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.

@Fruitloops34 congratulations!
The first few weeks are tough particularly as it's mix of everything as you say tiredness, sore breasts (so painful!) and the nausea. It's also completely normal to feel that if you were to know if it was this bad, you'd have second thoughts all together. Nobody ever tells you how bad it can be, until you are pregnant! Particularly with HG it's difficult as you may not know anyone who had it or even what the condition is until you are pregnant. This is my second pregnancy and whenever my head is down the loo or the nausea is really bad I think to myself WHY am going through this again!? But I can honestly say it is worth it as hard as it is. There is also a "peak" with HG so once you are over that the symptoms do become better. It won't be this bad all the way through.

With the nausea people will also recommend things like ginger etc, all the natural things what can help to relieve nausea. Although I think yours definitely sounds like it's past that stage. I would also just to go with your cravings at the moment even if it's "unhealthy". When you feel so bad, food is food. Baby will get what they need from you even if you aren't eating healthy foods. When I was around this mark my nausea was brutal and it got to the point where I rarely fancied anything. Which resulted in me loosing weight and becoming dehydrated as I was only able to take sips of water every so often. So do be careful of that.

Other things people have recommend to help nausea:

• anti sickness bands what go on your wrist
• if smells bother you, there's a "morning sickness be gone" mini roll on you can wipe under your nose when it's your sense of smell is triggered. It's sold on "not on the high street" and I have it. It's a little pricey for what it is but I'm sure you could get something cheaper what does the same effect. It's help me with smells.

And finally don't forget you are able to take anti sickness tablets which are safe in pregnancy. You'll just need to speak to your doctor about it.

@PhotoMum4

You should be so proud of yourself for getting through work, honestly I have no idea how teachers do it! Please do rest up as much as possible for this weekend.

My DP is the same as yours. At my worst I was signed off work and unable to move off the sofa. He used to finish work, cook tea, pick our DD (17 mo) up from my DMs and get her bathed and in bed as I was unable to do anything. I felt terrible. Even the smell of him cooking the tea was torture. He used to say that I needed to try and get outside to get fresh air etc or try and come up with solutions. But I too just wanted to be told it's going to be okay It can be frustrating. I think they just want to try and help but they don't understand how rotten you feel. Nobody does to be honest. The amount of women what tell me how bad their morning sickness was until weeks 12-14 (which I'm not knocking!) but it's not HG. It's not the same thing.

You are only due about 10 days before I am so hopefully you should get some relief soon. Just try and take each day as it is. The pregnancy support line offers a buddying system which somebody mentioned on here it really helped them too (along with this thread too) so could be worth reaching out to them as well? They may be able to offer better advice on your combo of meds too? Hope you feel better soon

For some reason today and last Saturday I've really suffered with sickness. I just want to lie in bed! I've been sick this morning and think it's because I have a lie in on a Saturday and it really messes with my routine. So a lie in is out of the window. I'll have to stick to naps!

I'm on ondansetron for now - dr said she will only give me a few more days then I have to go back and give stemetil a longer chance.
I still feel nauseous all day and just have to throw up at least twice a day.

I honestly Don't know how some of you are going to work etc. I mostly lay in bed, make it to the sofa if I'm lucky.

I can’t leave the house because of the sickness.

I’m not sure if I have severe morning sickness or mild HG. I’m 9 weeks pregnant (due April 16th), nauseous all day, vomiting on average 4 times a day and dry heaving/retching 6-8 times. I’ve not lost weight yet though, and am mostly managing to keep most of what I eat and drink down. Does this sound like HG or more like morning sickness? I’m still breastfeeding my first so really finding it hard to identify which drugs I might be able to safely take, and not in th U.K. so also finding it hard to work out exactly who to speak to about it. Anyway, glad to have found this thread even if I’m not quite into full HG.

