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.

@Lindsan I'm so sorry to hear you are suffering so much mentally. I completely hear you on that and felt like that so much in my last pregnancy. The isolation, not having my husband home much as he had to work extra to bring in money as I couldn't work is very tough mentally being alone all day and no social life and being confined to bed.

I'm so sorry your mum isnt very supportive. HG is so debilitating but many dont fully understand. Can you see if she will watch on amazon prime a 30min film on hg called Sick The Battle Against HG? That may help her to understand more. I got my mum to watch it as she didn't understand how sick I was.
As @thingymaboob said can you ask Pregnancy Sickness Support for a peer supporter? I have one and its been so helpful to have someone to speak to who understands and can support you.
Also I would ask about upping your ondansatron to 8mg. Make sure youre taking it as directed all the time as it may help to keep some of the nausea away better. I was setting alarms in the night to make sure I didnt miss a dose. May be worth asking for metoclopromide as a combination with ondansatron that worked well for me.
Feel free to come and chat to us anytime. We are here to support you. X

@thingymaboob I’m not familiar with PSS. I actually live in the US so I am not sure if that is a thing here. I do take my dog on short walks but it’s so hot here right now that it makes my nausea worse. I try to stay as functional as possible, but it’s hard.

Hi @LindSan, I’m sorry that you’re really suffering. This mightn’t be the case for you, but my time on ondansetron was tipping me over the edge. I cried all. day. long. and my vomiting was worse than on cyclizine. I went back to cyclizine and there was an almost instantaneous improvement. Have you noticed any similar changes at all if you’ve changed medication at any point?

I felt similarly to you in the first half of my pregnancy and I just stopped telling anyone I was pregnant because they were so visibly taken aback by my response that I was resentful and miserable and didn’t feel anything for the baby. Those feelings came eventually. I hope that you start to see an improvement soon, but so many people here understand how you feel.

@Ednadidit I have not tried cyclizine yet. Does it make you drowsy or tired? I was on reglan but it made me twitch like crazy so I had to stop. It also wasn’t helping at all with the nausea so that’s when they put me on the Ondansetron. It worked really well but it caused severe constipation to the point where I didn’t have a bowel movement for six days so I had to cut back on my dose. The doctor said I could try other medication‘s but he warned me they would likely make me feel drowsy. I declined because I already have zero energy and I can’t imagine taking a pill that makes me even more tired than I already am. At what point did you start to feel that connection with your baby?

@LindSan cyclizine isn’t a drowsy one - is it available to you in the US, though? I think it was unusual that I went back to it because it’s the first line drug that doctors tend to prescribe here. Going on to ondansetron and prochlorperazine was meant to be a step forwards but for some reason was two steps back 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think I felt something positive for my baby probably around the time my sickness abated and when I started to feel her move. Maybe 20-22 weeks? I found the beginning of the second trimester challenging emotionally because I was starting to worry that I didn’t have good feelings towards her and I thought maybe there was something wrong with me.

My goodness, it is busy on here!
Mumma9421 I am sure you have good motives, and I am glad the Facebook group you keep recommending has helped you so much, but not everyone wishes to join it, and I think having posted the information once, as Kenny121 and thingymaboob say, you should leave it up to individuals to decide for themselves whether they wish to or not.
Edna9421 I am sorry you are suffering again. That is so disappointing. Unfortunately, as abbs1 says, some sufferers do feel bad again later on and have to start taking meds again if they've come off them. There are hormnal surges throughout, of course, and it may be that you have had one which is making it worse. Do you have bad heartburn? Quite a few sufferers find that is worse in the third tri and need Omprazole or another anti acid.
Lindsan I am really sorry to hear things feel so bleak. You are probably in the thick of it, but it is very hard to bear, particularly if various family members are unsympathetic, especially if it's your mother. I am glad OH is supportive and that you've had good advice from others on here. Sometimes you have to take it an hour at a time. Things will get better: don 't despair. I am sure you don't at all look like a blob.
Ttcbn2 I am glad you are not vomiting much, but sorry to hear you feel so bad. It does take a long time to recover from the debilitating effects of this.
catconfusion Welcome. Definitely ask for pre-emptive meds. As abbs1's experience shows, they can make a huge difference as to how severely you suffer.
Great advice from everyone. Thank you again to abbs1 for her wonderful advice on this thread.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

