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 @abbs1

Perhaps call 111 initially and explain the situation to them. The issue is often with being dehydrated, at hospital / doctors they will do a test to see how dehydrated you are and they may decide you need to have IV fluids.

This happened a couple of weeks ago to me, I called 111 and they arranged an appointment for me (i am lucky to have an urgent care centre just round the corner), I went in and was tested, and they then called an ambulance and I was admitted to the hospital for fluids etc.

If you don't have a resource like this nearby, or aren't able to get to it, 111 may call an ambulance or see if there is a dr who can come out.

Good luck and hope you start to feel better soon x

Hi,
I’m about 13 weeks with my first pregnancy and reading this has made me feel better in my head! Not feeling quite so alone and rubbish. Sadly can’t be said for the nausea and vomiting despite cyclizine and ondansetron.
So glad it’s not just me who gets annoyed by unhelpful advice of ginger from everyone!
Hope everyone has been keeping cool and had a better day.

Welcome to Abbs1 Katela18 and Twirlsandcurls.
Abbs1. Good advice from Katela18. As the midwife recomemnded going to either A and E or an early pregnancy unit, that means you are in need of fluids as she was and you will feel a lot better for them. Also, they will probably recommend more effective medication. Not sure which one(s) you are on?
My stupid head is throbing with a migraine today, so I hope you won't be offended by a generic spiel.
Things do get much better between weeks 14 and 20 for most people. Even for the unlucky ones who suffer throughout, it is never as bad as in the first dreadful bit. A good anti acid can make a big difference to the sickness. Those on Ondansetron will usually need a laxative. Some drinks and solids that have helped others: flat full sugar coke, ice lolllies, the juice of tinned fruit, Lucoazade, fizzy orange, fizzy water, lemonade, Robinson's fruit drinks, Dr Pepper, orange squash, tonic water, Elderflower water, Elderflower coridal and tonic water (eallison's tipple), soda water, Iron Bru, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), orange juice (if not too acid) and 7Up. Also, someone recommended piles of ice in drinks. For foods of a sort, nibbles of chips and crisps, cheap ice cream, tinned fruit, slices of melon and mango, baked potato, Scoth pancakes, biscuits and cuppa soup.
Have you got kesostix to test for deyhydration, available from any chemists? They are not the best method compared to scanty dark urine, dry mouth, headache, etc, but A and E departments do take them seriously.
ElkieMacjibe I'm sorry that I can't answer your question, as I didn't actually know that about anti acides and iron pills and the iron pills made me vomit too much to take them. I hope someone else can advise.
Here's the updated Due Dates list, with four of our regulars now happily in the legendery Pink Castle at the end of the Hyperemesis Horror Run.

Due Dates
stroen 4 September
DeadDoorPost 8 September
1Potato 8 September
MoonKid 1 October TWINS!
ElkieMacjibe 12 October
TwoShades1 17 October
cattaxi 19 October
BlodwynBludd 16 November
Composed 30 November
ClareDB 25 December
HermioneKipper 27 December TWINS!
putputput 9 January
Ribenaberriesgowoo82 28 January
Marshmallow 1992 29 January
MumbleLumble 19 February

@Katela18 I did ring 111 who sent an ambulance taxi for me all ambulances were busy and I got seen given fluids and medication and now just got home. I've been told to go back if I need to so feeling better.

Hi all,
I posted a few weeks ago and have been trying to follow - scrolling increases the nausea though! I am nearly 12 weeks with number 2 and taking cyclizine. Not quite as effective as I'd like though so weighing up whether to wait out the next couple of weeks or pester my GP.

Anyway my reason for posting today is just to ask what you all do for your OHs during this time. My poor husband really is struggling. He is busy with work, parenting our 2 year old, and running around after me bringing me drinks and making me food etc. I thank him constantly but he's struggling, he really is. I don't know what I can do for him. Any help?

Hi @LucindaE and thanks for the welcome to the group.

I am really pleased to have found a group where people know what it's like, my mum had four pregnancies sickness free and I don't know anyone else who has suffered with HG, so it's nice to know there are others out there who understand.

I'm currently 15 weeks in and so far it's not showing any signs of slowing down. I'm taking ondansetron and also metoclopromide on my worst days. Really hoping it will ease off in the coming weeks! I am due on 22/02/2020 :) x

Hi all, I've not been getting notifications from MN for some reason plus we were away in Norfolk for 11 nights. Congratulations to all the new babies! So glad you've come out the other side.

