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.

Oh no @DisneyMadeMeDoIt That sounds like an absolute nightmare scenario.. I know it would make me really sick again. Food is also partly what stops me feeling atrocious! I don’t have much advice I’m afraid but sending lots of love! Can you ask for some extra anti-sickness perhaps while you are there?!

20 weeks today! We made it half way- quite an achievement!

Baby is def a girl and developing well. Given my ondanesteon use, I asked them to double check the heart & lips and all is good, no issues that they can see in the womb.. which is such a relief. It’s been weighing on my mind!

Oh gosh @DisneyMadeMeDoIt . I have no advice but just to say big hugs to you and I hope you can eat soon. Take care x

@Bol87 oh how exciting!! I have my 20 week scan in 2 weeks. I will ask them the same to double check heart and lips and weight as I dont feel like my bump is very big for 18 weeks but it is my first and was told I have very strong stomach muscles so not sure if thats holding my bump from showing as much. Also cause of all the steroids and anti sickness I've been on.
@LucindaE I haven't been sick again since last night I felt really nauseous but I will know for sure by the weekend as tomorrow is my last day of steroids so then I will know if I've made progress.

lydia97 Welcome. I would say it is a bit premature to give up on meds if you are vomiting every other day on them, and it still is quite early on for a big improvement. You don't want to have a relapse. Cyzlizine is considered one of the safest drugs in pregnancy, so while it's understandable not to wish to be on drugs if you can avoid it, it has been prescribed since the 1980;s, and you mustn't fret about using it a bit longer. Most people see a natural improvement between weeks 14-21, so though not medically qualified I would suggest keeping on it until then.
DisneyMadeMeDoIt I so agree with others; if you explain how an empty stomach makes you vomit, can they give you extra meds? Poor you. It sounds an awful situation to be in. Here's some from me, only cyber ones, but better than nothing.
Bol87 What a lovely clear picture: I do so love their little noses .
Hollbob9 Great advice about doses.
abbs1 Keeping my fingers crossed for you.
I hope everyone is coping today.

@Bol87 CONGRATS 💐 so pleased for you! I found the ‘risks’ for ondansetron really scary but honestly sometimes the risk to baby if you carry on super sick is much higher! It’s awful the mum guilt though and I think for those with HG it starts much earlier! I was constantly hearing about someone’s ‘cousins friend’ who had HG and ‘managed’ to not take any meds 🙄 and I know they weren’t directly being mean but every time it felt like a criticism of me for needing them!

• Nil by mouth was lifted before dinner time last night but I’d already gone past the point of no return. My disjointed day had made me worse and I already aren’t great on an evening (usually don’t eat after 4-5pm ish!

The midwives are so lovely to me but just before I went to sleep they sent one in to ‘chat’ to me about my low weight (🙄 I’ve lost a lot since pregnancy and was already slim). She was very nice but ‘worried’ that I hadn’t eaten dinner on the ward and I picked up a very clear ‘we think you’re starving your baby vibe’!

I do manage about 1200-1500 calories a day atm but more than that and I start getting sickly again! I’ve currently gone 2-3 weeks without actual vomit and am VERY reluctant to go back there! (😭 it was so bad!) but they clearly didn’t think it was enough and I should be pushing myself!

Has anyone else got the a ‘well managed’ stage of HG but only through hyper controlling food/times? I feel genuinely scared to eat different/more food now as panic I’ll start vomiting again!

@LucindaE thanks for the advice - I actually ran out yesterday, stupidly forgot to order more and only had 1. It was horrific - back to full on nausea and vomiting.

Absolutely agree! Going to wait until at least 16 weeks before trying to reduce again - I would rather be on them for the rest of the pregnancy than feeling like that. Got some first thing this morning and now feel semi normal after taking my morning one.

Hope everyone else is doing ok and getting the care they need 😘

@Bol87 the scan is so beautiful!

DisneyMadeMeDoIt I hear that the baby takes the nourishment that s/he needs, so the one to suffer is the mother - they are very effective parasites. I am sure the nurses are very kind but it is a shame that they are not better informed about Hyperemesis. It is great that you were ab le to get in that many calories and go for so long without vomiting. You are to be congratulated. Did they allow you to have meds late last night?
Lydia97 Sorry to hear you had a relaspe when you ran out and I am so glad you got some more and it helped. Very sensible to keep on with them for a good while yet.

