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.

Thank you for everyone's kind words. I'm feeling better today. Touch wood, but I've not had any bleeding yesterday or today. I'm wondering if the the thrush and UTI were part of the problem. I used the pessary for the thrush on Thursday night, and started the antibiotics on Thursday, so both have been/are being treated as the bleeding seems to have settled. And having googled symptoms of UTI, I have been peeing even more than normal (which if put down to pregnancy, but perhaps was aggravated by UTI), pains like the ones I've been having are a symptom too. If any of the doctors had asked me anything other than "does it burn to pee" then maybe I'd have been on the antibiotics earlier. I think I've probably only got away with it for so long cos I'm drinking litres of water each day. So, without wanting to jinx anything, I'm hopeful that maybe the bleeding will settle for good now. I also feel more positive having booked an apt with my diabetes consultant and my counsellor. It also helps having hubby around to sort lunch for me. He's the cook in this house and i hate cooking and am not very good at it. So having to sort a diabetes/hyperemesis friendly lunch for myself really stresses me out, and I almost always get it wrong. Not having to think about it at the weekend makes such a difference to my stress levels. So yeah, better day today!

That’s great eal. How about the nausea, you said that was worsening, is that improving as the uti improves too?

Nausea is staying pretty constant, but not getting slowly worse as it was. So that's better. Got sort of bleeding this morning. Well, it's not bleeding, just a kind of pale pinky mucus blob in the middle of the loo roll when I wiped post wee (tmi sorry, pregnancy is grim). I'm gonna monitor it rather than go to hospital today; it seems overkill when theres no actual blood. Obviously, if it gets worse i will go!!
Hope everyone had a restful night

@eallison88 so sorry you are feeling so bad. I was dairy free when I got pregnant (breastfeeding my dairy allergic DD) and couldn't eat anything sweet either due to the nausea, in case there is something here you haven't thought of, the dairy free low carb things that helped my nausea were hummus, smoked salmon / mackerel (2 x week pregnancy limit) and cashew cheeses (have to order online but only dairy free cheese I know that tastes ok). I couldn't eat them in the early weeks but I've just checked and Coyo coconut yoghurt and Violife creamy (cream cheese alternative) are both high fat fairly low carbohydrates and are taste wise quite good dairy substitutes, I don't know how low your carb limits are though.

Thanks teddy, I'll have a look at the violife creamy stuff, cream cheese is something I'm missing and hopefully the violife stuff will be low carb like normal cream cheese, thus a quick easy snacks.

Just spent another hour at hospital. All fine, as usual. But finally being referred for more exploration as to cause of bleeding. Hurrah! I'm now waiting for the mountain of sausages, bacon, tomatoes, mushroom and hash browns (mountain of meat = protein which means I can have carby hash browns) to cook. Then I'll fry at least 2 eggs (more protein = another hashbrown!). Such a healthy diet....

@eallison88 holy shit that sounds amazing, the food not the hospital. I wouldn't worry about the healthy diet at this point I'm keeping the baby alive with chips and chippy brown sauce 😂

I had such a good day yesterday, I went for lunch with a friend and went shopping with her and now today I'm couch bound unable to drink or take anything for fear of throwing up. I feel like I'm going to ruin my four days since I spewed record.
I wanted to clean the house today too 😭
I'm convinced this child hates my guts and is enjoying this, it's just signing itself up for a lifetime of being force fed Brussel sprouts.😒😂

Only two hours until dh comes home with my coke and wrap that I fancy 🙌

Fun question of the day - if you take movicol how many sachets a day?
I had a very traumatic toilet experience today! Lactulose clearly not enough. I'm thinking 1 sachet morning and 1 at night? For maintenance whilst on ondansetron.

Avacadoo sounds like you overdid it yesterday?

Eal that food sounds amazing, although I still can’t manage tomeat most of it atm!

Elkie I did a lot of googling on how much movicol and the annoying answer is it totally depends on the person. I’m on one sachet in morning one in the evening and mostly for me that’s enough, although I’ve been having issues this past week so have gone up to 2.5 sachets to see if that helps things at all. But I know beam on here said she was on 2 sachets in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. If you’re taking lactulose as well you might not need as much. Sorry, I know that’s unhelpful. Maybe start on one or two sachets a day for a few days (it takes a while to work) and see what happens. My gp told me to drink a lot when taking it too as it needs the moisture to add back into the stools. I don’t kmow how much is recommended but I’m managing to drink a fair bit atm .

