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.

[LucindaE]

AlbertCookie Welcome. You have already had great advice. As Anya212 says, you may need other meds as many need stronger medicine than Cyclizine. Here is my usual spiel: Most sufferers find that they improve a lot at some point between weeks 14 and 20. A good anti acid can make a surprising difference to the sickness. Kesostix are worth buying online or from a chemists, as while they aren't they best test of dehydration, hospitals take them seriously. Some drinks that have helped others: full sugar flat coke, ice lollies, the juice of tinned fruit, Lucozade, apple juice, Dr Pepper, soda water, Elderflower water, tonic water, ice cubes, Iron Bru, lemonade, lemon squash, orange squash, orange juice (if not too acid), fizzy orange, 7Up, isotonic drinks, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), fizzy water, apple juice, and Robinson's fruit drinks. Foods of a sort include tinned fruit, cuppa soup, nibbles of crisps and chips, cheap ice cream, Scotch pancakes, bagels, slices of melon and mango, grated cheese, baked potatoes, grated cheese and biscuits. Someone recommended a wonderful drink, recently, which I said I would add to the list and - stupid Mother Hen! - I've lost the reference!
Cmini and PhotoMum4 I do hope you are both able to work out a suitable staggered return for work. PhotoMum4 I hope the visit to the family went OK.
Anya212 I am glad that things are easing with the meds. Brilliant advice, particularly about eating.
Waves to SnowWhite2020 and everyone...

[LucindaE]

coffeecow Cross posted. Welcome. Congratulations on your pregnancy. As you suffered badly last time, could you get pre-emptive meds? Most agree that helps. They have almost certainly worked out better forms of treatment over the years, including being willing to prescribe meds earlier. As you are a veteran, you don't need my spiel about kesostix, full sugar flat coke and anti acids...There is a lot of support on here.

[coffeecow]

Thank you @LucindaE - having read through the thread you seem to be such a steadfast support here!

I was never officially 'diagnosed' in my last pregnancy. It was only a very kind doctor at around 15 weeks when I had to go into hospital who told me she thought I had HG but a couple of weeks later my symptoms did start to drastically improve (I know that made me one of the lucky ones!!)
My GP had been entirely unsupportive. I do have a different GP now and I'm sure I would be better supported but I suppose I was hoping it may not happen a second time...naive perhaps. I just wish I could remember when it started for me last time.

[Anyat212]

@coffeecow

Unfortunately that is really common with unsupportive GPs! In my first pregnancy I too wasn't officially diagnosed even though I had all the symptoms. It's only been in this pregnancy I've been taken seriously (and diagnosed properly) so I would really recommend standing your ground with the GPs if they aren't understanding this time. As you experienced it in your first pregnancy you will know what it is and what isn't normal. I found they questioned me less and took my word for it more knowing I'd been through this before.

I think with my first pregnancy I was on sickness meds by 6 weeks so it must have been around week 5 or even 4. With this pregnancy (my second) it started around the 5 week mark, it was extreme nausea for me and then by week 6 I was being sick on top of the nausea.

I would recommend keeping an eye on your weight if you do develop bad nausea or sickness, you can explain to the doctors about the weight loss. I did that properly for this pregnancy and was taken a lot more seriously. I would also say with my first I was sick between 5-8 times every day. The worst I've had so far was about 4 times however the nausea completely prevented me from eating so basically had the same effect of being sick. As I wasn't able to eat anything and when I did, I was sick so lost quite abit of weight in a short amount of time.

Congratulations and I do hope you have managed to dodge it this time around!


Thanks lucinda hope you are well too!

[coffeecow]

Thank you @Anyat212 that was really helpful to read! I hope you are coping okay with the medication.

I think writing my post last night might have jinxed me. I was sick around 11.30pm and then felt fine. Went to sleep and then woke up every hour with overwhelming nausea. It really has made everything come flooding back and I'm feeling quite emotional this morning.

Going to phone the doctors as soon as they open and ask for some help. Wish me luck! I really don't think I can go through this again, it was the absolute undoing of me last time.

[AlbertCookie]

Thank you for the responses, when you say anti acids, like normal gaviscon type tablets?

At the moment my go to is a digestive biscuit which seems to stay down. I tried a grape.....that was a mistake! I shall see how I go for a couple of days and if it doesn't seem to get much easier to eat anything then I'll get back in touch with the GP.

