Ondansetron

[elljones]

Hi there, please can any ladies with experience of pregnancy sickness help me. I'm 16 weeks pregnant with identical twins and since week 5 I have been very unwell with 24/7 nausea. It has woken me in the night as well as being all day and has made the pregnancy experience very very challenging. It is my first pregnancy and I know sickness is normal however I have high levels of HCG which I think are the cause, plus the fact it's twins. I have been off work since mid December as I have been unable to manage the commute (2 hours each way) or even leave the house due to feeling awful plus repeated heaving prevents me going anywhere or the odd vomit doesn't help either, I've had some good days but the bad days are so terrible I end up crying myself to sleep wanting the day to be over and then repeat the next day and so on. My GP initially prescribed me Cyclizine which worked well for a period of time but not well enough and I should have switched it earlier to something stronger but I kept going with it although I still had terrible days. After my third GP visit in tears of pure desperation and frustration they prescribed me Ondansetron. I have taken it for 5 days and I have been able to function! It's been a godsend and I have been thinking about returning to work. However I asked my GP for more tablets today as they run out in a few days, he said he needed to check. He rang a Obstetrician at my hospital and they said they recommend I do not take them anymore with immediate effect, to try Cyclizine again and then reduce that down too. The reason being evidence of Ondansetron is not sufficient enough to prescribe without worry so they won't do it. I asked if this was because I'm having twins and that was not even discussed with this consultant so no, nothing to do with it. I spoke to the Foetal medicine unit not entirely happy with this as I'm terrified of the bad days and nights returning, the helpful lady rang a consultant at the same hospital just a few hours later, clearly a different Obstetrician consultant who said it was fine and they'd give me a prescription. I am so confused. I know no drug are 100% safe but please does anyone have the professional knowledge of experience with these drugs and this awful nausea, were you allowed to take it and if so for how long, are your babies ok etc. Thanks in advance from a fed up and worried pregnant mum to be.

Hi OP - I'd suggest posting this in the hyperemesis support thread in pregnancy section - many of them are on combinations of these meds and will be able to help you.

Thread here: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/3448033-Hyperemesis-Support?pg=33&order=

Thank you will do 👍🏻

They don't like prescribing ondensatron as a first line drug because there's some evidence it might very slightly increase the risk of cleft palate and heart defects in the baby. Other studies show no increase in risks, so they are still doing more research. However, if you are bed bound then there are risks to the baby from that too... The more reassuring data is more recent, older guidelines seem to be much more cautious about it than newer ones.

There are loads of us on ondensatronon the hyperemesis thread, hospital doctors are very happy to prescribe it and I've been on it for the last 6 weeks. I've seen a figure that slightly overy 20% of American women now take which I think is why UK doctors are becoming increasingly relaxed about prescribing it.

I've been on ondansetron from 6 weeks pregnant, I'm now 21 weeks and still take them now again when I need them, I have to also agree they were the only ones that worked for me too. The gp was first reluctant to get me a second prescription, however she told me she's was going to double check with the hospital if they were happy for me to carry on and they were! I do have to have a telephone conversation with a gp every time I need a new prescription to check on my well-being otherwise there was no concern to why you have to stop taking them! X

I took it from 7 weeks till birth (38 w) with dc5 and he’s fine. All my other pregnancies were HG too and ondansetron was the only thing that worked

The hypermesis thread is amazing, as is the pregnancy sickness support website.
I’m so glad they did give you another prescription. I hope the sickness eases quickly for you. It’s miserable while it lasts (but totally worth it!)

Thank you so much ladies, appreciate your support. I am very fed up with it all plus having to battle his is tiring, so your words are encouraging.

Glad you've found the hyperemesis thread. I too suffered with both pregnancies but worst with my 2nd and I had ondansetron as it was exactly as you described- the only thing that allowed me to function!

I have taken it throughout both my pregnancies with no problems.