Average day here, it at keast it’s nearly over, and tomorrow I’ll be 25 weeks.

eallison I am so glad that there was reassurance. Never worry about tmi on here; no such thing, however grim the topic. It is stupid of me not to have thought of that, as I have had very bad cystitus before now, and that did give me pains in the lower back of the sort you mentioned. I am glad you can eat that meat, at least.
TeddyReddy What a great list. Hummous is a good idea, and full of protein, surely, as it is made of chickpeas. How do people generally find it?
avocaddo Ha Ha, I had to laugh at your threat. I hope you enjoy the wrap and coke.
ElkieMacjibe Sorry to hear of that trauma. Great advice from Reastie anyway.
Waves to all. Watch me cross post.

Continue hugs for eallison, enjoy your meat mountain and accompanying hash browns!

avacadooo I agree it does sound like maybe the body is reacting in an attempt to recover but I like the brussels threat

I’ve been similar-ish today, had a brief jaunt Thursday to GP and shop, went out for 2 hours on Friday (two whole hours!) which included a trip to the local cafe AND spent the rest of the day in the living room chatting and with family (not in bed), and Saturday morning I looked after DC2 (at home) so DH could finally take DC1 to his sport that’s he’s missed for a few weeks now all because DH is having to take care of us all. Well by 3pm yesterday I crawled into bed and haven’t been out of it much since! Managed some soup last night, have just eaten some crisps today, can’t really face anything else DC1 asked DH if we could all have breakfast together this morning, so DH did with them but told them mummy wasn’t well enough and needed rest so I’m feeling a bit pathetic again!

However DCs did come and hang out in bed with me for a bit, which was nice. I worry about DH, he’s lovely, happy, not complaining, but I can tell he’s tired - after all he’s spent the last two months solidly doing almost everything, so he’s bound to be! At least he stays at home so when the DCs are at school he sometimes has a nap during the day!

avacadoo the thing is, on the gestational diabetes diet that is a pretty healthy meal. I realised i was missing naked beans half way thru, but they wouldn't have squeezed onto the plate plus they're Not so greater diabetes. And yes, it was so, so awesome. It's so easy to push ourselves when we have good days, avacadoo, especially when it's the first good days in a while. Just be kind to yourself today and tomorrow and take things as gently as you can.

Beforeihit I feel guilty about dh too, but then I tell myself it’s good warm up and practice for the extra work of having a new baby and by then he’ll be used to doing more. Plus, to be fair, I’d much rather be taking up the slack and doing everything at home rather than be the sicky one. No competition! Well done on how much you managed. You sound exactly like me not managing much and then feeling awful after you do stuff.

That’s true Reastie, DH has mentioned it, going a bit wide eyed on occasion as he remembers night waking the first two times but I’ve told him, whilst I’ll be needing my rest after the birth (did myself a mischief after having DC1 by trying to do too much too soon so learned my lesson there), I’ll likely be so much more useful than now! I’ll be able to feed baby, change nappies, I’ll probably spend more time out of bed than I do currently, and after a couple of weeks I’ll likely be physically well and even returning to things like cooking and cleaning!

So fair enough, we’ll be super tired with a newborn, but I’m looking forward to it as I’m so highly unlikely to be sicky at that point that’s one of my comforts, however long or not this lasts (I’m 15 weeks, well aware that it could improve from around 20 weeks based on the norm but it could go on longer), I’ll give birth and have the instant relief of not being pregnant! I’m totally ready for massive pads, swollen bits and cracking out the Anusol again because I’ll be able to sit awkwardly and sorely in practically any room of the house

Mmmmm hash browns! I had them for lunch today, from subway. 6 for 99p so I got two portions. That’s definitely my new Sunday lunch as I work right next door!
I definitely over did it on Friday and had a horrible day yesterday. I went to sleep at 8:30 last night and woke absolutely busting for a wee at about 7 and I have felt ok today.
So lesson learned, if you feel good - don’t over do it, still take it easy.

