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.

Symptoms felt a little more manageable today @LucindaE thank you. Still nauseous but down a notch from 9/10 on the Richter scale. No sitting down half way round my walk for example and managed to eat something at dinner time. Anti emetics definitely helping- wish I had started them sooner- but also just a day where it felt slightly more bearable. From experience, I should expect a sledge hammer of symptoms again in the next day or so...! Hope everyone else is doing ok and has had an ok day today.

Hi all,

Just checking in. Seem to have my meds a bit better balanced and have been doing quite a lot better in terms of actual vomiting. Nausea still persisting, and the taste of bile 24 hours a day isn't nice. But I'm certainly much better. Have a prescription for some meds to counteract the lovely side effects of ondansetron....
they are threatening to take the ondansetron away in a few weeks as I have to start a heart med (for an pre-existing arrhythmia that becomes more dangerous in pregnancy) this week and apparently ondansetron can interfere it for some people. I really hope they don't stop it, I'm pretty useless without it.

Sorry to read of so many suffering, it's a grim condition.
Was nice to read to med successes for some too.

To answer a previous question- my HG was worst in my first pregnancy I think. I waited a long time before I got help and was quite ill. I was stuck in a cycle and couldn't keep oral meds down at all. The second time I started meds way earlier so spent less time in hospital. This time stated meds earlier again, and so far have managed at home. So it doesn't have to get worse in each pregnancy... I have been much better prepared with each one so it's not as severe I would say. Just my experience obviously, but might help someone.

I had a day where I felt slightly more human, which caused a massive panic thinking something was wrong. Shouldn’t have bothered, the following two days were horrendous. With the combination of Cyclyzine and prochlorperazine I do think I’m managing it as best as possible. Still lay around 99% of the time though. When I move it triggers my heaving etc.
I can’t remember when it was as it’s worse in my last pregnancy, when have other sufferers found it to be as it’s worst?
Keep hanging in there everyone x

(Sorry I’ll clarify) - what week/weeks would you say it was at its worst?

IGottaGetThroughThis I think most sufferers find it at its worst around week 10-11, and generally, even for those who are unlucky enough to suffer throughout, at its worst by far in the first tri.A good day is often the sign of the turnaround in sight, with more to come.
I am glad that SnowWhite2020 did that walk without sitting down - and IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirley is feeling a bit better. That is really good advice about how things can be so much better with meds, and I suppose too, feeling more in control (in so far as anyone can feel in control in this unenviable situation).
Keep up the stirling work everyone...

Hi snowwhite2020 I've been wondering the same about whether hg gets worse with subsequent pregnancies. I keep thinking this time is much worse than the 1st time round but I might just have forgotten how dreadful it was (it was 7 years ago). It was awful but I'm sure I was feeling much better by 12 weeks. I'm 12+1 now and not much improvement 😕
Someone mentioned smells? They're the worst and it isn't just food smells. My bedding even when it's fresh smells awful and the whole house smells unbearably musty. I can't even stand the smell of my little girl and weirdly when she tries to touch or hug me I feel sick. I feel awful because I'm keeping her at arms length at the moment when I was hoping we could spend lots of time bonding together before baby comes. I had my scan on Thursday and I couldn't even get excited about that because I was feeling so sick, was mostly worried about vomiting during it! Can't wait for pregnancy to be over and never have to go through it again!! Got a due date of 13th November which seems like a lifetime away x

I know what you mean @Niffler2019 it’s not just food smells... we have a dog and he smells awful to me. Unfortunately I also feel sick at the smell of almost everything which is making me act like a recluse.

I forgot to mention drinks before, anyone else really struggling to find anything they like to drink? Everything makes me heave except for fresh orange juice but too much of that gives me heartburn

I also couldn't bear the smell of my husband or daughter , or anything really for a long time.

