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.

@rosina38 This has cheered me up! The earplugs!
I totally sympathise about the no sleep, it's just awful lying there for hours but like you say you're not able to properly physically exhaust yourself.
The nights when I sleep worst are when the nausea ramps up too and then that vicious cycle continues.

I had been sleeping in another room to not disturb my DP but last night stayed in our room and I think he was shocked at how bad I am. Think he'd thought I was making it up a bit.....

I too experience the worst nausea overnight! Must be a thing! When I was badly vomiting, I was most sick overnight as well. I’ve slept in our spare room since August so as to not disturb my other half & daughter. And partly so my daughter doesn’t disturb me when I finally do get to sleep as she’s not a fantastic sleeper!

I really admire/majorly sympathise with those attempting to work during all this. I was signed off for a few weeks as frankly, I just couldn’t cope. Then I was very lucky that I can do my job from home, it’s not ideal but possible. Sending lots of love to those struggling on 🧡

I’m feeling very sorry for myself today, I’ve caught a shocker of a cold off my daughter so I’m feeling dreadful from that & the ever persistent nausea! 😭

Hardheadedwoman39 There have been several sufferers on here who had terrible nausea,but not vomtiting. I have no idea how anyone survives as a teacher when suffering from this. Good advice.
Boycay People can be insensitive and give the most ludicrous advice; 'ginger' and so on...Stematil has helped a lot of sufferers on here. I am so glad work have been supportive.
Snipples I am glad that it has eased a bit with Ondansetron, anyway. I hope you soon turn a corner.
rosina38 Don't try and rush back. Too many sufferers do that, and have to get signed off again. Rest is very important as a treatment.
Bol87 I am sorry to hear of your cold.
Much sympathies over everyone's sleep problems, feeliing worse at night and nightmares. After all these years, I still remember the terribly vivid and distressing dreams I had. I suppose it's the hormones.
Apologies to anyone rudely over looked. I am still so pleased about TwoShades1's news.

Saw the consultant today as I've been put as high risk due to severe hyperemesis. Has anyone else has this? Ive also been booked for a 28 week growth scan and to see the consultant again as they are concerned about growth due to steroids I'm on. I'm 16 weeks today but I wasnt scanned today but have my 20 week scan coming up. Starting to worry now a bit. Has anyone else had this?

I hope people aren't feeling too wiped out.....
I had my doctors appointment this morning and they prescribed me cyclizine. I've taken one so far and feel quite odd - hard to describe, drowsy, dry mouth, breathless. Is this normal? I think it has eased the nausea but I feel pretty strange!

Oh and does anyone else struggle to get DP to understand quite how awful this is? I was told last night it's not all about me ☹️

@Hardeheadedwoman39 I found cyclizine turned me into a zombie and I just slept and had weird heart palpitations and didnt take the sickness away. I was moved to ondansetron and metoclopramide which work better.
I'm sorry your DP isn't understanding how you feel. My husband struggled at the beginning more out of frustration not being able to help and seeing me so poorly but dont let it get to you if you can help it. He probably feels helpless more than anything else. I found giving my husband an article on hyperemesis that he could read and understand helped.

@hardheadedwoman39 I have found cyclizine wipes me out and gave me a dry mouth, although now I have been on it for more than a week these symptoms seem to have subsided. Does anyone know if you are ok taking metoclopramide on a long term basis? After being admitted to hospital for a 2nd time at the weekend I was prescribed this along side cyclizine and prochlorperazine. Was only given a few so have asked my Dr for some more. The receptionist has rang to say that on my discharge summary from the hospital it says to take for 1 week only. She is going to get a Dr to ring me back but now I'm panicking as only just started to eat things and keep them down.

@Hollybob9 I've been on metoclopramide for like 2 months now and continue to be prescribed it. I've been told it's safe and is working really well for me. Keeping the nausea away along with ondansetron and steroids so I'm happy. I'm being weaned off steroids as I cant be on them long but I know of others both metoclopramide and ondansetron longer term.

