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.

@mintbear Do you have your own ketone test strips so you can test yourself and then go from there? If not I would defo contact the midwife and get them to test your urine for you. Hope you can keep something down soon xx

Yesterday I left the house to go to a kids birthday party for 2 hours where I had to use all of my precious energy talking to people and trying my hardest to not look like a miserable cow.
Which of course means today I am on my arse with sickness and nausea as it always makes it soooo much worse when I attempt to live a normal life 🤢

I'm going away for my husbands 30th for 3 days next month and honestly - i'm dreading it. Being out in public gives me THE FEAR. I really need to find somewhere that sells sick bags so I don't have to get on my hands and knees in a public toilet - because that alone is enough to make anyone throw up. 🤢🤢

You can get sick bags on Amazon that have an absorbent pad at the bottom I had some years ago for my v car sick eldest son they were good

I’m now suffering with a flare up of skin conditions (eczema and another as yet undiagnosed one that causes infections and is very painful) I’ve had enough I’m so run down plus acne I have spots that are painful all over my face and neck I feel like my body is giving up oh plus I have a wisdom tooth infection

I just use ziplock bags (trying to avoid plastic but have to make an exception for this) as they keep the vomit in really well I then stick them inside a paper bag and dump them once I get a chance. I keep several in my car and handbag when I'm out.

Nasty, I know, but necessary.

Thanks for the advice, I've spoken to the midwife and tested my ketones, I just have to keep an eye on things. I've not been sick again and I've kept fluid down over the past few hours.

That's good @mintbear ... hopefully it keeps going like that. Any bit of fluid helps (these are scent-free flowers btw).

@mintbear do you think you could tolerate an ice lolly? I found they helped a bit

Sorry, everyone, my PC is playing up again, so only a brief post. Welcome to Mintbear. Sorry you are still suffering so badly at 30 weeks. I am glad you have been able to test your ketones and I now able to retain liquids.
Thinking of all of you suffeirng.

Thanks for all your kind messages and unscented flowers, you guys are a nice bunch!
I was only sick the once yesterday and and I kept food and fluids down the rest of the day so all is good and the panic is over.
Fingers crossed today is better, I've not been sick yet so there is hope.
I have metoclopramide and ondansetron, but find the first is naff and I usually throw it up and the second is amazing but I can only take it occasionally due to the side effects (even with taking stupid amounts of laxative).
Wishing everyone a good day and thanks again x

I found that movicol, milk of magnesia and glycerin suppositories are a good combination with ondansetron for constipation I take 2 ondansetron three times a day so have suffered a lot but if I take the above daily it helps although movicol is hard to keep down

So I was being quite violently sick last night, it was so thick and really retching to get it up, the 1st two lots were green (broccoli and rice for dinner 😁) but then the 3rd lot came out bright red?! Could this have been blood? I'm pretty expert at determining what's coming up and I had nothing dark that day 😑 this morning I've been sick twice and it HURTS. My throat is soooo sore 😑

Could be broken blood vessels in your throat it can be really painful 🙁

Saw midwife, still feeling awful, so wanted to check there was nothing I was missing. Under midwife care only, not been to hospital /seen any obstetricians etc so wanted to check if this was an option /worthwhile. Felt so dismissed. Had a spiele from mw about have I tried ginger /travel bands/peppermint tea. Basically told I just had to woman up. What upset me most was being told to make sure I think really carefully before considering a second. Not sure why that upset me, it's reasonable advise, just the whole interaction felt so cold!

@Jay2020 that’s horrible, I’m so sorry you were treated that way. I had the same in previous pregnancies which is why I didn’t even bother with the midwife this time, went straight to a GP (a private one though as I’ve had bad experience with nhs).

You don’t have to woman up. There are other options. It makes me so angry when women are dismissed.

@Jay2020 honestly most GPs/Midwifes etc suck when it comes to HG. Sorry she made you feel like that, just keep being persistent and hopefully they'll start to listen to you.

I felt like no one really gave a shit until I went past 20 weeks. I remember when I was 6 weeks in hospital they made me sit in a freezing cold side room on a plastic chair on a drip for hours and hours and then discharged me at 2:30AM!! Yet a couple of weeks back when I went in hospital I was 23 weeks which meant I was on the 20+ ward and they treated me a million times better, gave me my own room, and actually had sympathy!

