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.

One emergency c section later and our beautiful boy joined the world at 12.20am. We're gobsmacked that he's a boy - we were utterly convinced he was a girl! And a head full of dark hair- our eldest is blonde blonde, so thatbreallt surprised me too! I'll let you know how the sickness and food go... im a lottle scared to try dairy with a fresh c section would- puking could be painful!

Eal that’s great news, what does he weigh? How did you find the section? I’m glad it’s all over for you and hope you’re recovering ok and feeling ok about how it all ended out going.

Ps personally I’d leave the dairy until your stomach has settled from the section a bit longer. I think plain easy to digest things are initially recommended.

Was just popping in to say good luck @eallison88! But it looks like you had a busy night! Massive congratulations! And we’ll done you for crossing the finish line. I hope you and the little dude are both doing well. Definitely go easy on reintroducing foods.

School is back on here today! Hooray! I’m so excited about a quiet day by myself on the sofa! Just need to get ds there without throwing up now 🤞🏻

Oh my goodness eal congratulations! I just came on here to wish you luck as today is the day. Seems things happened a little faster than expected.
So glad you’re ok. Wishing you a speedy recovery.

The section was fine. A relief in the end, partly cos I suddenly got very scared for my son, and partly cos I was done. For over an hour i'd been contracting with at most 3 mins between, but mainly 90 seconds, for at least 1 minute, usually more, with incredibly painful contractions. I have a high pain tolerance and they were making me cry. That epidural was magical (and there was no way in hell I was having an epidural). Cos it was an emergency rather than planned it was very busy in theatre when I arrived and they were setting everything and me up (cos of my latex allergy bits were being removed and other bits brought in), which made me a bit weepy, but a fantastic midwife helped me keep it together. Once they'd got going it was fine. It's very surreal to not be able to move your legs, and to feel.pressure from.them cutting you open etc, but nothing else. It felt like someone had their hands on my belly and was jiggling me!!

I'm gonna leave it at least til.tomorrow before I tackle dairy...!!

Congratulations @eallison. Is he big enough to stay with you on the ward?
Enjoy eating - it’s the weirdest thing!

Congratulations @eallison88, wonderful news!

I just had a call from the hospital & all the tests are clear. We still need a heart scan at 22 weeks, but everything they can possibly check at this stage is all clear. Thank fuck! Obviously I was so overwhelmed I had to be sick 😂
And it’s a boy - I’m super surprised about that. I was 100% sure we were having a girl! I can’t waot to tell ds he’s going to be a big brother.
Thanks for your kind words of support over the past couple of weeks.

@eallison88 glad the section was ok for you. I was Alis definitely never having an epidural! Then when I finally did, I ended up telling the anaesthetist that I loved him! Wonderful stuff! Hope you are getting to enjoy some snuggles x

Congratulations eal so glad everything went smoothly and he's here safely!

Aw eallison how lovely, very eventful but you and baby are here and safe I hope you’re both keeping very well and being well looked after by family and hospital!

cattaxi what a relief that must be, and congrats on your boy!

Yesterday’s vomiting recurrence made me a bit nervous about going out this morning but so far so good. Had to go for a blood test, they normally take one medium tube of blood but took four large ones today the MW ordered the tests (at my insistence) so basically ticked every box related to my condition, whereas I normally just have a simple function test, so at least when I see the consultant on Wednesday I should have a very full blood screen available

Hi all, I'm new here, I'm 5.5 weeks pg with baby number 4. I've had really bad sickness in all of my pregnancies but this is the worst yet. The vomiting started on the day of my missed period and has been gradually getting worse. I went to my GP who gave me cyclizine, which I've taken in every pregnancy and it seemed to help to start with but now doesn't seem to be doing much. I just feel so alone, and I'm having really bad anxiety and guilt for my other children. Are there other medications the GP can give me that are more effective? I'm literally useless all day bar a couple of hours in the evening when I feel more normal. I'm so scared that this is going to get much worse, I don't know how I'll cope 😥

@cattaxi that's such great news, what a relief! Congrats on the boy news too, we can be in 2 boys club together.

I was feeling marginally better and managed a couple of afternoons of work from home last week. Not sure what has happened but felt awful all weekend and started being sick again yesterday and today. This is unusual because the meds really had the vomiting under control. It might be because my son has decided to be awake between 1.30am and 4am the past few nights but to be fair DH has mostly dealt with him. Anyway, ended up telling work I can't do this afternoon as planned. Feeling guilty but also feel terrible so what can I do really 🤷🏻‍♀️.

Great news cataxi!
ClareDB Sorry to see you here, cyclizine is always what the doc will give you first. It doesn’t usually help on its own. There’s others you can try, ondansetron (also get a laxative with this) or Metoclopramide seem to be the most popular. It’s trial and error really to see what works best. I didn’t know this at my worst and was only given ondansetron which didn’t work on its own for me. Everyone is different though and what doesn’t work for one person will work for another. Hope you get something that works quickly for you.

