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.

Thank you, @RockinRobinn, @Anyat212, and @LucindaE. I am currently on Diclegis which is B6 and doxylimine (not sold in the U.K. I think). Similar to Unisom I believe. It helps a little, but only if I take it around the clock, and it makes me so drowsy I am unable to stay awake let alone work so I'm just on the couch dozing all day.

I am trying to stay hopeful things will improve in the next couple weeks. Today I told my boss and she's supportive of me taking leave to drastically reduce my hours for a couple weeks. I'm so miserable.

Does anyone have a recommendation for gaviscon is the liquid better than the tablets? I don't understand why there are so many types? It's not something I tried last time but I'm already getting some heartburn if I'm not eating regularly enough or if I drink water on an empty stomach.

@RockinRobinn I'm am taking the liquid advanced one, it's much thicker than the double action one, although have heard people say the tablets are better 🤷🏼‍♀️
I don't see why there are so many either!

I also don't understand why there is an Aniseed one, I can't think of anything worse when I have heartburn!

Highfalutinlootin I haven't actually heard of either Diolegis or Unisom, but might they be anti histamine based if they're making you sleepy? Can they prescribe something else as they don't seem to be helping as much as they might? You certainly need those reduced hours. Is there any chance of a sick note while you're at the worst stage?
RockinRobinn and Bunghead Some sufferers on here have said that they find the tablets make them feel less bloated.

@LucindaE Yes, Diclegis is just the B6 + antihistamine sold in the U.S. It's the only drug approved for pregnancy here, so I'm trying to make it work before moving on to ondansetron. I did pull the trigger and request reduced hours today for the next two weeks at work. If only that would reduce the nausea!

@LucindaE @bunhead34 thanks for the info. I'll try and decipher what tablets to get then as I'm sure there are many varieties of them too. I forgot how bad the early pregnancy bloat was last time my jeans are so tight but I haven't put on any weight 🙈
Also don't blame you for not wanting to suggest the dreaded g***r tablets. I'm hoping that if I take them before the nausea starts too much it might help.
Well done @Highfalutinlootin for asking to take it easier at work. Rest helped so much to limit the vomiting although the nausea didn't go away.

Hi ladies, I know this thread is really full but just wanted to pop on and ask some advice. I’ve not read the full thread so sorry if I’m asking questions that have already been answered.

I’m 9 weeks tomorrow and have been having nausea/vomiting since 6 weeks. Spoke to GP at 7 weeks after not being able to get through a phone call with midwife without vomiting so that was helpful in a way as midwife got the ball rolling with GP. Was given cyclizine and been taking it for just under 2 weeks. In that time I had 1 afternoon where I felt okay and I probably get roughly an hour a day where I don’t feel too bad. Other than that I feel constantly nauseous and am vomiting multiple times a day - would you take this as cyclizine not really working?? Or is this the best I can hope to feel?

Also my urine isn’t always really dark but my output is quite low. I have been measuring today and apart from my first wee of the day which I didn’t measure (7am) I have only had an output of 80mls today. I also really have to wiggle around on the toilet to get it out.

Sorry for the long post. I have a telephone consultation at 5pm today with GP so just wanted to see if I’m being dramatic or if I should ask for some more support from GP. It’s my first pregnancy so no idea what to expect really, also not told any friends so far so not able to get advice from them.

Thank you

@Lemongrass9

I would take your symptoms as the Cyclizine not being effective enough, you can take other medications alongside this which is known as a combination. Hopefully your consultant recommended something along these lines as it sounds like you are really struggling. The anti sickness meds tend to take a few days to get into your system properly. The nausea / sickness is probably contributing to low outputs of urine, but could you possibly have a water infection alongside this just with you saying you have to wiggle around? Water infections are common in pregnancy. You may need some antibiotics to treat it. The only other time I've struggled to wee properly / wiggled around - I was really constipated due to the meds I was taking!

Also you are not being dramatic! It's horrible having to put up with this, fingers crossed your consultant gave you advice/reassurance though?

@Highfalutinlootin

Ondansetron is really effective, I had it throughout my first pregnancy. Only downside is very bad constipation as a side effect, so would recommend taking a stool softener if you do take ondansetron. Reduced hours and rest should hopefully help you. Rest is sometimes the best thing especially before the 'peak'

Lemongrass Don't worry about using up the thread - I'm always making new ones with a link connecting. As others say,you are not being dramatic. Don't suffer in silence,but do ask for other meds as Cyclizine isn't helping you properly. (I am rather late, making this recommendation as I think your telephone appointment may have been earlier). You may well be dehydrated. Have you got kesostix to check? They are available from any chemists or online. Also, Anya212's suggestion that you might have a bladder infection is a good one.

RockinRobinn I hope pre-emptive meds help.
Anya212 Excellent advice as ever, particuarly about UTI's. Ha Ha about g - - - - r!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

RockinRobinn Silly me - it was you who used that funny form g - - - - -r!