I'm almost 24 weeks and after about 3 weeks of no sickness, it's come back again. Every 4 weeks it seems to get bad again. I also stopped the 1 x metoclopramide I was taking in the mornings as I'd been feeling so good. Did anyone have to stay on medication 1 times a day until the end? I've not had to do that in my previous pregnancies. I've also got a rotten cold so feeling very sorry for myself today.

Hope everyone else is coping x

Hello ladies, has anyone else had a pattern of good day/bad day? Yesterday I felt a little better. I was even able to get my hair cut which was wild from laying in bed and not doing much. Today it’s floored me again. I’ve been in bed for most of the day. Every time I’ve tried to get up I’ve wanted to be sick. Anyway just wanted to say a friend of mine suggested lemon essential oil. My DH went out and got me some and I have to say I’m feeling a little better. I might get some lemon hard sweets and see if they help. Hopefully now the weather will get a bit cooler so at least we won’t have that aggravating things! Xx

abbs1 I am so glad you got fluids and meds. I hope you feel a lot better.
ClareDB I hope it may be the cold making things worse, or even one of these hormonal surges.
Catconfusion It is very common for good days ot be followed by bad. At least good days are a sign of more to come. Often, sufferers say that they are so happy they are tempted to overdo it and that might be part of it. I hope you have a better day tomorrow. Interesting about lemon essential oil.
Yellow25 I didn't go for it a second time, sadly - so I can't really advise you about OH's being overworked when they have to deal with everything at home as well as work when the wife has Hyperemesis.
I expect others will advise. Things will almost certainly get a lot better. I can't remember if you said you suffered throughout last time, but even those who do are almost never as ill later on as they are in the first tri, so hopefully you should be able to do a little more later on.
Katela18 I hope you will find this thread very supportive. Everyone on here is. I've added your date.
We had four sets of TWINS on here a few weeks ago. Only two now...

Due Dates
stroen 4 September
DeadDoorPost 8 September
1Potato 8 September
MoonKid 1 October TWINS!
ElkieMacjibe 12 October
TwoShades1 17 October
cattaxi 19 October
BlodwynBludd 16 November
Composed 30 November
ClareDB 25 December
HermioneKipper 27 December TWINS!
putputput 9 January
Ribenaberriesgowoo82 28 January
Marshmallow 1992 29 January
MumbleLumble 19 February
Katela18 22 February
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I’ll add my due date although I’m not 100% sure til my scan on Friday - currently 18th March. It seems about 10 years away at the moment 😭

I’m so fed up. Sprite, I think you & me are running very similarly! I hate life. I hate it. I just want it all to end. And I feel incredibly guilty saying that. I just feel like a shell of myself, I can’t enjoy time with my precious little girl & ive not left the house for nearly a month bar medical appointments/hospital. I’m anaemic & exhausted. My heart races & I get out of breath when I walk around & makes me more sick. Yet I know iron makes me sick. I don’t know how to deal with it all.

My daughter cracked her head today and now I’m terrified she’s not ok. Head injuries scare the life out of me. I don’t have the brain capacity to deal with the sickness, the bone tired exhaustion & worry 😢

I just can’t cope 😞

@Catconfusion I’ve just had my first two good days followed by a bloody awful day today. I’m now 15 weeks ( will add in my due date 23rd Feb) so hoping for more good days to come. Finding the unpredictability of it all so hard and worried people don’t really get it that things can change from day to day rather than just expecting that I must getting better by now.

@Bol87 I agree, my due date seems sooooo far away!!! Having to think in small milestones - almost in September 😅 I hope you have a better day tomorrow and your daughter is ok.

I’m so sorry @Bol87 that you’re not feeling yourself. It’s such a brutal experience. I hope you see some improvements soon.

@Bray23 it’s so hard isn’t it!? Good you’re getting some respite now and I hope those good days come more often now. Yesterday was the first good day in a couple of weeks. I’m 7 and a half weeks so such a long way to go. I’m finding it tough because we’re not in a position to tell people yet. After two losses we want to wait until at least the next scan. We’ve told parents and a couple of close friends. I definitely relate to the distress of the unpredictability. It makes planning social stuff near impossible. It’s my best friends baby’s naming ceremony tomorrow and I haven’t got a clue if I’ll be ok for it. DH is massaging my acupressure points on my feet to try and help. Just hoping I can go as I feel a bit starved of social interaction.

@LucindaE there’s been some studies showing it generally helps. I feel a little better through sniffing it. My due date is 15th April. It feels strange writing it as we’re not out of the danger zone but fingers crossed the next scan is ok.

Been AWOL for a few days while we moved into the new house. Still lots of boxes packed up but we're getting there. Been trying to get DS used to his cot again which means laying on a quilt on the floor until he falls asleep. Uncomfortable but seems to work just about.