Clare I also got prescribed Phenergen which helped

eallison Wonderful news. The beginnng of that labour sounded awful; I am so glad that baby is safely delivered. . Like others, I am eager to know how much he weighs. What a relief for you after one of the most horrible pregnancies I have seen on this thread!
ClareDB Welcome. YOu are very brave to go for it a fourth time. There are defintely other meds they can try, with Cyclizine and as an alternative. Do press for them: do as I say, not as I did . I feel presumptious giving advice to such a veteran, though I have been on this thead for many years. A good anti acid can make all the difference. If they give you Ondansetron, remember to ask for a laxative too. As you are a veteran, you dont need my advice about 'have you got kesostix' and 'do you find the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies and flat full sugar coke any good'. Are there any friends and relatives who might be able to help out with your LO's?
Cattaxi Wonderful news from you, too.
Waves to everyone. Back later.

Clare they can add drugs into the mix. Don’t feel like you have to swap to something else as they can add others as well as cyclizine. I reckon most likely next drug to add would be either prochloroperazine or metcoploride. If adding one of those in isn’t helping they might try the other. If that isn’t helping they might add in ondansetron so you’re on three different drugs. They all work in different ways on the body. But it depends on your gp, some are more willing or knowledgable than others. If you aren’t getting anywhere with gp request an urgent obstetrician referral so they can help you with hopefully more expert knowledge. If you look up the uk guidelines on treating nausea and vomiting in pg they have a nice table in the end of the appendices with different drug options and doses. Pregnancy sickness support are great and woukd be able to offer advice as to what you should be offered.

Elkie sorry you’re having some rubbish days again, it’s so disheartening when things seem to be improving.

Beforeihit fx for the blood tests to all come out good. My mw didn’t take enough blood for all the tests last time so I then had to have another blood test again at the next apt. Which is a bit rubbish as my veins are so hidden!

Cattaxi what a relief that must be for you. Great news. And congrats on the boy.

Hoping I didn’t overdo it this morning. Have had a handful of Okish days so this morning I went out to collect some baby clothes then spent a few hours at the sewing machine. Have also done dw and hung up washing. I am so so shattered now though and hoping I don’t regret actually doing stuff (albeit gentle stuff) later or tomorrow. Think I’m noticing the third trimester exhaustion creeping in slowly as well to add to it.

Baby is NICU, in the intensive care bit til at least weds. And in neonatal for a couple of weeks or so. But the docs made clear that he's doing really well. Can't remember if I've said, he was 5lb4.5oz. So not teeny tiny!

Oh, and im.currently trying to pace my way thru a family bag of mini eggs... no nausea or sickness! Tho I'm aware that if I eat a whole bag I'll probably feel sick regardless of whether the hyperemesis has passed or not!! But, it seems that it has!!

5lvs 4.5 is a great weight for the gestation, well done on cooking him so well eal! Have you got any name ideas yet?

We've called him Aneurin - to be called Nye. We picked the name before he was even conceived, actually. But after the pregnancy I've had, the nod to Aneurin (Nye) Bevan, the politician behind the creation of the NHS seems particularly appropriate!!

Hello all! New here, and just wondering - previous pregnancy was very complicated for a variety of reasons so although neither cyclizine or Ondansetron did a lot for me they never tried anything else because they were busy trying to sort the rest of me out!
Have now been prescribed prochlorperazine which it looks like a few of you have had, but it does say in the leaflet that it shouldn't be taken when pregnant. Does anyone have any enlightenment on this? Is it just the lack of testing? (Which I totally get - I was on very high amounts of morphine and had 9 general anaesthetics in my last pregnancy so totally understand that sometimes needs must!!)

Eal what a beautiful unusual name.

Littlehouse did you have max dose ondansetron last time? I only ask as I was on 4mg 3 x day and it didn’t do much but when it was doubled to 8mg 3 x day (max dose in pg) it really made much more of an impact. I have prochloroperazine (don’t tend to take it every day now though) and see attached medicine guidelines for NVP. It is in the recommended drug pathway list but isn’t licensed for use in pg (pretty much nothing is) so they can’t say suitable during pg. but it is prescribed during pg and it is a first line (considered safer) drug for pg. for me I find it quite effective. If required if it’s not enough you can add cyclizine and ondansetron into the mix as well as prochloroperazine. That was my combination. You might find each of them individually don’t work that well but a combination does. Fx for an easier pg for you this time!

@cattaxi what a relief for you, you must be feeling less stressed knowing he's cooking away fine!

@eallison88 congratulations! I feel like that name is absolutely perfect because he's made you a regular in the nhs! So glad he's here safely!

Gosh there's a lot of boys floating about on this thread! I'm also expecting a boy and his little cousin has donated all her unisex newborn clothes to him!

Went back to work today, the lady I was working with was new but so nice to me and even forced me to sit down and have a tea while she did all the heavy work!! Made the difference but I have noticed I'm struggling more because the bump is getting in my way!

@Littlehouseinthebigcity I'm on prochloperzine, the maternity doctor did say to me they write all that because they can't test on us and it seems to be prescribed quite often! Sorry you're joining the group but welcome!!

@ClareDB also welcome, I would go back to the gp there's loads of different combinations of drugs to try just a case of figuring out which works.

Welcome to littlehouseinthebigcity. Sorry you are suffering again.
I have that - as Buccastem for migraines, but didn't have it for Hyperemesis, though as you say a lot on here are on it. It really helps some people. As you are a veteran, like Clare you don't need my 'have you got kesostix' and 'do you find full sugar flat coke, ice lollies and the juice of tinned fruit' spiel. Did you find an anti acid helped a lot last time?
I see you have had good advice already. Everybody is really helpful on here.
eallson That is an impressive weight. So glad the sickness has gone for you!
Waves to all...