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.

Thank you @bol87 I do suffer with anxiety so I guess that may be why I was asked for an ECG. The doctor has also asked me to go back tomorrow for another check up.

Hi girls.

How are we all doing? I'm now 8+4 and I've had a couple of really good days. I actually left the house yesterday and even forgot to take my anti sickness during the afternoon! (Compare that to Saturday where I couldn't get out of bed at all I was so sick)
But that is now concerning me as I've woken this morning feeling pretty ok still.... I normally don't get any respite at all. So now my mind is thinking if everything is ok with the pregnancy etc.

I really don't want to bother my midwife or gp. I'm sure they will tell me to enjoy feeling ok! And I've no cramping or bleeding to make me think anything is wrong....

Have any of you had a day or two of normality so early on?

Take care ladies xxx

Hi all just checking in again. Have posted a couple of times but struggle to be on my phone due to the nausea!

I am around 15 weeks now (EDD 17th March if you want to add it) and good things that are happening is that our midwife picked up the heartbeat this morning, and I'm 99% certain I'm feeling baby movements and not just gas!

On the other hand, I have been diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Had it with my first but picked up at 32 weeks when I was able to eat and keep down a much wider range of foods! Really struggling at the moment and actually signed off work. Under consultant care and she is amazing. My GP is lovely but has such little understanding of HG. Consultant today just prescribed odansetron. I am struggling to take the cyclizine tablets at the moment but desperately hoping odansetron will make a difference - any advice for taking tablets and keeping them down? Also any other general odansetron advice gratefully received, and also if there are any other HG/GD fighters out there please share with me any wisdom!

Thinking of all you ladies lots. Thanks for the baby pic @DeadDoorpost my prenatal anxiety this time round has been better than last time but still there rearing its ugly head. Tiny newborn pictures help!! And a huge thanks @LucindaE Your posts are amazing and what you're doing for so many women is invaluable. Xxx

@Bol87 yes that’s my understanding of it too. I tried not taking it last night and woke up vomiting this morning. So this morning I took it. I think the thing that concerns me is they’re wondering if the contamination is something that’s happening as a by product of the manufacturing process. If that’s the case all manufacturers could have a potential problem. The gov com website shows no warnings have been issued to GPs and no recall is happening as yet in the UK. It’s such an odd one as a old drug and surely if contamination was widespread it would have been picked up in more places. I’m trying to get a call back from the GP to see what they think but I’m pretty reliant on it for the time being. Even if the batch I’m taking was contaminated, it doesn’t sound like the levels we’re talking about are any worse than what’s in food already. It’s just typical considering it’s the only thing that’s helped me so far.

I take it all back. Back to feeling bloody awful..... 😭

Hi @yellow25 - we have almost matching due dates! 18th March here

I’m a long term Ondansetron taker - I take it slightly oddly in that I take 8mg twice a day as opposed to 4mg three times. I need the stronger whack all at once! Worth considering if it’s not helping. I hope it does! Keeping it down is much the same as other tablets, pray & hope for the best from my experience!

You’ll very likely need a laxative. It’s dreadful for constipation! I take prescribed laxido but you can try Luctalose over the counter.

Gutted to hear you feel so rubbish again @Moonstone12

Pastnowfuture Good advice from Bol87. It does sound as if they are being extra careful with that ECG. I do hope it helps.
yellow25 Welcome back. I am so glad that this thread helps you and thank you for such kind words. I am so glad you heard the heartbeat. I remember movements that early, so it probably is.
I've added your date. On GD, there was a sufferer on here some months called eallison' who had that unlucky combination of gestational diabetes besides Hyperemesis,, I remember, among others. I will see if I can find her to ask her advice for you if I can. Did they give you a diet sheet? I so agree with her advice to make sure you stock up on a laxative!
Catconfusion Sorry to hear you are in such a nasty position, with the Ranitidine. Good advice from Bol87. If there is only the same amount of the carconogenic chemicals as in food (not as if sufferers on here manage to down a lot of that) I suppose it is a very small risk.
Moonstone I am glad you had a good day and a bit before the symptoms kicked in again. It is sadly typical of sufferers on here that you couldn't enjoy them, through worrying that the reason was sinister. Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked or cross posted with.
Due Dates
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
Twistsandcurls 3 March
yellow25 17 March
Bol87 18 March
Sprite25 29 March
Catconfusion 15 April
RaynorEsme2019 19 April
Moonstone12 1 May
Pastnowfuture 7 May

over in the US, if that level is in our food anyway (not as if people on here have much opportunity to eat much!).

