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
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.

Welcome, everyone! Draw up some cyber cushions and collapse...

Hi all, dipping back in, so lovely to ‘see’ new faces and some of those who have been so supportive in your kind words to me over the last few months. I’m 23 weeks this week- and we found out we’re having a girl! My due date is 25th March (same as someone else but can’t remember who- sorry!).

Sadly last week and this week has seen a seriously bit uptick in episodes of puke. The first thing in the morning is somewhat more bearable. The evening ones with a full or part full stomach are just so traumatic.

I am having an occupational health assessment tomorrow as I’m simply finding work too much and I know stress is a trigger. One colleague referenced me having ‘a little bit of morning sickness’ the other day and I lost it with her… I think I need some reasonable adjustments in place, otherwise I think I will just have to be signed off which isn’t ideal or the way I wanted to end this part and move into mat leave, sort of feels like the joy is robbed a bit.

Anyone else past 20 weeks and feel you were sold a bit of a lie? Everyone kept saying ‘just get past 12 weeks’ which turned to ‘once you get past 16’ and then ‘once you get past 20’…it has lessened but hasn’t stopped and now people just shrug their shoulders and say ‘when you have the baby it’ll stop’

Anyway, that’s me for now, hopeful things will improve and trying not to wish away the weeks.

If like me, today wasn’t great, I’m sending you all positive thoughts for tomorrow!

@MrsNovember with my first DD, I did have random vomitting up until about 22wks. I was triggered by reducing my meds too soon, and eating too much. I stayed on my meds until she was born. I only worked from 24wks to 34wks, and on reduced hours to avoid stress.
Small, regular meals helped. I couldn’t eat till I was full as that made me nauseous, so I would eat until I wasn’t hungry and then ate more a couple of hours later.
You may feel some relief when you have a better rest schedule. I’m working 3hrs a day at the moment, but I’m in bed from 1pm onwards.

Scan was excellent. NT reading was nice and low as expected. Baby was camera shy, but we saw a perfectly formed spine, and organs are all currently looking great. Sonographer even managed to correctly tell the gender, at 12wks. However, I did end up vomiting a lot yesterday, after 5 relatively good days, so not out of the woods yet.

Hello anyone still awake at this hour! I’m 12 weeks and have been vomiting everything I eat and even waking to be duck during the night since 4 weeks so I’m pretty fed up so found this thread at the perfect time. I keep getting told different things every time I speak to a midwife or GP. Tried omeprazole and now cyclizine and neither work and if one more person says have you tried eating ginger biscuits I may just lose my mind. I had bad sickness with my first 3 pregnancies but this is something else. Does anyone know if there’s anything other than cyclizine because the midwife I spoke to today said there isn’t but the one I spoke to before said there is?!

@Permanentlymildlymiffed I'm sorry you're having such a rough time. I'm on prochlorperazine. I'm totally new to this so I don't know how it compares to what you've taken, but I do think it's a different type. It hasn't gotten rid of all my nausea, but I can eat and drink certain things now.

I know what you mean about the bloody ginger biscuits and all other "remedies" that do nothing!

Hi all, I lurked on the last thread. Probably hoping the HG was going to go away but I threw up multiple times at the 20 week scan the other week so, apparently not!

I've got to a stage where I'm no longer dropping kilos but not putting anything on either. I'm also not vomiting so much as I was and can drink water almost normally and eat some very small, boring meals or snacks as long as I don't move afterwards.

@MrsNovember I feel the same. I also wonder where the promised second trimester glow, libido and energy is too...

I've been off work for ages now, even wfh. Movement seems to be a big trigger for me, and just to compound the joy I've had crippling PGP and SPD since 11 weeks. Walking for more than 10 minutes occasionally is agonising.

Hoping to go back perhaps 50% wfh after Xmas maybe. We will see.

@Holskey I thought I’d read that cyclizine was just the most common thing prescribed for HG but the midwife at the PAU yesterday was adamant that’s the only thing I could have and her attitude was if that doesn’t work then tough. I’m vomiting in the street on the school run and it’s really impacting my ability to doing everything I need to for my other kids so I’m desperate to try something else to see if I can get back a bit of normality.

