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/topics/nausea-vomiting-in-pregnancy
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 everyone,

Had a bad experience with Glucose tolerance test today. It made me so sick there's no way I'm ever going to be able to do it. I'll have to talk to the doctors about alternatives. What are other people's experiences? I am noticing a big increase in symptoms again at 27 weeks. I

Thanks for the advice @LucindaE

I spent 7 hours in a&e last night before a doctor seen me. He then gave me 2 injections of metoclopramide which greatly helped. I got 250mls of fluid first then put on a litre drip over 10hours but after about 1&1/2 hrs they said I could go home. Which at 4am I was feeling better & had spent enough time on a trolley in A&E I wanted a bed & left.
they gave me metoclopramide 10mg tablets to take home & take together with the cyclizine 3 times a day. Feel a good bit better today, not 100% but I'm managing more fluids & some food.

LillmissCa That sounds awful, having to wait that long on a trolley.
That combination has helped a lot of sufferers. I'm glad you feel a bit better today. Try an anti acid too.
wwwwwwwwwwwwww Sorry to hear of that. I hope someone can advise you about alternatives for the glucose test, as I haven't had experience of one, but it must be very hard to keep that down when suffering.

Sorry, that's LilmissCa. My dyslexia is a pest.

@LucindaE thanks .. I was a bit worried taking both good to hear that's what other people take.
Is it a prescription anti acid or something I can buy?

And thank you so much for the support. That yous know what I'm going through helps so much everyone I talk to doesn't get it.

Hi everyone, hope everyone’s hanging in there Just wondering if anyone has any tips on fatigue? I’ve been having some better days with the sickness but the fatigue is getting worse - I’ve now got insomnia as I’m so tired that I can’t sleep. Is it likely to be a side effect of the medication? I’m on ondansetron, prochlorperazine and Omeprazole. Due back at work next week and not sure how I’m going to cope between the sickness and the fatigue, absolutely dreading it

@composed Congratulations on your new arrival! Lovely news. Thanks so much for your kind words and support on this thread. Glad you have reached the light at the end of the tunnel!

mnmousavi Thank you for your intriguing suggestion.
LilmissCa Some find Gaviscon from over the counter in liquid or tablet form sufficient; if not, then I think you need a prescription for an anti acid like Omprazole (though I may be wrong).I am glad you are finding this thread helpful.
MimPimMim That does sound awkward. Did you say earlier that it is financially imperative and you had a staggered return but couldn't work from home or was that another sufferer on the thread? Sorry, I'm being vague. How many weeks are you? I suppose the fatigue might have to do with being run down from the strange diet one has with this, but maybe people can get tired with that combination of meds. I hope you can get some advice from others on the fatigue and how to cope with it when working. Cyclazine seems to be the one that causes most sleepiness.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Hello all, I posted a few weeks ago and have been lurking since. I've been taking metoclopramide which has been helping but is giving both me and my breastfed toddler diahorrea. My GP advised to take as little as possible as it goes into my milk so I'm only taking one a day.

Although it's been helping, I'm not sure if I should keep taking it as I still feel quite dehydrated and it's only really helping with the sickness and not the nausea. I can eat 2 small meals a day and limited drinks which is a huge improvement. The metoclopramide was the least worst of all of the antiemetics for breastfeeding women so I'm not sure the GP would have a solution.

I'm 14 weeks now and still feeling miserable. Not really looking for an answer, just having a moan. I also bought some ketostix after seeing them recommended on here as hoping to avoid unnecessary trips to a&e if I can help it. Hope everyone's managing to muddle through!

Thanks Lucinda, I’ll be 16 weeks on Sunday so 16+3 when I go back to work. Have an appointment to speak with my GP on Tuesday so discuss a fit note with workplace adaptations to go back to work with, hoping that might give it a bit more weight. Will have to see how helpful the GP is first... I can work from home so that helps but would ideally not be going back yet, unfortunately it’s a financial necessity. Any tips from anyone on managing the fatigue whilst working would be really appreciated, thank you And I know that employers have a legal obligation to make reasonable adaptations but not quite sure what counts as reasonable? I need to carry on working from home and need some flexibility to start later / finish earlier if I’m having a bad day, plus less meetings would really help to get enough breaks for rest / eating and taking my medications to schedule. Does that all sound reasonable?