Thank you @abbs1 and @Hollybob9 - good to know I'm not imagining the symptoms. The nausea is definitely better so I will see if the side effects subside...

It sounds so complicated for you both but it's amazing how much more is on offer now than 15 years ago when I had my son.

I should try and educate DP a bit more 😂

@abbs1 That's good to hear. You sound like you have had a rough time of it :( My Dr called back and is going to contact the hospital consultant tomorrow to check that I am ok to stay on all 3 medications so fingers crossed!

I’m 16w and had HG right from the start 😭
Tried multiple medications without succes...etc - you know how it is 😭

So I’m ‘better’ now, (not constantly vomiting) although I still take ranitadine religiously and still have awful nights (sitting up, which causes hip pain 🙄😒)

But the thing is, I feel like such a prisoner in my body still. I’m such a slave to what I ‘fancy’ and HAVE to eat exactly what I fancy immediately else 🤯🤮 honestly, I can’t even wait for something to cook! It’s awful. If I try to eat something I don’t fancy (even when starving) - 🤮
And sometimes I don’t fancy anything - even though I’m starving and - 🤮

When I get sick it’s not just an episode and over - it’s hours of laying on the sofa not even able to look at screens!

IF I do exactly the right things, I can have ‘almost’ normal days (except from the hyper salivation- I have to carry a spit towel at all times - it’s gross)

Because I seem ‘ok’ I’m feeling pressure to return to work but so much will then be taken out of my direct control! I’m riddled with anxiety as my being ‘ok’ is SO precariously balanced on my having total control over my routine and day!

DH (Dr) suggested I take a spit towel to my office in a carrier bag and hope people ‘won’t notice’ - but I’m so conscious of it.

How do people cope living like this?

I’m also in a really bad place with MH, I feel like I haven’t ‘gotten over’ how sick I’ve been and my total loss of identity (work/social life). I’m now terrified of vomiting in public and break down in sobbing tears (to DH) on a nightly basis- repeating how much I HATE pregnancy and how it feels like the highest mistake I ever made. I’m scared of what’s to come over the next few months - everyone told me I would be fine when I got pregnant ...and I’m honestly surprised I’m still here!

Is it normal to feel this way?

I’m sorry to jump in on here with my drama but I’m seeing midwife tomorrow (to say I need help) and just looking for advice/reassurance???

• I have spoken to pregnancy sickness support several times btw. They are lovely but advised all of this treatment/support I ‘needed’ then put me in touch with the NHS ward who swiftly said ‘yeah- you’re not dangerously dehydrated so we’re not going to do any of that- make an apt at your GP 😭😒’

@DisneyMadeMeDoIt
I totally understand how you feel and it's terrifying and exhausting.
You're spot on about precariously managing things to have a 'normal' day and I'd be extremely cautious about deciding you're ready to go back to work.

The feeling of losing yourself to hg is so sudden and it feels like there is no end in sight. There is but it takes an enormous amount of kindness to yourself and patience (who has that with hg😂)

I have been wishing I wasn't pregnant which is such a sad and dark feeling but I think given how consuming hg is it's pretty understandable.

I won't say "it's all worth it" because you'll want to virtual slap me but I will say I am on baby no.4......

@Hardheadedwoman39

❤️ Thank you

It feels like nobody in RL understands how I feel or the pressure. DH thinks It’ll ‘lift my spirits’ returning to work but the thought of being subject to an office routine again and spitting into a towel all day makes me cringe!

@Hardheadedwoman39 - I have a huge amount of respect for you doing this 4 times!!!