Fruitloop84 and Tropicasquirrel Welcome. Do ask for meds from the doctor. Below is my spiel that I hope will help you both. . 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, Ribina, 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. I'll add Beaopo's Rubicon sparkling mango drink. 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, bagels 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!
TropicalSquirrel There is a grey area between Hyperemesis and bad pregnancy sickness, with one merging into the other. It certainly sounds as if you are suffering badly. As you are outside the UK, I am not sure what brand names they call the meds where you are.
Fruitloop34 I' will add your date to the list. I am glad you are getting a sympathetic hearing!
DeadDoorPost Of course - twice was really hard going! Thanks again for encouraging everyone currently suffering.
Anya212 That soun ds like a really good tip about eating slowly, in installments.
PhotoMum4 I to am in awe of how teachers manage. I'll add your date. On what you and Anya212 say about your husbands trying to find a solution -I think that males react to all problems like that - they want to find a solution, that is their way of sympathizing.
doriodiva How many weeks are you? Might it be hormoanl surge?
bunhead34 I am glad you have got it for a bit. The Pregnancy Sickness Support number on 024 76382020 is really good for advice on obtaining meds.
Funkypolar It is very lonely. I do hope you get some relief soon.
Waves to Beapo and everyone.

Fruitloops34 Sorry, I got your name wrong.

Due Dates
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
Seeker2020 25 December
bluesskiesandapples 25 January
Xbambi 16 February TWINS!
ChubbyMumFromSkye 13 March
PhotoMum4 18 March
BB2021 4 April
doritodiva 12 April
bunhead 13 April
Funkypolar 19 April
Beapo 22 April
QueenBee95 2 May
Fruitloops34 5 May

@LucindaE I did wonder
This. I'm ten weeks on Monday. I was nauseous the rest of the day but not sick which was great. But I wondering whether weekends will just be like that until 14 weeks?

At what point do you know if you should go to the hospital?

Today has been the worst day for me with HG so far. Topped off with a migraine building up, the medication I used to take for those pre-pregnancy isn’t safe 😭 Barely been able to leave bed, All I’ve managed to keep down food wise is a pastie. Got a dreadful taste in my mouth today too, have tried sucking on mints but it soon comes back. Times like these I wish I wasn’t self-employed, I could do with a few days off to recuperate. I’ve got diarrhea as well which is making it even more of a nightmare to stay hydrated.

I keep re-reading over the comments from others that it does get better, just wish it would bloody hurry up!

@bunhead34 I think it depends, are you able to keep any liquids down at all? If not, then that’s when I’d probably go to hospital or give the midwife department a call. I’ve been on the phone to my doctor on and off during the week and she kept checking my urine samples to make sure I wasn’t dehydrated, and she said to me if I’m bringing all liquids back up straight away for at least a day or so then the next step would be hospital to go on a drip. It’s awful isn’t it 😥

I called 111 and they said to go so
I did.
They have me an IV drip and some
Cyclizine.
Also got some cyclizine and ondansetron to take. But the dr said take them together and the nurse said don't take then together 🤪
Are others on this combination taking them together?

Glad you’ve got sorted @bunhead34. I’m not sure whether to call 111 myself, I’ve barely been able to drink all day and I’m feeling mega dizzy, palpitations etc. I’ve been on cyclizine for nearly a week and it’s not helping at all 😥

@Beapo you sound similar to me, I'd call
If I were you x

Bunhead34 I am so glad you are having fluids. Follow the doctor's advice. There have been many sufferers on these threads taking both Cyclizine and Ondansetron.

Beapo Sorry to hear of th e bad day and a migraine. A migraine is the last straw. Generally, doctors are supposed to treat it as a medical emergency if a pregnant woman has been unable to retain fluids for 24 hours. A good idea to phone 111. If you have got kessostix, generally hospitals will admit a pregnant women for fluids if she has a measurement of 3+ketones.
doritodiva Ten weeks is certainly considered the worst time by many, so don't assume that it will follow this pattern until you get an imrovement.
Apologies to anyone rudely ignored.

I am having a laptop set up today , so unfortunately, I will be away for the next day - but Mother Hen hopes that everyone is coping .

Hope everyone is coping x

The past few days have been brutal for me, my DD was up the majority of Sunday night and the tiredness has brought the sickness and nausea back with vengeance. I managed to stomach a little bit of pasta at around 10pm but everything else came back up. Haven't been able to work today and laid in bed unable to move. Waiting for a call from the GP to discuss medication and I just can't be arsed with this fight today.

