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.

I've just read the thread and just wanted to say that when I had HG before, it stopped at about 22 weeks but got a lot better once I got to 14/15/16 weeks if that gives any hope to someone. I'm also constantly tired. I work in a boiling hot bakery and my job is very physical. I'm really really struggling at work. I can't wait for maternity leave! The tiredness isn't helping either. I feel like I cant do anything at home. I'm either working or in bed and I'm completely neglecting my kids.

Oh @Teddyreddy congratulations! Enjoy newborn snuggles and the pink castle and rest up well.

@composed please go ahead and post as you need to, that’s what we/the thread is here for, it sounds rough FWIW I had a regression around 20-22 weeks, felt miserable, I thought I should be turning a corner and instead it felt like I was going backwards, back to spending almost all day every day in my bedroom and fighting off nausea. But then @LucindaE mentioned that there is a hormone surge around that time, which can set people back temporarily, it was a relief actually to have an explanation and that might be what you are experiencing too. Hopefully it will improve over the next couple of weeks. I’m sorry your GP and MW aren’t more help I can’t remember if you said if you are getting any MH support, either way maybe there are some other routes for support like through a hospital consultant or another service. I also had thought I might return to work some time after 20-22 weeks and then realised it wasn’t happening, I would get a bit stressed whenever my sick note was coming to an end as I’d have to go and get another and be worried that ‘what if’ I didn’t get signed off again. Hopefully you can get a long sick note and focus on your wellbeing and rest. I’ve now been signed off for the whole of my pregnancy, I kept thinking I might end up going back but it’s never been sustainable enough to do that. Once I realised I wasn’t going back (until after mat leave I mean!) it was actually a bit of a relief because I could finally mentally commit, if that makes sense, to just looking after myself, rather than trying to work out when I was well enough to return, I’m an over thinker so I was actually giving myself anxiety dreams about returning to work.

Before thank you so much for your kind words, that’s exactly how I feel re the anxiety and stress just thinking about work and getting another sicknote. Everytime I think I am turning a corner I seem to take a step back.

During my first hg pregnancy with my dd i slowly got better after 20 weeks and was able to go back to work and resume somewhat of a more mobile life. This time round I barely have the energy to shower or brush my teeth even now at 22 weeks. My house is a mess and I still can’t brush my birds nest of a hair. My mum has taken my dd to theirs for the summer hols and I’m thankful that she is having fun and being well looked after but god the isolation and mental torture that comes with hg is unbearable.

I feel I may need to talk to my gp and basically see if she would be willing to sign me off for the rest of my pregnancy till mat leave as not only do I not have the mental energy but nor the physical energy to deal with this.

I hope you are all well and once again before thank you so much, I just feel so alone a lot of the time xx

Composed, that sounds awful. The stress of worrying about going to work will not be helping you. I always get Tuesdays off work and I do feel better on those days not having to worry about getting ready for work. I hope your gp signs you off. How lovely of your mum to have your dd too, that must be a relief in some ways.

@Bol87 yes you can get cyclizine over the counter. He didn't ask if was pregnant, and I suspect may not have given it to me if I had pointed it out!

Some people might be more comfortable checking it out with the GP, but for me well worth the instant relief rather than waiting for an appointment (with a GP who wanted me to try some ginger tea and 'see how it goes')

It's also used for motion sickness, & it isn't expensive.

Tempted to send my other half to the pharmacy and get him to pretend it’s for him! The thought of the doctors makes me want to cry more than I already am doing.. they couldn’t fit me in today, so I’ll try again tomorrow I suppose. I need to discuss my ondans. dose so while I’m there..

Today was the first day I couldn’t face work & I feel so so guilty. I’m 4 weeks into a promotion & I know I’m going to have to tell my new manager pretty soon. It’s probably silly but I just hate the thought of them thinking they made the wrong choice hiring me. 6 people went for it, mostly boys, and I was so pleased to get it. My employer is fantastic & I know there won’t be any outwards negativity but it’s more the private conversations.. I was hoping to get on top of the sickness & nausea to the point I could plaster on a brave face, nibble crackers & get through the 3 days a week I work!

