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.

Woken up at about 5.45 by nausea. Have been heaving into the loo on and off for the last two hours nothing is coming up but nothing is in there anyway. I'm exhausted already I don't think today will be a good day.

Melleebacca I am sorry. Like others, I am keeping everything I can crossed. I hope they can get through the testing quickly.
WatchingFriendsonRepeat Welcome. I am so sorry that OH has behaved in so immature a way. That definitely seems like Hyperemesis. Poor you. Do they say what causes the hourly nosebleeds? Sorry, did you say what meds you are on? How horrific, a burst appendix in your first pregnancy, and migraines after 14 weeks: mine stopped then, having been horrific in the first tri. I will add my normal spiel and just discount what isn't relevant to you, as you might find something useful in it. I have known sufferers see a big improvement late on. A good anti-acid can make a big difference. Some drinks and foods of a sort that have helped others: flat full sugar coke, ice lollies, the juice of tinned fruit, Lucozade, fizzy water, Elderflower water, Robinson's fruit drinks, fizzy orange, lemonade, Dr Pepper, Elderflower coridal and tonic water (eallison's tipple), 7Up, Iron Bru, soda water, ice cubes, chocolate milkshakes (maybe soya), cocoanut milk, orange squash and sips of orange juice if not too acid. Some foods of a sort: nibbles of chips and crisps, baked potatoes, cuppa soup, cheap ice cream, tinned fruit, slices of melon and mango, Scotch pancakes and biscuits. It might be worth investing in some kesostix if you don't have them already as while they are not the best test of dehydration, hospitals do take them seriously.
HairsprayBabe Poor you. Can you get any extra meds before Christmas? Remind me of your current ones.
Areallthe namestaken I am so glad the GP was helpful.
Thinking of everyone. Waves to all.

Hairspray babe that sounds tough.

I decided to rest yesterday and think that was the right decision. Bit better today.

Melleebacca sorry to hear about the high risk result for you. I can imagine that has caused a lot of worry when you are already feeling ill.

Interesting about some finding baby's movements promoting sickness. I've not felt anything yet but I'm desperate to! 17 weeks so should be anytime now or in the next three weeks. Been lying in bed every night for a week thinking can I felt it!

@Whatnext11 thanks for your kind words. The worry is stealing sleep which makes me more tired and sick.
I felt both babes move at around 16wks, they feel like little bubbles popping in your uterus to begin with. I was fortunate to have the placenta block a lot of the movements so they didn’t keep me awake at night.

@HairsprayBabe sometimes I think the heaving and bringing nothing up is worse than the vomiting. I can’t seem to settle my body down after unproductive heaving, and it’s just painful. Sorry your day started badly.

I'm on 3 cyclizine and 3 buccastem a day I have enough to last me into the new year. I did ask if I could swap to something else as still being sick and feeling terrible all the time but Dr was unwilling to swap me as I had pretty hydrated wee when he checked me.

Today was a write off either vomiting or heaving unproductively.

I have had 3 smoothies and just super slowly sipped at them over the day. I don't feel dehydrated and I am just forcing myself to keep sipping constantly.

I am absolutely exhausted I feel like I have done 5 rounds with Tyson Fury.

We have DSD this weekend and she has been a little doll, thinks I have a tummy bug bless her. I am going to attempt a plain jacket potato for dinner.

I'm 9+2 now and I read somewhere that week nine is the worst for sickness anyway. I am usually a really Christmassy person but I just feel too knackered to bother this year.

@HairsprayBabe I'm so sorry you're still feeling horrid. Could you ask the doctor for a cyclizine injection? I had one before I started my cyclizine and buccastem tablets and because the injection absorbs more quickly and is generally better I felt well enough to get some proper food in me which the tablets are helping to maintain. If you still feel rotten please go back and ask for the injection. Within 20 minutes of mine I was able to eat again.

@HairsprayBabe week 9 is the worst week for people who have normal MS. I feel with HG that the worst week is week 12, as everyone says you should be better by then, and you’re not. Plus, with my sickness it marks the middle, if the vomiting ends at week 17/18 which is what I’m hoping for. 🤞🏻
So glad smoothies are working for you though!

