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 all finally got a GP prepared to refer me to gynae and got admitted for fluids and some antisickness injections.

I’m only 11 weeks and my hospital were absolutely shocked I’d been prescribed
Ondansetron by my GP at 5 weeks. Has anyone else had this experience.?

Feeling tired and jaded but hopefully onwards and upwards from the sickness curve xx

Hi all, hope you don't mind me coming in here for advice , had HG with my other pregnancies just found out pregnant with number 3 from past experience I have about 9 days give or take until I'm back in that hell. (Was testing early so I had preparation time)

Trying to think what I can sort while I'm feeling normal right now - think will get in a variety of fizzy drinks , ice , pre planned shopping lists maybe . I also have a 2 year old.

Any more ideas for what I can put in place ?

Also thinking about phoning GP to sort out meds in advance , is this possible?

Thanks!

surreymum89 Welcome. Do ask for pre-emptive meds. They can really help. Did an anti acid help last time? It can help a lot. What meds helped you, if at all, last time? Are their friends/relatives who will help with your LO's, and are they at school/nursery? Sorry, that's a lot of questions! As you are a veteran you don 't need my normal spiel about kesostix and which drinks have helped others. There's lots of support on here.
wingingitatlifesincebirth I am glad you have got fluids. I expect they are playing extra safe in not prescribing Ondansetron until later. Doctors have to weigh up the tiny risks with the meds with the very real dangers of prolonged dehydration and sometimes come to different assessments.

Hey everyone, hope people are feeling some what human today. I’ve given up and had to call in sick to work again. Haven’t had an hour go by without vomiting in days...worried I’m going to end up back in hospital again...have my midwife appointment this afternoon so will have to drag myself to that and just hope I don’t get sick in the taxi...6months of this is just getting too much...my boss is being so horrible and I just don’t know what to do...

BuffyFanForever Oh dear. I wonder you've held out so long at work. What meds are you on, and what week? They definitely need to give you something stronger, if possible.

BuffyFanForever Sorry, I missed that about the boss being horrible. Is there a union or HR department you can complain to, even if at head office? If s/he's being horrible about your suffering from a pregnancy related illness, I am sure that's a dodgy position for him/her to take.

@LucindaE unfortunately at my appointment the obstetrician said I had to be admitted...so I’m back in the hospital. Have tried so hard to keep going to work...have ended up takinf sick days and my quality has suffered a lot, just had to keep running out of the room. Have had IV ondanestron, cyclizine and have fluids going so hopefully I feel more human tomorrow.

@Wingingitatlifesincebirth I had a sinilar experience re ondansetron at the hospital as my gp prescribed it at 6 weeks. They say there is a slight increase in cleft palate but the risks to mother re dehydration far outweigh these thats why my gp and I felt comfortable in taking it and I still do now. I hope the fluids have helped and you are doing better.

@surreymum89 I second all that @LucindaE has said in regards to preparation but also advocate rest so if you are working then don’t be afraid to take time off work. Pregnancy related illness/leave is treated differently. I agree with preemptive meds so if you can see/speak to your gp before the hg hits and get a plan in place then please do, for me it made all the difference this time round.

@BuffyFanForever sorry to hear you are feeling so bad atm and the situation with work/boss doesnt help either. I would agreenwith @LucindaE your manager shouldn’t be treating you this way as pregnancy related illness is different to ‘normal’ sick leave. I have been off work sonce 6 weeks and still am and don’t think I will be able to go back yet once my current sicknote runs out. The added work stress wont be helping you feel any better I would think. I hope the fluids and IV meds help and that you get discharged with meds that will work at home too. Take each day at a time and although its hard and doesn’t seem like it you WILL get through this trust me, Ive been through it 4 times so far and knowing that I have to go through this and accepting it but knowing there is a time limit is somewhat soothing this time round

I hope everyone else is doing as well as they can, we’re in december now so fingers crossed once this month is over we will be into the new year and the year in which we can meet our little babies aka parasites x

Thanks for all the advice ! Not working thankfully , just the 2 year old to look after. Last pregnancy I had cyclizine and metaclopramide, the cyclizine made me feel worse when I thought it wasn't possible , I only took it 2 days and then stopped , maybe I should have persisted through?

