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.

@doritodiva

I've just googled your meds of stemitil and it looks like it's a version of Prochlorperzine what I'm taking. Funnily enough, when my partner picked my repeat prescription up today there was a note for me to contact my GP about the meds I'm on. Apparently one I can take when "I'm really bad" and the other when "I'm not so bad" . Strange as I've been on them for a week now. I'm on Cyclizine and metoclopramide along side Prochlorperzine. So I'm thinking it may have something to do with that tablet as you having issues with it from your GP. How strange. Are yours the tablet form? Mine dissolve on my gum.

Luckily I've been prescribed the tablets but I'm annoyed that I've finally found a combination which is working and they are looking to reduce already. I missed one dose before bed and I woke up feeling how I did a few weeks ago. It took a good few hours to pull back around. Receptionist left a note with my GP so I have to call back Monday afternoon. I'm back at work then too and the last thing I want to do is experiment with meds!

Sending my love to you all.

@Apricotta does the school know you are pregnant? Appreciate it may be early and you are wanting to hold off telling them. However they will need to do a pregnancy risk assessment surely? And they should put reasonable adjustments in place for you anyway.. e.g trips to the toilet if needed. I know it must be more difficult given COVID-19 and I don't work in a school so may be out of touch there. I do work in HR though and know basic things such as the above should be considered by your employers.

Feel for you I can't imagine having to teach when suffering with this!

@LucindaE yep, told them early due to covid. They knew two weeks before the start of term. We've all been given new duties. I don't get any toilet break or lunch break on one day apart from 1 hr at 11.20-12.20 which is my PPA for planning and marking and is protected by law. So I rang my union this afternoon.

Still no risk assessment or mtg to see how I am or anything. Despite asking.

@Apricotta wow that's really bad on their part, I'm glad you're not settling for that though and are in contact with your union. Hopefully they will sort this out for you!

The thing is with reasonable adjustments if they just put measures in place it helps you and them! Why they don't want to make you feel comfortable despite going through this and still working is crazy. I'm sure you'll be aware of this anyway but if you did need to be off on sick leave they can't discriminate against you or manage you on it. Sometimes the best way to get better and in particularly over the peak in HG is to be at home resting. Hope you get sorted soon.

Hi everybody, sorry to hear of so many new sufferers. My sympathy with everyone. HG is so tough. I have had sickness on and off this week (yay third trimester return!) and I am having quite a lot of trouble sleeping, which teamed with being back in the office is quite hard work. That’s why I’ve been quiet! I guess it’s the old HG truth that stress/ lack of sleep will raise the dragon. Anyway, it’s the weekend and I hope to rest up.

Hope everyone gets a good nights sleep (or as close to as possible) xx

@Anyat212 I have tablets. One to take three times a day. I've been sick this morning after only taking two yesterday. I feel like I really need them. So think I'm going to take the three a day and speak to the midwife and call the number that's been given. If I'm only on one set of tablets then I can't understand the problem? He's a very supportive dr but does mention about me not being on them a lot?! But I'm worried I'll end up dehydrated and losing weight like last time if I don't have anything consistent.

Also my due date is 12th April x

@doritodiva i would definitely speak to your midwife as you mentioned you have an appointment coming up. I completely understand your worry though I'd be thinking the same thing. Perhaps he just means it's not an ideal tablet to take all the way through pregnancy or it's effective to help you get over the worst. I'd definitely keep taking them until you've got further clarification, you don't want to become dehydrated. I'm glad you have a supportive doctor though!

snowwwhite hope you feel better soon and had as much of a good nights sleep as possible!

@Anyat212 thank you.
I took a tablet this morning but have been sick five times since. Do you think I could take another and see if I can keep it down? I haven't been this poorly for week. I took a tablet first thing but then have been sick ever since. I really think this is due to missing the afternoon tablet yesterday 😢
I'm meant to be taking my daughter out later today. Don't think I'll be able to manage it at this rate.

@doritodiva I think you need to keep taking the tablets and in all likelihood the stress of feeling you should come off them is making you more ill.... I don’t see why you would have been given them in the first place if they were unsafe. The amount of sickness you report is not ok and you are right to be worried about dehydration. There is a sense among much of the medical community that we shouldn’t take tablets at all if it can be helped.... but you are very ill. You need to explain this to him and also ask frankly why you are being prompted to come off them all the time- what are his concerns? I don’t think it sounds like you are ready to lower the dosage. Xx

Right I've been prescribed cyclizine! Been treated like royalty by the doctors tbh! My doctors are closed on the weekend but linked to another one in a city 30/40mins away which I used to attend when I lived there. Someone I had a brain wave and gave them a call asking if they could help me (in tears, as again I was up at 2am being sick and nauseous for a few hours). They registered me over the phone, rang me an hour afterwards and were so lovely about it and electronically sent the prescription to the my home town, DH will be able to pick it up midday!!!💞 They are going to get such a glorious review!

@Snowwhite2020 he said previously that ideally what I'm taking is going into my body and the babies. So less is better. Which I agree with but if it helps me then I can't see the problem.
I'm really suffering today. I can't keep anything down. I've taken two tablets but they have not made a difference at all. I guess I'll have to just see what happens. I'm so hungry and really want some toast but I know it will come back up

@doritodiva that sounds like a general idea as opposed to something specific relating to the meds you are on maybe....? I also experienced nurses/ and one doctor with this attitude. Remember that HG is serious and it’s not just feeling a bit sick. You can be very ill if you get too dehydrated and can’t eat. That is what is important. I would say do what is right for you and be honest with the doctor about the number of vomits the level of food intake etc and your sleep (or lack of). The mental ramifications of b eh hg so I’ll for so long are also a consideration so don’t be had on yourself. Love to you xx (are you also trying to work through this?)

