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.

Thankyou everyone for all the advice. I have been lurking but was in hospital one day needing fluids and then tbh I’ve been hugely depressed.
I’m feeling absolutely horrific and struggling. But I had a scan today and all looks good 9+5 and due date is 29 August
I just feel so hideously sick and I keep getting palpitations and shivers each time the nausea gets intense

I’m hoping this weekend to rest as much as is possible as Dh off work but dreading the weeks ahead I feel like I can’t cope my house is an absolute tip and i can’t do a thing I’m crying so much and I can’t manage I feel so utterly depressed

sickandtiredofsick I am sorry you had to go to hospital for fluids. I am happy you had a boost over the scan, but I'm sorry you are crying and depressed. With luck you are at the worst stage as often people find weeks 9-11 really awful. I've added your date.

Due Dates
ribbenaberriesgowoo82 28 January
Marshmallow 1992 29 January
MumbleLumble 19 February
Katela18 22 February
Bray23 23 February
Twistsandcurls 3 March
Dinosauraddict 10 March
yellow25 17 March
Bol87 18 March
Sprite25 29 March
Catconfusion 15 April
RaynorEsme2019 19 April
pastnowfuture27 April
Moonstone12 1 May
Pastnowfuture 7 May
MrsH497 18 May
BeautyandtheBump 30 May
StayClosePooky 20 June
kisisngthegbear 23 June
justtheonethen 18 July
Ummasomebody 20 July TWINS!
areallthenamestaken 24 July
boulevardofbrokendreams 2 August
sickandtiredofsick 29 August

I hope everyone is coping today.

Hello everyone,

First of all I’m sorry to see so many suffering. I have had severe HG in my last pregnancy and I have just found out I am pregnant again (not planned). I wasn’t excepting to go through this again. I’m very early, last time it hit at 6 weeks and I was in a dark place with no support. I can’t sleep because I am so scared about the sickness coming. I hope it’s ok for me to join. I need some support and perhaps supporting others with get me through.

@Dotty356 I know that fear well. Are you on preemptive meds?

Hi @justtheonethen

Not yet, I have a doctors appointment this morning. Is this something they offered you? What did you take?
I’m allergic to Stemtil, found that out in my last pregnancy.

Hi everyone,

Finally found other people who know what I'm going through!

Currently 22+3 weeks pregnant and due on the 4th June with DC2.
Horrendous pregnancy to say the least, currently alternating ondansetron and cyclizine to try keep sickness under control, which works for alot of the time, but I havent managed to keep a thing down for over 24 hours now, biting the bullet and calling the hospital in an hour or so to find out if I need to be admitted for another drip (this will be my 4th time)

Currently trying to eat some isotonic drink ice cubes to get my blood sugars up...the Joy's!

@Dotty356 no I demanded it
They recommend either cyclizine or phenergen 3x a day taken with vitamin b6 10mg 3 times a day.
It didn't stop me getting it/being admitted but there is evidence it can reduce severity so you may get lucky. The PSS has good info on their treatment page that I was all ready to show but my doctor was happy to give it to me. I also made sure I had a plan with him for what was going to happen next- so a promise to move on to ondansetron at the first sign I wasn't coping/the procedure for getting fluids etc.

@Pasqual it does sound like you need fluids. It's so rough isn't it. Sympathy.

Hello,

Just back from the appointment they have offered my cyclzine. I should of asked the doctor, but does this make you drowsy? Also been given some antacids.
I have the worst excessive saliva, but can’t swallow it. Knowing I still have so long to go hurts.
How is everyone else getting on? Any tips? I suspect I won’t be working for much longer, but have to try and hide it for the next week at least x

@Dotty356 yep cyclizine is a sedating antihistamine. The drowsiness did go for me after a few days. The saliva is the awful! No tips sorry apart from I used to just spit into a tissue all the time

@justtheonethen thanks for your advice. Might help with sleeping at night then. I’ll have to keep a pack of tissues with me to spit into. Sounds disgusting doesn’t it.

Hey everyone
@sickandtiredofsick hope you're doing ok. I know it's so hard, it honestly feels there's no light at the end of the tunnel in the early days. I promise, it WILL get better and it WILL eventually pass.
@Dotty356 welcome, every pregnancy is different but I guess preemptive meds are a good idea. I only started medicating with my 2nd HG pregnancy once I was bad. I do bang on a lot about Xonvea but it's medication with very few ugly side effects, tested and regulated for pregnant women and has worked well for me. I'd really push for it, it's pricey so GP will try get you on something else as first line that's cheaper but as far as I understand you're entitled. I get the worry, I was the same, just waiting for the day for it to hit. X

@pasqual sorry I missed you - managed to not read a chunk of messages. You're a few weeks ahead of me, it's so grim when it doesn't ease up. I was secretly hoping by 20 weeks I'd feel myself again (who was I kidding) but no such joy!!
Thinking ahead is hard, it's just one day at a time. Might be worth getting some IV in you. Gosh, it's tough! Sending you sympathy and posi vibes 💖

Things that help me. Regularly trying to nibble plain beige coloured food - bread, bagels, lightly toasted toast, Diet Dr Pepper drunk from a plastic bottle (ice cold). No idea why but drinking it from a small plastic bottle was easier than from a can or a glass?! Now I'm not throwing up so much a Starbucks coffee frappe with extra ice is helping it's like my saviour drink right now but I wouldn't have managed it in early days.