@Niffler2019 I found I could only drink orange squash. I don't even like squash not pregnant

Totally with you- only drink I can tolerate is fresh orange juice but finding that really helps with constipation so st leafs that’s a small comfort @Niffler2019 @justtheonethen

Everyone I thought my OH stank of roast pork and I used to hold a lavender satchet to my nose when trying to get to sleep. It must be awful not being able to be as affectionate to your LO's as you would like. Hopefully your sense of smell will calm down later on.
Nifer2019 I've added your date. It must be hard to get enough rest in a second pregnancy, which must make things worse. From what I've seen on these threads, a more typical time for improvement would be some time after 14 weeks, and after all, a lot of women with ordinary pregnancy sickness have it up to 14 weeks. Sorry to hear about the problems with hugging your LO. I did know a sufferer who used to use that Vic inhaler stuff when being affectionate to her LO's, but I don't know if that is a useful tip. I wonder if any of the drinks in my normal spiel are any use? Full sugar flat coke, the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies, ice cubes, soda water, Lucozade, fizzy water, tonic water, Elderflower water, Elderflower tonic and soda water, fizzy orange, lemonade, Dr Pepper, Iron Bru, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), Isotonic drinks, 7Up, mint tea made with fresh mint, and of course, the orange squash and orange juice just mentioned.

"Snowdrop2020* That is useful, orange juice acting as a laxative. Some say the same about the tinned peaches which is one of the few things many can endure to eat.
justtheonethenIt is interesting about orange squash being appealing ot you only when suffering. Would lemon barley be bearable, too?
Due Dates
Pastnowfuture 7 May
MrsH497 18 May
BeautyandtheBump 30 May
Pasqual 4 June
kissingthebear 8 Jjune
StayClosePooky 20 June
justtheonethen 18 July
Ummasomebody 20 July TWINS!
areallthenamestaken 24 July
boulevardofbrokendreams 2 August
sickandtiredofsick 29 August
Connie222 3 September
ConstantlyPanicking 17th September
Lemondrop99 6 Nov
Nifler2019 13 November
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirely 22 Nov
SnowWhite2020 28 November
GottaGetThroughThis 7 December

@LucindaE I had the same thought about lemon- made my reflux awful!

justtheonethen Oh dear.

Hi, I'm new but wondered if I could join?
Currently about 7 weeks pregnant with our 2nd and had HG with her from 6-39 weeks when I had her, I've had severe sickness again starting from just over 4 weeks this time and just started on Metoclopramide - not one I've used before but having a mixed bag of success and failure with keeping it down
Due to other health conditions any antisickness meds tend to trigger seizures so I've been limited before and now what I can take and was in and out of hospital last time.. Just praying this time won't get that bad obviously with covid!

I'm really struggling with trying to play with my dd whilst I'm constantly wretching or vomitting and feel like such a bad mum when I say no mummy is too sick or plonk TV on.. I can barely move though and I'm crying throughout the day with how bad I feel, just hoped I could pop on here and talk with someone else who gets what it feels like!

Anyway.. I'll stop rambling now but hope you don't mind me dropping in :)

Following x

Sb131216 Welcome. Poor you suffering throughout badly with limited options for meds. Metaclopramide has helped a few on here. Can they combine it with other meds in your case? A good anti acid like Omprazole can make a surprising difference to the sickness. As you are a veteran, you certainly don't need my spiel about stocking up on kesostix as while they aren't they best test of dehydration, hospitals take them seriously, etc etc. Here are some drinks that I hope might be useful and food suggestions. I wonder if any of the drinks in my normal spiel are any use? Full sugar flat coke, the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies, ice cubes, soda water, Lucozade, fizzy water, tonic water, Elderflower water, Elderflower tonic and soda water, fizzy orange, lemonade, Dr Pepper, Iron Bru, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), Isotonic drinks, 7Up, mint tea made with fresh mint, and of course, the orange squash and orange juice just mentioned below. Some foods of a sort that have helped others are: nibbles of chips and crisps, Scotch pancakes, tinned fruit, cuppa soup, biscuits, sices of melon and mango and baked potatoes. Some swear by grated cheese. Another tip was melon juiced and frozen as ice cubes.
Everyone on here is very supportive.