Hi all. I need someone to (kindly) tell me if I am being irrational. Since telling our network about the pregnancy and the HG I have encountered lots of ramdom comments along the line of 'I know what its like I was sick almost once a week in the first trimester' or 'I had terrible morning sickness to try eating a cracker before you get out of bed' etc. Although these people mean well it leaves me feeling misunderstood and like I am weak and this is normal. I had a pep talk with my GP and he reminded me HG is not a usual part of pregnancy. His reassurances made me feel much better.

My OH knows all this but when he talks to his family (on the phone as they live at a distance) he has never mentioned I have HG just that I'm poorly. Today his sister, who is also pregnant, said that she knows the first trimester is tough and she had bad nausea for 2 weeks. She gave the usual advice like eat little and often and my husband simply agreed. Hearing this conversation made my feel so angry. Obviously my in laws don't know any different so they aren't in the wrong but why did my OH not think to put her right and explain it's not quite that easy. I feel so totally misunderstood. I thought at least he got it as he has seen me at my worst, dehydrated and sobbing in hospital. It feels that he too is quite happy to minimise it and brush it off as another normal part of pregnancy.

Pastnowfuture I don 't think you are being irrational at all. It is really annoying the way people give advice when it is not relevant to Hyperemesis. Probably OH couldn't be bothered explaining that Hyperemesis is not in the same category rather than thinking that she was talking sense, but no wonder you feel misjudged. I would wait until you have calmed down at bit and then explain to him that it isn't that you think he doesn't care and you don't want to seem touchy, b ut it makes you feel as if he's underrating how ill you are when he doesn't put people right about the difference between ordinary MS and this scourge. I know there are degrees of it and very bad ordinary pregnancy sickness is probably not very different from Hyperemesis, but normal pregnancy sickness is not comparable. Others on here may have better ideas. Much sympathy.

Pastnowfuture Sorry; I left a word out. What I meant to say was 'very bad ordinary pregnancy sickness is probably not very different from the milder forms of Hyperemesis'.

@LucindaE Thank you so much. I think I just needed a good rant and to hear I'm not being completely unreasonable. Took the dog for a walk, had a bit of a cry and felt much better. Have come home and explained that although unintentional it hurt my feelings. It took him a while to grasp the problem but he has now apologised and will put it right by explaining next time he speaks with them. He's been great through this whole thing which i think made it even harder to hear him having a conversation that I felt minimised the experience.

Hi, after a bit of advice, I’m only 6+4 with my first pregnancy, since 5+2 I have been having constant stomach reaching nausea that lasts from the moment I wake up till the moment I go to sleep, this week I have started vomiting but only 1/2 times per day. Did you ladies with HG always have the vomiting or did it start as nausea and then get worse. My GP has signed me off work as I work 3/4 12.5 hr shifts per week, she offered me an antiemetic but I’m not sure if this is just normal or whether it’s guna get worse before it gets better. None of the advice I’ve found online works at all! Any advice would be gladly received

@Cornishbumpkin I found mine started with the nausea all day and vomiting once or twice a day at week 5 - then by week 9 it was in full swing where if I ate anything that wasn’t a plain cracker every now and then I was being sick 4/5 times a day. I basically wasn’t eating to avoid being sick - but still was if I drank too much water at once. I was living on ice lollies and plain crackers for a couple of weeks.

Then I had my first urine test with the midwife and if came back with ketones +++
I called my GP after a really bad day and they put me on drugs. I’m now 13+5 and still sick every other day on the drugs (cyclizine) but it’s so much better. I don’t think I could have continued otherwise.

I personally would take anything they offer you - rather than let it get really bad - I had no idea about HG, but wish I had known earlier to ask for help.

@Pastnowfuture sorry you’ve been through that - before I had it, I was completely naive too. probably like tons of woman out there. It might be worth explaining more about it anyone who keeps telling you about ginger 🙄, so if they have someone else who gets it, maybe they won’t get the same.
My personal pet peeve - when I feel them I’m coming up to 14 weeks - is them saying “oh soon you’ll feel amazing and have so much energy”. Really hard to swallow that when you’re still being sick regularly and feel like shit.

@lydia97 thanks so much for the advice, I'm worried it's guna get worse from here. Think I'll take the GP up on the meds offer. Glad they've worked for you

@cornishbumpkin definitely take all the help you can get. I had nausea before I got my bfp and from week 5 was vomiting day and night and 24/7 nausea. It took 3 gps and a trip to a and e before anyone took me seriously around week 7. Multiple hospital visits later I've lost count and multiple medications, ivs, and injections later including 2 rounds of week long daily home visits for medication I'm still struggling and nearly 19 weeks along. Please dont hesitate to seek as much help as you need. I honestly couldn't have gotten this far without the help of my local hospital and the amazing nurses and gynae doctors. HG is really serious and sadly not enough people are aware of it.