And I can't find my tablets so I'm going cold turkey for another week. Not had any for about 5 days or more now.

Thank you all and @LucindaE I hope to pop on every so often (like now!) to share experiences in case they’re helpful.

@ElkieMacjibe I was always recommended to take iron with food, I’ve always had ferrous fumarate, is yours the same? It’s recommended with food due to how it can toy with the tummy so it helps ease it and especially with vit C (eg orange) as that helps with absorption. I used to take mine with breakfast and at the same time or close to taking omeprazole, which is an anti-acid (once daily), and I took Gaviscon after every meal, and that was fine.

@yellow25 I have no words of wisdom but what I have said (or, ranted!) about previously is that yes, this can be a tough time for partners, but that’s life. It’s very tough for you, you’re incredibly sick, and as a couple you’ve chosen to have this child, and so you both have to deal with the situation. In your case, you have to struggle with being horrendously ill (so it’s not like you’re kicking back and relaxing!). For your partner, he has to help things continue running, just as he would if you had been struck with may serious illness - and at least this does have an end date. So with the nicest sentiment, he just kind of has to crack on. That’s life. Of course if family or friends can support him then great, but this is just what happens when one of you ends up seriously ill - it just happens to be the case that this illness is pregnancy-specific. I say this not just as having bad HG, but also having had to care for DH many times in the past due to his chronic illness, so I can see it from both sides in a way (we already had 2 DCs when I got pregnant with DC3 which was my HG pregnancy, so DH had 2 DCs to look after whilst I was ill and likewise I’ve had to look after our 2 DCs, the home etc when he has been ill). The best he can do is to seek support wherever it might be (as above, family, friends, for instance; maybe it’s someone taking your DC for a bit on the weekend so he can have a rest and just focus on himself and you, or someone you’re comfortable with taking care for you and DC for a bit so he can go for a walk or a coffee and have some down time, etc) and if his workplace are good then it would be good for him to talk to them/his manager as well so that they understand the strain he is under personally and they may be able to help in some way (eg in my job, I have the flexibility to work from home and to organise my working day around DH’s appointments or treatments when needed, I just communicate it clearly/note in my electronic diary which is visible to my team when I’m not available etc).

@ClareDB I was on cyclizine right up until the end, I was 3x daily until around 30-32 weeks, then 2x daily for several weeks, then 1x daily for the last couple of weeks. I tried to go to zero but I got nauseous, and a few days before I had the baby I had a bad sickness day out of the blue so took 3 that day and 2 for the next couple.

@DeadDoorpost hope the move is going well! And the cold turkey, it can be a bit scary but it sounds like it seems to be going just fine which is good

Hello all I dropped off for a few weeks just trying to keep my head down and get through the days.

Sorry to hear so many are suffering and still
quite early on but the one thing that got me
through the early days was reminding myself to take each day at a time, an hour and minute by minute if needed! That along with rest and meds helped, essentially I have been out of it since early april and at 27 weeks now still not back to my ‘normal’ self.

This site and all the ladies on it are amazing at helping to keep going. Lucinda hope you feel better soon.

Before so lovely to hear from you again, how is the baby and how are you now?

I may not post regularly but I still read and hope everyone gets some respite sooner or later, remember YOU can do this xx

Bol87 soooo strange you say that as my due date currently stands at 18th March too! Although I have my first proper scan on Tuesday so it might change. Had a good day yesterday but an awful night, kept having to jump out of bed and run to the bathroom as could feel it rising from my stomach. Got such a headache today and so tired, seem to have abit of insomnia the last few nights which haven't helped as I feel so much worse when I'm tired. Still on the cyclizine, still taking one day at a time, but counting down the days til DD goes back to school.

beforeihit30 How wonderful to hear from you, with brilliant advice as ever. It iwll be lovely if you call back as often as you can.
Bol89 It is horrible to worry about an LO, so while it is probably nothing to worry about, do phone up out of hours for resassurance. They are forever banging their heads when they are toddlers, it seems!
DeadDoorPost I am so glad that you have moved. How exciting; a new home in time for the new baby.
composed Thank you so much; I am glad that all on this thread have helped. I'm fine now. I am glad that you are a bit better at 27 weeks, anyway. Lovely to hear from you again. Do post now and again. Wise words.
Catconfusion That is really interesting. I always felt that my lavander satchet really was soothing - and also, OH smelt very strong to me, so I sniffed it in bed - but I wonder if it helped with the nausea too in my case? But if there have been studies done for lemon, that is fascinating.
Sprite25 Sorry about Do watch out for dehydration headaches.
I''ve added the new due daes to the list.
Due Dates
stroen 4 September
DeadDoorPost 8 September
1Potato 8 September
MoonKid 1 October TWINS!
ElkieMacjibe 12 October
TwoShades1 17 October
cattaxi 19 October
BlodwynBludd 16 November
Composed 30 November
ClareDB 25 December
HermioneKipper 27 December TWINS!
putputput 9 January
Ribenaberriesgowoo82 28 January
Marshmallow 1992 29 January
MumbleLumble 19 February
Katela18 22 February
Bray23 23 February
Sprite25 18 March
Bol87 18 March
CatConfusion 15 April