Sending love to those going through worse than me. I get so upset but then I remember it absolutely could be worse. The meds do stop me vomiting which is something..

MumbleLumble Welcome. Poor you. It is interesting that you escaped it in the second pregnnacy but not this. Hopefully it will lift for you as it did before. On the acidity, have you got anythng for it, Omprazole or Ranitidine? It can make a huge differerence. As you are a veteran, I don't need to say my 'have you got kesostix as A and E departments do take those measurements seriously' and 'Full sugar flat coke, ice lollies and the juice of tinned fruit' spiel. Have they got you on a combination of meds? You will find a lot of support here.
composed beforeihit30 has given such great advice that I can't really add anything but my sympathy. I wonder if phoning 024 7638 2020 Pregnancy Sickness Support might help? They will have to phone back, but they give great advice, and I believe are well up on how to obtain counselling. Don't despair; things will improve.
Bol I am sure they made the right decision about the promotion. It is not your fault you have been struck down with this. As it is pregnancy related, the sooner you tell your line manager or HR what the problem is the better as it is a special case where sick leave can't be counted against you (not as if I'm suggesting they'll 'unpromote' you!).
DeadDoorPost It is a shame that Ondansetron isn't doing the trick this time.
Excellent advice from beforeihit30 as ever. What would we do without you?
Marshmallow How are things?

Well my first was a girl, second a boy so I'm wondering if this is a girl too? I haven't actually got any of those keto stick things. I didn't know they would listen to me if you know what I mean. I do have some urine sample pots which I can take to the GP any time if i want them to test for me. They have actually been really good and have set up weekly phone calls to see how I'm doing. I do have some medication for the acid reflux it's called pectin or pectac or something like that? It only works so well. But better than nothing!

Guys- are any of you on laxitives that is not laxido? I am seriously struggling with drinking & the amount of liquid needed for laxido to work. I am keeping water down now thank god but I’m having to literally sip it all day long. Or chew on ice cubes.. the ondanestron is causing havoc with going to the toilet as expected & I really need some help

@Bol87 I used lactulose last pregnancy but thankfully not needed anything this time round. They're really funny about giving it to pregnant women otc though unless prescribed.

Bol87 I might step in here with my spiel about laxatives! I’m in Australia so I always say check with a doctor or pharmacist to ensure things are safe for you as regulations vary by country. But if you are taking ondansetron TAKE THE LAXATIVES!! I found lactulose better for me as I could just drink the syrup straight down rather than have to mix with lots of other liquid. It is very sweet though. Movicol is also good but has to be mixed with something like water, etc and has a salty taste which i found utterly awful. I also took coloxcyl with senna. I was advised that this is safe in pregnancy unless you have a history of preterm labour. The hospital also prescribed me a dose that was double what the packet says. But seriously take the laxatives, don’t wait to hope it improves, don’t mess around with things like chia seeds - they ain’t going to shift ondansetron constipation. When passing a difficult bowl movements try pressing on the perineal area with your finger (and some toilet paper). Glycerin suppositories work if you have poo very low down that won’t come out but don’t really address the overall constipation. Finally and TMI WARNING: inserting your own finger into you rectum in the privacy of your own bathroom is way more dignified than the doctor doing it in emergency while an attractive nurse makes polite conversation with you!

Another small amount of blood when I wiped after doing urine sample for midwife today. I'm guessing I'm just irritated because nothing since. Also had to go to hospital for bloods as iron levels could have dropped. I was right on the cusp anyway at 109 where cut off is 108. Baby measuring fine. May have damaged a ligament on my stomach as well.

Hi all. Just thought I'd check in as I had a scan yesterday. Due date of 28th Jan as baby is bigger than my own dates. Bloody miracle considering how little I ate in first trimester.