Metaclopramide didn't have an effect really.

What is generally prescribed preemptively?

Also heard of a new drug, xonvea? Is this worth trying?

Will try to call GP today, worry they won't take it seriously , last time I did see gp a few times by 7 weeks but I mostly couldn't even stop throwing up to call up or get to the doctor so probably no real record of it .

Morning all, having a bit of a wobble today. Asked DH to call drs this morning to get me a call back. He said yes then forgot. I reminded him by emailing him at work and asking what time the call would be. I know he probably feels awful about it but I cant help but feel furious!
I just want to ask if i can increase the promethozine, the drs advised me to just take that and stop the cyclizine and stemitil. They wont give me ondansetron or metocloprimide because of the risks.

I'm 7 weeks now and totally miserable. Cannot get out of bed.

Hello everyone sorry I fell off the thread for a few days because my (v. elderly) father got admitted to hospital with a heart issue; my mother is also frail and unwell so I had to do a dash up to Suffolk. Still here at the moment though planning to drive back to London tomorrow morning. I am 14DPO at the moment, very dizzy and somewhat nauseous but definitely less so than at this stage with DS2 (maybe more like DS1 or perhaps even a bit less than with him). I'm pretty sure I must be pregnant but I haven't done a test yet -- to be honest I just felt like I had to focus on my parents for now and set this question aside until things have settled down a bit. I'm not sure if I am feeling the symptoms less because of shock / focusing on my parents and at some point they'll come roaring back, or whether the pg itself is not "getting going" properly and there might be an early loss, as I had a couple of times before DS1. Just focusing on the next few days for now.

Courage to everyone at the worst stage. @surreymum89 I would def pre-plan some shopping lists, preferably on an online shopping website where you can draw them up completely. In the worst stages I couldn't think about food at all without throwing up, or look at a screen. Knowing that you had auto-created orders for basics each week or fortnight or whatever could be a big help? I would also stockpile a few things that you knew you could eat last time even if it's rubbish -- crisps or whatever. And is there anything re: your two year old that only you know about / know how to do? The way you cut their toast or the order they get dressed or anything like that. It's these little things that throw off toddlers I think especially if they are already stressed or anxious, so you could try to share some things like that with your DH in advance if you can think of anything.

Sorry to hear about your family @kalidasa that's not great.
Here's hoping to a speedy recovery.

So the dr finally called and prescribed ondansatron at 7 weeks.
Anyone taken it this early?? I'm worried about cleft pallet but also need to feel better

@Blissfulignorance I had ondansetron from 6 weeks with DS1 and from 5 weeks with DS2. I had to come off it eventually as couldn't tolerate it but both boys were fine. It's now the standard "second line" drug I think, I'm glad they have prescribed it for you. This should be a no-brainer if you cannot get out of bed. Constant dehydration and starvation (ketosis) is really bad for both you and the baby. One thing to remember is that even if women who took ondansetron do have a slightly increased risk of having a baby with cleft palate, that does not prove that the ondansetron causes the cleft palate. Ondansetron is only prescribed to women who are very ill already, and in most cases have been very ill for several weeks -- they will be malnourished and may have been unable to take or keep down folic acid, for instance. In other words, severe hyperemesis itself, especially over a longish period, may itself be the significant risk factor, not the drug used to try to treat it. I know that's not exactly reassuring but it's an important perspective I think.

@kalidasa thanks ! Will get in some snacks , dry foods, also grabbed so different types of gum/soothers/fisherman's friends today , last time I got excess saliva that I couldn't swallow but it helped to be chewing/sucking on something.