Hi everyone can I join? I am like you @Tropicalsquirrel as I'm not sure if what I have would be classed as HG as I can still eat and drink. I'm 7 weeks and in the last two days my nausea has escalated to lasting all day and night. I am so lucky that I am furloughed. I just roll around in bed wishing I could actually throw up but just dry heaving or coughing. I just threw up for the first time and I was so happy for it to actually happen finally as weird as that sounds. Someone earlier described it as a constant hangover and that's how I feel.

I lost three pregnancies over the last two years, 1 early ectopic and the other two at 12 weeks. With my most recent mc this May I felt nearly this sick and was thinking it was a good sign but miscarried anyway. So now I am depressed as I struggle to feel hopeful about this pregnancy. And the thought of feeling this sick for nothing again is too much. If I lose this pregnancy I don't know if I can go through this again but I can't cope with the idea of never being a mother. Sorry to be such a moaner I am so sick of reading my own moany story when I write it! My partner is so compulsively active I feel like he thinks I should just pull myself together and get up. The fact he hasn't actually seen me throw up means it's not real to him I think.

Anyway sending good wishes to all the ladies who have it way worse than me. I can't believe those of you who have to go to work, I absolutely couldn't do it and I'm not even throwing up!

@Doughnut100 - firstly, congratulations on your pregnancy!

As Lucinda has said there is a grey area when it comes to bad morning sickness and HG. I think GPs honestly struggle to understand the condition in general. I've found in both pregnancies (I was undiagnosed in my first) that they heavily rely on testing keytones to diagnose. Which I think is so wrong, it's an helpful indicator but they should not be over looking other symptoms.

The nausea can often be harder to deal with than being physically sick. It sounds like you are really struggling, you should still be able to function. Being bed ridden isn't normal morning sickness it tends to be linked with HG in which you are not able to do the littlest of tasks. If you are eating and drinking water it's unlikely you'll have ketones in your urine. However, I'd watch out for the other symptoms! Keep a track of what you are eating, what helps, if you are loosing any weight. The doctor can prescribe you safe medication to help ease the nausea too, so would recommend making an appointment with them. Also Pregnancy Support have a lot of good info on there site as well: www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/index.php?page=home

On the partner front I can assure you that a lot of us on here even when being sick, unfortunately have partners who do not understand! Of course they mean well, but my DP told me the other day that I can't let this condition get me down and to go for a nice long walk with him and DD around the park 🤣 I had to laugh!

Sorry to hear about your losses too.

@Anyat212 thank you. 😂😂😂 to a nice long walk around the park. Mind over matter eh. I'm not glad you're feeling bad but it does make me feel better that it's not just my partner!

Spoke to the doctor yesterday and asked for more ondensatron, as this seems to be the only thing that can keep the sickness away. She was only willing to prescribe me 10 tablets and said I should drop to 2 a day and start drinking ginger tea. Well today I started throwing up again because 2 isn't enough! This is all so difficult.

@Doughnut100

This thread is great for a rant though, so if your partner dishes you some "helpful" advise 😂 remember we are all here!

@BB2021

I feel for you. It is so hard. No idea why there are prescribing little amount of tablets, same has happened to me. Could you speak to another doctor? I spoke to a different one today and it's been like a breathe of fresh air. She's the only doctor to actually give me a box of metroclampide alongside the Cyclizine. I kept getting a weeks supply before. She too, recommended bloody ginger to me as well though. Honestly the word just sends chills up my spine now.

@BB2021 the next person to tell me to try ginger tea is getting told to eff off! (Especially a doctor!)
Maybe talk to a different gp is this one won't give you what you need!

There's nothing worse than someone saying "just have a ginger biscuit".....

With fear of being one of those people (though I think I can give a little more credence being part of the HG club), sniffing some coffee really helped me get through my work day.

It really is the pits having HG, but it does start to get better. x

Just letting you all know I had my 20 week scan on Friday and all is good with bubba! It's very wriggly but they managed to scan everything with some persistence. I've also now felt a few kicks and it rolling around which is reassuring! I had an appointment with the obstetrician right after and told her I'd been sick that morning at 20+4 and she suggested...ginger! Bleargh! Told her it hadn't helped me at all but the Ondansetron did haha. Hang in there ladies you are all doing fantastic.