Hi all, hope everyone is coping today. I'm 34 weeks tomorrow and started to feel really sick again but haven't vomited yet. Is this normal with HG? Also felt quite dizzy and just not myself. Is it worth going back on medication or will it just come and go till I give birth? Gosh I'm so done with being pregnant. I know 6 weeks isn't long left but I feel like I've been poorly and pregnant for years!

@Jay2020 it's so upsetting when people don't show sympathy and say silly things, they don't realise how much weight their hurtful words carry. Really hope you're feeling ok x

@BeautyAndTheBump1 my goodness hope you're okay, that sounds awful. How's your throat?

@abbs1 I'm 22 weeks and had a rubbish day today, been sick this evening and just feeling sorry for myself. I'm still on meds. It's so disheartening but you're so close now!!! Hang in there ❤️ maybe see how you feel the next few days and if no better go back on meds to see you through?

I feel like I've been pregnant for a thousand years 😂

BeautyandtheBump I do hope you are not still bringing up blood. It is probably only from the throat but always worth having checked. Good advice.
PippinStar Goodness, poor you, with those skin conditions and an infected wisdom teeth.
kissingthebear Mother guilt is hard,but as you say, you couldn't give your LO a better present than a sibling. All will be well.
boulevardofbrokendreams Good advice.
Jay2020 That is really insenstive treatment, telling you to 'woman up'. I am sure you have the right to see a dcotor, or even a specialist as the midwife has such an ignorant attitude.
abbs1 Sorry to hear that the symptoms have returned strongly. Unfortunately, a number of women do have symptoms return in the third tri, though almost never as badly as in the first. It is very disappointing.
Connie222 and others, good advice.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Pippinstar Stupid me, I don't know if it was you who had those awful symptoms with skin and an infected tooth! I can't find the post, would you believe?
mintbear I am glad things are a bit better today. Excellent advice from sickeandtiredofsick about laxatives.

@LucindaE no it wasn't me I'm not surprised you lose track of who is saying what - it's a busy thread (and you're great to keep it running - thank you for that ).

Hi all, I’ve been reading through the thread and finding the general tips and advice really helpful. So thank you! I’m 12 weeks now and was hoping that my HG would miraculously disappear around now... Surprise surprise it hasn’t! It’s a million times better than it was as I can eat and drink small amounts now and being sick once/twice a day. But feel like it’s getting worse the last few days when I was hoping it would get better... Can see from previous posts that I’m probably going to need to wait a bit longer for an improvement. I’m having stemetil three times a day which helps sometimes but other times doesn’t help at all. I’m just getting so fed up of feeling nauseous and tired from the moment I wake up! It’s my first pregnancy and it’s already put me off having another...! Definitely feel like I’m whinging. Just hoping it doesn’t continue for much longer...

Hi all. Hope you're doing ok :) bit of a silly question but I'm not sure if I might have HG or just bad morning sickness? I'm 9+5 and the last couple of weeks I've been nauseous pretty much all the time, throwing up 3-4 times a day. A lot of the time I think I need to vomit but just end up heaving over the loo, but about 3-4 times I'll actually vomit and surprisingly feel a little bit better temporarily.

My food aversions are crazy strong...sometimes when I have the urge to vomit but struggling, I'll just think about whatever food is really grossing me out that day and voila...I'll vomit. The only time I don't feel nauseous is when I am eating something that I actually like the taste of (a rarity nowadays). I have a pretty horrible taste in my mouth constantly, kind of like when you have a tummy bug or the flu.

I'm also insanely constipated which doesn't help. I've stopped taking my iron tablets because this is making it worse. I'm currently abroad and cannot WAIT to be back home and see the GP for a solution.

I have my booking appt on the 24th so hoping to share all this with the midwife to see what she thinks.

@Maz91 sorry you're suffering, it doesn't really matter if it's HG or not, it's impacting your life and you should seek treatment. I would go straight to your doctor, in my office experience most midwives are close to useless when it comes to this.

Ignore the rogue office!

@BBLibra ... it might go soon-ish. Keep your fingers crossed. Mine massively improved at 14 weeks - I remember going to lunch with friends, even though I couldn't eat, the smell of a restaurant didn't make me sick! And it went at 15/16 weeks. Glad it has improved for you for the most part. I'm also on stemetil 3x day (and Xonvea 4x day) and they make me so drowsy too. The tiredness should also improve soon I think.

@Maz91 ... I agree with justtheone, doesn't matter what it is, you feel terrible so need something to ease it. I hope your doctor can help you out. If not, persistence is key, I have found. Good luck