I never ended up getting medicated again after my reaction to the first meds so have basically been on bed rest instead. I am okay as long as I take it easy. If I do 2 full on days of anything then the 3rd day is a write off.

Most days I now eat and drink. First food shop yesterday since becoming pregnant and it was really hard going but I made it.

Sorry for not individually responding but just want to say hi to all.

Teddyreddy Congratulations!!
Good news Ribenaberriesgowoo82 glad you’re getting your energy back, well done for being able to do the food shop, I’ve still been getting mine delivered.
Have they put you on any iron tablets DeadDoorpost?
I forgot to take mine for a couple of days and the sickness stopped.
I keep randomly gagging again though, I’m not sure if it was the heat or the iron tabs that made me feel quite sick again. So I’m going to start taking them again tonight and see what happens.
My pains went away when I moved position so must have been that my body didn’t like the way I was laying. I was hoping it was labour starting.
I think I lost my plug the other day and I’ve been having some loose bowel movements (sorry tmi) but I’m hoping these are all signs. I’d love to go into natural labour any day now. Im seriously fed up with feeling like poo all day. I’ve promised my boys we’ll do something fun when the baby is born as I have been such a boring mummy.
I asked my 7 year old if he remembers when I was in bed all day every day. He said no at first, and then said actually he does remember because his nana’s had to take him and collect him from school. So if that’s all he remembers from my dark days then that’s good. I can’t wait to give them both huge cuddles like we used to, I’m still funny with both their smells and it breaks my heart. Before I got pregnant I loved the way they smell! It’s so strange. Same with my husband too.

MumbleLumble I wonder if it is a girl? The sexes of babies seem to be evenly divided on here, but perhaps expecting a girl does tip it over into Hyperemesis for many. It is a good idea to have kesostix just in case you do suddenly become very dehydrated, as while they are not the best way of judging dehydration, they do take the measurements seriously at A and E if you turn up having tested with them and having high readings of ketones. I honestly don't know about that anti acid. I believe the best are Omprazole (on prescription) and Ranitidine (over the counter).
TwoShades1 Excellent 'spiel' about laxtives for Bol87.

DeadDoorPost Oh dear. It is never nice to have a show of blood though good news it is probably irriataton, and damaged muscles are very painful.
Ribenaberriesgowoo82 I am so glad that things are a bit better. I've added you to the list.

Due Dates
emma 4 August
advocadoo 11 August
canonlyhope 13 August
Bili 16 August
norbert 26 August
beforei hit30 3 September
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

I’m due on 29 of Jan @Ribenaberriesgowoo82 !

The ondansetron has worked like a treat for me. I was so worried about taking medication but have been reassured by doctor it’s all good. I can’t believe the new lease of life it’s given me! I’m no way back to 100% however feeling so so much better and it has stopped the vomiting and nausea.
Thanks for all your support everyone.

@TwoShades1 I had to laugh at your of dealing with constipation, DH has a severe IBD so poo talk is common in this household and I felt like I could totally understand what you were saying!

@Ribenaberriesgowoo82 so good to hear you’re managing well with rest and feeling relatively better regardless of not taking meds, that’s really positive.

That’s fantastic @Marshmallow1992 so glad it’s working so well for you, it makes such a huge difference when you’re not in the full on throes of it.

@MumbleLumble I had some vomiting and regular/throughout the day nausea with my first two, both boys, both experiences I didn’t particularly enjoy, but I was able to manage. This pregnancy has been completely different of course with HG, and before my 20 weeks span my consultant, GP and midwives were all saying, “Ah, reckon it’s a girl then” (which I was surprised by tbh, I figured as HCPs they would just say “Sometimes it happens”), and lo and behold we are expecting a girl!

Making some more gradual progress on the house. Think I might be seriously nesting I’ve even baby proofed some cupboards! (to be fair DC1 did himself a mischief the other day with a spray bottle so it’s as much for my existing children as the new baby!). I’ve cleared out more stuff, got formula/steriliser/bottles stored in the kitchen cupboards now, and about 3/4 complete on the hospital bag, just need to put my clothes and a towel in there. Step by step...