@thingymaboob I think you’re right, it’s so important to try and go out. Nothing crazy just a walk or meet a friend. I’m only 6 weeks but full on vomiting and feeling really rough. It’s awkward because we wanted to wait to tell people and I’m obviously pregnant. On Sunday we went to a Christening and I decided to tell people. It was quite liberating to put it out there. We didn’t stay for long as I felt rough but I was glad we went. Xx

@LindSan I’m so sorry to hear your mother is not offering the support you need. It’s unbelievable how little some people know about HG. Also that you’re feeling low. I really hope things improve for you. No advice on meds as I’m still not sure what I’ll be taking but I hope you find a combination that works. Xx

@Ednadidit sorry to hear your sickness has come back. I remember this happening with my ds. It’s so horrible to deal with in late pregnancy. I hope it improves. Xx

As for me, my condition has worsened a lot since yesterday. I’ve been up since 3am being sick and am exhausted. It seems very acidic so I might try an antacid from the GP as well as hopefully an anti sick medication. I just want to get this scan done first before coming up with a plan. After three early losses I just want to know it’s heading somewhere. It’s only on a few hours until my appointment so trying to pull myself together so I can get to the hospital. Xx

I just had my scan and we have a healthy looking bean at 6 plus 2. It’s made a rubbish day much brighter. Xx

Catconfusion I am happy that you have had a boost with the scan after such a horrible few hours. It does make such a difference to have that reassurance after suffering miscarrriage before.

Thank you @LucindaE it is such a relief. I know it’s not healthy but I’ve just had a McDonald’s and I’ve kept it down so far. I took a Gaviscon tablet before so not sure if that helped. Obviously I’m still feeling rough but it’s nice to have food in my tummy and not feel like it’s coming back up. I know the 3am vomiting session is inevitable but I’m enjoying a bit of respite and basking in our good news for now. Xx

Catconfusion Never worry about eating or drinking healthily; anything that you can stand...for some reason, sufferers often find that sugary and salty foods are the most bearable. Cheap ice cream is another popular one, tinned fruit and crisps and chips, and of course, flat full sugar coke and ice lollies and the juice of that tinned fruit. But as a veteran, you don't exactly need my suggestions about what you can stand.

Thanks @LucindaE I kept the McDonald’s down but had my usual vomiting at 3am. Now waiting for a call back by the Gp hopefully for some meds as I’m miserable.

It’s always helpful to have a reminder about foods that are easy to keep down. I think I’ve blocked out a lot of details from my experience of HG last time. I certainly forgot how traumatic it is being this ill. Just hoping the GP can help. My ds is watching cartoons this morning as I feel so weak. Xx

My GP has just prescribed Promethazine. Is anyone else on this? I’m not sleeping well at night and being really ill from 3am onwards. She felt it might help with sleep. I’m just a little concerned about the lack of studies showing safety. After three miscarriages I’m wanting to be as careful as possible.

Catconfusion I wish I could advise about Promethezine: there have been sufferers on here who have found it helpful and maybe someone else can. I gather it is a drug that doesn't normally require any additional monitoring of the pregnancy, but that it can make babies irritable for a couple of weeks after birth and so for that reason they recommend not taking it during the last two weeks of pregnancy. It is certain that doctors never prescribe meds for Hyperemesis unless they think that the very real risks of not taking them outweigh those of taking them. I never heard that any of them increase the chances of miscarriage. Also, another problem is that women who have taken drugs often tend to blame that on any problems with the baby: but those problems could arise anyway. I was refused all drugs, but my daughter had awful problems with colic. If I'd taken a drug I would probably have blamed it on that, if you see what I mean. It might be worth phoning Pregnancy Sickness Support on 024 7638 2020 who will ring back with great advice about the safety of various drugs.