[IAmSeriousAndDontCallMeShirley]

Hello everyone (especially to lovely Lucinda)

It's been a while since I posted. It's been a busy time for our household. My husband has been away with work for 2 months now. And will be back in November (hopefully before this baby arrives!).

Also my eldest daughter has been unwell and in hospital again for further operations. But she's doing better now.

HG wise I'm please to repost that T3 is treating me much better than in my previous pregnancies so far. General low level nausea at all times, but actual vomiting now only a few times a week! Feels like a miracle.

I see a lot of new names on the thread, sorry to see so many suffering.

Hoping for good weeks for you all. X

[coffeecow]

Hi again

Just an update. My GP has prescribed me cyclizine. I have taken the first dose and now cross my fingers and wait. Has anyone had experience with this medication? Did it help?

[Puddlelane123]

Ahhh ladies I am reaching crying point again. Currently on combi of cyclizine, metachlopromide and avomine and I am still vomiting multiple times / laid up in bed unable to summon the energy to move. Not ideal when I have two children and school runs to contend with later this week. I feel horrendous as I know you will all appreciate. Phoned GP in tears last week and she prescibed ondansetron which seemed to be making a difference, although I had to go hospital to get some fluids as was still dehydrated. Get to hospital and the midwife and gynae dr both said I shldnt be on ondansetron in first trimester and took me off it. I am so confused and upset. I feel like I need it, but don’t want to ignore their firm advice. I don’t understand their reticence when as far as I have read the risks regarding oral clefts are still very minimal. I feel so torn. What do I doooo ladies??

[Apricotta]

Thank you to everyone whoever created this thread. I'm a first time mum to be, exactly at 8wks I think. Scan is due on the 30th. I'm not sure if I qualify as HG but it's been getting worse over the last few days. I thought I was falling into a pattern of hellish nausea with no relief once I wake up lasting until early afternoon. Which then progressed to actually being sick over the last 2 days and then last night I woke at 2am with hellish unrelenting nausea, sick 3 times between 2-5am, managed to get an hour after that of repeating an inner mantra to the myself that I'm not poisened it's just hormones and then the alarm went and woke up with more nausea but that did not eventually go.

[Apricotta]

Did eventually go

[coffeecow]

@Puddlelane123 I'm so sorry to hear you're both struggling so much. It's just so so unfair. How many weeks are you now? Sorry if I missed it.

@Apricotta That sounds like it could be HG. That's how mine started in my last pregnancy and again over the weekend with my second, I am 6 weeks. Have you considered reaching out to your GP?

[Apricotta]

@coffeecow do you think? We spied about it at 4 in the morning but I bottled out because I thought the GP would tell me to put up with it for a week more before doing anything? I've always suffered with travel sickness and even feeling slightly nauseus during certain times of the month! My mum suffered with sickness in all three of her pregnancies. She fainted in one and got prescribed something in the second, luckily not thalidomide which was an option at the time!!! I've had cyclizine for travel sickness so I wonder if they'd give me that?

[Apricotta]

Spied - should have been talked about it hahahaha!!!

[Anyat212]

@coffeecow

I think quite a few of us on this thread have tried or are currently taking cyclizine. It does take a few days to get into your system properly. If it doesn't work don't be afraid to ask for combinations as you can take different meds with cyclizine. I'm on that, metachlopromide and another one beginning with P (so unhelpful but I'm in the bath atm!) I have to take all three at the exact time otherwise it doesn't help at all. I'm back at work next week, luckily WFH so that will be the real test.

@Puddlelane123

Sorry to read your post, I really feel for you! I have no idea why they won't prescribe ondansetron. Seems very odd that your GP did though. How annoying. I've asked a few times with my GP and midwife and don't get a straight answer. My daughter is only 17 months at the moment so 2 years ago, that was the first medication I was prescribed! Thinking back I can't believe how quickly I got that for someone who wasn't officially diagnosed with HG. I know it's an expensive drug which does put GPs off (very wrongly) prescribing it. I also have read that there can be very small potential issues with taking it before 12 weeks so it must be new research they've figured because I was on it 2 years ago at week 6 right until she was born and she is of course, fine!

