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.

@Reastie if it's any consolation I got given laxatives in these lemon sachets from the doctor and they made me sicker than usual so I asked to stop them but for sure they can find you something else to take that'll help you.

The drama I'm having at the minute dh told MIL who told me I shouldn't be taking drugs because it's bad for the baby and keeps asking if she can tell my BIL and everyone but I'm not comfortable with it until my scan but she proper upset me with the drug comment and that I just need to be brave.

Then I go on insta and my best friend is saying she treated her first trimester like a hangover and that some people just can't handle being pregnant so I sent her the link the hyperemisis on the nhs and told her in a long text that I don't need that negativity and she's been nothing but rude about my whole pregnancy cause she wants to be the only pregnant friend and that it's awful to claim people can't handle it. Then blocked her before she could reply 😂

Off to the doctors in the hope I get something little bit easier to take that doesn't make my stomach fizz 🤞

Hope everyone's doing ok today, sorry about my rant!

Sticking my head in to say hi - hope you are all doing OK. @Reastie, sorry to hear you are having a rough few days again, I hope a different laxative can help - what are you currently on? Maybe people will have suggestions.

I am suffering with a cough which is making me vomit from excessive coughing. I think my vomit reflex has changed, I can definitely tell the difference between thinking I need to vom, and actually being about to vom. It's also taking a lot less to make me vomit! Also, peeing every time I sneeze, cough or vomit is vile. I am going to buy some tena lady today.

Mental health is down at the moment, due to unavoidable stress (health related, pet related, money related). I am trying to stay positive and failing, so may wallow for a few more days and hope it passes.

avacadooo sorry you’re having such a rubbish time with unsupportive friends and MIL

Your MIL comments about drugs are just coming from some old fashioned ignorance and probably memories of things like thalidomide. Try to ignore her and keep taking what works for you because ultimately the best thing for the baby is a healthy mother. Pregnancy sickness support website has tones of helpful info on drugs that you can arm yourself with and share if she makes any further comments. The idea that you should just ‘be brave’ is ridiculous quite frankly. Even with drugs I still ended up in hospital multiple times, fainted frequently and could barely move for months - i couldn’t have just ‘been brave’ and everything would have been fine and dandy!

Additionally I think your friends comment just comes from a place of misunderstanding that not all pregnancies are equal - her touch of morning sickness obviously doesn’t compare to hyperemesis and it’s really disheartening for her to suggest that anything you’re going through is because you’re just not handling pregnancy well. It’s a medical condition, not a lifestyle choice! Hopefully with some education she can start to understand but until then ignoring her comments and concentrating on your recovery is the best thing you can do.

Hope doctor is able to give you something to help.

2 days til my due date and still no signs of the baby coming but my nausea is horrendous since last night so wondering if that’s a sign something will happen soon.

Avacadoo ignore your mil, she doesn’t know what she is talking about, and my mil told all dhs family about the news despite dh telling her not to. She has selective memory and ‘forgot’ she wasn’t suppose to tell. Grr.

Sass hope you feel a bit brighter soon, stresses can make everything harder to deal with.

Nighttime I just can’t do much atm and feel obscenely lazy. I usually can’t sit still! I try but I feel awful when I try to get up and do stuff.

I’m on Senna atm which works by activating the colon into making movement (or something). I think it’s that activation that’s causing the worsening of symptoms. Called the lovely Karen at PSS and she said that happens to some people. Dh is going out to get me some movicol this afternoon so I’m going to try a small dose of that and build it up and see how that goes. Cross your fingers for me as if I can get that sorted I think I’ll be in a much better place. Has anyone else taken movicol? Any tips or comments on how they found it/side effects/dose you needed? It says 1-3 sachets a day but can take up to 8 a day!

Olive crossing fingers it’s over soon for you.

