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 I’m wondering if anyone can offer advice. I’m nearly 8 weeks pregnant and started feeling unwell almost three weeks ago, it started with headaches, cough and just general exhaustion. Those symptoms cleared and sickness/nausea started and a few days after the sickness it was joined by diarrhoea at the same time. I was prescribed tablets for morning sickness and lost 7lbs over the week. I was told to then treat the symptoms as Coronavirus. After that I had my urine tested and showed high ketones, doctors thought it could be diabetes. After being told to visit a and e, I was told that the ketones were probably due to severe dehydration but thankfully I had managed to keep water down that day and my urine had shown less ketones and was allowed to go home. The nurse at the hospital said that I’m in for a rocky ride with sickness during pregnancy and talked about how poorly she felt. It’s been 5 days since I visited a and e and I haven’t been sick. I’m really confused, has anyone ever experienced Diarrhoea with sickness before? Is it normal for the sickness to stop for 5 days ? or from experience do you think the sickness has not been pregnancy related?. Sorry for the essay but hopefully I’ll be able to get some views based on people’s experiences. X

Noname1111 Hello. Hopefully you wont need to join the thread, as with luck the sickness was connected with the illness, whatever it was. It is true that sufferers often have a few good days, but not as many as five on the trot so early. Do return if the sickness comes back badly, as then you woudl probably neeed anti emetics and to keep an eye out for severe dehydration. Certainly, sufferers on here have had diarrhoea as well as sickness at times.
FilthyforFirth Welcome back. I remember that name! Sorry you suffered worst in the second tri last time. Your situation sounds tough, and at the moment I can't suggest that frienda and relations help with childcare and housework. Goodness, that constipation must have been dreadul if no normral laxatives worked on it. I wonder if trying Xonvea might help? It has really helped kissing thebear. Might an anti acid help, too? It is certainly worth asking the GP if s/he can prescribe something else. There are steroids, but I don't know how soon they put sufferers on them if Ondansetron has to be side stepped.
BeautyandtheBump Oh dear, that does sound awful. Congratulations on somehow managing. I wonder you were able to avoid collapsing. Thank goodness OH can come out of self isolation. Can your GP add any meds to the ones you are on?
My goodness, things seem to be hard all round.

Thank you for your reply, I suppose only time will tell what the actual sickness was. I have however been feeling terribly sick today. I’ve been prescribed anti emetics so will keep them handy. I can’t be sure if the sickness was pregnancy related or not but I can definitely feel for everyone struggling right now. Thanks for your advice and sending lots of love to everyone.

Noname1111 Sorry to hear of returning nausea. Do join us if it gets bad again. Thanks for your good wishes for everyone on this thread.
Much symapthy for those having a truly terrible time on here in the midst of this crisis.

Morning all. Just checking in to see how everyone is doing?
I have had a pretty rough few days, still vomiting despite my meds and completely exhausted (I don't remember being this tired the last 2 times).

Really struggling to find fluids that I can tolerate. Went for the old faithful tinned peaches last night and kept a bit of that down at least. I see the midwife tomorrow for bloods, might see what she can do to help.

My poor kids are not getting much out of me at all, lots of TV today is all I feel I can do. X

Argh I'm feeling really rubbish the last few days after a few weeks of totally manageable nausea or indeed some weeks of nothing. I've not been sick but got that awful nausea/sense of smell/underlying sense of doom about me. Not sure what to do. Could increase steroids but I've worked hard to get them down to 5mg a day. Already on max doses of ondansetron/metoclopromide/cyclizine

I'm 26 weeks and seem to remember last time it got worse around now again.

I am 7+5 and have definitely noticed it has got much worse. I am not being sick everyday and keeping fluids mainly down, but the nausea is relentless and I am dry heaving 10+ times a day. I feel so awful.

I've got my booking in appt this week and am going to see about getting signed off. Just had a mass throwing up session because I had a shower and washed my hair. Hadnt washed in days and my hair for ages but it has completely wiped me out.