@Catconfusion

Follow this link to read about studies involving promethazine:

www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/get-help/treatments/

Here is a screen shot of the first paragraph which should reassure you.

Thank you @LucindaE I think I’m just being overly cautious. Probably due to what we’ve been through to get here. It’s simply not sustainable living like this so I know I need to try it. Luckily I have a GP mum in my baby group from when I had ds who is also pregnant with hg. She’s said it’s a good first line treatment and agreed it might help with sleep too. She had no concerns it would affect the pregnancy one but at this stage. If cyclizine wasn’t such a good fit for her, she’d have given it a go. I certainly feel better from our chat. Thank you so much for the sickness support number too. You’re such a big help and I’m so glad I rejoined them group. Xx

Thank you @thingymaboob I saw this earlier. It’s definitely reassuring. They wouldn’t be first line treatments if there were any concerns I guess. I’m just being a worry wort! Xx

Me again. I am still in a horrible zombie state everyday even on cyclizine and metoclopramide but there’s something that’s pushing me over the edge atm...restless legs syndrome?? I wonder if it’s because I barely move throughout the day. I was literally crying in the middle of the night and DH was trying to massage my lower legs to calm me down. As if the constant sickness isn’t bad enough 😭.

Also does anyone have any advice for a longish car journey? I have an unavoidable event to attend at the weekend and am absolutely dreading the thought of the journey. I’ve ordered sick bags from Amazon in preparation 🤢

@Lzgs I’m sorry to hear about the restless legs. It’s all so much to deal with. Are you finding you’re worse in the night? I’m finding myself very sick and tearful at about 3am. So good your DH was there to try and help. It can be so lonely going through this.

No advice on the car trip as such but I’m wondering if some aromatherapy oils to sniff might help keep you calm. I’ve heard lavender can be good for nausea. I hope it goes ok and you’re able to cope. Xx

Lzgs I wolnder if there might be a connection between these 'restless legs' and Metoclopramide and Cyzlizine? For this reason, I do think it would be a good idea reporting it to the GP. I don't want to make you anxious, and the baby will be unaffected, but there are some women who react to Metoclopramide with twitchiness, and unfortunately this is an indication it is better to come off it just in case. Unfortunately, also, some sufferers do find that Cyclizine can give them restless legs.
catconfusion I am so glad that you have had reassurance about Promethezine from thingymaboob and others and that you find this thread helpful.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

@Catconfusion it’s the loneliest I think I’ve ever felt! Even with DH and my mum supporting it feels like I just live in this lonely nauseous bubble!!
Aromatherapy is a good shout could help to calm me. I’ve got a lovely lavender pillow mist I use at night so I could give the car a little spray.

@LucindaE I will when I speak to them next. I’m still waiting for the midwife to make contact for my first scan. I think once I’ve got a line of communication I’ll feel a bit better. Speaking to the GP tends to just irritate me as it’s someone different everyday and they seem to just want to skim over everything. But if it’s the medication causing the restless legs then I’ll definitely look to change as it prevents me from even being able to rest.

@Lzgs it’s so lonely isn’t it. I’ve just tried to explain to DH how difficult it is baring in mind I’ve now not worked in two and a half years due to pregnancy loss and HG in my pregnancy with ds and this one. He’s generally supportive but doesn’t get it completely. He takes the stance that we both want children and this is what we have to go through to have them. It just is what it is. Which is easy for him to say as he’s not living it. It just makes me mad sometimes that many women don’t experience these extreme symptoms and can enjoy being pregnant a bit more. It’s also annoying as we’re just starting to get childcare after Covid. I’ve longed for some time to myself but now I have it I’m spending it throwing up and sleeping. Anyway, sorry for the rant.

The pillow spray sounds great. My first thought about going in the car is all the smells that might be triggering so having something calming and safe to smell might help. Xx