Is this your first pregnancy? Because it does sound like they are palming you off abit. If the meds you are talking atm, don't work - they need to be looking at increasing or giving you other meds. Sorry to hear you've been in hospital too. It ridiculous they've took it off you when you are so poorly. It could be worth speaking to your GP or midwife again tomorrow and just being blunt that they don't work. I know in my first pregnancy I had to take my DP to an appointment as an 'advocate' that was saying how bad I was too. So wrong on every level but could it worth your DP perhaps calling them on your behalf instead?

[Anyat212]

@Apricotta

Congratulations! This thread really is fab it's been a lifeline to me in this pregnancy and my last one.

If you are poorly please don't suffer for another week, no GP would turn you away without any help (at least I hope so!) there any many safe meds they can easily prescribe. It's likely they will ask how many times you are being a sick a day, your nausea levels and how mobile you are. In both cases of mine, I was given meds at week 4-6 in my first (somewhere between them weeks lol) and I've been on meds for a few weeks now and I'm only 10 weeks pregnant. Cyclizine is one of the common meds prescribed if you've taken it before for your travel sickness I think it's very likely they would prescribe that for you. So don't feel like you need to hang fire, the quicker it's treated the better it can be managed. Some ladies on this thread even take the meds before they are pregnant too.

[Yabberdabbado]

@Anyat212 re Ondanestron "Ondansetron g Although a possible link between ondansetron use in early pregnancy and cleft lip and/or palate in the baby has been suggested, current research suggests that the chance of this occurring is very small. A large, well-designed study found that the vast majority of babies exposed to ondansetron in the womb (at least 998 out of every 1,000) are born without cleft lip and/or palate." Source - www.medicinesinpregnancy.org/Medicine--pregnancy/Morning-Sickness/#:~:text=Ondansetron,this%20occurring%20is%20very%20small.

[Apricotta]

@Anyat212 thank you! I was so worried about how I'd cope in work, today was my first day back (teacher). I copied ok thanks to the horrendous night but I might see how the next day or two go and then if it's interfering with my day to day role I'll contact them. Thank you for giving me the confidence to put it on the table again! I always think GPs think that I'm wasting their time!

[LucindaE]

Apricotta Welcome. I so agree with others. Don't suffer too long. There are safe anti emetics that can help a lot.Here is my usual spiel: Most sufferers find that they improve a lot at some point between weeks 14 and 20. A good anti acid can make a surprising difference to the sickness. Kesostix are worth buying online or from a chemists, as while they aren't they best test of dehydration, hospitals take them seriously. Some drinks that have helped others: full sugar flat coke, ice lollies, the juice of tinned fruit, Lucozade, apple juice, Dr Pepper, soda water, Elderflower water, tonic water, ice cubes, Iron Bru, lemonade, lemon squash, orange squash, orange juice (if not too acid), fizzy orange, 7Up, isotonic drinks, sips of chocolate milkshake (maybe soya), fizzy water, apple juice, and Robinson's fruit drinks. Foods of a sort include tinned fruit, cuppa soup, nibbles of crisps and chips, cheap ice cream, Scotch pancakes, bagels, slices of melon and mango, grated cheese, baked potatoes, grated cheese and biscuits. Someone recommended a wonderful drink, recently, which I said I would add to the list and - stupid Mother Hen! - I've lost the reference!
coffeecow I am glad you have got Cyclizine. These days I am Mother Hen on this thread these days; I sufered long ago.
AlbertCookie You can get more effective anti acids than Gaviscon, which I had to use but which made me feel very bloated because I had to use so much. Omprazole is one. I don't know if you have to get it on prescription, to be honest...
Puddlelane123 I am sorry they refused you Ondansetron presumably, as others say, on account of the small risk. It might be a good idea to phone Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7638 2020 and ask for advice on obtaining the most effective meds. Great advice from Anya212 and Yabadabadoo on Ondansetron.
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirley Sorry to hear that you have had to cope with OH away and DD having operations. How stressful. It is lovely to hear from you and I am so glad to hear that despite that, you aren't suffering as badly as in the other two pregnancies.
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored.
I am going to have to do a new thread as this one is nearly full!

[LucindaE]

No more room on this thead. Here is the link to the new thread.
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/pregnancy/4011907-Hyperemesis-Support?