*being so ill

@Snowwhite2020 I am yeah. I do work part time and my employers have been great and been as flexible as they can possibly be. I'm just worried about not getting the tablets back in my system. I've been sick non stop today. Not sure when I'll need to call 111 or whoever I need to contact. I have work on Monday.

@doritodiva poor you. If that’s you back on the dose you were taking then it will get back in your system and hopefully you will get things back under control. If anything this is a warning that you are not ready to lower the dose. Look after yourself and rest today. Try to sip fluids of some kind. Perhaps work on Monday is not a good idea... you will know yourself xx

Hi you lovely lot. I’ve been reading and following made a couple of posts a while back. I’m in my tww. Also in other groups here.
I have had hg in 5 pregnancies. Have 2 beautiful boys from that 5 but sadly 3 could not continue due to severity of hg. No meds or interventions could prevent failure to kidney is termination.
I am now under an amazing consultant who will be managing me and may use extreme measures to get me to my goal. These are injections and then a line being placed inside my arm for me to administer medicine from home. He said he will get me through it bless him.
Being back in the tww is so hard. My head is full of am I aren’t I. Symptom spotting etc. My head j then worrying how sick I will become.
Oh well will keep you all posted.
Keep battling you are all super heroes 🦸‍♀️ 💙

Jaysdream7Good luck!
Apricotta I am glad you have contacted the union and got Cyclizine. Hopefully, that will help a lot. If not, there are a variety of meds they can try.
doritoviva I wonder if it might help impress on that doctor how ill you are if you tell him the amount of heaves? Doctors often, seemiingly, count separate heaves as vomits, while lay people tend to count vomits as each separate heaving session. I've added you to the list.

Great advice from Snowwhite2020 Anya212 and others. I so agree that while doctors have to be wary about meds, they surely wouldn't recommend stopping meds if it is going to lead to dehydration, given that is more dangerous than the very small risks from taking the meds. By way of anecdotal evidence, after ten years of these threads, no sufferer has ever come back and said that her
baby has a birth defect connected with them.
Snowwhite2020* Sorry about the return of sickness this week.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Due Dates
Connie222 3 September
ConstantlyPanicking 17th September
Lemondrop99 6 November
Nifler2019 13 November
IAmSeriousAndDon'tCallMeShirely 22 Nov
FilthyforFirth 26 November
SnowWhite2020 26 November
IGottaGetThroughThis 6 December
Pygmyseahorse 18 December
KatieFTM 20 December
doritodiva 12 April

Thanks @LucindaE ☺️ no official date yet but I've calculated it as 20th April.

Hi guys!

Just in my TWW. Had terrible HG last pregnancy, 2 years ago.

Just wondering when to try and start drugs to pre-empt sickness. I read in the PSS website this is an ideal thing to do.

I've also seen ppl mention taking ondansetron, which I took in my first pregnancy. However I've read the latest is that you shouldn't take it in the first trimester.

What are ppls experience which xonvea?

Thanks guys x

Hi everyone, I have just found this thread and lurking here!

I have hg but have no vomiting, it's "just" extreme nausea 24/7, I am 12+5 (approx) today, dating scan on Monday at 2.30pm.

I am living on ice lollies, toast and some cereal. I was managing to eat müller corner yoghurts but not anymore 🤢

This is my second pregnancy DS is almost 8! With him I was vomiting regularly the whole 9 months but didn't feel anywhere near as ill as I feel this time without the vomiting.

Is it likely to last the whole pregnancy because I was sick the whole of my last one? 😧

@LucindaE thanks Lucinda. I've got a repeat prescription but I'll be taking three a day from
Now on. Not vomited today. But was every half an hour yesterday. So I'll be telling the dr that I can't cut down. I understand his worries but I can't live my life Being so poorly.

@ChubbyMumFromSkye have you had any medication from the dr?
I'm sure someone more knowledgeable than me will be along soon with some advise ❤️ love your name by the way, Skye is beautiful! I'm from Aberdeen 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿!

Well I have just had my first throwing up sesh (sorry a bit graphic) hoping it's not the first of constant throwing up 😭

@LucindaE my due date is 14th April if you want to add me to the list x

Hi, just wanted to share my support and love for all the women going through HG on this thread. I'm 20 weeks and this is my first pregnancy I had HG and it was such a shock. It never entered my mind this is something that i would get. When I was first sick I thought it was just normal morning sickness but little did I know in 2 weeks I'd be in A&E on a drip and really suffering. I ended up in AE twice and had to have a nurse come to my house several days to administer a drip as I was so dehydrated. I was initially put on stemetil which seemed to work but then got very bad side effects. It made me off the scale restless, agitated and twitchy (bordering on manic). This was the lowest point of my life. Went back to AE and they changed my meds to cyclizine which was a lot better and didn't give me the nasty side-effects. There were so many times throughout when I didn't think I was going to be able to carry on and see it through; when I felt like I would never be able to eat or drink again and enjoy it. I came off the meds at 18 weeks when the sickness started to reduce as I just wanted to be in control of myself again. I also found the meds made me feel unwell in other ways and just the whole process of constantly popping pills made me like an ill person not a pregnant one! Somehow, I still don't know how, I managed to persevere and push myself through - there was a light at the end of the tunnel. Now I'm only sick occasionally and glad I persevered with it. Although I know that's not the same for everyone. Looking back the whole experience feels totally unreal and I'm not sure I could go through it again even though I would've wanted more than one child.The thought of going through it again and that it could be worse petrifies me. But I suppose I don't have to think about that yet. The last thing is just to reiterate what a great support Pregnancy Sickness Support were for me. I took advantage of their buddy service and I was paired with the most wonderful lady who helped me and motivated me to push through. I couldn't rate them highly enough. It made such a difference. Wishing you all well.xxx