Whatsnext11 Sorry I missed your post. I am glad you took time off.
HairsprayBabe Sorry to hear that the doctor won't allow different or additional meds. I am so glad that you were able to ingest three smoothies. Well done over that. Unproductive heaving is so painful and dismal.
Melleebacca I am sure your mother is giving you TLC.
Areallthenamestaken Good advice.
WatchingFriendsOnRepeatAs below. Much sympathy about everything coming at once. You are due some good luck, I think!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

@WatchingFriendsOnRepeat - I’m 27 weeks with my second too Suffered dreadfully until about 16-20 weeks and then it’s eased off a bit.. I’ve been on 2x anti-sickness, ondansetron & Metaclopromide since week 6. I’ve dropped the Metaclopromide now but still on a very high dose of ondanstetron. For me, it has stopped the majority of the vomiting but does very little to stop the nausea. Which is really flipping rough. I’m so unbelievably fed up of feeling like I might throw up 24/7! Some days it’s more bearable than others. Today is a bad day.

Are you taking anything? It sounds like you could really do with some help! Plenty of options out there to help you navigate the last 3 months!

I also have nose bleeds! At least two a day.. it’s crazy what hormones do!

Someone said to me today, oo, only 12 weeks to go.. which made me feel a lot better to be honest. Really doesn’t seem so long when you put it into weeks! Plus the next two will fly by with Christmas!

So so sorry to hear about your other half what an awful thing to do.. you deserve a whole heap better!

@HairsprayBabe do you have access to doctors out of hours? We can book weekend appointments where I live and not your regular GP some of whom are willing to give better meds. Also if you go to the drs in the morning before having anything, you will most likely have 1ketones in your urine. Its just so unusual that they don't want to change your meds. Sometimes going there with the nice guidelines can help and saying you're aware of risks,etc. Hope you feel better soon.
Now week 9+6 and ondansetron stopped working despite being on 8 three times so a kind Dr gave me Xonvea. Its expensive and they would rather feign they don't know about it but I feel different already on it. The best is I'm able to drink more water!!! Its the only licensed medication for sickness in pregnancy which was why nice England approved it. However, Scotland and Wales won't pay for it. It costs a lot more than the rest but right now anything that helps is all I'm after

Oo is Xonvea doyxlamine & vitamin B? Last time I was in hospital I asked about the new licensed medication & could I try it and he said that Ondansetron was much stronger & their final resort before steroids so a different antihistamine based med would be pointless.. but so glad it’s helping you! I genuinely thought I’d be offered it this pregnancy as surely it’s better to prescribe licensed meds before unlicensed ones?!

I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s total trial & error with meds for each person. For me, ondansetron is fantastic, it really helps. For others, it doesn’t but others do!

Anyone struggling over the weekend or Christmas, do not be afraid to go to A&E if you cannot keep food down & you don’t have an EPU. I did one weekend and they got me admitted really quickly!

Bol87 I am sorry that the nausea continues. Excellent advice for HairsprayBabe Great advice from Ummasomebody too. That is fascinating about Xonvea. I am glad it is working for you.

@LucindaE Mums gone home now, but it was lovely to have her help out a bit. Hubby is now on Christmas break, so I literally only have to lie in bed all day and survive.

@Bol87 I did ask when I went to the doctor at 4wks if there was any new meds in the last few years to help with HG, but my doctor said the strongest thing is still Ondansetron.

@Ummusomebody Whatever helps take it! While ondansetron works for some, for others it doesn’t. I think each persons HG is unique to each pregnancy.

Survived one Christmas event yesterday, only 2 left to go.

Melleebacca I am so glad that now your mother has gone your OH is home. All luck for these two Christmas celebrations.

Hi all, I just wanted to nip in here and show some solidarity with you all. This time two years ago I was 12 weeks pregnant with DC2 (but it was my third HG pregnancy) and only 1/3 of the way through my third HG journey. We were at the in laws for Christmas over four hours journey away and I really struggled.

Each pregnancy, except the one I lost at 12 weeks, I had full blown HG right up until delivery.

My baby is a toddler now, and every day I am glad that I found the strength to get through the pregnancy.

I'm sending you all icy cold flat cola, ice lollies and salty crunchy snacks this festive season. We all know it's shit, lets not deny it, but you can survive it - in fact you ARE!

jamoncrumpets Thank you so much for your lovely message of encouragement to current sufferers. Of course, it is particularly miserable to suffer during the festive season. Were you on here when suffering? Those are excellent presents!
Everyone, I am off for a family visit tommorow, and should be back on Boxing Day. Lovely Bol87 has promised to keep an eye on things.
I won't be tactless enough to wish everyone a Happy Christmas, but
I hope you have as good a one as you can.