Hope everyone is coping ok today. For anyone who has been through HG more than once did you find the nausea died down and then came back? I stopped my last anti sickness meds nearly a week ago as I felt I was doing really good and was fine for a couple days but today its come back and I've felt pretty rubbish all day with nausea and just managed not to vomit. I will be 32 weeks on Wednesday.
Is this common to happen and will I need to go back on the medication or do you think it's just a bad day.

Hi @abbs1 - I wasn't medicated with my first pregnancy but I've sort of accepted I might be on Xonvea the whole way through as to date even on meds I still have nausea. Is there a reason you want to be medication free, are you getting nasty side effects? x

@kissingthebear I've been on anti sickness medication since week 5 of my pregnancy due to HG and I'm kind of fed up of taking it and wanted to try to do it without. Also the ondansatron is just giving me so much constipation even with lactulose etc it's just so painful.
I've been on metoclopromide since week 9 and apparently you should only be on it 12 weeks but I've been on it 22 weeks and the gp hasnt said anything about stopping it.
I'm also worried about the withdrawals stopping it and if it will affect the baby when its born.
I'm seeing my doctor on Wednesday Wednesday my 32 week checkup so will see what he thinks but I just want to be medication free and feel normal again. This pregnancy has literally done me in and I'm so over it and done now. I just want my little baby so badly and to be rid of HG.

@abbs1 it's completely understandable - I know it doesn't feel like it but you're so close now and when you're baby is here the chances are you'll feel better instantly ❤️
Xonvea has been side effect free for me but appreciate at this stage you might not want to try something new. I hate taking meds. I normally avoid even taking a simple paracetamol when poorly (when I'm not pregnant).

I dont even really take medication either when I'm poorly and not pregnant so to be having to take it every day for so long is just annoying and I feel like I dont know what's normal. I think I may try a couple more days and see if it's just withdrawals from the metoclopromide but if it gets bad start back on them. I'm hoping it is just side effects. Luckily I'm home as I had to hand my notice in when I was 8 weeks due to the severity of my HG and not being able to work so at least I can just rest which is good. I'm hoping the next few weeks fly by.

@abbs1 hope your GP can give you some good advise and reassurance. I hate taking meds but it's the necessary evil right now. So sorry you had to hand in your notice. Were work unsupportive? It's so hard for people to understand the misery of HG x

I'm another one who doesn't normally like taking any medicine, so doing so while pregnant feels so wrong. Needs must though. I missed my late night dose one day last week and was so sick the next morning, I definitely need them.

Has anyone else got a really foul taste in their mouth the whole time? Any tips? Obviously brushing teeth is hard enough twice a day, so can't really do any more of that.

Yes yes yes @Monstamio I feel like I've got a rotten old sock at the back of my throat. I've discovered this little red tin of sweets in M&S - they sell them at the till point. They've got powdery fruit flavoured sweets in (sugar free). They take the bad taste away for a while when it gets really bad. I have a ton a day!! They must have noticed a spike in sales in my area. I buy about x20 everytime I see them 😂

Thank you, unfortunately my keytones are still too high to be allowed home, so I've been admitted overnight for monitoring. In a ward with 3 other ladies with their tiny wee bundles reminding me why it's all worth it!
My biggest lifesaver has been freezing the isotonic drinks into ice cubes and having one of those when I cant manage anything else. Though even that hasnt saved me this time!
I'm going to read back through the thread and see what other tips people reccommend, theres gotta be something that works right?....

Fruit flavour sweets help a bit (unfortunately I can't have sugar free, it gives me stomach cramps). Just tried some coconut yogurt which worked initially, but then came right back up .

Glad you're being looked after, Pasqual. Hang in there.

@kissingthebear yeah work had no understanding and thought I just had morning sickness and kept pestering me when I was coming back with emails and phones calls not realising I was in hospital all the time. They were really horrible to me and it was stressing me out. I had no one to cover me and a huge work load and the gynaecologist consultant said my HG was that bad he said he reckoned I wouldn't be well enough to return to work till 6 or 7 months and I didn't want the stress from work for that long. So far I wouldn't have been able to return to work till 7months and would have struggled so it's just as well I did leave so I could concentrate on my health.