DisneyMademeDolt Welcome. You have already had great advice from Hardheadedwoman39. I think it would be a great idea to ask the m/w if you could have some counselling. Failing that, Pregnancy Sickness Support whose great service you mention, might be able to suggest how to get a counsellor to talk through all your feelings of loss of self etc. It is a traumatic experience. It is good that you are slightly on the mend -and that you have a Dr. for an OH . You wont need my 'the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies and flat full sugar coke' spiel or my 'keslostix are taken seriously by A and E even if they aren't the best way of measuring dehdydratiion and have you got an anti acid' spiel. I won't risk saying that 'it will be worth it' but I will point out that in ten years of these theads, not one sufferer, even those who sometimes dreamed of termiination at times, has ever come back to tell me that it wasn't worth it! That's saying it the other way round.
Hardheadedwoman39 Good advice. Sorry to hear that OH is being insensitive. That is really annoying. On the links to websites, there is information for OH's, if there is any chance of his reading it. A lot of people find that Cyclizine does give them strong side effects, particularly doziness, which wear off increasingly.
abbs1 It is quite common for those with more severe Hyperemesis to be monitored with extra growth scans, etc, just as a precaution. Try not to fret about it; they are just being conscientious.
Waves to Hollybob and everone. Great advice from all.
Apolgies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Hollybob and everyone: re being on the metoclopramide long term, though not medically qualified I know occasionally metoclopramdie can cause twitchiness in the mother (though the baby is unaffected), which will make doctors take patients off it as it is a warning sign.I think this makes some doctors wary of prescribing it long term. Might that be it?

Hi all, thought I'd give an update.

So I'm 15 weeks now and the sickness has actually gotten worse over the last few days. I have gone back to being extremely tired, having to nap 2 times a day and still being sick around 5 times.

I can't keep anything down for longer than 10 minutes and don't even have the energy to shower or bath (which I'm becoming increasingly self conscious about).

Annoyingly, my GP told me to call the surgery this morning to book in an anti sickness injection as I'm showing signs of dehydration and I've tried 2 different tablets and they didn't work. When I called, they were closed for the day for training and so I'm back to square one.

And I've also found a small lump under my armpit that is bothering me!!

I'm worried I've taken too much time off work now and that my next pay day will be atrocious/ my colleagues will start despising me for my absence.

My poor partner doesn't know how to help other than cuddle me and tell me everything is going to be okay.

Sorry- needed a rant before bed. Hope everyone is okay today xx

Don’t forget, if doctors are closed & it’s really bad, there is always A&E. I had to go once in August & I explained to the triage nurse that I felt extremely worried about vomiting in the waiting room repeatedly and they whipped me straight into a cubicle.. it still took about 2 hours to get started on a drip & some anti sickness but at least I was on a bed privately.

Do you not get sick pay @Boycay ? don’t worry about your colleagues right now, you and baby are most important. I had 6 weeks off & upon my return, everyone has been totally lovely and supportive (bar one who remained quiet, we’ve never got on very well!).

Hyperemesis is a medical condition that makes you really poorly. If you were this ill for any other reason, you’d likely be signed off and not feel overly guilty. I had 6 weeks off after an operation a few years back and didn’t even consider feeling guilty as I was recovering! But for some reason in pregnancy, we seem to think we have to keep going. You don’t, you are ill. You need to rest! 🧡

Well this is a thread I was hoping never to post on! Been reading along for a week or so, as had some really bad days of sickness, though I don't think anywhere near as bad as some of you. I'd like some advice - sickness started 2 weeks ago, most days it's been bad in the morning then just nauseous in the afternoon, and have managed to eat and drink lunch time onwards - though being picky with what I eat. I had a couple of days of no sickness. One day I was sick all day, maybe 15 times, with a 3 hour break. Yesterday I was sick all morning and some signs I checked on NHS website said go to a&e. Ended up in mau on a drip as my dehydration was really high - 4+ ketones. They also gave me some meds in the drop. This morning, feeling good! No sickness yet hooray. My question is about the cyclizine I have been given in tablet forms. I asked when to take it as some days I can sort of get myself steady, other days it's bad. She said take it on the bad days which I'd prefer as don't want to take more than I need to. But the prescription says take 3 times a day for a week. Any thoughts? Thanks for reading and much sympathy to you all

@Whatnext

I’m new to this thread (but not to anti sickness meds- currently 16w) so hope you don’t mind me offering advice.