Thanks jamoncrumpets for the encouragement. Great user name.
Thank you LucindaE for all your encouragements and advice.

I was doing so well, finally on a good anti sickness med routine, eating well and putting some weight back on. Then the MIL came to stay at ours, told us on arrival she had a chest infection - I tried to keep my distance but now had a consistent cough for last two weeks. Last few days bringing up a lot of flem which is also making me sick back to the heaving and nausea just in time for Christmas 🎄

Merry Christmas All! May the distraction of the day keep the vomit away.

@Marshy86 That’s seriously awful. And it takes you so much longer to heal when pregnant and weak with HG. I hope she’s feeling really guilty and looking after you.

@jamoncrumpets Thank you for your encouragement. 3 years ago I had just found out about #2. Fortunately was well enough to make it through Christmas. Not so lucky this time around.

Hi Everyone.please can I have a bit of advice.

Hospital prescribed me with ondanstetron and that's the only thing that has helped with my hyperemesis after being admitted in hospital twice in 5 days because of it.

The hospital phoned me back today and had to make me aware of the risks and said the risk is that my baby could be born with cleft lip

Obviously I don't want this for my child and now I'll stop taking them but nothing else worked for me at all. Has anyone who has taking these before known a baby to be born with cleft lip?

@Mothertoone2 I'm on this along with cyclizine at same time, I've looked into risks and a lot of information says there is nothing proving a link to this or a very small chance. I decided being dehydrated and mentally low would have more danger to the baby by not taking the tablets so have decided to continue with them and no problems so far.

@Melleebacca she's gone home now and lives 4.5 hours away, just so wound up by it but not sure if it's me over reacting. Had a chat with hubby and he said if any one shows up again with illness he will be showing them the door. I have quite bad asthma as well so doesn't help the situation.

Hi Ladies,

I've been suffering with hyperemesis since week 5, nausea 24/7, a good time throwing up 2/3 times a day, a bad day anything up to 20 times. I'm nearly 15 weeks and have been having a truly miserable time. My GP was sympathetic and prescribed Prochlorperazine which I've been taking x3 per day. Initially it helped ease the nausea slightly so I could stomach some foods but stopped being effective.

I read about a drug called Xonvea and begged my GP to prescribe it but he was reluctant (I suspect because of the expense) so I booked a private appointment to see an obstetrician and hey presto Xonvea prescribed. It cost me approx £80 for 2 weeks supply but wow the difference!!!

The stale taste in my mouth has eased and since taken them I haven't thrown up and have only said "I feel sick" once or twice instead of the usual 2,456 times per day!!

I've also tried acupuncture, didn't seem to help me bit going for another session next week.

This is my second HG pregnancy. The first one was unmediated, my GP at the time was totally unsupportive and I ended up hospitalised around 20 weeks!

We are all warriors, this is such a tough thing to endure especially if you don't have a sympathetic GP! Sending everyone positive vibes, it's such an endurance test but we're all in it together xx

@Mothertoone2 - a recent study has raised a very small increased risk of cleft lip from Ondansetron. It’s a really small increase in risk, here’s some more info:

news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2018/12/study-sees-limited-risk-in-taking-ondansetron-during-first-trimester-of-pregnancy/

Essentially there were 14 cases of cleft lip in 10,000 babies whose mums took ondansetron. That’s compared to 11 cases in 10,000 babies who weren’t exposed.

So read from that what you will.. id take the risk personally & I have in both pregnancies! Thankfully my GP entirely agrees with me! She’s prescribed it happily. I have terrible HG without ondansetron, I’m sick 20+ times a day. Ondansetron is a life saver, I take a really high dose. First DD is now a bonkers 2.5 year old & second due in March doesn’t appear to have any issues..

Can you see a different GP? Or go along & have a better chat explaining it should be your choice to take the risk. The hospital gave it to you at the end of the day & it’s helped!

I was prescribed Ondensatron but found it gave me really bad constipation. Think I might need to try it again though because Cyclizine isn’t working for me and I feel like shit. Dreading Christmas Day with the in laws and having to keep it all a secret.