Hi all. How things have moved on in the last few months... @DeadDoorpost I've not read all posts, but see mention of a baby for you - congratulations! I'm so glad the battle is over for you. Enjoy baby snuggles!

@yellow25 lucinda remembers correctly, I did indeed have GD on top of HG. It's a joyous combo...! I was particularly lucky to also become completely intolerant to anything containing dairy, so my diet was incredibly limited! What sort of things are you managing to keep down? I'll see if I can offer GD friendly alternatives that might work for you. Tbh tho, whilst you're in this most unpleasant phase of HG, if nothing GD friendly works, then you eat whatever the hell you can, and try again in a few weeks.

everyone I had a bloody horrendous HG journey with my last pregnancy (pretty awful woth the other pregnancy too, tbh, but nothing like last time!), as I'm sure Lucinda will attest. But right now I'm looking down at my beautiful boy, feeding and looking practically angelic. He's 5 months on Sunday. On Monday it will be 12 months since I peed on the stick (those who are struggling with the maths there, he was 6 weeks early for Largely un-HG relayed reasons) Over the next few months I suspect I'll have a few wobbly days as I hit the dates of various admissions. But my son is perfect. Both my sons are perfect. They have the most amazing relationship. And whilst I wanted to punch anyone who told me that it would be worth it when I was pregnant, I am going to tell you it really is. But more importantly, I want to tell you that you absobloodylutely can do this. One minute at a time, you absolutely have got this. You are already a warrior mumma for that beautiful parasite of yours. Just imagine how awesome you're gonna be when baby is here and you feel human again! You've got this!

@LucindaE thank you for reaching out to me. I do hope you and yours are well (for some reason I couldn't reply to your message). X

Just spotted eals message and wanted to pop on to give her a wave and a hello! I now have a 3.5 month ds and agree completely with everything you’ve said! I hope everything is going well for you? Doesn’t it just feel fantastic to do stuff and not feel sick?! And eat normal food again! Yesterday I cooked pesto pasta for dh and nearly burst into tears because the smell of the pesto triggered reminding me of being pg as there was a week where I could only cope with eating pesto on stuff. It’s weird how memory works. It truly was an horrific time which pushed my body and mind to its extreme but there is an end to it and it will come, just keep crossing the days off one by one. Days will amount to weeks and weeks to months.

@reastie congratulations! You had a horrible time of it, and I'm so glad it's all started to be a distant memory (apart from the random triggers!).

@Bol87 thanks for the help - great to know about the larger hit in two bursts too. So far so good with both last nights and this morning's tablets staying down. Didn't seem to make me gag like the cyclizine. Hoping this is the miracle I've been praying for! Also so exciting about the due dates - if the nausea subsided I'll hopefully post on here more often, if not I will keep checking in!

@eallison88 annoyingly there's no pattern with what stays down and what doesn't, so my diet is totally limited at the moment to toast, pasta, mash potato, the occasional apple... all because I'll likely be sick and I'm slightly traumatised from first time around where I didn't know what was safe when it comes back up. It's not ideal for the GD but thinking I'll start by having say, two breakfasts, two dinners and two teas then some supper (if I'm still awake!) - just to start spreading the carbs out during the course of the day, then hopefully this odansetron will kick in and I'll come out of the worst and can start to introduce meat and veg?

Nuts and nut butter are great for GD. Try having peanut butter with your Apple. Also on your toast. You could also try eggs with toast - soft to being back up. Cream cheese and cottage cheese are both good too, and could be had with your toast. Borgen soya and linseed bread is the lowest carb bread, so definitely worth trying to awitxubyour toast to that. Avocado is another good food, and again soft so shouldn't be too unpleasant if it comes back. I'll keep thinking. On the ondansetron side, max dose is 8mg 3 times daily, so know that you can go up if you need to (Obviosuly, speak to GP before doing so, bit that is a safe dise)

eallison88 Lovely to hear from you. So nice of you to respond so quickly to my message. Wonderful advice from you to yellow25 and all those suffering from GD and Hyperemesis. I am so glad you and Reastie are saying that it is all worthwhile, even though I knew you would all along it is so nice to hear you say so. [smile[ What you say is so right. If you can cope with Hyperemesis, you can handle most things.
Reastie I am sorry about the tears, though. It can take a long time to get over the nastiness of the experience.