@Permanentlymildlymiffed there are definitely loads of other things you can try. Cyclizine or prochlorperazine are the most common first-line ones; in addition you can try metocloprimide (second line) and ondansetron (third line). In addition you can combine these drugs in previous pregnancies I was on cyclizine, metocloprimide and ondanstron all at the same time. Beyond that there's steroids but only for women with very resistant HG who are stuck in hospital. There's also Xonvea which is doxymaline (a bit like cyclizine) + vitamin B6, but in a slow-release formula which makes quite a lot of difference for some women. This drug is standardly prescribed for bad pregnancy sickness in some countries my midwife was able to prescribe it here in France without me even seeing a doctor but seems quite hard to get hold of if you're in the UK (expensive). In addition, it is worth asking for a good antacid tablet like omeprazole or esomeprazole (ordinary old Gaviscon helps a lot for some but many can't keep it down). Def ignore the midwife and see your GP. If the GP is reluctant / underinformed, see another one GPs vary quite a lot in how helpful they are about this.

@MrsNovember if it's any consolation, with DS1 I threw up every day without fail until about 26 weeks -- I assumed by that point it would continue throughout but actually it did then stop completely for a month or so, so you might still see an improvement. I was very surprised! I think with bad HG the best stage is often really late, very end of the second trimester. So don't completely lose hope yet!

I'm just checking in on this new thread. Apart from my annoying collapsing pelvis my sickness is continuing to improve. I still feel nauseous a lot and have the odd close call but I haven't actually thrown up for a few days now, am about 16 weeks. Eating pretty normally in quantity though can still only manage weirdly specific things (bacon, fried eggs, avocado, milk chocolate with nuts in, peanut M&Ms). I guess the baby is demanding protein, fat and whatever is in nuts . . .

Still taking max dose of Xonvea and planning to stay on it for now as I still feel nauseous a lot of the time. Still, this is a much earlier improvement than in either of my previous pregnancies so I am very grateful!

@kalidasa nuts are mostly protein too. Very jealous at your array of food. I’m on crumpets, muesli, crispy noodles and surprisingly ginger biscuits. I’m bored of these foods but nothing else sits well.

@Permanentlymildlymiffed There are more meds, and there are good doctors who will prescribe them. Finding them is the issue. First line antiemetics tend to be your antihistamines, that generally work by blocking the vomit receptors in your body. Second line ones are your more common travel sickness meds and work by moving food out of your stomach quickly. Third line ones like ondansetron work to close the valve to your stomach, making it physically hard to vomit (but not impossible). Ondansetron is commonly prescribed to stop vomiting in chemotherapy patients. So generally you can take up to a combo of all 3 lines of meds to help. Steroids being a last resort method that few HG patients will require. I’m on ondansetron and cyclizine (3rd line and 1st line). The meds take awhile to build up in your system, so full protection may take up to a week. Be aware of any side effects, and let your GP know immediately. I get jittery on metachloropromide, so I avoid that now. I’m not a doctor, but my background is biochemistry, so I find this (and the COVID pandemic) incredibly interesting.

@alpinia you’re welcome to lurk. With my previous pregnancies, I was less able to muster the energy to reply, but lurking was helpful. I’ve always enjoyed the 4th trimester the most (as I can eat again), and call the trimesters of HG like this - first trimester, hell on earth - second trimester, more akin to a normal first trimester - third trimester, the one I have to get everything done. Sorry to hear you’re not feeling much improvement yet.

@Melleebacca that makes sense about the nuts then. I couldn't really eat any protein at all for a couple of months, only the blandest carbohydrate in tiny amounts, so I suppose no surprise that my body is demanding I catch up now. I am trying not to worry about the rather cholesterol heavy combo and just follow the cravings! Also crave fresh orange juice every couple of days though I find it harder to keep down.

I have been on literally every drug (including huge doses of steroids) at some point over my three pregnancies so v happy to relay experience if useful. I developed extra pyramidal probs on metocloprimide (twitching) etc after being in it for months in my first pregnancy so was told not to take it again. I have generally tolerated cyclizine well orally (and in hospital by continuous pump) but cannot tolerate it IV (made me vomit, ironically). I also couldn't tolerate ondansetron which was annoying and also v bad luck -- most women do seem to be able to cope with it. Good luck to everyone in the worst bit.

@MrsNovember

Honestly I couldn't relate more. Been "waiting" to see an improvement for it to be like 1 day and then it comes back the next day even worse!

I think I'm due back at work next week and I honestly just hope I can manage to work till Christmas!