Meant to add avacadoo that there’s also the issues if effects if you don’t take the medication and how that would effect you and the baby. Suffering like this really wants me to get the message out there that ginger will not help and this is not normal. People really don’t understand. Even my mum was telling me just to have ginger and sniff lavendar and I could tell just couldn’t get how bad it is and how little that does.

Everyone is having such a rotten time, I'm sending big hugs to you all. I've had a quiet day in bed after a bad morning. My HT was brilliant and told me to rest, so I've been guilt free. I don't think I'll go in tomorrow or Wednesday, just lying down without worrying about anything has meant I've eaten a whole sandwich today and I don't feel as sick as I have done the last few days. It may well change though - I have 3 huge spots on my chin which is always hormonal so I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it's an after effect rather than a sign of things to come. In other news, my cats are loving the slumber party we appear to be having! Usually when I'm at home I have a 3 year old shadowing me and they only get a bit of attention 😺

@Reastie DH has been on all sorts for a GI issue, senna basically irritates the gut so from our perspective it’s one of the worst to take as it can really trigger a lot of movement in the GI tract which can be uncomfortable, side effects etc, so that might be contributing to your sickness. Movicol on the other hand he is fine with and that’s his ‘go to’ - I think it works by increasing the fluid in the gut, so it’s a stool softener as well as a laxative, so it’s a bit gentler and makes it easier to go. FWIW he only ever has senna pre-colonoscopy, because it’s mandatory but for constipation (which he’s had chronically because of his condition, although it’s fine right now) he uses Movicol or lactulose as they’re gentler stool softener laxatives. I had lactulose after giving birth and I found it fine, just made me a bit gassy (which I suppose is to be expected!). Hope you find the Movicol better.

I’m feeling better today which is a relief, as the weekend was horrible, but I have this stupid reaction which is “Am I making this up? Maybe I’m not that sick after all?”. Forget the fact that I slept from 11am to 2pm today! And still nauseous, but it is easier today, which is welcome relief from 3 days of more intense non stop nausea. So I should just accept it, I’m not suddenly bouncing around I’m just better than the last 3 days! I worry about making a fuss over nothing keep having to remind myself I’m really not, I’ve been pregnant twice before and it wasn’t like this.

Hope everyone else is feeling ok today

Thanks beforeihit30. I’ve got a sachet of movicol here I’m trying to drink but it tastes utterly disgusting, I’m not sure I’ll manage to get it down. But at least it gives me hope that if I can manage it I might not suffer so much. Do you know if you can take it with juice or squash not just water? I can’t take lactulose as it disagrees with me. FWIW I have days now where things aren’t too bad so long as I’m gentle with myself and I also think am I making up how bad it is but then it strikes again and I realise no, it really is that terrible.

Norbert it’s so helpful when work are good about being off, really helps the stress.

@Reastie DH usually takes it with squash as all these things taste pretty awful so that should be fine. And glad it’s not just me who has those moments! Hope it works well for you.

@Reastie I was gonna say put a touch of squash or buy some flavoured water as long as you get it down you!

@beforeihit30 I'm so glad you said about the am I making it up bit, I feel the exact same I feel like half the time it's all in my head!

I just wish people would back off me right now, I feel amazing since blocking that girl because she's the one been taunting me about how fabulous she feels. Also spoke to the doctor she cheered me up said not to listen to the mil because she wouldn't give me anything to hurt it.
Signed off another two weeks and now on a combination of prochloporezine and cyclizine since one works at night for me and the other works in the morning!
Managed an oval bite from Greggs, praise modern medicine 🙌🙌🙌🙌

@norbert23 on another thread people have said sudocrem has been working for their spots, worth a try?

Thanks @avacadooo 😀 yellow metanium is good too and cancels out the redness. Well done on the Greggs!