Feeling very miserable as I am so early. Last pregnancy it lasted the whole time for me and I was throwing up during labour. Another 32 weeks seems impossible right now.

Sorry to everyone else suffering right now.

@FilthyforFirth I feel for you, those early days feel impossible. I would fight for steroids this time if it lasted all the way through last time. They have been my saviour.

Oh dear, everyone is having a hard time.
justtheonethen Poor old you. I do hope you escape it escaulating again at this point. Good advice for FilthyforFirth.
FilthyforFirth I so agree with justtheonethen do press for the strongest meds you can get.
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirleyDo get signed off and see if they can prescribe something else.
Much sympathy for all.

How are people doing?

Today has been better. I decided to go up to the next dose of steroids and it's made a real difference.

I'm definitely going backwards, the vomitting is ramping up. Got signed off for 3 weeks today. Have barely made it out of bed. The all day nausea has really set in and I am dry heaving like 10 times a day. In general feeling very weak and miserable.

Have to go in for bloods and urine on Monday and my midwife said today that if I am dehydrated she will send me in for a drip. So it is good that she is understanding and proactive at least.

Hope everyone is having a better day!

Hi can I join? I'm 7 weeks today with what will hopefully be my second. I started feeling very ill last week. It's all day nausea like a cold choking feeling in the back of my throat. Everything smells awful. I haven't thrown up yet but I'm terrified of vomiting and have only ever been sick three times in my adult life. I'm going to bed early as sleep seems to be the only respite from it but I wake up and within a few seconds of opening my eyes I feel like there's sick in the back of my throat. I was not like this with my dd and I just can't understand why I feel this ill and it's normal? I did have my hcg levels checked and they were on the high end. Reading this thread, I don't know how you ladies who are actually throwing up are managing

@FilthyforFirth do go to a&e or call mat triage before Monday if you think you're dehydrated.

@triedandtestedteacher you poor thing, I think the nausea is the worst bit. Have you got meds?

Hi all
So the last couple of weeks I've spent most of my days in bed. I just don't have the energy to get out...until one day I didnt take my anti sickness pills...I felt so energetic!!! Yes I vomited but that cloud of laziness just vanished. I did a quick google and it turns out the anti sickness pills I've been taking (I've tried a few types as I wasnt getting on with most) have known side effects which include drowsiness and fatigue.
I'm 17.5 weeks now and I REALLY hope the sickness goes away soon because we have just moved house and I'm getting nothing done either due to vomiting or being too tired. Anyone else had a similar experience?

@Maz91 yep the first like antiemetics are sedating antihistamines. Not sure about second line ones. I know my steroids give me a massive burst of energy

@justtheonethen yes doctor gave me them but I haven't taken them because my mum gave me an earful about it. I'm thinking if I start vomiting I will have to though as I'm so phobic of it.

@triedandtestedteacher ignore your mum, I'm assuming she hasn't read all the peer reviewed data. I can't stand people putting us off meds!
Just take them, you can't carry on feeling that way. If you want reassurance about the meds then look at the PSS treatment page, it has all the evidence for safety on it.

