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.
It has been suggested that I add some practical tooth cleaning advice: a lot of sufferers find using a child's small toothbrush and strawberry toothpaste far less nauseating.
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’d really love some advice. I want to ttc for baby no 3 soon but my first 2 pregnancies that resulted in live births were just awful. Pregnancy 1 I had bad morning sickness and tiredness, pregnancy 2 I had full on hypermesis- vomiting every day of the whole pregnancy, completely unable to do anything much and so tired. Eating strangely made me feel a bit better so I could keep hydrated and some food went in. I actually put on weight but my diet was awful - I could only manage plain food like potato and toast and apple. I had terrible heart burn and bile too. I took antisickness drugs for a few weeks (an antihistamine and then something stronger) but I was so worried about potential side effects I stopped and just ‘managed’ (except I wasn’t managing). After the birth the dr finally gave me a blood test and I was deficient in iron, folate and vitamin d.
What can I do this time to make it a better experience and minimize some of the horror of HG?
Thanks in advance!

Redsky although a new pg coukd be different, I think chances are you’ve had this twice it’s likely you could suffer again. Advice seems to be get medication as soon as you can to stop it progressing to the stage it was last time. I was given cyclizine before I was even pg and took it the day I got my bfp onwards. Look into the risks of different medication in pg now and see what and if you’d be prepared to take. The risks are absolutely minimal, especially with something like cyclizine which has been prescribed for years in pg women and thought of as pretty safe. I did things like got plans in place with dd so that if needed I’d have help with the school run etc when I couldn’t manage it. But other than medication it sound s like you did the other things that can help, which is rest and if you can manage to eat.

Good grief bean 2 viruses at once? No wonder you feel rotten, how unfair. Get lots of rest and I hope it starts improving for you soon.

Avacadoo I’ve found there to be a lot of scaremongering from medical professionals during pg and beyond, I experienced it several times. I’d research the issue to find out the actual risk, but be glad that they are minimising any, even small, chance of something bad.

redsky recommendations in the guidelines from the RCOG are actually to take made before youre even pregnant. My GP was uncomfortable with that cos it took us 2 years to conceive first time, and only then with help, and she didn't want me taking meds that long when I didn't need them. Which was fair enough. She gave me a prescription though that I could get as soon as I had a positive test (for cyclizine. And as it happens we got pregnant first cycle this time!). She also made a record on my notes that as soon as the cyclizine wasn't working I was to prescribed ondansetron, which is the only med that helped last time. So I started the cyclizine as soon as I found out I was pregnant, and within a week I was on ondansetron. I knew that I had supportive GPs, so I knew that when things weren't working I could go to see 2 in particular who i knew would prescribe meds etc. My advice to you would be to work out which of your GPs are supportive and get a prescription for cyclizine to take as soon as pregnant, at the very least!
The other stuff I did in preparation was get referred to a specialist consultant in advance so we could plan. As it happened cos I got pregannt so quickly, I was 7 weeks pregnant by the time I actually saw a consultant. That consultant was also absolutely crap. I also put weight on (so I had some to lose!) And changed my eating habits to little and often. Hubby and I talked thru contingency plans for our 3 year old, tho didn't talk to the people we planned to look after our son (family - we were confident what we had in mind wouldn't be a problem, and it wasnt). We told family when I was 3 weeks pregnant (we had it as our secret for a whole week!) And put former plans in place at that point. I also told work straight after family - hubby and I work together, so it was likely to have a bigger impact. I also planned as much ahead as I could for work anticipating time off.
The best thing i did was get in touch with a counsellor I had seen for 6 months in 2017 as soon as I peed on the stick! I knew I was gonna need emotional support. I saw her regularly for the first few months, and now see her as and when I need to. My sessionswith her have been invaluable. It helped that I already had a relationship with her.
Another suggestion would be to look at your finances and see if you can afford things like a cleaner. We already had one (from my first pregnancy!), and we decided to ask her to do an extra clean a week (not a full one, just sorting the kitchen and toilets) so that I could cope better with smells etc.

