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.
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.
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.

Hi all, sorry I've been so quiet, I've been lurking but really struggling. I'm 11 weeks now and feel like I'm getting worse this week. Spent most of yesterday sleeping, I'm so utterly exhausted from not even doing anything! The vomiting is getting worse again. I'm stressed as my husband doesn't seem to be coping that well with looking after our children on his own. Sorry for the moany post, just needed to vent. Hope everyone else is as okay as can be x

Hi all,

Am trying to hold back tears. So, we haven’t had visitors during my pg because I can’t cope with it. This has been fine, dh has gone to visit family etc and there’s never been an issue. I know I sound pathetic but just having people in the house I find incredibly stressful and makes me feel awfully sick even if I’m not being sociable. So this morning bil and mil turn up unannounced. I’m hiding in the dining room literally crying because I need to start making my lunch in ten minutes and I just can’t take people being around, and I struggle with mil at the best of times. This is our last week end as a family of 3, I was before they turned up doing a really good job of doing good parenting (for me for being pg) making friendship bracelets with dd. That’s all been ruined and I won’t be able to do it later as i can’t manage stuff in afternoons and was a rare moment of me being up to doing an activity with her. I know I sound pathetic and dh doesn’t get it, he thinks if they sit in the room next door it’s ok, but I’m panicking about whether I’ll need to use the bathroom and if they will be in it, and just struggling with the mental energy of having people here.

Clare you’re right in the thick of it, take each moment at a time and you can survive this.

Sorry to hear that reastie I know how you feel. I can't cope at the best of times with lots of people anyway and yesterday we had loads of people over as bil and SiL came over from Germany. I had to hide away upstairs feeling very weepy from it all.

Reastie Poor you. That is unfortunate. It is insensitive of the relatives just coming round like that, to be honest. It's a shame that your special time with DD was spoilt. I am so glad you are looking forward to these treats; I hear almond milk and frozen raspberries makes a lovely milkshake, but I have never got round to replacing my mixer and haven't tried it. It was a nasty enough virus; but I only suffered for three days; you all have been suffering for rather longer.
DeadDoorPost Sorry that it happened to you, too.
Fulbe Congratuations on the bread.
ClareDB Sorry that you feel so bad. You are probably at the worst stage for most people. Sorry to hear that OH is struggling with the lo's. Remind me what meds you are on. Can they add anything?
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Thanks Lucinda and dead, I knew you’d get why it upset me and I found it difficult. I’m actually quite cross at mil (I don’t think bil might realise how tough it is for me and what an issue it would be) as she is aware of how I am and that I can’t manage to be sociable or do anything (even the school run) and that I definitely wouldn’t appreciate the unannounced visit. It’s a good half hour round trip for them to make here (not knowing if anyone was in) and the excuse was bil had a (tiny keyring) present from his holiday for dd. But mil sees dd at least once a week and dh frequently visits her at her home on the way home from work so it’s not like they couldn’t have waited another day to give it to her. It doesn’t bode well for baby visits does it... Why would an unannounced visit with someone who she knows cannot manage visitors ever be a good idea? I’m still so cross about it and dh can’t see the problem because he kept them in the sitting room so I didn’t have to see them. Does mil not realise if I could cope with that she would have been invited around at some point since I’ve been pg and I would have just kept away. Grr.

How is everyone today?

Lucinda sorry about the nasty virus but being onnthe mend is good.

Bless you Reastie doesn’t sound very considertae on MIL’s part does it? Not having a bery good day today constantly feel as though I have something stuck in my throat that I can’t get rid of. Not been able to eat too well or anything at all really iver the past two days.

My mum rang yesterday and said she’s basically sick of hearing me still being ill and not well enough so I hung up after saying I had something to do, she’s supposed to come next saturday to visit and I am dreading it. It’s really upset me as she knows how badly I struggle with HG and how long it takes me to even get to a well enough point to try anything at a normal life. She’s usually my support with everything but this time round she has been not very nice at all and I have gone from speaking to her everyday to not even once a week at the best of times, if it was as easy as just getting on with it would I not have done so by now instead of being bedbound for the past 9 weeks now?

I have really struggled this pregnancy and realised how much I hate being pregnant, its the worst experience of my life.

