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.

Hi all 👋🏻 I’m 7 weeks, I had HG in my last pregnancy and was throwing up 8+ times per day, now in this 2nd pregnancy I’m feeling nauseous 24 hours a day, can’t eat anything except fruit pastilles and biscuits and any smell, even things that don’t really smell like dry pasta makes me heave and my mouth is full of saliva which makes it worse.

I’ve already had a week off work and I can’t realistically see myself going back until the 2nd or 3rd trimester. I haven’t thrown up yet but I’m struggling to see how I’m going to make it through, I’m just lying in bed writhing in pain with the nausea. I don’t even know if it counts as HG if you’re not sick?

@Babybel90 try not to get too hung up on what "counts". As you are finding, nausea can be extremely dibilitating and still needs treatment. As you had HG in a previous pregnancy, have you been to docs to get medication?

@NonStopDisco Thanks for replying! Yes, I’ve got some anti-nausea meds from the doctor but they’re not really doing much. I tried 3 or 4 different drugs the last time and nothing helped, in fact some made me feel worse. I just think my body must be really sensitive to any changes as I always get travel sick too.

@Babybel90 I think we might be on a similar journey, I’m 7 weeks on Tuesday! I had several drugs last time and ended up just on the sick for most of my pregnancy

Welcome to Babybel90. I am sorry the drugs aren't helping much. Did you find Ondansetron along with Cyclizine no good last time? Did it improve at any point? As you are a veteran, you don't need my 'have you got kesostix as A and E departments do take the measurements seriously, even if they aren't the best test of dehydration' and 'Do you find ice lolllies, flat full sugar coke and the juce of tinned fruit any good' or 'an anti acid can make a big differnce' spiel. It is certainly possible to have Hyperemesis without vomiting. Several sufferer son here have had it.

NonStopDisco I am glad you got Buccastem. I am sure you are suffering seriously enough.

Hi guys
Sorry to have a moan but I just want to get it all out. I'm 11 weeks. I'm really feeling down in the dumps and just cannot see the finish line. Been spending most of my time in bed feeling nauseous but scared to eat in case it projectiles out again...the most taxing thing I did today was wash my old makeup brushes and crawl back into bed haha. I just wish someone could give me a date when things will suddenly feel better! Right now I feel like this is going to be forever, which makes me worry about how I'll cope when the baby arrives. I know I'm over thinking and my thoughts are just spiralling so I try to remind myself that I'm probably overtaken by hormones right now. The other reason for my anxiety is that I went through a patch of depression a while back and I just don't want to be back in that dark place because of the pregnancy. Can anyone relate? How do you ladies try and keep your moods positive? Im trying to use the CBT methods i learnt through therapy last time but my body is so exhausted that sometimes I just physically can't bring myself to do the simplest tasks. My husband is being amazingly supportive as always but I don't want to worry him.

I think it improved at around 14/15 weeks last time. I’ve started vomiting now 😭

@Maz91 I remember in my last pregnancy just waking up one day and feeling ok again and that was that. My advice is don’t try to do anything, you’ll only make it worse. Let your husband take the load for a while.

Hi guys,

I absolutely don't know what to do with myself. Got the 3rd medication when I went to the hospital Friday but it just hasn't changed anything. This morning I've been sick 3 times since 8.45am. I feel so exhausted. I feel like I've tried everything. I'm wearing sickness bands 24/7, all the suggested food and drinks that just come straight back up, although a bit broken I'm getting an 8/9 hour nights sleep, trying to rest as and when I can but work is so hard, I keep just panicking about not being able to get here because of money. I can't afford to have unpaid time off. So Sorry to always be such a misog

Is anyone in the late 2nd trimester or 3rd trimester and worrying about diet?

Scroll past this post if you don't want to read about food, in my first 16 weeks I couldn't even read posts that mentioned food without throwing up

I'm 27 weeks i'm just worrying that baby isn't getting everything he needs. Or he'll have some form of sugar withdrawal 😂 (going by scans etc he is healthy and measuring as he should etc.)

I really struggle with drinking fluids, my body rejects basically anything other than full sugar pepsi. I've tried sipping water, eating ice pops etc but nothing seems to work. This kid wants pepsi and that's it. I absolutely hate drinking it. It makes my skin crawl thinking about the sugar content and caffeine.

I've also tried making 'healthier choices' for food but I still have to depend on what I can stomach at that very time.
I've tried buying so many different fruits and introducing them as snacks but they just come right back up and taste absolutely vile when they do so because of the acidic content, which then puts me off eating them again. I've just eaten a banana and can already feel my stomach gurgling.

I feel like because it's been going on for sooooo long now i'm going to do some harm. Or will baby be fine and I just have to suffer the consequences of eating crap and drinking sugar in a cup?

@BeautyAndTheBump1 don’t worry, you won’t harm the baby by eating crap food, I lived off irn bru and beef hula hoops in my first pregnancy and my dd is now 3 and very healthy 😀 you’ve just got to eat and drink what you can keep down.

@Babybel90 Thankyou - that's very reassuring to know. I had a dream last night that he rejected milk and only wanted pepsi in his bottle so I think that's whats set me off. 😂

@BeautyAndTheBump1 hey lovely. I'm the same. I'm 25 weeks this week and am trying to consider my diet a bit more but obviously it's hard because what you can stomach changes from one day to the next. I wouldn't say I'm eating "healthy" all the time, and baby is measuring well.

If it helps, have you tried caffeine free Diet Coke? Least that limits the caffeine intake and is almost a substitute for Pepsi but is zero calories and caffeine?

