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.

@thingymaboob yes.. for your own mental health & to look after your three year old it sound like it's well needed & you know it works for you!
When did you start feeling better with your 1st ? I'm almost 11wks & def not as bad but still have bad days with vomiting & exhaustion everyday.

@LilmissCa I felt better after 14 weeks. Still has bad days until 20 weeks then had 8 weeks of normal then the third trimester was awful again for me. When did you start taking ondansetron? Have you had it in both pregnancies?

@thingymaboob can imagine it being so much worst in 3rd trimester.. with a full blown bump too 😭
I had a normal 1st pregnancy, so the sickness hit me with such a surprise this time! I've been taking ondansetron since 7 weeks, I got the strips which are fab, just dissolve on my tongue!! I've been taking 2 a day the past week. Have metoclopramide too but they didn't do a lot for me, so been focusing on the ondansetron.
Also tried acupuncture, don't think it really helped, just cancelled tomorrow's session as it's getting very costly!!

thingymaboob Oh dear, that does sound a horrific day. It's good your colleagues are supportive. The dismal thing is, some women on here have suffered from a lack of understanding, though working in hospitals or surgeries. I am glad the doctor has signed you off for two months. No-one likes to take the tiniest risk, but with the alternative severe dehydration and not being able to do a thing for your LO the minimal risk surely makes sense.
Daisychainsandsunshine That is a difficult one. Some foods tasted horrible to me, but not everything. If everything tastes disgusting that is really difficult. I'm assuming that applies to sweet and sour and salty tastes? I think this is often mainly a problem in the early months. Sorry, I have stupidly fogotten how far along you are. I hope someone can think of an alternative. Is it caused by the lingering taste in the mouth? I used to suck barley sugar for that, and some use parma violets and other sweets. I don't know if that would help make food taste less horrible. Things that have a really bland taste - porridge, or pasta, or boiled potatoes - do they taste equally bad?
LilmissCa Sorry to hear acupunture wasn't particularly helpful. It did help me, but I was lucky and I think I had an amazingly skilled practitioner and I think only an infinitesimal difference in position for the needles can make a huge difference as to the efectiveness. I later had it for migraines with another practitioner, and it only helped slightly.
Waves to abbs1. Can you think of anything that might help Daisychainsandsunshine regarding all food tasting horrible?
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

SY16 Sorry, I meant to say, that is good to hear about the vomiting having stopped.

@daisychainsandsunshine Im so sorry you're suffering so bad and the horrid taste. I found chewing gum for a few minutes and then spitting it out for flavour or weirdly enough raspberry jam. Just licking it off the back of a spoon. And then i gargled with apple and orange juice. Its so awful. Im so sorry.

hello. Checking in out of desperation. Long time lurker but infrequent poster.
I'm 7/8 weeks I think. 2nd pregnancy, I had severe N&V in my first pregnancy but was in the fortunate position of being made redundant so was on long term leave and so coped by laying on my sofa for 15 weeks and managed on cyclizine.
This time I have had 3 weeks of severe and constant nausea with 3-4 episodes of vomiting daily but have episodes of wretching where nothing comes up. I tried cyclizine for a week, which did nothing. Prochlorperazine for a week which also didn't help. GP started me on metoclopramide and cyclizine 24 hours ago. This combination has just made me feel like a zombie and hasn't touched the nausea and I've still vomited 3 times today.
Should I give it longer or call GP tomorrow? I feel desperately wretched and tearful. I dont think I can do this and I hate feeling so trapped.

@nomeslice welcome to the group. Hopefully you will get lots of help here. From going through hg i tried cyclizine and it made me feel like a zombie but did nothing. I found metoclopromide worked well alongside ondansatron eventually once they got my vomitingunder control with iv ondansatron and fluids in hospital. Check dosage with GP but i was doing (8mg) ondansatron and then 5 hours later (10mg) metoclopromide round the clock even setting alarms through the night. Could you see if you can get some? If they do give you ondansatron make sure you get lactulose as ondansatron makes one very constipated. Ice lollies to suck on for fluids. The wretching is the worst. If your not keeping 500ml of fluids down a day min you need to go into hospital for fluids. Check the pregnancy sickness support page that has a list of hospitals in the uk that have hg day units to save going via a and e if possible. Im so sorry youre suffering so badly.
@lucindaE im sure will advise as well.

@abbs1 thanks for your reply. I am keeping enough fluids down so that's good. I haven't taken the cyclizine today and will see how I go. If I dont get some improvement in the next day or 2 I'll speak to GP about ondesetron. She mentioned it as the next step last time we spoke and was quite supportive. I'm struggling with the psychological element of knowing it is going to be a long slow ride but I guess it's just take each day as it comes.

@nomeslice im glad your keepimg fluids down and your GP is supportive. Try you best not to think about how much there is to come but how far youve already gotten. Thats what I did because when I looked at how far I had to go it affected my mentally a lot. A lot of women find around 15-20 weeks their symptoms lessen a bit. Mine did at 20 weeks and the medication mostly kept the nausea away and i only was sick a little.
Feel free to come on here and rant or just to have someone to speak to. x

@nomeslice sounds like you need ondansetron. I combine it with cyclizine.

I vomited from 4:30-6-30 this morning. I haven't moved from bed since. Eaten hula hoops and a few mouthfuls of Coca Cola. It is hell.

nomeslice Welcome. Sorry you are suffering. You have already had fine advice from abbs1. A good idea to ask for Ondansetron if you find that combination is doing nothing for you in a couple of days and is making you impossilbly sleepy. You will need a laxative with Ondansetron, unfortunately. Does an anti acid help? As you are a veteran, and have had a look through the posts, you don't need my 'Have you got kesostix, as while not the best test for dehydration hospitals do take them seriously' and the flat full sugar coke, the juice of tinned fruit etc suggestions. I hope you have got some help with your LO so you can rest, which is the best thing for this, as you found before. Everyone is very supportive on here.
abbs1 Excellent advice both for nomeslice and for Daisychainsandsunshine'.
thingymaboob That sounds awful. I hope the meds are helping a bit.