Welcome to alpinia and Permanentlymildlymiffed. Permanantlymildlymiffed I can't improve on the advce from kalidasa and the others about the alternative meds you can take. I don't know if that midwife is being evasive, or is ill informed. Sadly, as others say, Cyclizine is far cheaper than many meds and also, it has been used for decades. I am sorry Omprazole isn't helping either. Do see if you can get other meds, as others say.
alpinia Sorry you are still suffering. It is very hard on those who suffer throughout. What meds are you on? I can't improve on the advice of others, but try not to go back to work too early.
Here is my normal spiel, in case either of you haven't seen it on the thread. Sorry about the first bit, alpinia, which hardly applies, or the bit about anti-acid. Most sufferers find that they improve a lot at some point between weeks 14 and 20, or sometimes later. Even those who are unlucky enough to suffer throughout generally are not as ill later on as they are in the first part. 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. When reporting on the vomiting to doctors, remember to emphasize the number of heaves in each vomiting session, as doctors tend to count these as 'vomits' and this can lead to their underestimating the severity of your symptoms. Besides drinking through a straw, here are some drinks that have helped others: full sugar flat coke (if you don't find it too acid), 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, Robinson's fruit drinks, Rubicon sparkling mango drink , raspberry Lucozade sport and frozen ice cubes of flat Lucozade sport. Also, pink lemonade , cloudy lemonade and Sprite. Foods of a sort include tinned fruit, cuppa soup, nibbles of crisps and chips, cheap ice cream, Scotch pancakes, bagels and biscuits, potato smileys, minature salty Yorkshire Puddings and slices of melon and mango. Protein drinks have also been mentioned.
MrsNovember I'll add your date in a moment. Poor you. Sorry, I seem to be asking the same questions today. Remind me what meds are you on? Can they add or replace something?Great advice from everyone.
theconfused Again, Mother Hen is saying the same thing. Don't try and rush back.
kalidasa Good advice about Xonvea and other meds. I am glad things are gradually improving.
Melleebacca That is happy news about the scan, anyway!

Due Dates
JessicaM2021 22 November
hporter10 25 December
LilmissCa 13 January
nomeslice 2 February
thingymaboob 13 February
abbs1 10 March
Pleasedon'tworry 25 March
MrsNovember 25 March
Derbee 26 March
theconfused 29 March
Catconfusion 3 April
kalidasa 5 May
FateHasRedesignedMost 22 May
Melleebacca 5 June
HopefulJ2018 14 June
BuffyFanForever 19 Jun TWINS!

@MrsNovember i completely sympathise with you on that. In my last pregnancy at 20 weeks I was still on ondansatron and metoclopromide after being weaned off 8 weeks of steroids on top of medication. I still felt sick and threw up several times. I would say I only improved by around 28 weeks but still needed metoclopromide until I gave birth.
Definitely speak to occupational health as HG is not morning sickness and you need to be taken seriously so you can rest and put you and baby first.

Hi everyone, I hope you don't mind me joining in with this thread, I've been lurking for a while and it's been so helpful. I'm 10W and have been signed off work for the last 3 weeks. In that time I've only left the house to go to the pharmacy and once into hospital for tests and IV fluids. Spending 99% of my time between bed and sofa feeling like I'm about to be sick. I've tried 4 different medications and can't get rid of the feeling that I'm starving yet can't stand to eat anything. So sick of dry breadsticks, especially the multiple wake-ups in the night to force them down! Only throwing up 1-3 times a day though so it feels phoney to call it HG when others have it so much worse. It's my first pregnancy so nothing to compare it to! Wondering if anyone else is feeling the same?

@Jdhill that feeling that you are starving but can't eat is classic HG! Women with bad but normal-range morning sickness do not worry that they are starving. Only good news is that at 10 weeks you should be at the peak. Might not get any better for a while but hopefully won't really get worse. It is miserable though.

Thank you all for the information I feel much better equipped to deal with the GP/ midwife now. I am sick of being fobbed off as if it’s just a bit of normal level pregnancy sickness when I am explaining to them how relentless and severe it’s been for over 7 long weeks. I know they say the baby takes everything it needs but I struggle to understand how it can when I’m very rarely keeping anything down at the minute. It’s really helped my stress levels to know there are plenty of other things they can try for me to get this under control.

Hi, place marking on new thread as about to do school run.

Hope everyone’s holding up ok!