Hope everyone’s getting through, one day at a time

MimPimMim I'm glad you can work from home. Sorry, I may have asked this before; is there an HR depertment or union who can advise you about these issues? What you want seems extremely reasonable.
I hope you get a turnaround soon. I hope someone else can advise if not, or maybe Pregnancy Sickness Support 024 7638 2020 would certainly be able to advise, though they would have to phone back.
Deftly I am glad Metaclopramide is helping, and hope that you too, have an improvement soon. It must be very difficult trying to b/f with Hyperemesis with limited medication. I know that many women feel strongly about not weaning their toddlers. Glad to hear that you are managing some food and liquids. Might an anti acid like Gaviscon (tablet form is good) help with the nausea?

Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

MimPimMim I meant to add, you are so right: a day at a time, or sometimes even an hour at a time...

Lucinda No union but there is an HR department - unfortunately, they are pretty ineffective. In two minds whether to talk to them first or see how the conversation with my manager goes and involve them as needed. I don’t think they’ll be that helpful either way . But I’m not being unreasonable so going to stick to my guns. No choice but to really!

Thanks for the words of support - I managed a short walk out this morning, which was pretty exciting!

MimPimMim Sorry to hear that HR aren't up to much; still, your workplace must stick to the law regarding its treatment of an employee with a pregnancy related illness, though as you say, some of the guidelines are vague. All luck with your negotiations. A walk in the sunshine must have made for a nice change.

Hiya. @LucindaE you're a marvel and a wonder. So chuffed to see this thread is going strong as it was a lifeline in my last pregnancy but obviously not pleased that so many of you are suffering. I was a heavy user of this thread in 2017 when I suffered HG. Cyclizine & Ondansetron & metoclopramide through pregnancy. Was over 10kg lighter at end of pregnancy than when I first became pregnant. I also had nausea throughout breastfeeding.
I've been TTC again (it's taken over 3 years to even think about it) and have been lurking here. I am sorry to see the same issues coming up again & again. It seems like most people are still finding getting treatment difficult and friends / co workers / family not really understanding what this horrible illness is.

thingymaboob How lovely to hear from you, and thank you for your kind words. I am so glad that this thread helped you in your last pregnancy. Ten kilos is a lot of weight to lose. I think it is brave of you to go for it again - as I expect you have heard me say, I regret not doing so myself - and the prize is always worth it. That was bad luck suffering nausea through b/f ing. That is rare but it does happen, and its being rare is no comfort when you are one of the few. Again as no doubt you have heard me say, I had sickness with the hormones setting off the letdown and while it got a bit better, it never went away. Sadly, you are so right. Ignorance continues about Hyperemesis.
Remind me what meds you were on. But who knows, some do escape getting it again. All luck with TTC.

Has anyone experience with cbd oil helping?
From my great friend google it seems to help people but there's a lot of conflicting info about it for pregnancy.
I'm struggling still to drink water, tabs are keeping the vomiting at bay but really hard to get fluids into me. Added with a bit of diarrhoea (sorry) today I feel deflated and ready to try anything. Lost almost 4kg in less than 2 weeks.

Have to call my doc in morning for a sick note .. so will ask her bout the cbd oil too

@LucindaE it's so comforting to know you are here. I was taking ondansetron & cyclizine & metoclopramide. I found a packet of 30 ondansetron that is still in date until November so feel a bit relieved as it's hell getting someone to prescribe it.

thingymaboob Thank you again for more kind words! That was a great find. As you suffered badly last time, I hope they might be more accommodating this time. It would be a good idea to get pre-emptive meds if you possibly can, for as you know it can reduce the chances of getting it badly.
LilmissCa Never worry about tmi. Sorry to hear about that. I have heard of that helping various complaints, certainly, and it's a good idea to ask about it.

@LucindaE right, I've just had my BFP. Only 4 weeks though and my HG symptoms started at 6 weeks last time. Terrified

thingymaboob I can see that you must be both delighted and terrified. Congratulations. Do contact your GP's asap about pre-emptive meds.
Keeping my fingers crossed for you. Many say that they find it easier to cope with a second time, despite having an LO, because they have more understanding about which meds to press for and the illness.

Very quiet on here. I hope everyone has got through Whitsun...

I had another trip to a&e this Tuesday morning following gp advice which resulted in being admitted for 2 nights. 6 drips later & change of drugs to include ondansetron strips i am back home. I'm still exhausted.. drinking & eating better than I was.
I did get to see our little bean wiggling at almost 8 wks & their little heart beat. This helped massively!!! Reminded me of the worth of fighting through this! Hoping the fluids give me a boost now to get over the weekend at least.

@LilmissCa blimey. That sounds tough! Glad you've had fluid. Ondansetron is absolutely amazing and I hope it works for you as much as it did for me. Are you able to eat anything?