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Pregnancy

Talk about every stage of pregnancy, from early symptoms to preparing for birth.

Hyperemesis Support

994 replies

LucindaE · 22/11/2021 19:52

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.

Hyperemesis Support
Hyperemesis Support
OP posts:
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BetterDaysAreComing12 · 20/01/2022 15:19

Oh god I am so glad I found this thread! I am 8 weeks and the nausea and the sickness is absolutely debilitating. I feel so awful for being off work for three weeks already, the thought of this for another 7 months is feeling so overwhelming at the moment.

Partner is supportive but we don’t live together at the moment and I actually sleep better when I’m alone but wow is it lonely and isolating being in this position?

So sorry to hear you’re all having a hard time too.

PopGoesBang · 20/01/2022 18:56

@BetterDaysAreComing12 welcome, I'm pretty new here myself and I know the lovely ladies will be just as welcoming to you as they were me.

Sorry you're having a rough time, I hope the doctors are helping you find some meds that help in someway.

You'll get lots of advice here and a virtual hand hold for those lonely times.

LucindaE · 20/01/2022 20:24

BetterDaysAreComing Welcome. Sorry you are suffering. Are you on any meds? As you have been signed off, the GP is obviously realises how ill you are. Don't despair, things are much more likely than not to improve considerably. Here is my normal spiel, which I hope will help. 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.
Mellebacca It looks as if you were better at interpreting the scan than she was! Oh dear, the locked oup bowlels do sound grim. No wonder you want to avoid iron tablets/drops for as long as you can.
PopGoesBang How are things?

OP posts:
PopGoesBang · 21/01/2022 07:40

@LucindaE Since starting the Ondansetron things have really perked up. Still some queasy moments - but I can handle moments over days. The physical sickness has reduced considerably too. I'm really pleased.
I'm being sensible and still resting when I can and not overdoing it, very aware that won't help.

Next Friday is my 12 week scan. Starting to get the nerves now, but if this one is anything like my DD, it'll be stubbornly fine and doing things in their own way.

Hope everyone is doing as ok as they can.

7Worfs · 21/01/2022 12:28

Cyclizine stopped working for me, been sick as a dog and so tired…
Taking next week off as sick leave and the GP prescribed me something else, I think it promethazine.
I googled it and I’m a bit worried that it affects the production of serotonin and dopamine.
Anyone been on it? Did it work and was it easy to stop it without side effects (sudden drops in serotonin)?

alpinia · 21/01/2022 14:25

Hi All! Hope you are all doing well and trudging on.

For those of you who have been through this before- how much weight did you put on in the end, if any? Even now I can eat, and am eating higher calories foods I've somehow lost weight again. Still 4kg under pre pregnancy weight. Baby is fine but I'm being referred higher up the consultant food chain.

Have some glucose in urine too now, though no one seemed very concerned about that as yet. 8 weeks left!

7Worfs · 21/01/2022 16:05

Correction- prescription is for prochlorperazine.
I’m reading about it, it doesn’t seem like there were excessive studies with it.

Anyone taken it? Did it work fine, and all OK with baby?

theconfused · 21/01/2022 16:24

@alpinia I'm the same!!

Even though the vomiting is much less frequent I'm still losing weight apparently, they're going to wait until my next midwife appointment before I get referred!

I hope it goes well for you!!

Melleebacca · 21/01/2022 16:51

@7Worfs I haven’t tried that one sorry. The first one I had was metachlorpromide and then jumped to ondansetron (I was very sick with my first, vomiting every 30mins unmedicated). Hopefully someone with more info can help you soon.

@alpinia I lost 6kg with HG with both of my girls. Bottomed out around 16wks and then slowly gained weight. DD1 came when I was 8kg above pre pregnancy weight, DD2 when I was 6kg above pre pregnancy weight. Most of the weight gain happened in the 3rd trimester.
This time I’m 4kg down at the moment, at 21wks. It’s much harder for me to gain weight in the heat, so I don’t think I’m really going to gain anything till closer to 28wks.
With my first, because I carry small with a long torso, I had a handful of growth scans in the 3rd trimester. She was born a day early at 7lb9. Her sister was an 8lb baby, and this one is even bigger. My midwife did tell me last time I saw her to try and eat more, my appetite will return, eventually.
Also, im naturally slim (like borderline underweight bmi normally), so had all the referrals and worry, but if you’re larger and haven’t gained any weight, it’s less of a concern as your stores would be good. Babies are effective parasites!

FateHasRedesignedMost · 21/01/2022 18:07

@BetterDaysAreComing12

Are you on any meds yet?

Sorry you’re feeling isolated. I moved in with my (now husband) when I was pregnant with our first and suffering HG. We ended up sleeping in separate rooms as kept waking each other up!

This pregnancy I’ve taken over the guestroom to get a good night’s sleep!

FateHasRedesignedMost · 21/01/2022 18:10

@7Worfs

I took promethazine in my first pregnancy, it’s a very gentle anti histamine that you can even buy off the shelf in supermarkets, so I wouldn’t worry. I didn’t find it hard to come off at all.

Hope it works for you!