@Permanentlymildlymiffed if it's any comfort I had very severe HG in my previous pregnancies. With DS2 I was in hospital for two months because I just couldn't retain any fluid or food at all despite every drug possible going in IV. Both babies were still a normal size at term. They did endless growth scans with DS2 and he was always fine. It was extraordinary. But the toll on your mind and body is absolutely huge and they should absolutely be taking your suffering seriously.

That’s really reassuring to know @kalidasa I’ve got a phone appointment with the gp this morning so I’m going to make a note of all the other options that have been mentioned here in case she tries to tell me there’s nothing else like the PAU midwife did

@LucindaE I feel like I can't complain too much as its greatly improved in the last 5 weeks I can drink water and eat bits and pieces as long as I stay in one place! I'm also lucky as the ob/gyn has taken me very seriously and had me in 3 x a week for IV and vitamins regardless of the kesostix results until 12 weeks or so. I've had cyclizine, metoclopramide and since 6/7weeks something very similar to Xonvea that has worked pretty well. I used the strawberry toothpaste tip since early on!

It started a day before 4 weeks (IVF pregnancy so dates all known) with suddenly feeling so seasick when I moved and then the vomiting and heaving started. I lost 6kg in the first 2 weeks or so but now I think the weight loss is tailing off though I suspect I'm still losing a bit and the baby is growing. I've had so many scans I feel quite reassured. At my 20 week scan the sonographer was actually the head ob/gyn of the clinic and whenever I said I was doing OK and it's just something I have to deal with he kept telling me that it's not normal to have this much nausea and that women don't need to and shouldn't suffer like this and to come to him any time. I thought it was quite reassuring and pleasantly surprising.

Honestly, I'm so grateful to have made it this far already having had so many losses and all the treatment that it seems survivable just now. I have no idea how some of you make it through this multiple times though!

@alpinia its worth it. As you will know in just a few months. Living through it sucks, but the end goal is a lifetime of joy. I’m also planning a feast of all my favorite foods for after I deliver.

@Permanentlymildlymiffed I had all the growth scans with DD1. Because I lost 6kg with HG, and I’m on the small side to begin with, and then I have a king torso and I have a small bump, I was constantly checked that she was growing ok. Born a day early at 7lb9oz. It took 6 months postpartum to regain the weight, and nutrition. I also get anaemic due to being unable to handle meat and numerous veggies, so I ended up with iron transfusions too. Funnily enough by 6wks postpartum my numbers were back to normal. It’s amazing how much the baby can extract from your nutritional stores.

@kalidasa I’ve always been a huge fan of oranges/orange juice while pregnant. I also read somewhere that the vit c helps prevent stretch marks. I got a massive craving for tomato on toast yesterday, so hoping to try that next week and see if it sticks.

@Jdhill 1-3 x a days is still a lot. I’m down to vomiting every second day at 12wks which I think is amazing, but I’m still on all the meds. “Normal” morning sickness doesn’t need you to have meds to survive, and only last a few weeks. If I didn’t have meds, I would vomit every half an hour, all day long, as that’s what happened at 5wks with DD1. With meds, I still have 10wks approx of vomiting. Don’t let anyone tell you that this sickness is normal, and stay strong. You’re suffering enough.

Jdhill Welcome. As you have been lurking, you have no doubt encountered my normal spiel all too often. Ten weeks is often the worst bit for many. I'm assuming those are separating vomiting sessions, and the number of heaves are often what doctors go by, so it may be they are underestimating the intensity? It is certainly worth findng out if there are meds they can add or substitute. Do anti acids help at all?
Aponia I am sorry to hear of your losses, but glad that your obs. took that approach to treatment, and you got that understanding from the other doctor. So true!
Permanentlymildlymiffed Great advice from kalidasa Melleebacca.

abbs1 That's a really good suggestion about Occupational Health for MrsNovember.
Waves to FateHasRedesignedMost and everyone. Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

alpinia Sorry! That message for Aponia is for you...

Morning, hope everyone is doing ok. I finally got to see a GP face to to face. She did tests and said if these meds don’t work I need to go into PAU on Friday. Has anyone been on prochlorperazine? I was a bit alarmed she was looking up on the pregnancy sickness support website what she should prescribe I took one last night and it worked really well, I ate a full meal (I was bloody starving as well so can’t tell you how happy I was!) but felt very drowsy. I went to bed straight after the kids. Also read the information and it’s used for schizophrenia to calm manic thoughts. I don’t fancy anything that’s messing with my mind, I know I can’t continue vomiting as much as I was but the side effects and other uses of these have panicked me a bit!