Movicol better in squash. And it def works though I can’t keep it down anymore. Fybogel another good option. I take sodium docusate in capsule form which works ok ish (as in I go once a week).
Still feeling pretty naff tbh. However this weekend the stress has been reduced movements so have been in an out being assessed daily and off work this week as a result. It’s funny but it’s only now I have stopped that I have realised jusyhow grim I still feel - have been very good at ignoring and minimising. Anyway had a scan today and it proves that babies are super parasites as they were happy with growth too

Reastie I hope you are having a better day today. I hope the new laxative works. Remind me; did you say that the suppositories were no good when you tried them? I used to sniff at a lavender satchet in bed, but that was because OH stank of roast pork to me. I should think PSS have lots of good advice on laxatives, should this one not be any good.
avocadoo You are right to avoid the condescending advice of insensitive fair weather friends. Annoying about MIL. What happened with Thamidolide would never happen with today's regulations. Why do people assume the doctor hadn't thought things through? Countless people on this thread have been on that drug for a start. Many have been on a cocktail of them as the only way to keep out of hospital. Another, Cyclizine, has been used safely for at least thirty years. The risks of prolonged and severe dehydration to the baby are very real - do tell officious people that.
Olivecake The best of luck for an early, easy labour. You have been a on this thread. Do let us know how things go.
Nighttimenope You are convalescent, and bound to have no energy. It takes a long time to recover. Don't blame yourself. You are doing wonderfully looking after two LO's.
Sassehmonsta Sorry about cough and puking and peeing. It is humiliating!
emma It's normal to be nervous. The chances are massively that all will be well.
canonlyhope I have written ' A lot of people do find that' but I am sorry to say I have forgotten what I meant by it. Apologies! Would it be over a bath/shower setting of vomiting?
norbert I always have said that cats have healing powers. They do seem to come and purr at you if you are ill. It is very nice.
happydays I hope you get used to the meds soon. If not, it might be worth asking the GP if you can juggle them.
calmercomber and Hairigician Do those ordials count as the 'Robinson's fruit drinks' I always list as recommendations? Several people on here have recommended those. Your sets of twins are right next to each other on the due dates list!
*SeaEagleFeather' Wise words of experience.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.
Here's the new Due Dates list.
Due Dates
Olivecake 23 January
elpreggo27 20 March
silversplodge 4 April
Anya 13 Apriil
Beanhunter 17 April
8DaysAWeek 1st May
tinyradish 1 May
foreverblues 5 May
Plasticgiraffe 10 May
Mamabear13 18 May
bumblebee 20 May
SashaMonsta 31 May
eallison June
evuscha 26 July
emma 4 August
CalmerComber 5 August TWINS
Hairgician 18 August TWINS!
DeadDoorPost early September

beanhunter Cross posted. That sounds stressful about reduced movements. I am glad you got reassurance. You have been too stoic.

I’ve nearly managed half a sachet of movicol, it’s taken me over an hour of very slow sipping to get it down! Adding squash is definitely helping a lot so thank you for the tip. Dose is 1-3 sachets a day but I don’t really know how many I’ll need. Any advice on how many you all took? Thought I’d do half tonight, half tomorrow morning and another half tomorrow afternoon and see if one a day will be enough but worried about being bunged up and balancing it with not feeling sick from side effects.

Bean that must’ve been a worry but I’m glad all is ok and you get the week to rest.

Avacadoo I’ve heard that about sudocrem but interestingly it’s always aggregated my spots. I remember putting toothpaste on spots at night as a teenager to dry them out but I have no idea if that’s still something that works. Well done for managing the Greggs and just ignore your friend.

@LucindaE yes I did say about being sick in the bath/shower! It's bizarre isn't it. I wonder why this happens. My due date is 13th August for the list x

@avacadooo poachy I am so jealous of your Greggs. I could so chomp on a chicken bake! Liz Earle is so good for skincare. Nice and natural and soothing.

@canonlyhopexo don't worry hopefully you'll manage a Greggs at some point🤞 did you find week 10 to be the worst week so far? I feel like I've barely survived it.