Cyclizine was the first I tried and it’s an ‘odd’ one- I reacted badly to it and my midwife told me this was not uncommon especially if you’re already worn down when you begin it.
Cyclizine, procholperazine, and Ondansetron (forgive my spelling) will all come with a ‘take X tablets X times a day but I found that taking occasionally (as needed) had the same effects.

Taking regularly builds up a ‘level’ in your system but unlike antibiotics...etc anti sickness will work just by taking one when you need it. Use it in the way that works best for you.

I also take ranitadine 300mg per day and actually found this to be the ‘best’ reliable relief. It’s not strictly an ‘anti sickness’ but stops your stomach producing acid in the same way. My sickness/nausea reduced significantly after taking this and I was told that increased stomach acid is a big cause of sickness during pregnancy - it’s also low risk so a relatively safe one to be on for a long time (no nasty side effects either).

Hope that helps x

Hi, newly joined.... but have been reading some of these wonderful supportive posts...

I am 6weeks, was admitted to hospital last week due to ketone 5++ couldn’t keep anything down.
Ended up on 16 hours of IV fluid got cyclizine via injection and was discharged 2 days later.
Now on cyclizine and onedaneston alternating these.
I feel terrible, I even told a nurse I couldn’t carry on as I felt so bad.
The tablets have helped but I still always feel dodgy.
I am back at work and it’s awful as I haven’t told anyone because I have already suffered from a previous miscarriage.
My OH has been so supportive and keeps telling me it will get better but with at least another 10 weeks of this o feel like I have no quality of life and I can’t keep going... :-(
To top it off I’m also on Clexaine daily due to a previous CVST so between being black and blue, I’m sick, tired and loosing the will to live.....

Welcome to Hghell and Whatnext11.
Hghell Things do sound very tough at the moment. Don't despair, almost everyone finds the first bit by far the worst. Things will almost certainly get better. It is very hard to take one day at a time,but that is the thing to do. That is a good combination of meds. Did they give you a laxative too, as Ondansertron can cause costipation and the last thing you need is more symptoms. I hope you can come off the other med soon. I am glad OH is supportive. Here are some tips which I hope will help. A good anti acid can make a big difference. It is always worth asking to see if there are any further meds to try for the nausea. What helps with the nausea for some, doesn't for others. It is a good idea to buy some kesostix from a chemists to check for the dehydration, as while ketones in urine are not the best indicator A and E departments take them seriously. Some drinks that have helped others, and food of a sort: - flat full sugar coke, the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies, ice cubes, Elderflower water, fizzy water, tonic water, soda water, Elderflower water and tonic water, Lucoazade, fizzy orange, lemonade, Dr Pepper, Iron Bru, 7UP, Robinson's fruit drinks, orange squash and sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya). Nibbles of chips and crisps, baked potatoes, cuppa soup, cheap ice cream, Scotch pancakes, tinned fruit, biscuits, slices of melon and mango and jelly. On the feelings of despair, do speak to either your GP surgery or phone Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7638 2020 about counselling as this is a very isolating and depressing condition. PSS will have to phone back,but the give great advice.
Whatnext11 Welcome to the thread that nobody wants to be on . You have had such great advice from Disneymademedoit about meds, I have nothing to add there. I hope the above tips to Hghell are of some use to you. If Cyclizine isn't effective, don't hesitate to go back and ask for other meds as there are various ones they can try.
Good advice form Bol87 too.
Apologies for anyone rudely overlooked.

@Disneymademedoit thank you for your advice, that really reassured me. I've stuck with that, no sickness at all yesterday in fact I felt great! Today is a different story so had a tablet and hope it works. Yuck!