Waiting for a call back from the GP, the receptionist sounded a bit baffled , "so you think your going to get morning sickness ?" I did explain it's a lot worse than that, hopefully the doctor is understanding and will tell them I got advice from pregnancy sickness support.

kalidasa I am sorry to hear of your family health problems. I'm glad your symptoms are more manageable at the moment. Great advice as ever.
BuffyFanForever Sorry to hear you have been admitted. I do hope you are feeling better for the fluids. Do defiintely get a sick note and legally they can't descriminate against you over being off with a pregnancy related illness. Do also contact the HR department or the union of there is one about the boss being unreasonable.
Blissfulignorance I so agree with what kalidasa says about risk and Onsansetron. The doctor wouldn't prescribe it unless s/he thought the risks of dehydration etc were more serious in your case than the very tiny risk from the drug.
composed Great advice as ever.
Surreymum89 Xonvea has helped a number of sufferers on here.
They hopefully will be able to find a drug that helps you.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

surreymum89 Ignore that receptionist! Sometimes they do seem very dismissive to Hyperemesis sufferers on here.

@kalidasa me again! So, I managed to get by with half a tablet of Cyclizine morning, midday and night. Basically a lower dosage allows me to function (sort of) and not be too sick. However I spoke to my GP who prescribed prochlorperazine. He says I shouldn’t have the same side effects.
I am scared to switch because I’ve found a (not perfect) balance with cyclizine.
Can I start prochlorperazine straight away? Do I need to wait? Should I take three whole pills or start with half a pill? Appreciate any help over the weekend!!

@kalidasa im so sorry to hear about your family, especially this time of year. Im sending you a big virtual hug!

@dutchess75013 I was taking cyclizine and procloperizine at the same time, that was instructions from the dr at the hospital when I was discharged. You could try adding it alongside the cyclizine to see if that improve you not so perfect situation.

Thank you to everyone who has been supportive recently.

I Hope everyone is feeling at least vaguely well having a relaxing weekend. I ended up at Maternity triage on Wednesday for monitoring as I fainted in the morning and have been having headaches and visual disturbances.

All clear on tests and both of us fine, just got to monitor things and call if anything changes. They put it down to dehydration and exhaustion from being so sick all the time. Gave me fluids and IV of anti sickness.

They also checked thryoid bloods again and have said I was right and changed my dose down, after I had been trying to contact the thryoid team for 2 weeks to discuss.

Was really good to finally get some support after trying every avenue to speak to someone. But a shame it took being admitted to hospital to get it.

@Blissfulignorance did you have any side effects with cyclizine and the other one combined?

@Dutchess75013 both caused me to be more drowsy and one of them gave me restless legs occasionally. Unfortunately neither were effective enough for me. I do hope you get some relief from them. I'd rather be tired and have restless legs than throw up so hard I cant catch my breath.

@Blissfulignorance cyclizine works for me definitely, half tablets and I can function. But Im heading back to work next week and im so worried to not keep up with the pace!

PhotoMum4 I am so glad you got some treatment at last, but it is dismal that it took fainting and other horrible symptoms to get it.
So glad to hear that you got fluids and they've taken action on the thyroid meds.
Blissfulignorance Good advice for Dutchess750013 about combining Cyclizine and Procloperezine.
I hope everyone is coping. Awful weather like this anyway is less dismal to be ill in than in the summer.

Hello all, @PhotoMum4 so sorry to hear it took you fainting before you got any help but I hope this will be a turning point and things as well as the support get better now.

@kalidasa sorry to hear about your dad really
hope things get better for you all x

@LucindaE I am so grateful for being pregnant during autumn/winter this time round, not only is the weather cooler but I also find time is going by faster compared to
when I was pregnant during the summer last year. Crazy to think I will fingers crossed be 17 weeks by the end of december. Although I have a horrific migraine tonight

Sorry for missing anyone else out struggling with screens today but hope everyone is doing better than yesterday atleast x