Thanks @Reastie I'll try two a day and see how I go.

Hope everyone has a peaceful Sunday evening.

Good news about the food @eallison88 - sorry you ended up back in hospital but hopefully you get some answers.
I'm also in the do too much and pay for it boat, I'm managing school on bread, crumpets and nesquik but I'm like a ghost at the and of the day and asleep by 7:30 every night. It's good to be back around people though and I've also eaten a little bit of spag Bol yesterday which was ok. Back to bread today though but at least I haven't been sick for a few days and I can spend some time with DD. Bed now for a nice big sleep! Night all x

Oh and to make things worse my jeans are all too tight and I look like I'm turning into a weeble already even though I'm only eating a tiny bit of food - arrgggghhhh damn you starchy carbs

Sorry, rant over 😀

@norbert23 at least you haven't put on 3 stone! I was only about 7.5stone to start with (I'm blessed with a tiny frame and fast metabolism, normally!). Combo of steroid bloat/weight gain and full on steroid munchies for the first 6 weeks of being on them, plus (like you) starchy, sugary carbs for the first few months of pregnancy.... someone at church this morning told me "this pregnancy has changed your look. It's not unbecoming". Luckily he's a very lovely man who has no idea how to speak to women (or probably people generally!), so it's not actually as bad as it sounds. I did love the use of the word "unbecoming" tho!! I hope school is ok tomorrow

Sleep well all

Eal my cousin was on steroids for arthritis and I seem to remember they made her very puffy and it was quite obvious in her face but it’ll go down when you’re not taking them. I was partly and partly at the unbecoming person. It’s in a way so rude but also kind of appropriate choice of word in my case at least anyway.

Norbert well done for managing work. Are you a teacher? Hats off as I always find I have to work harder when feeling under the weather as the kids sense my weakness. It’s not the kind of job you can just sit quietly at a desk holding taking it gently.

Urgh, I’m feeling dire this morning. Had an hour and a half of activity around the house and think I overdid it. To make it worse I can’t actually remember if I took my medicine this morning . I don’t remember taking it at all but looking at how many pills I have left I think I must’ve done but I’m not sure. So I may be feeling so terrible because of lack of medicine. Sorry, nothing more to add, just feeling sorry for myself. 25 weeks today. I am just so of all those women who only have regular pg nausea.

Oh Reastie rest up and hopefully it will start to feel better. I had a little chuckle to myself about envying regular pg nausea, not only because I agree, but because before I got pg this time around I remember thinking, ‘Ugh, nausea, I hope it’s better this time’ and now, like you, I’m thinking, ‘Regular pg nausea would be so much better...’.

Needing more rest today, body still recovering. Sigh. My goal for the day is to shower.

Beforeihit hope you manage your shower goal. I think my mistake was writing a to do list. Makes me feel like I’m actually capable of achieving things on the list. I’m better off just having one daily goal. This morning I did 30 minutes on bike, did the washing, had a shower, did some house admin, did the dishwasher. I’m only half way through the list but I’m now sofa bound feeling sorry for myself. I did too much. I would so love to just feel regular exhaustion and tiredness and not feel so sick every time I do anything.

I have just ordered myself a pill box from amazon so I can get them ready every week so I definitely know if I’ve taken them or not. No more unsure worries.

reastie I was just about to suggest a pill.box. I bought one early on to help me keep track of what id taken each day. I actually have a 7 day one that I use for 1 day... one 'day' per drug, plus one to take any meds out in if I'm gonna be out when I'm due something.

@Reastie you did 30 minutes on a bike? I am in awe and slightly jealous, but it's horrible you feel nasty now.

I did totally overdo it on Sunday because I needed up losing my wrap and my four day vomit free streak.😔
And I woke up to vomit again this morning, stupid stomach.
Managed to get to Specsavers for an eye test though and got a baguette from Greggs to appease the parasite. Some arsehole parked right against my car when I was reverse parking and didn't leave me enough room to get out, even if I didn't have the bloat/bump (still not sure which it is 😂) I wouldn't have managed to squeeze out! Fuming! I had to move my car so I could escape!!
Now I don't know whether I can be bothered doing any housework or if I'll just pull the sympathy card out on dh when he comes home 😂😂