I hope some of that is helpful for you. Also be prepared for the possibility that this pregnancy could be worse than last 2. I was floored by How much worse this pregnancy has been. And the first one was pretty shit! However, it's not guaranteed to be worse. It's not even guaranteed you'll be ill at all this time (tho likely,unfortunately ).;

Hi everyone. I was on this thread at the beginning of my pregnancy and it was so useful. Dropped off as been so busy with work and toddler and the sickness became a bit more manageable.
Am 7 months now and the sickness has got loads worse again. Finally saw a more sympathetic doctor (the other gps had been very reluctant to give me my cyclizine - and were telling me to use it sparingly etc which freaked me out) who has prescribed me ondansetron, as well as ranitidine for my heartburn. The ondanseteon has helped so much - have only been sick once in last couple of days. Wish I had pushed for it earlier.
The only downside is the constipation - anyone got any tips for dealing with that? Do I need to go back to the doctors?

Good luck to everyone else - I don’t even have full blown HG but have found this pregnancy so hard. I was sick every day last time but nothing like this. The first 4-5 months went so slowly but am starting to be able to see the finish line now so it does end eventually.

Rotating cyclizine and ondansetron every four hours and i finally feel like a human being. Wow! Magic of modern medicine!!

Thank you so much! I’ll get a gp appointment see if I can get medicine prescribed for when we have a bfp. I hate being pregnant!
Hope it all goes quickly for you all. I remember the instant relief when I had my baby 2. Definately gave me an incentive during labour.

Back in the ward. At least this time my consultant is on so fluids only took a few hours to start.

Hope you're home soon @beanhunter and you feel better soon, you must be worn out.
I started meds early this time @Redskyandrainbows67 which has made a big difference, not quite so much in the weeks 8/9/10 which are always bad but I'm now 15 weeks and feel semi normal! I also took time off work this time and that has also helped loads.

I've had no meds since Friday and have managed well so far, I've even had some normal food and a cup of tea this morning! I'm going to brave a bit of Sunday dinner later and will keep my fingers crossed. So much better than a life of bread! Cautiously hoping the worst is over, which would be a huge improvement on last time. If this is a brief lull I'll be so disappointed!

@avocadooo we have a cockapoo. She's adorable but pretty naughty. Is there a way to send pics on here?

I've been out today for the first time since Monday. I also bought the first bit of clothing for the little one - a lovely hand knitted cardigan. It's really lifted my spirits.

I hope everyone is bearing up today.

Had some really good days. Then this is day 3 of feeling bad. Thought I was going to throw up just now while peeing.

Got a spa day tomorrow. Hopefully having an antenatal massage.

And realised my due date this time round is a Sunday again. Same as last one.

Oh, and DS slept for 8ish hours last night in a solid block. So I got some decent sleep!!

sad waves to everyone feeling miserable

@Redskyandrainbows67 you’ve already had some great advice, so I’ll just add that being prepared mentally is as important as the physical side. I had somehow convinced myself that pregnancy no2 wouldn’t be as bad. It’s a lot worse and has hit me emotionally as well as physically. I hadn’t prepared myself for feeling this useless & upset about it.

Hope everyone has had an ok day. I’ve kept more food down today, but the nausea has been relentless. Can’t wait for everyone else to go to school / work in the morning so that I can have some undisturbed stillness & wallowing. Ds 3.5 has really struggled with me being in bed today & kept escaping from dh up for cuddles. Which is lovely, but he does make me feel so sick when he jumps on me!