LucindaE · 21/01/2022 19:48

PopGoesBang I'm glad to hear that.
7Worfs Ah: 'prochlorperazine' not 'promethezine'. It's also known as Stemetil (I can never spell that) and Buccastem. A lot of sufferers have been helped by it. Some are put off by the dissolve on the tongue form which by passes the stomach. I have it for use in bad migraines. It's been in use a few years.
alpinia Ha Ha about 'consultant led food chain'". I hope someone can advise you about weight loss with more recent experience of when they take it seriously. My GP's all those years ago frankly weren't very attentive about it.
theconfused This is typical of me: I can't read the message I sent you.
Mellebacca Vomiting every thirty minutes, unmedicated? That is so horrific. It's shocking they didn't take that seriously enough to medicate! How long did that go on for?
FateHasRedesignedMost The regime of separate rooms is probably a good idea for the duration.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

OP posts:
7Worfs · 21/01/2022 20:01

Thank you very much, lovely knowledgeable posters!

I find myself pondering a lot why some women suffer so much and others have it a bit easier. Why uuuuuus? shakes fist

Also older women all seem to tell me they were only sick in the mornings.

Has something changed physiologically for women in the last decades? Maybe years of hormonal contraception does something? Confused I’m entering conspiracy theory territory Grin

alpinia · 21/01/2022 22:14

@melleebacca ah, I'm also slim build. I've lost 6.5 kg and regained 1.5kg, only now the baby is 1.5kg so technically I'm not really gaining anything, and it's more than 10% of total bodyweight anyway. He's certainly an effective parasite anyway!

@LucindaE things have been quite good so far, I'm seen every 2 weeks and scanned for growth issues by the consultant. Only today they've decided I should be referred to a, presumably, higher level one at a different hospital.

Just feeling very tired now. I've no idea how some of you do this multiple times!

Nanasmummy · 21/01/2022 23:54

Hello all. Currently 9 weeks and have been suffering from hyperemesis since 4 weeks. This is my second baby but things are a lot worse this time.

I’ve been on Ondasteron for quite a few weeks now along with daily movicol to prevent constipation but ended up almost feeling like I was in labour with a poop this evening which was horrific and only shifted after several hours with glycerin suppositories.

I obviously want to avoid this happening again so was wondering what others take / what dose they take to prevent this happening again. GP just gave me a list of “safe” laxatives and told me to buy over the counter and it would be trial and error - I obviously want to avoid that as much as possible and the usual water / diet recommendations are out of the window as I am struggling to keep food and drink down.

BFPDec21 · 22/01/2022 02:42

Hi all, I hope you are as well as you can be.

It's been a bumpy few days here but I was taken in for fluids today. Doctor immediately questioned where I got the idea I had HG?! Then said ketones in urine mean dehydration but if the doctor was tested at the time of the conversation she'd be the same because she hasn't drunk enough. Explained that I've not been keeping anything down that's why I'm dehydrated but it felt like a shrug off. I was then told my skin was dry when taking bloods. Then the doctor was furious I'd been put on ondansetron and changed my meds immediately to a combo of cyclizine, metroclopromide and stemetil until I'm 14 weeks. I do feel really emotional about it all, I'm sure the doctor didn't mean to be dismissive but I felt so unheard. One of PSS' themes from volunteers recently was validation and I just wanted to be understood and believed.

I had my two bags of fluids but my last sample showed I'm still dehydrated. I hadn't kept my oral fluids or food down either but I really just needed my own bed and some sleep so they've left the cannula in for now in case I need to come back tomorrow. The nurses were really sensitive and have told me the service is there any time but I'm hoping I won't need it much.

What foods are everyone keeping down at the moment? My beloved pasta has started to make me sick and I've now started being sick on Skips. I'm now stuck not knowing what might work. I weirdly have a massive craving for pineapple though.

@Nanasmummy Lactulose is what I'm trying at the moment. It worked first pregnancy so I'm hoping for the best. I also try and keep a stock of micro enemas (they work similar to the suppositories) for emergencies.

Melleebacca · 22/01/2022 07:50

@BFPDec21 I’m so sorry. That’s an awful experience. I’ve had to fight to get ondansetron on a number of occasions, generally with male GPs who read the not recommended in pregnancy bit and have absolutely no sympathy towards pregnant women.
If you’re craving pineapple, eat it. It may stick, it may not, but I’ve found my cravings to be things that stuck better. All my cravings are acidic, tomatoes, salsa, lemon water.

@Nanasmummy I use lactulose too. It helps. But I’m still getting blocked up now. I’m quite worried about returning to work in this state of constipation, as when I do get the lactulose to work, it often ends up as diarrhea. I didn’t struggle in the beginning with this as I was having 2 glasses of pulpy orange juice a day which really seemed to help. Im sorry you’re going through this too.

@7Worfs I don’t like telling people what I have, because people try to sympathize and give impractical advice. Im fed up of being told, oh I had that too, but then look at me like I’m crazy when I say Im on meds for it. I was always sicker in the afternoons/evenings. If I ever lost breakfast, there was no point in even getting out of bed that day.