I feel so deflated right now. The fluids and meds I got Friday have completely worn off and I'm back to being sick and constant nausea. Whatever i eat comes back out, I'm starving hungry and just feel so weak. The medication at home doesn't work at all only works when I get it via cannula or injection so i get a few hours relief. I'm totally drained and just about had enough. I've had this since I found out I was pregnant and only just over 9 weeks. How does everyone cope as I'm not coping well at all and feel like im losing hope. Being stuck at home in bed basically day in and day out is also not helping but I'm too sick to do anything. I'm struggling to even watch tv.

Hey @abbs1....god im the same...been sick now for over 2 weeks...stuck in bed and just miserable...my meds do help but if i get out of bed i get so dizzy and nauseous....im just past 8 weeks and so fed up...what meds are you on??

@abbs1 I totally feel your pain! I had this when pregnant with DS, a nasty cycle of going into hospital and then as soon as I was out and on oral medication back to puking and dehydration so would be back to hospital in a week. It's so desperate and depressing. I used to get so upset and angry with the doctors for packing me off home with lots of pills knowing I would be back to square 1 in a matter of hours. The effect it had on me was quite traumatic. Unfortunately this is how they deal with HG in the UK. but every day done is one you never have to do again and I promise you it will end. I promise xx

@Noodlesxxx I'm on ondansetron when they inject me or give it in my vein I feel great for 5/6 hours and then straight back to nausea and vomiting.
@HGpg I feel like I'm gonna end up back on hospital this week. I've been sick all day and nausea is just been constant. The pills do nothing. I just hate the trips to hospital as I struggle to get there each time.
I just want this to end so badly. I'm literally counting down the days to my second trimester praying it goes away but knowing it may not.
My poor husband has been an absolute rock to me and is taking amazing care of me but I can see hes so worried about me and our baby.

Morning all, sorry to see some of you are suffering so badly. I remember during my first pregnancy being stuck in bed unable to even move for the nausea, it's very depressing and I know it's hard to see it now but this will end one day and you'll remember what it feels like to feel normal! I had yet another night of insomnia last night and I think the tiredness is really catching up to me as I spent 15 minutes as soon as I got up with my head down the toilet, the retching has given me a seriously sore throat and I think even pulled my back a little 🙄 11 weeks 5 days and counting.

Noodlesxxx I am being such a muddle head, as the thead was very busy abouta month ago and I don't know if you are new or joined about then. If new, welocme, and as you are a veteran you don't need my spiiel 'Do you find ice lollies, flat full sugar coke and the juice of tinned fruit any good' and 'have you got kesostix, as A and E departments do take ketone measurements seriously' and 'a good anti acid can make a big difference if added to meds.' At what point did you see any improvement in your first pregnancy?
Poor abbs1 and others suffering so badly. It is so depressing , the way some sufferers are in and out of hospital in the first tri. It is a shame you can't get a home redhydraton kit, as I believe they have under Medicare in the US. Take heart. This is the worst for almost everyone, with most people seeing some relief between 15-20 weeks. Even those who suffer throughout almost never suffer as badly later on.

Sprite25 Sorry about insomnia and the dreaded Bile Run.

Every so often I see this thread and do a little shudder! It helped me so much through two HG pregnancies, second worse than the first but remembering it takes me back to quite a dark place.

I know you will all be grateful to @LucindaE as I was but just wanted to come on and express my awe at her helping so much for all this time! It really is a public service!!!

If it helps anyone my first pg sickness got easier at 16 weeks and 2nd about 26 weeks. I was medicated throughout and have two happy healthy children x

crimbocheer Thank you so much for such a lovely message, with kind words for me and encouragement to current sufferers. I am so happy that you can enjoy having two LO's with Hypermesis is a distant nightmare to you. In the not so distant future, those on here will be saying 'It was worth it, after all!' But that seems a long way away when suffering from this scourge. It is helpful to remember the words of the eastern sage 'This Too Shall Pass'.