Thanks for your help and kind words @Anyat212 @LucindaE the doctor didn’t actually phone me until 7pm, he just told me to increase how often I take the cyclizine as the original doctor had told me to take 3 times a day but 8 hours apart so I was really only taking them twice a day as I’m not awake long enough to take the third dose 😂.

I mentioned about UTI as that was a great suggestion but he didn’t seem to fussed and advised I make more effort to drink 2.5litres a day. Much easier said than done!

Not hugely helpful but I do understand he probably was at the end of his day and my appointment ended up being 2hrs late. Will phone back if I don’t see any improvement in the next couple of days with increasing cyclizine and trying to increase fluid.

Thank you so much for the support ☺️

@Lemongrass9 perhaps consider adding in vitamin b6? If you're not taking it already. There is some great info on the pregnancy sickness website that is on the first message of this thread. I also found pregnacare vitamins to be a trigger and quite a lot of women find the same thing - I think it has something to do with the iron content but that may be wrong. This time round I have some just folic acid tablets for if my normal vitamins become a trigger again.
If my dr told me to drink 2.5litres when I called about having severe pregnancy sickness or HG I think I would have just thought they don't know what HG is. That would have made me vomit so much. See how you go over the weekend but if I'd be tempted to call the GP again on Monday if you're no better. The pregnancy sickness support website has a list of first line meds and then 2nd line etc. So you can feel prepared for the appointment too.

@Lemongrass9

I agree with RockinRobinn on the water intake, that's ridiculous that he's told you to drink that. I still don't manage to drink 2.5 litres of water a day and I'm nearly 31 weeks! That would send me over the edge. I'm surprised they never asked you for a water sample either to check for a UTI or even ketones to be safe. If the increased dose of Cyclizine doesn't help you, I'd definitely call your surgery and ask for another doctor. You'd be amazed at how much they vary. Ice lollies and lucazade were helpful for me.

Lemongrass09 I so agree with others about that advice about trying to drink all that liquid with nausea and vomiting is absurd. Plus, it is odd he didn't want to check your urine. Great advice from Anya212 and Rockinrobinn. I so agree, too, that phoning back on Monday if there's no improvement sounds like a good idea. I realise that all the NHS is overstretched at the moment, but that doctor, tired or not, did sound as if he thought he was dealing with ordinary pregnancy sickness!

Completely agree with others that drinking water is the last thing on earth I want to do. I started my pregnancy on a prenatal vitamin that involved taking three different pills throughout the day. As soon as HG set in I had to find a different one as 6/7 days I was barely managing to swallow one let alone three. I have to take Diclegis with a full glass of water and I've missed several doses because I simply cannot keep down a full glass of water, and when I do it makes me feel so nauseated that I feel it isn't worth it.

@RockinRobinn I’m not taking vitamin b6 so will take a look at that. I take boots own pregnancy vitamins but generally wait until as late as possible and take them when I’m so drowsy I’m about to fall asleep so tend to keep them down.
Haven’t been very successful with water today but have managed to keep down some lucozade and orange squash. Taking the 2nd dose cyclizine earlier did help a bit but will be calling again Monday if I don’t see real improvement. Will ask for different dr - thanks for advice @Anyat212 didn’t realise that they were so different. The first dr I spoke to seemed quite understanding. Thanks again everyone

@Lemongrass9 hope the extra tablet helps a bit. My friend set her alarm for 5 to take the first tablet of the day and then goes back to sleep so when she wakes up around 8 she isn't already really nauseous. Might help you fit in the three tablets a day. Let us know how you get on at the drs

Hi all... update from me

I'd been doing really well since I had steroids at 12 weeks. I weaned off them at Xmas and I've ended up back in hospital today 22 weeks, really sick again having some fluids and anti sickness meds. I think they'll also restart steroids.

snapple21 Sorry to hear of the relapse, and your having to be hospitalised. That is disappointing. I am glad the steroids helped before and I hope that they can continue them again, at least for a while.
Lemongrass9 I am so glad you are going to phone the doctor if you aren't a lot better by Monday. Do ask to have your urine checked, too, if you have to visit the surgery.
RockinRobinn Good advice.
Highfalutinlootin That need to take that medication with so much water is really awkward. Can they give it in an alternate form?
Waves to all.

Snow seems to be general througout the UK.
I hope everyone is coping.
Not quite time for me to make a new thread: we've still got room for 28 posts or so.

I just replied to someone's comment on a thread from last year 😂 can I blame baby brain yet? 🤣

Does anyone know if midwives can prescribe cyclizine?
I've just moved house but not registered at my local doctors yet, but seeing my new midwife tomorrow.

@RockinRobinn I do that on a normal day 😂 baby brain is the best excuse!

@bunhead34 I don't think midwifes have prescribing rights but they may be able to touch base with an obstetrician at the hospital and get some for you. If not maybe call 111 and see if you can get a DRs appointment that's way?

Bunhead34 Mother Hen can't answer that query about midwife's prescribing, unfortunately: a rather long time since I needed to see a midwife! I know some nurses can these days.Congratulations on moving while suffering from Hyperemesis!
RockinRobinn about baby brain. Excellent advice. Here's a for you, too.