@LucindaE worst thing is mil was a nurse but I put her in her place by saying it's meds or dehydration and I know which one I'm picking.
Yeah the "friend" has been awful since she found out and saying I can't handle being pregnant is the last Straw. She told me when I told her I was pregnant that I basically tricked my dh into having a baby even though it takes two and was a mutual decision! So I don't need that negativity in my life, actually feel less stressed and free!

@Reastie I remember the toothpaste days 😂

@norbert23 there's also a face mask from body shop that's like clay and seaweed in a blue tub, that works magic for me right now only down side is you need to moisturise like mad after!

Gosh, everyone seems to be having such a hard time st the moment. I went to work today for 2 hours. It's wiped me out, but i feel that the benefits of human interaction and feeling like I'm being productive will be worth it. I don't think I'll really know the impact on my health til Friday- day with my son tomorrow, then 2 hours at work on weds and Thurs. Son will be at nursery on Friday, so I'll be able to relax and see how my body is. Everyone was lovely. It seems like they are going to be pretty flexible with my hours and when I work them so that's a relief.

20 week scan tomorrow. I'm a little nervous, as still don't feel like I've had definite movements yet.

Sorry I'm not offering more support or advise, I can barely keep my eyes open. I'm off to bed as soon as my son is sleep and I can escape his room. Or if it's much longer, I may just sleep here...!

@avacadooo can't wait! Might even treat myself to caramel custard donut while I'm at it (can you tell I'm a Greggs fan haha) I wouldn't say week ten has been particularly more difficult than the others. In fact mid week I thought i was turning the corner ever so slightly. I thought wrong as just went back to hell on Earth on Friday. 11 weeks tomorrow and finally got our scan date 💪🏽

@eallison88 I'm glad everyone was nice and you can be flexible. Hoping Friday isn't too much of a wipe out for you.

I don't think I'm entirely ready to go back to work yet as still being quite sick and when I'm not sick I'm crippled by nausea but I'm feeling the pressure to get back into the swing of things especially as I'm nearing the end of the first trimester. Showering isn't a pleasant experience and I've taken to getting food shop delivered so it's not even like I'm doing the most basic of every day tasks.

@restie - I needed 2 twice a day. But took them as one drink twice a day if that makes sense as didn’t need extra fluid?

@Nighttimenope I'm at a similar point on a good day now - I'm feeling well enough to do a bit more, even if I can't actually do it for long - so the guilt feelings about everything I'm not doing are kicking in. I'm also struggling with mental energy and like you all I want to do is zone out, pre pregnancy energetic me feels like a different person now.

I've still not got a date for my 12 week scan and I'm 12 weeks on Thursday. I chased with ny midwife last week, but I'm starting to get quite stressed about it - we will probably have to find childcare and arrange for time off work for DH and we need a bit of notice to do either!

@eallison88 well done you!!! Think you deserve a nap after that day!🧡

@canonlyhopexo chicken bakes, the chicken chargrill sandwiches and empire biscuits are my life! When's your scan?
Don't rush to get back to normal, slow and steady wins the race. Try to take it week by week!

@Reastie

Can really relate with the constipation from the Ondansetron, i still struggle but managed to decrease to 1 tablet per day as I’m now 28wks. I’ve mentioned before on here that I’ve suffered with constipation most of my life but this is something else! I know Lucinda has touched upon this but I can really vouch for the glycerine suppositories (I took two over a 48 hour period) after 11 days of not going it was safe to say I was dreading ‘going’ however it wasn’t painful at all even with just movicol or lactulose and gallons of water it’s still always been painful. So I’d definitely recommend them. My GP prescribed me with some tablet form of stool softeners too as I was struggling to keep lactulose and movicol down in the earlier days. They are just Docusate sodium (x2 per day) and they are good too, just another thought if movicol does become too much for you, I know a few people who can’t stand the taste of movicol (it’s weird as I don’t taste anything so luckily I can get away with part)

Hope you get relief soon it’s awful!