Hiya. Have got some lactulose as not been to toilet in 3 days, hope it works!
Ondansetron isn't working like the miracle drug it use to be for me. Cyclizine sent me into a deep sleep this afternoon which I was grateful for.

thingymaboob Oh dear. If i Ondansetron and Cyclzine doesn't help significantly over the next few days, will they consider steroids as it sounds as if it must be worse this time round?

@LucindaE it feels worse this time around. The ondansetron is lessening the nausea but it use to really take the nausea away entirely. There is no relief from nausea now. Wrenching maybe 5/6 times a day. Mostly nothing coming up as nothing in stomach. Am managing about 700ml water a day so feel like i am just on edge of what's acceptable

@thingymabob @lucindaE in my last pregnancy they only did steroids from 2nd trimester. They say that until then they can only do IV ondansatron and fluids in hospital on a daily basis if needed. Steroids risk baby being low birth weight and other complications so its only done as last resort. My little boy was very small because of it but due to vomitting over 50 times a day and the otherwise being admitted to hospital for several weeks after attending hospital on a daily basis for iv medication and fluids from week 7-12 they did IV steroids and then tablet steroids from week 12-20.
Im so sorry you are feeling so poorly. Can you go to hospital for some iv medication to help give you some relief?

abbs1 Ah, I see. It's a pity they don't offer the home rehydration kits which I recall they offer with health insurance in the US.
thingymaboob That does sound tough. Thinking of you.

We haven't done a Due Dates list for ages, and this was the last one
I could find.

Due Dates
Anxious9thPG 17 September
RockinRobinn 24 September
Marnie1234 6 November
MimPimMim 14 November (provisional)
JessicaM2021 22 November
hporter10 25 December

I'm 13th Jan 😊

Q.. I've been off work for 5 weeks now. Def not as sick as I was but still randomly vomiting & hours of nausea with massive exhaustion!
I don't think I'm ready to go back to work as I'm not able to cook meals, can barely clean the house. But feeling so guilty not working.
Whats the usual length people have been off work?
I'm very lucky that I get full pay & that's not a concern, I do WFH & feel my work aren't impressed with me being off.

@LilmissCa I've been signed off work until 14 weeks. I'm currently 6 weeks. I get 6 months full sickness pay. I have worked frontline in the NHS for 15 years (don't currently work clinically all the time as I am a trainer / lecturer) and I have never ever taken the piss about time off. In my last pregnancy I felt so guilty as my illness put a huge strain on my small team, but that was not my problem as I was overworked (still am) and there's no resilience in my team (poor decisions made at high level). In last pregnancy, I had a few weeks off here and there, a couple of days scattered about and I forced myself to go in and it was awful for everyone. I missed half training sessions because of vomiting. Everyone in the office had to give up coffee in office. You won't get thanked or get a medal for working, even if it's from home. No one will think more of you for going back to work. As a pregnant woman you are protected by law in these circumstances. My manager and I had a chat last week and we decided together that it's easier for them for me to plan to be off for months at a time, rather than me going in and being ineffective. There should be no guilt / annoyance coming from colleagues. If there is pressure, you should remind them about your rights as a pregnant woman. Guilt is awful though but just do what's best for you and sod the lot of them!

BTW, my team have been great about me going off even though it's significantly increased their workload.

thingymaboob Great advice for LilmissCa. I hope you don't feel quite so bad today.
LilmissCa I so agree with thingymaboob. Too many rush back too early and as she says, aren't effective at work anyway. You need to be a lot better to be up to coping with work - symptoms get worse with tiredness. I've added your due date.

Due Dates
Anxious9thPG 17 September
RockinRobinn 24 September
Marnie1234 6 November
MimPimMim 14 November (provisional)
JessicaM2021 22 November
hporter10 25 December
LilmissCa 13 January

@thingymaboob that's good to hear.. thanks!! I've been getting 2wk sick lines at a time & feel like that's worse cuz they keep expecting me back then I'm not! I'm 11 wks now so hopefully the next line could be my last 2 week !!

Is the medication helping you any better today?

@LucindaE thanks!! Yes I feel like a days work would totally drain me & I definitely don't want to go back then end up going out again.. I'd feel even more guilty!!

@LilmissCa Yep I'm similar to you in feeling bad about not being at work - I've been off 6 weeks so far and was pretty bad during that I simply couldn't have gone in. I'm 12+3 now and sickness is easing ever to slightly, I'm eating more, appetite better and putting weight on, but the nausea is there all day and totally exhausted. I'm wanting to get back for my own mental well-being (to feel I've got normality, routine and I really enjoy my job). There's no pressure to return from colleagues or financially so I'm lucky in that respect. Not sure if to "try it and see" or take another couple of weeks off. @thingymaboob you make such a good point about what might actually be best for the team is to take longer off rather than think you're helping by going in and off all the time. It's a tricky decision!

@LilmissCa I'm taking 3 x cyclizine a day and 3 x ondansetron a day. If I lie completely still in a dark room with a partially full stomach with no TV or radio on then the nausea is manageable. Any exertion (stairs) then things go crazy. Luckily I've got a bedroom with an en-suite and my husband is a trooper. He opens cans of coke and puts them in fridge so they'll go flat. He's doing all parenting of our 3 year old, who thinks i am working from home .