Thank you, unfortunately nothing that helped last time like plain baked potatoes or ice lollies is helping this time and even reading the list makes me wretch but I'll keep trying some of these suggestions, thank you

I was on omprazole last time but it is hard enough keeping all my other meds down and that has been cherry on the cake tipping me over, maybe in a few weeks when I'm in the 2nd trimester it may help so I'm holding on to that hope!

Finding the antisickness so hit and miss, it works maybe once out of 7 doses so far but never covers the hours before I can take another so I think I'll ask again next week if no better

@Sb131216 poor you. My sickness was at its worst around a week ago and I could manage to eat almost nothing... it’s a nightmare. I think you just have to try and give yourself a break (in your head) and accept that whatever you can manage to eat, no matter how little, is a triumph. I’d also go back to the doctor if your meds aren’t really cutting it. It seems a lot of people have to try a few different combos to get a good effect.

I slept last night (having not slept for about 2 months due to nausea all night) and felt a bit more like myself this morning. I THEN managed to eat breakfast. By lunch time I was euphoric. Around 2pm the good old nausea kicked back in and I spent the afternoon in bed... hey ho. One step forward and all that...

Hi ladies, I am a hg sufferer. I have 2 hg ds age 14 & 3. Sadly I have two babies in heaven that my body could not handle. My last loss was September 19. Basically no meds would work I was only alive because of a drip and my organs were starting to fail. Kidney and liver. I had to choose between my life or continuing pregnancies. I am destroyed over having the choice almost removed from me and losing my babies. I wish luck to you all. I was told they had never seen a case as severe. I lost 2 stone. At my worst I was vomiting up to 70 times a day my oh would count and I had oesophageal rupture. Despite all this I went on conceive twice more with the promise of a wonder drug xonvea. We are so desperate for a third baby. Sadly since I have miscarried twice. I am now pg but only 4 + 3 and been spotting just waiting for another miscarriage. Good luck to you all x

@Jaylou7 I am so sorry to hear of your losses and for how difficult HG has been for you. Your story is nothing short of heart wrenching. So much respect for you and your courage to move forward. I hope all stays well with your current pregnancy and that you may avoid such severe HG this time. Have you been very ill already? 💐 love to you.

Thank you so much. No I have no sickness it normally takes hold around 5 weeks x

That sounds so awful for you, I am so sorry you have been through so much
Wishing you all the best for this pregnancy Jaylou7

I’m due 20th August can I get added to the list? Feel like it will help seeing it x

How is everybody feeling today? I actually for the first time in three weeks managed a walk down the road to the field near us with my son and partner... felt like quite an achievement. Felt sickly the whole time and weak, but it’s a positive step and hopefully continues that way. Was nice to actually see my little boy run around and be part of it with him. Feel like I’ve been a complete stranger to him recently.. I know he doesn’t feel that way, kids adapt but mum guilt is always there.

Jaylou7 I am so sorry for your losses and the unnerving spotting.
I am glad, though, to hear that you have two LOs. It certainly sounds as if you suffered dreadfully.Thank you for your kind message to everyone.
IGottaGetThroughThis Congratulations on your field walk and that is nice about your LO.
sb131216 I am sorrry that this time there are no drinks that appeal.
SnowWhite2020 Congratulations on that good sleep. It can make such a difference to one's outlook. Good advice from you and others.
Due Dates
Pastnowfuture 7 May
MrsH497 18 May
BeautyandtheBump 30 May
Pasqual 4 June
kissingthebear 8 Jjune
StayClosePooky 20 June
justtheonethen 18 July
Ummasomebody 20 July TWINS!
areallthenamestaken 24 July
boulevardofbrokendreams 2 August
Calliope87 28 August
sickandtiredofsick 29 August
Connie222 3 September
ConstantlyPanicking 17th September
Lemondrop99 6 Nov
Nifler2019 13 November
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirely 22 Nov
SnowWhite2020 28 November
GottaGetThroughThis 7 December

Callipe87 I've added you! It is always encouraging.