triedandtestedteacher Welcome. As justtheone says, do take the meds. The doctor would not have prescribed anti emetics unless s/he thought that you are in far greater risk through dehydration than the very small one of taking meds, which are all considered safe in pregnancy, paricularly Cyclizine, which has been used for decades. If you have a phobia about vomiting, I think you need expert advice about how to deal with having severe pregnancy sickness or Hyperemesis with a phobia about vomitng. Do ask the doctor, and also, do phone Pregnancy Sickness Support on 04 7638 020 .
There is lots of support on here.
I quote my usual spiel below.
Things do get a lot better for most people at some point between weeks 15-21. Even the unlucky minroity who suffer throughout almost never feel as bad as in the first tri. Do get kesostix to check for the early stages of dehydration as even though they are not the best test of it, hospitals do take the presence of ketones seriously? You can get them online. An anti acid can make a surprising difference. Here are some drinks that have helped others. Full sugar flat coke, ice lollies, the juice of tinned fruit, Elderflower water, tonic water and Elderflower cordial (eallison's tipple), Lucozade, soda water, lemonade, fizzy orange, orange squash, Iron Bru, orange juice if not too acid, ice cubes, Dr Pepper, Chocolate milkshakes (maybe soya), 7Up, isotonic drinks frozen into cubes, flat full sugar coke frozen into cubes and fizzy water. Some foods of a sort: nibbles of crisps and chips, tinned fruit, slices of melon and mango, baked potato, toasted bagel with butter, grated cheese, cheese puffs, Scotch pancakes, cuppa soup, biscuits and cheap ice cream.
Maz91 Can they prescribe someting else? Is it Cyclizine? Usually, the exhaustion reduces with that, but there are other meds they can try.
justtheonethen Great advice as ever. I am so glad that you feel a bit better on an increased dose of steroids.
FilthyforFirth I am glad the midwife is keeping an eye on you. Meanwhile, do you have keostix to check for dehydration? You can get them online.

@LucindaE thank you very much. Drinks are a real issue atm. I can't stand swallowing. Anything fizzy is out. I've managed a little lemon barley water which made me feel a bit better. Yesterday I couldn't get the courage to eat anything until 2pm. I googled about the meds my dr gave me and saw something about cleft lips in animals and it put me off as I have a small facial disfigurement myself. I think that together with my mum saying she managed with terrible sickness without taking anything made me feel guilty.

Afternoon all,
It's been a rough old week. Saw my midwife who was a bit concerned that my blood pressure was very low (90/38) but not that surprising as I hadn't been keeping down fluids.
Managing a little better today, no good reason- same meds same timings just a better day so far.

My 4 year old has been very funny, I was mid vomit and she came running into the bathroom and asked me to open a box... seems oblivious to my illness! Glad it's not feeling them out at least. Although I have requested that they let me come out of the bathroom before asking me to do things! Lol.

Fluid wise it's difficult, but found watermelon tolerable which has to count! X

IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirley My goodness. When I was young,
my blood pressure was naturally very low, but I never knew it measure quite as low as that! 80/50, yes. No wonder you felt terrible. I am glad it is a better day today, and it's great that your LO isn't alarmed by your illness.
triedandtestedteacher These things can seem alarming, and I can see how that would affect you. In your mother's day (which was mine) it is true women were expected to battle through in general, at least until they were hospitalised with dangerous dehydration, but it came to be thought more risky to allow a pregnant woman to suffer dehydration. I think there was seen to be a very tiny risk of cleft lip in a study, and I can see that if you are worried about that anyway, that risk can be magnified in your mind. It might be worth talkng to your doctor about the relative risks? On drinks, a lot of people are helped by sips of the juice of tinned fruit and ice lollies if they can't stand anything fizzy.

@LucindaE I'm on Ondansetron (Zofran) right now. It really helps with the nausea and vomiting but the drowsiness and headaches have been a nightmare. I was on Metaclopramide before but that didn't really help much.
I'm thinking of asking for cyclizine? Either that or just seeing how I get on without the meds :/ I cannot stand the thought of being in bed all day any longer!

@Maz91 none of the meds work in isolation for me, I need a combination- they work in different ways- so I wouldn't drop any, just add them in and stagger them throughout the day

justtheonethen I hope the steriod dose is helping?
Maz91 Unfortunately, I have heard that Ondansetron can set off migraines/headaches. Only a couple of sufferers have had that on here, but it was bad enough and frequent enough to come off the medication. I had awful migraines in the first 14 weeks of pregnancy and then they went miraculously away for the duration. If there's a definite connection between the meds and the headaches, though, that is unlucky. Cyzlizine can, unfortunately,have sleepiness as a side effect.