There are certain foods I've found safe and not so bad, but I'm with you on fruit side. For some reason it all comes back up and plays havoc on my tummy too. Safer fruits I've been able to keep down;
Blueberries
Apple cut up without skin into tiny baby chunks
I've been able to eat plain peas with salt on from fairly early on

X

@kissingthebear it's hard isnt it!! I've tried Pepsi max, diet coke, coke zero etc and cant stomach any of them. I can even taste the difference between full sugar coke and full sugar Pepsi. It has to be Pepsi 😑 so annoying lmao.

I will try the apple without the skin, I have brought some carrot sticks and been snacking on them throughout the afternoon and so far so good, so just a heads up if you want to try them yourself too!

Try tinned peaches. In my worst times in both pregnancies, it was the only remotely healthy thing I could keep down! And from chats with other HG sufferers, it seems to be a thing! I’ve also eaten a lot of sweet potato this pregnancy (more so as the sickness lessened)..

Oh dear, suffering all round.
Maz981 No need to apologise for moaning; that is what this thread is for. Who wouldn't moan? A lot of sufferers find 10-11 weeks the worst time; don't despair. Things do get a lot better for most at some point between 14-21 weeks. Even for those unlucky ones who suffer throughout, it is almost never as bad later on as in the first tiri. It seems a good idea to ask for counselling services offered at your surgery. Failing that do ask Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7638 2020, who will ring back with good advice.Can they add to your meds?
ConstantlyPanicking As it has been a few days since you were discharged with the additional meds, it might be worth asking if there was anything to add to the mix. Remind me; are you on Ondansetron as part of the three? It might be worth asking about steroids if so.
BeautyandtheBump Do not fret about baby; all the babies of mothers who have been on this thread have thrived, for all the dreadful diet. I so agree with Bol97's suggestion about tinned peaches - a general favourite - and would suggest tinned pears, too.Plus the juice, of course.I was wondering about almond milk made into a milshake with frozen raspberries; I remember a sufferer on here once having a success with that.
Great advice from Babybel90 and everyone.

kissingthebear Blueberries sounds a great idea.
Bol87 kissingthe bear and everyone; how are things?

@LucindaE yeah that's the 3rd one they've put me on. I think I'll head back to the GP today to ask x

I have been in hospital for three days and just left on a drip vomiting. I have IV sickness meds but they are currently not working... I don’t know what I should do now. Anyone else been in this situation where they can’t control vomiting in hospital?

@Dotty356 oh hun, that's awful. What did they say to you? How are they expecting you to manage. I'm sorry they have let you go away in that condition - did you see a consultant? xx

ConstantlyPanicking I do hope that they can suggest something.
Dotty356 You poor thing. I have known this happen to unlucky sufferers on this thread. The medics usually manage to work out some treatment plan. As kissingthebear says: what have they told you?

@Dotty356 - has anyone suggested steroids too you? They should def be offered in a worst case scenario! I’m so sorry you are suffering so badly

All is OK here thanks @LucindaE - counting the days to my section! 9 days to go! I think time has significantly slowed down! Nausea is up & down. Always there but some days it’s miserable & others it’s just there in the background.. I’m so excited & looking forwards to not feel ill anymore & to eat chocolate again that I may be surprised when they also hand me a baby 😂

Sending love to those suffering through the worst as always, I never thought I’d get to the due date month at certain points but a weight really does lift when it arrives!

@Dotty356 I'm so sorry you are feeling so poorly. I would definitely seek steroids. This was the only way to get my vomiting under control as iv medication wasnt working and I was in hospital every day. I had steroids given and it helped me so much. I really hope you can get some more help.

Thanks everyone, I vomited a total of 30 times yesterday. I am now just bring fluids up from the drip because I have nothing else on me.
I am on Ondansetron as metroclopmine. Which I had to bed for an upper dose as Iwas only Having one anti anti sickness two is a day and they were refusing to up the dose. They also keep forgetting to get me the meds! Nice of them.
Steroids not mentioned yet, but will bring it up when doctor comes round today! X

Corr @Dotty356 - that is really awful & I’m really cross in your behalf that they are not taking you seriously! I have to say, my hospital were pretty rubbish at getting me my meds on my admissions.. I went in at 5pm on one & didn’t get anything until gone 10pm & after I threw up in front of the nurses desk. In the morning, drug lady refused to give me more than 4mg Ondansetron despite being on 12mg 3x a day from my GP. I also said I was on Metaclopromide & Cyclizine & she said she could only give me one anti-sickness. She cheerily told me how she’d found ginger really helpful. I nearly threw my book at her head. I’d actually taken my tablet meds with me, so ended up taking them to get my full dose.

I know it’s so hard when you feel so poorly but do push as hard as you can & explain how awful you feel after vomiting over 30 times. Surely no doctor will overlook that! I really hope they offer you the steroids.. it sounds like it’ll be the only thing that helps you if IV meds are failing

Thinking of you 🧡

Oh @Dotty356 I’m so sorry you are going through this x

Bol87 The best of luck. You have been invaluable on this thread. I am sorry that the nausea has persisted up and down throughout. about the surprise you may have at being handed a baby!
Dotty1356 Oh dear. It is awful that they are being negligent about delivering the meds. When you say that you have vomited 30 times, I am assuming you mean 30 different episodes? It is worth emphasizing that, as doctors and nurses often count only one heave as a vomit. It is very hard to fight your corner when feeling so ill. Your treatment hasn't been good enough. You aren't up to it now, but when you are better I hope you will complain. I do hope they give you steroids,as you are so ill on the drip I wonder they aren't more concerned.
abbs1 Good advice. How are things with you?
Connie222 I so agree with your comments. How are things?
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.