My usually pretty unsympathetic sister in law made a dairy free birthday cake for my niece so I could have some! I ignored diabetes rules and did. It was bloody delicious- chocolate cake. She didn't tell anyone else twas dairy free, and they all loved it, so it must have been good! I was gobsmacked and it made me really happy:)

Just updating. Been to work today for the first time since Christmas Eve!
It went ok. I feel mega tired now but (touch wood) I’ve not been sick today.
I was sick last night after eating which is unusual because I’m usuallly ok after eating so I thought today was going to be awful!
LucindaE Yes Sunday is a strange day to start back up but it was my only regular day before pregnancy and when I’m ready I will add in my other day. But that other day is always an 8pm finish which I can’t manage just yet.
Hope everyone is ok 👌🏻

RedSkyandRainbows67 You have had great advice. I won't say welcome to the thread nobody wants to join, as that might put a curse on it! I will just add that a good anti -acid like Ranitidine and Omprazole can make a huge. It is awful that you struggled on without meds last time. The risks are, as others say, very low, and far lass than the dangers of being severely dehydrated. Cyclizine has been used in pregnancy sickness for three or four decades and is considered very safe.
beanhunter Oh no; poor you. Two viruses, and needing fluids.
avodadoo Added you.
1Potato I believe you can send an atachment, browsing for files, to post pictures?
Parent I am so glad meds are helping.
Unbreakable For constipation, I believe you can get Lactulose over the counter, safe in pregnancy. You can get those suppositories from Boots - they use them for pregnant women in hospital, but the guidelines mean they won't sell them to anyone they know to be pregnant - so you would need to send someone else. Fibregel is used by a few brave souls.
DeadDoorPost Congratulations on good days. A good sign. Sorry that you feel bad again.
CattaxiAgh about being jumped on. Not what you need, though sweet.
norbert Congratulations on tea. Everything is so much more bearable with tea.
Waves to Reastie and eallison and everyone.
I have been trying to post this message for over an hour; people keep ringing me up. Sorry, everyone! Watch me cross post.

Bili Aah, I see, about Sundays. I am so glad work wasn't totally overwhelming. Don't push yourself says Mother Hen.
eallison I am so glad that your SIL did a kind thing with that cake. I am sure you enjoyed every mouthful.
avdocadoo and cattaxi Adding you.

Due Dates
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
Nighttimenope 13 July
evuscha 26 July
emma 4 August
CalmerComber 5 August TWINS
Teddyreddy 9 August
advocadoo 11 August
canonlyhope 13 August
Bili 16 August
Hairgician 16 August TWINS!
norbert 26 August
beforei hit30 3 September
stroen 4 September
DeadDoorPost 8 September
1Potato 8 September
MoonKid 1 October TWINS!
cattaxi 19 October

Can I ask a non hyperemesis question? Maybe it’s a nice change to talk about something else!

Dod any of you show earlier with second babies. You could see my bump from about 14 weeks quite clearly with ds. I’m short and narrow & was much thinner then! I was expecting this one to take a bit longer to show due to being much fatter. But my uterus feels huge already! I cant lie flat on my stomach because it feels so prominent. I’m sure it wasn’t like this last time. I didn’t think I could be any bigger, but I’m heading for hugeness, aren’t I?!

Thank you and yes - I was silly to try and struggle on without meds just time. A big factor was my unsympathetic husband who thought I should just get on with it. No way I’d do that again - I wouldn’t have got so anemic if I’d been able to eat properly and more than just potatoes for a start.

Cat taxi def the mental side is hard - you always hope the next pregnancy will be different but in my experience they’ve got worse each time. This time though I’d be kinder to myself and wouldn’t feel bad because my body couldn’t do pregnancy as easily as others seemed to.

Thanks Lucinda - I will definitely ask about antacids too.

Yes my second pregnancy was huge! Much bigger than my first. I looked full term at about 5/6 months!

But the upside was my body recovered much better with my second - it knew how to recover after the birth in a way it didn’t after the first!

@cattaxi I was told you're normally bigger the 2nd time as everything has already been stretched once so gives up holding it in much earlier. I wasn't much bigger at the end though, so got there much sooner. Afraid pregnancy niggles like sore hips come on sooner too. I'm on number 3 and at 17 weeks have what feels like a huge bump already .