Reastie and dead how are you feeling now? Lucinda hope you’re doing well x

Composed I’ve had that stuck in throat feeling, it’s awful. For me it seemed to happen when I ate nothing but potatoes and it was some weird kind of reflux thing. Randitine helped a bit but gaviscon didn’t touch it. Might be worth a try? Luckily for me it only happened sporadically on random days for a month or so so hopefully yours won’t be setting in for too long too . Fwiw I found my mum (also main support) not that understanding last time either, there was a sense that I was making it a bigger thing than it was and I should just get onnwith it and it was normal. It’s only this time that she’s been amazing and I’ve been able to tell her things like it’s so bad I spent a good month on the cusp of a termination. I really think people who haven’t gone through it just don’t understand what it’s like. Would showing her something like this help? I’ve linked to it before but that’s because it was when I read this that everything clicked into place and I felt I’d finally been understood for the first time.

@reastie How inconsiderate! I can't cope with visitors either. If the doorbell goes and I'm downstairs I quickly go upstairs so I don't have to face anyone. Your MIL should know better by now!

@Lucinda I'm on Metoclopramide. I have a few ondansetron which I'm allowed to take if I have a really bad day (that's what my GP said) but she was very keen for me to stop taking them as soon as possible for some reason. I've taken one today as I've not been able to keep the metoclopramide down today. I'll be going back if it continues this badly.

@composed So sorry your mum isn't understanding just how utterly awful this is. That must be so hard to deal with on top of the actual HG.

Feeling alright I guess. Watching the Trooping of the Colour with my nan. DH took DS out for the afternoon

Reastie, Clare it is hard and the ironic thing is my mum had hg quite badly with 3 of us and was admitted to the hospital for almost 3 months at one point.

I just can’t pay attention to it anymore otherwise it makes things so much worse as I don’t have anyone to talk about this in rl. So anytime she now asks I have decided to just say yea I’m fine, nothing else to do.

Clare I’m on ondansetron and find its the only thing that helps me to keep anything down when I can eat, why has your gp said that? Do you find it helps any better than the met?

I’m 15 weeks now and in a bit of a limbo as don’t feel miles better to be able to get on with life normally but not as bad as the early days. Don’t think I will be able to go back to work anytime soon either and thinking as my sick pay finishes at the end of aug I may try then or if worse comes to worse then early mat leave.

How is everyone else? Dead?

Sorry if I’ve missed anyone but hope today was a better day than yesterday x

composed That is odd that your mother isn't more empathic after that! Three months hospitalisation would indicate that she had it exceptionally severely. This would have been at a time when understandng by the medical profession was low. I believe one can react in two ways to horrible expereiences as a coping mechanism; one can either brush it aside and not think about it or one can incorporate it as part of one's identity. Boring psychologizing over!
I hope you improve a lot more as time goes on, but that is a good contingency plan. Your message: How is everyone else? Dead? was obviously addressed to DeadDoorPost individually, but it could be misinterpreted if addressed to the whole of the thread. I had to smile.

ClaireDB I am sure they could add something to the mix. In fact, there are many sufferers on here who are on Ondansetron throughout. Is it the old problem of GP's not being able to prescribe it much? Or is it expense? You could ask for an appointment with a consultant, as is your right.
Waves to DeadDoorPost and everyone...

Reastie People's dismissiveness is the one of the hardest things in a way. Much sympathy.

Slept pretty well but still feel tired.

I’m sorry but I really laughed about the thing about how is everyone else? Dead? Comment. Thank you Lucinda, that’s the first time I’ve laughed in days!

Hospital in the morning for pre section bloods and collecting prescription for pre section meds. Felt awful when I woke up this morning but the rest of the day touch wood not too terrible. Potentially only two more days to get through assuming section not postponed. I can barely believe it, I felt like I would never get here! If only I weren’t so anxious and stressed about the section.

Composed you should still be entitled to statutory sick pay, Ive been on it for months and it only just ran out when maternity leave kicked in. It’s not much though (especially if you’ve been on company sick pay) at just under £100 a week, but better than nothing.

Dead I also watched trooping of the colour. Felt sorry for the Queen being onnher own in a carriage. Meghan looks amazing for having had a baby a month ago and kate and the children always look picture perfect.