@alpinia Oh. Try not to worry, they are effective parasites. After my youngest was born, it took me 6 months to get back to my pre-pregnancy weight, but I had so much more energy as soon as I could eat again. Im expecting to only end up 4kg over my pre-pregnancy weight this time around, due to starting at a higher weight. If baby is still growing well, I wouldn’t worry. Im already planning my post-birth feast.

@LucindaE with my first, HG kicked in on a Friday night and I vomited my way, every half an hour, up until a Monday GP appt that got me my first lot of meds. Then when they stopped working 3 days later, I finally got ondansetron and 2 liters of fluids. Now I don’t even risk being in early pregnancy without ondansetron, just because I know how quickly I can spiral.

PopGoesBang · 22/01/2022 08:43

I find it so interesting to see everyone's journeys , it just shows how different they can be. Might also be my nosey side!

@BFPDec21 I'm so sorry to see you had that experience. And hope you feel a bit better today. Might be worth continuing with your meds over the weekend and talk to your GP on Monday. I feel it's hard for someone who hasn't been involved and knows the background to make decisions that can have big consequences.
I hope the weekend is kind to you.

goldteeth · 22/01/2022 15:35

Not quite sure what to think, has anyone ever thrown up so hard they’ve had some spotting? I’m having a really bad today and after a vomiting session, I noticed maybe 1/2tsp bright red blood in my underwear. I’m 11 weeks. No abdo pain.

If it continues I’ll call EPU on Monday but just need some reassurance I guess.

LucindaE · 22/01/2022 19:50

goldtooth I have heard of that happening occasionally, but do seek medical advice for reassurance as much as anything. I'm glad there are no cramps. Do keep us posted about how you are doing.
Nanasmummy Welcome. Sorry you are suffering. As you are a veteran, you don't need my normal spiel about kesostix, while not the best test of dehydration, being taken seriously by hospitals, full sugar coke, ice lollies and the juice of tinned fruit and the gains of anti acids. Everyone is very supportive on here. As others say, Lactulose is
considered effective.
7Worfs Unfortunatel;y, those older woman don't understand the difference between normal pregnancy sickness and Hyperemesis. I find it comforting to put undeserved suffering down to karmic lessons (not punishment, but tests) but not everyone finds that comforting or believes in such a thing, so that is just my personal view.
BFPDec2021 That is so annoying. She is obviously anxious about the very minimal risks of cleft palate with Ondansertron and is playing safe about that, but it's maddening. If she is slightly dehydrated from not drinking enough liquids, that's completely different from being dehydrated from vomiting in pregnancy. aThat remark about 'what gave you the idea you have Hyperemesis' is so condescending. Angry I do think she might have discussed it with you and left the decision to you. I can only agree with others; if things get bad over the weekend, you can phone on Monday. But it's very hard to fight your corner over getting it again when you're feeling terrible, and I feel for you having to do it.
alpinia I think those who go for it agan - let alone a third time - deserve medals.
PopGoesBang Great advice.
Mellebacca Aagh: that must have been terrrible.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

OP posts:
7Worfs · 23/01/2022 13:55

That’s a good way to look at it, Lucinda Smile I’m normally inclined to accept difficult times as part of the big plan, but this suffering is of another magnitude entirely.
I’m hoping like in the previous pregnancy it gets better at wk 16 🤞

Rcg2207 · 23/01/2022 17:26

Hi all, this is my first time posting but I've been lurking on this thread since I was first told I had hyperemesis five weeks ago. I'm so grateful that the thread exists and for everyone sharing their experiences. It has made me feel slightly less alone on those days where all I can do is lie in bed in the dark and try to get through it.

I'm currently 13+6, have been sick since 6 weeks and am reaching a real mental block now. I have been referred for counselling, which I hope will help, but I also worry that nothing will really do much until the nausea stops. It has been constant since 6 weeks, despite having tried cyclizine, prochlorperazine, metoclopramide, ondansetron, plus different combinations of the above.

A private GP (my NHS GP receptionist told me I wasn't a priority so I've not tried to see them for weeks) has now suggested trying domperidone - does anyone have experience of this one? Particularly for nausea (thankfully my vomiting is not as bad as it was).

I am also struggling with family and friends not understanding why I'm still so ill after that "magic" 12 week deadline, even though I've explained I don't have regular pregnancy sickness and could be sick for the duration.

My mum and husband tag-teamed me into taking a short walk today because they were concerned about me being "cooped up all the time", but as soon as I got back I was (predictably) horribly sick and have been sofa-bound ever since. I know they had good intentions but I can't help feeling betrayed that even they don't believe how debilitating this condition really is.

Sorry for the huge vent! Apparently I had a lot to get off my chest today.

I hope you are all doing as best you can in the circumstances. Sending you love and strength x

Easymeasy · 23/01/2022 17:38

Hi everyone,

Just wanted to know if anyone is experiencing not being able to swallow saliva and having to spit every 30 seconds with their HG?

7Worfs · 23/01/2022 17:39

Rsg Flowers
I’ve been in bed or on the sofa for the past week… rest is absolutely critical, meds can’t compensate for it.

7Worfs · 23/01/2022 17:40

Easy yes - it ramps up from early afternoon onward and it coincides with the nausea peak as well.