@beanhunter I got a couple of nasty stomach bugs when pregnant with DC2, the 2nd of which I ended up in hospital for. I didn't have hyperemesis that pregnancy, and I still had to go on anti nausea drugs for a couple of weeks after each as it took ages for the nausea to settle - I can't imagine what it would be like dealing with a bug on top of hyperemesis! I hope the hospital do a better job of sorting you out this time.

I'm now 17 weeks and very rarely nauseous as long as I take the drugs. I'm still really struggling to drink though - I'm on almost full days at work 2/3 days and get to the end of the day and realise I've only had to pee once... I've managed to cut down from 7 tablets of 3 different drugs a day to 4 - but am struggling to cut down further. Does anyone have any good tips on how to test cutting down drugs without spending all day feeling miserable as a result? I'm taking 3 tablets in the morning, if I try skipping one by mid afternoon I'm feeling awful and dehydrated - and if I then take the drug I missed in the morning it helps but still leaves me feeling really nauseous and the day ends up being a bit of a wipe out.

Teddy that’s tough re the drugs. I found when at my worst taking them at different times helped to spread it out rather than take everything full dose together. Maybe try with 2 pills first thing then the third mid morning? Then start reducing the 2 first thing. Get a pill cutter to cut in half so you take 1.5 initially rather than dropping a whole pill. I’ve only dropped one ondansetron so far and that’s only on good days. I lowered the dose when I felt regularly at my best compared to other times.

I’m definitely bigger earlier this time. Hoping I don’t end out bigger as I don’t think it’s physically possible to be bigger than I was last time!

Got a massive recommendation those stuck at home watching tv. ‘Three identical strangers’ on channel 4 catch up. I’m half way through and it’s absolutelt riveting. Had heard a lot about it before I watched it and everything very good. It’s only on for a month I think.

Blii hope you’re ok today after work yesterday.

Eal what a wonderful sil to make the cake suitable for you. It’s the little thoughtful jestures that make such a difference isn’t it.

Dead hope you enjoy the spa day

Norbert how did the food go down?

Bean hope you’re feeling better today.

Just took a little trip out to collect a free travel system someone was getting rid of. I’m really excited as it looks nicer than the one we had for dd last time. You can have the buggy facing you or facing away and I remember last time that being the one thing I wished mine would do so I coukd keep an eye on dd having snacks in the buggy etc. It also fully reclines for naps which dd didn’t. It’s a bit grubby so I’m just debating whether to attempt cleaning it myself or to send it somewhere to do it for me. Have put some bits through the wash to see how they come out but by no hurry as it’ll go in the shed for a few months anyway. Felt sick going out but glad to have left the house for first time in over a week.

Drug reduction; if youre still feeling rough, then don't try yet! If it makes you feel better i take between 18 and 21 tablets a day..!

Hi lovely ladies. I just got back from gp who signed me off for 2 weeks and told me I have to start taking ondanestron with the metoclopramide as not eating/drinking enough is dangerous 😢 I feel really conflicted about the ondanestron and the heart defect stuff (I'm only 8 weeks). I don't feel like I'm ill enough if you know what I mean.

Can I be added to the due date list? I'm 12 October.

Elkie that’s good your gp has signed you off and given you more medication. FWIW I’ve been on ondansetron since I think about week 6/7. Full dose after the first week. I’m still on it. The risks are low when you really look into it and they are also widely disputed. To put it in context over one in five pg women in America take ondansetron where it’s more widely prescribed (presumably because there isn’t the cost issues so much due to medical insurance). If you google enough you can find risks with pretty much everything in pg, it’s weighing the chance of risk against the benefits. The real increase in risk when they put it in figures is actually really small (although I forget the exact stats).

Btw when starting ondansetron please start a laxitive too, it has constipation as a side effect. I haven’t known anyone not suffer with this! Get your gp to put something on your repeat.

Thanks I saw the lactulose in pharmacy earlier and bought it just in case. I had a 3c tear with my first so I am always being told I must never be constipated for the sake of my poor pelvic floor!