Cornishbumpkin Welcome. Sorry you are suffering. I so agree with lyadia97. If the doctor has offered meds, do take them.They wouldn't offer them unless they thought you needed them, and considered the very minimal risks of taking them far less than the risks of chronic dehydration. Unfortunately, this does tend to peak about week ten for most people and lasts rather longer than normal pregnancy sickness. Most sufferers feel an improvement between 14 and 20 weeks. Here is my normal spiel that I hope might help, though the kesostix suggestion may be unnecessary. 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.
lydia97. Great advice. I am glad the meds are helping.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

abbs1 Cross posted! Great advice from you, too. I hope you aren't feeling too bad?

@abbs1 thanks for your advice. Gosh you sound like you've had a rough time. I'm hoping and praying it's just normal morning sickness nausea and that it'll go away in a couple of months 🤞🏼

@LucindaE sorry I posted before I saw your post. That's really helpful Thankyou, I tried omeprazole last week cause the pain felt like gastritis but that didn't help, I've tried some rennies over the last couple of days that didn't make much difference either! I'll try your suggestions and get the antiemetic from GP

Cornishbumpkin I am forever cross posting on here. I hope the meds get things under conrol. If the first lot don't work, there are various ones and combinations they can try. I love that name 'bumpkin' - obviously pun on 'bump' - but I have always called myself that old fashioned thing a 'country bumpkin' because I spent the first part of my life living in isolated houses in the various rural areas!

@LucindaE I don't want to speak too soon but I think I may have finally turned a corner for the better. I've been off steroids 3 days now and not thrown up. Normally I can't more than 36 hours without constant vomiting returning. I'm still on ondansatron and metoclopromide and feel nauseous but feel like I'm making progress finally at nearly 19 weeks.

Oh that’s good news @abbs1 ! So pleased things seem a tad better you’ve had such a rough ride!

I’ve had a bit of a blip weekend this weekend. The nausea has been atrocious. I had to miss out on all the bonfire night fun yesterday just in bed trying to sleep & forget about it But, I had the mother of all sleeps last night, from about 8pm - 9am (although awake for several wees through the night) & today has been a bit better. Thank goodness for my superstar of an other half keeping our little one quiet this morning! I think my anaemia is getting worse, I’m still struggling to tolerate iron supplements in any form! I can take half the dose of the liquid ferrous furmate perfectly OK but maybe it’s not enough

But, on a nice note, I can really feel baby wriggling now! She really is very active, she moves around constantly! My other half has felt a couple kicks as well.. much earlier than last time!

Hope everyone is OK & the weekends not been too awful 🧡

Hi all I'm just checking in.

I'm now past the 20 week point, and my record over the last few weeks has been 10 days totally sick free!!!! I broke my streak on Thursday morning but I was just sick twice in the morning. I think it was due to tiredness as I just started back at work on Monday after being signed off? Otherwise the combination of ondansetron and cyclizine is working wonders. I am struggling with low blood pressure though and getting quite dizzy which isn't great, but if I'm sitting down I can function almost normally!

@Bol87 We found out on Tuesday - absolutely undoubtedly a second little boy for us!! I was so torn about wanting a girl but also wanting a little brother for my son and wanting to reuse all his baby bits so I was worried I was going to be disappointed either way, but the scan seemed to go on for so long checking everything and he kept such a straight face through it all I was just so relieved when he said everything was seemingly alright. So relieved, pleased, and excited to know a little bit more about this little person giving me all this grief!

@Pastnowfuture both my pregnancies have been almost exactly in sync with my husbands sister. My 1st & this is my 2nd, her 2nd and she's now in her 3rd. Last time she told me pregnancy sickness is a case of mind over matter. This was after my third hospital stay!!!! This time round she gave me her travel sickness bands as they have cleared her nausea up completely and she's able to walk 3 miles in the morning without them now so I really should give them a try. Honestly, if she didn't make these comments when I'm so weak I would smack her in the face. It seems if you haven't experienced it there really is no understanding!

abbs1 Keeping my fingers crossed that this continues for you. Happy news.
Bol87 Sorry you missed out on the bonfire fun. I am glad things are better overall. There is often that glitch round the 20 week mark due to an hormonal surge. That is nice about the wiggling.
Yellow25 that sounds so infuriating of your sister-in-law. Advocating sickness bands for Hyperemesis is like suggesting paracetomol for severe migraine. I am glad you are well enough to return to work, but don't overdo it.