Still not feeling great this morning but not yet on the same level as yesterday.

Ok, I’m now convinced that my worst nausea periods now are directly linked to going to the loo and that the laxitive is causing this. I’m not sure what to do for the best, stop the ondansetron completely to stop taking a laxitive or try a different laxitive. I’m scared about the effects of doing both but I can’t keep going in this vicious circle. I’m not sure which will be the least bad...

reastie try a different laxative first. Being bunged up will make you nauseous and ill itself.

@Reastie that sounds hard to weigh up. Are you under consultant care? Just wondering what the best avenue would be for you to get the answers with your problem. It’s a bit of a downer when you not only don’t have a straightforward pregnancy, but you don’t even have a straightforward complication/treatment plan. Hope you figure out a plan that helps you feel better.

Sorry for missing some of the conversation here. I’m 14+4 now and feeling a bit more down I think. I think as the nausea has eased (which is and isn’t saying much as I still don’t have any waking minutes free from it) it’s less all-consuming and I feel more stressed about my surroundings/the kids activities/things we’ve fallen behind with. Today I was able to get the kids out to a group and I kept fishing for excuses not to, and it just made me think.. I’m probably feeling flat and demotivated with everything. I’ve got some chilled music on and I have the 4yo playing with Lego and the 2yo playing (wreaking havoc) in the sink. Anyone else at a similar point? I just want to sit on my butt and watch tv/waste time on my phone. Sorry to those in the very real thick of it who would give their right arm to be at the point i am at. HG really is the gift that keeps on giving I guess even offloading this is good and hopefully I’ll feel more like myself soon.