Waves to Yellow25 and everyone.
Waves to Bol67 and everyone.

Just an update about Ranitidine. My GP hadn't heard of the contamination risk. She called the head pharmacist who hadn't heard anything either. It's odd because if you google it there's loads of information about the recall in other countries coming up. Nethertheless she's swapped me onto Omeprazole which she thinks is superior anyway. If I don't find it as helpful as Ranitidine I'm to swap back so she's not worried.

Ah good news @Catconfusion Hopefully you might find Omeprazole is actually better than ranitidine, it tends to be the second line drug if ranitidine isn’t working .. it gave me terrible stomach for a couple days but now it’s eased off. Zero stomach acid or heartburn. 👍🏻

@Bol87 I hope so too as I've felt awful. Just had a cry with DH before he went to work. Just fed up of not being able to do anything. I've just started it so fingers crossed. I woke up and my tummy was burning so acid is clearly a massive problem. I think Ranitidine only partially reduces the acid where Omeprezole totally removes it. My GP said this can actually be a problem for some people because there's not enough acid in which case Ranitidine would be better.

Great to hear it's worked for you and it gives me hope after my melt down this morning. I'm only just coming up to 12 weeks and I'm already exhausted! Xx

Consultant described the differece between ranitidine and omeprazole as one limits production of stomach acid (I think omeprazole) and the other limits the receptors sensing it. which is why they're q good combo

Yes @eallison88 they work slightly differently so one person might get on with one but not the other. I'm just hoping and praying Omeprazole works for me. My stomach is so angry and sore. x

Catconfusion eallison88 , Bol87 and everyone: good information about Ranitidine and Omprazole.

Hope everyone is surviving through today. Now I'm over 13 weeks I feel like I'm maybe turning a corner finally. Im still on meds everyday but not as much and not thrown up in a week. I'm still on steroids so not sure if this is masking it and it will hit me again. I'm not holding my breath. Did anyone else find from 13 weeks the sickness and nausea finally started to settle? I'm having quite a bit round ligament pain at night but fine in the day. Should I get this checked out as its keeping awake at night or is this normal?

I did @abbs1 - glad to hear things are a tad better! Mine started to ease a little at 13 weeks. I’m 15 weeks now & finding life a bit more bearable! I am still on Ondansetron & Metaclopromide and now Omeprazole! But I was on meds until 28 weeks last time so I feel it’ll be much the same this time!

I still feel very nauseous for a good portion of the day but it’s at a level I can function a bit! Im no longer house bound as I was for 6 weeks 😭 I’m still struggling with extreme food aversions & my sense of smell is still high which I hate! Really doesn’t help with the nausea!

I get a lot of round ligament pain, mostly when I stand up from sitting. Sometimes it really stops me in my tracks! My bump is starting to pop out now though so I figure it’s everything stretching! Worth a check if your worried for sure, better safe if it’s keeping you awake I’d say!

abbs1 That is good news. Some very lucky sufferers do find relief early, but if the steroids are working, don't fret too much this early on if its the meds doing their job.

abbs1 Sorry, missed that bit about ligiments. I so agree with Bol about and getting it checked if your anxious and it interferes with sleep. There are all sorts of aches in pregnancy, though. I had deadful aches as my ribs expanded.
Bol87 I am so glad you are no longer bed bound!

I hope everyone is coping on this autumnal day!

Hey @Bol87 how are you feeling with the omeprazole? I've been taking it for three days and I've had near constant stomach ache. It's so bad it's waking me up. I've only vomited once in this time so that's an improvement but tbh I think Ranitidine was helping more. The only reason I swapped was because of the scare and the doctor felt it was a better drug. I'm not sure what to do about it. I know you said you had tummy ache at first.