@beforeihit30, I had the same thing with the doctors at the hospital and midwifes saying its either twins or a girl. They gave me a print out at the hospital and even on there it said about it more likely to be a girl. I found it so weird as I assumed, like you, they wouldn't say things like that. It seems a bit old wives tale-y.

@LucindaE I will definitely get some of those then just in case. Hopefully I won't need them. Last time I went to hospital, I phoned 111 first but they took 6 hours to phone back, had to go to one hospital who then sent me to a and e anyway. Next time I'd go straight to a and e.

Had a bad day today. Really struggled at work and asked to leave early again.

Hey guys been a bit awol but thought I'd check in! I've never been so glad to live up north with all that weather but still spent the majority of the time in the spare room in my pants! It's still really muggy up here which I think has bought the sickness back, been throwing up anything I eat or drink first in the day but today's the first day in over a week I've managed to keep everything contained!
Can't stop napping or needing to lie down cause I'm so uncomfortable!
Had my 38 week midwife appointment who's told me the parasites head is still free and not engaged so looks like I'm in for the long haul, could go on to the 21st 😫 sucks because I'm in constant pain now!

@beforeIhit30 that's so weird with the girl thing! My sister was like that two, the boys she was sick but with my niece it was unreal how ill she was right up until labour!

Everyone, my stupid PC keyboard is playing up. I will be back asap.

Having a really bad day mentally today. I've only been sick once but I'm so fed up. Called in sick today as I'm just constantly trying not to be sick and feel so horrible, and my boss must be fed up as he's not even got back to me. I just want to be able to do a week at work.

Hi all sorry to hear mumble you’re having a hard time, I have to keep telling myself to take each day at a time and on the worse days a minute at a time.

I finally spoke to work and told them the gp will sign me off till mat leave starts as I don’t see myself going back to work as I am really struggling. I can’t drive alone incase I blackout and one good day leads to 2 bad days. Its a weight off my mind not having to worry about it that much anymore so helps with my anxiety.

In my first hg pregnancy I was better and abke to function by 20
weeks and i was unmedicated that time, just kept going in and out of hospital for drips. It’s sad that my body isn’t abke to
cope with being pregnant, one of the most natural things a woman can do according to some, so that in itself makes me sad. I can’t ever go through this again and keep praying baby will be ok and that this will end soon.

I hope everyone else is doing better or as well as one can be with hg. I have to say I have been loving the rain recently

Keyboard is back to normal.
Marshmallow I've added your date. I am so glad you are feeling better and Ondansetron helps.
MumbleLumble It is very hard to accept that you may have to be off work for a while with this illness. Is the doctor prepared to give you a sick note for a while? What meds did you say the doctor put you on? Sorry about unsympathetic manager. The sooner your line manager is informed that your illness is pregnancy related, the better, as they can't count time taken off during pregnancy.
composed I think it is very sensible to be signed off and to stop fretting about work. The anxiety can make you feel much worse.
Waves to beforeI hit30 and TwoShades. Great advice as always.
advocadoo Sorry about pain and vomiting returning. That is horrible. No wonder you are happy about the rain.
Bili It is dismal about the strong sense of smell. I remember my OH stank of roast pork to me. I used to hold a lavender satchet to my nose in bed at night. As you know as a veteran, it does go!
I am glad the LO's have only vague memories of the worst times.
Waves to everyone. It is very hot here today,and I hope everyone isn't suffering too much.

Due Dates
Due Dates
emma 4 August
advocadoo 11 August
canonlyhope 13 August
Bili 16 August
norbert 26 August
beforei hit30 3 September
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

Had a few interesting days... dad of best friend died yesterday and today I sluooed down the stairs. Baby fine, but bum is sore as hell. Arm is also sore and bruised a bit but baby and bump all good so that's the main thing. We're away now from today til Sunday, scan on Monday and birth centre tour on Tuesday so busy busy busy.