I'm not sure why my GP is so reluctant with the ondansetron, I'm hoping to see the other GP at the practice next time, see if he is any more willing. I've finally got my booking appointment with the midwife this week on Tuesday. I'm a bit worried as it can be up to an hour and I have quite a lot of history to go through, so I think it's really going to take it out of me. It will be good to get it all done though and be "official"! I've not been too good today, went out as I was going crazy at home but was then sick in the car on the way back. Luckily I had my sick bags to hand! The glamour!

You're so close now @reastie! Hoping everyone is having a reasonable day x

Clare fwiw I had my booking apt at home because I couldn’t cope with going to the hospital for such a long appointment. They were really good about it and although it’s not something they usually do for booking, they do home visits post birth so do visit homes and we’re great about it. Might be worth asking if you’re worried?

So close reastie!! I'm 6 months and really cannot wait for this to be over.

Dead I’m sure Lucinda with testify that I’ve been desperate for this to be over since October! I still don’t believe it’ll happen on Wednesday, I’m convinced they will postpone it and I’ll have to wait longer. I feel like I’ve spent so long for this waiting to be over that it doesn’t seem real it might acrually soon actually end.

Hello. Not posted in a while. Our internet had died and I like to save my mobile data.
Hope everyone is ok.
I also had that feeling of something in the back of my throat, Gaviscon did help me. It’s definitely some reflux sort of thing.
Nothing new my end. Feeling rather big and stretched now and very tired all the time. I have the midwife next week so will see the results of my blood test and question the anaemia thing. My platelets were better on my last blood result so they’re not bothered by that now which is good.
I still have so much spit though and have to constantly spit into a towel or stuff the towel in my mouth to sleep. It’s revolting. I really really hope it goes once the baby is born.
Does anyone else have extra saliva and have to spit all the time?

Hi all, I hope everyone is ok. Sorry to everyone who is still suffering - HG really is the most beastly illness.

I was in the hospital again earlier this week for more fluids. I had an appointment with the consultant and she recommended I go. She was lovely and really sympathetic - gave me some other tablets (buccastem) to try on top of my ondansetron (which she gave me a big prescription of when I left). I did feel a little better after the fluids but it was another horrid long day in a chair at maternity triage.

The consultant recommended I go regularly for fluids but I’m not sure as the triage midwives said they’ll only do it if you have 4plus ketones which seems to be a v high threshold and I’m really doing my best to keep drinking - hard as it is.

I’m 11+2 now and this has been the slowest time has ever gone in my life. I’m still struggling to be out of bed much and feel pretty awful. I can’t wait for this never ending nausea to pass. It feels like torture.

Also feeling guilty as I’m struggling to be happy or excited about the twins mess. Feels like another thing on top of it all to stress me out. It means there’s so much more to think about - everything we already have from our daughter is no good and we’ll need a new car and probably a new house. And how will we afford childcare. I’m just so overwhelmed - I’m hoping it will get better once this awful black cloud of sickness passes.

Poor you @claredb - the only thing that has stopped the vomiting for me is the ondansetron. I’m on 4mg 3 times a day but the consultant said I can up it to 8mg if needed. She also said I can take metaclopromide on top as well. I think GPs can’t really prescribe it unless recommended by the hospital and plus they don’t like to as it’s v expensive. I only got mine after I’d been in hospital for fluids.

**not mess! News!

@reastie - really hoping all goes to plan this week for you. How exciting and an end in sight for this horrid sickness

Blii I only get extra saliva when I'm about to be sick. It's one of my tell tale signs so I have plenty of warning. I do have excess discharge though this time (tmi) so with you on the bodily fluids of some kind.

Pretty sure I've had to y bits of plug coming away over the last 10 weeks or so. Considering I remember really well that part of my last pregnancy, I don't know if I should be worried or not. They're tiny pieces and don't seem to be causing problems.

And I've not heard about my GTT results so guessing I'm not diabetic. Which is good. Still... a week to go before midwife appt so you never know.

And Hermione don't feel guilty about not being excited. It's be a shock for anyone AND you're dealing with HG. Take your time.

@Blii I'm suffering from excess saliva, mainly before/after vomiting and when I'm trying to sleep. It's horrible.

@Hermione Please don't feel guilty, everything is overwhelming with HG. I keep freaking out how I'm going to cope with 4 children but I just try not to think about it for now as I'm not in the right frame of mind to deal with anything other than the HG right now.