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.

Lactulose is fine to purchase over the counter in a pharmacy, even if pregnant :) that and paracetamol is about the only thing we are allowed to sell to pregnant woman.

@BlueSky57

Lactulose is safe in pregnancy. Ducosate tablets are also safe on pregnancy. These are both stool softeners.

Unfortunately when I take ondansetron I end up extremely constipated and a few weeks ago I ended up having to take movical sachets to actually get things moving. These are also safe in pregnancy and can be purchased over the counter.

@BlueSky57 you can do ondansetron and cyclizine together, I’ve done that this time around. Cyclizine turns off vomit receptors in the brain, ondansetron physically closes the valves to the stomach. I drank pulpy orange juice to help with the constipation, and now I take lactulose daily.

@FateHasRedesignedMost rant away! My hubby “gets” HG, but seems to forget that I’m still nauseous even when I’ve stopped vomiting. Last week I picked up the groceries, and then started dry retching into the garden when I got home and it reminded both of us that I’m doing too much. This week he’s been much more helpful.

I think I’m finally starting to gain weight - at 27weeks! Still 4kg down on pre-pregnancy weight, despite the enormous baby, so it’s going to take me awhile to build back my strength post partum. Finally, after 3 weeks of stress, I have managed to sleep past 4.30am, which I’m super happy about!

Such great advice from woody87, ohCARP Waddlegoose Chloehel Melleebacca and everyone I have very ltittle to add. Bluesky57 I hope the Ondansetron helps a lot for you, along with an appropriate laxative. Don't worry about not bonding with the unborn baby. Lots on here don't, and are just as besotted as anyone soon after the birth. Melleebacca Sorry to hear of the garden retching episode. That is a big weight loss. FateHasRedesignedMost That is annoying of OH! I suppose when he has a stomach bug, that's different...
Apologies for anyone rudely overlooked.

Hey everyone. Sorry to barge in.

Can sickness get worse again towards the end of the pregnancy ? Does anyone find that it's worse when they're really tired and run down ?

I've been on ondansatron since week 16 I think and this week I had a rough week and I've now run out of it and the sickness and nausea have come back very strong with a vengeance. I'm 32 weeks.

The ondansatron seemed to stop working this week anyway, but I'm still wanting to get more on Monday when the doctors opens, as I think it will help again. Going through a hellish few days.

Thank you so much @woody87 @ohCARP @Waddlegoose @Chloehel @Melleebacca @LucindaE you’ve all given me great advice.

How long does ondansetron usually take to start working? I took my first tablet this morning & it’s probably just in my head but I felt so queasy beforehand then it seemed to settle within the hour!?

I'm struggling today. The sickness is better in that I've gone from 8x a day to 1x a day but I am so exhausted I can't function. I can't even lie on the sofa because the position is uncomfortable so I've just had to come back to bed. I can't do anything for myself. I have about 20 minutes of energy a day and the rest of the time I'm a zombie.

I know I'm depressed this time. I've lost so many babies that I'm not letting myself get excited but that means there's nothing to carry me through. The thought of work tomorrow makes me want to cry. My husband is great but me being useless is putting him under a lot of pressure and my toddler is playing up because I can't do anything meaningful with her.

I feel like I should try going back to work but really I just want to be signed off and sleep for a few weeks. My GP is rubbish and they barely answer the phone so getting signed off will be a battle in itself.

Does anyone know if you can get signed off via 111? Has the number of days you can self certify for increased or was that just for covid?

hippmammi Welcome. Sorry to hear it's come back. I'm afraid it does for some, in the third tri. Might an anti acid help a bit, until Monday?
ohCARP I am sorry to hear of your losses. I must have missed that. I only had one Mc's and even that made me anxious throughout. Will they be giving you reassurance scans or whatever if you've had a series of Mc's? That you have a toddler obviously shows that you can have a successful pregnancy. I hope others can advise you about sick notes and so on - it's all totally changed from my own time.
BlueSky57 I believe Ondansetron can work very quickly. Glad to hear you are a lot better.
Waves to all.

@hippmammi yes, the sickness can come back in the 3rd trimester for some people, but it’s generally not as bad. Essentially you’re pregnant with HG the whole way through, so always be aware that doing too much and getting really tired can make it flare up again.

@BlueSky57 ondansetron does work pretty fast, and it takes about 3 days to reach full effectiveness. I could always tell when it was wearing off and felt significantly sicker.

@ohCARP you shouldn’t be attempting work just yet, you’re still very very ill. Kids play up when anything changes, at least this is something you can get under control before you have a newborn. I’ve always found that HG teaches my kids to get used to Mama being busy elsewhere before the baby actually comes. My 6yr old has gotten extremely helpful during this pregnancy. So try not to feel too guilty.

I'm signed off. The sickness has stopped and the nausea isn't as bad but I have 0 energy. I feel like such a failure. My friend at work is also pregnant and she always just pushes through so I feel extra shit about myself.

I feel really shaky on my feet, like I’m on a boat / lightheaded and just generally not feeling well.
I have had HG before but normally once the sickness is under control and I’m eating again I feel almost back to normal. I have eaten loads yesterday and today but my energy levels are so low, I’m struggling to walk. Is this normal for HG?

@ohCARP everyone’s pregnancies are different. My best friend managed to work 12hr shifts for her whole pregnancy, no vomiting, no nausea. I expected to be able to easily work my 8hr days when pregnant, but you don’t know how your pregnancy is going to turn out.
I’ve been talking to friends this week about the covid pandemic, how some people get it so much worse than others, and how you can’t predict what will happen to you. You don’t know what your immune response will do until it has to. It’s just as unique as you are. Which is exactly the same as pregnancy.

@Waddlegoose I suffer from low blood pressure normally so am aware of dizzy spells even when not pregnant. Also even if you’re feeling better, and eating more, the recovery isn’t instant. I try and compare it to a stomach bug. You may only be physically ill with a stomach bug for 24-48hrs, but it takes at least a week to start feeling like normal again. HG is weeks of vomiting and nausea, so the recovery tends to be months long!

@Waddlegoose this is how I'm feeling. Are you taking buccastem? I saw a doctor yesterday who said buccastem helps specifically with dizziness which I have found to be true. Otherwise the dizziness could be to do with blood pressure and try to keep hydrated as that will increase your blood volume.

@ohCARP no not taking buccaatem. Blood pressure was higher than normal on Saturday so I don’t think it’s that. I’m trying to up my water intake today so hopefully I might feel better tomorrow…I hope

@Melleebacca thanks. Deep down I know what you're saying is true I just feel like a total waste of space at the moment

Melleebacca Very wise words for Waddlegoose, ohCARP, BlueSky57 and everyone, and especially about how long it takes to recover from Hyperemesis at its worst. These friends who don't have the hormonal imbalance or whatever it is that causes Hyperemesis are certainly lucky.

@ohCARP my dad got diagnosed with cancer just after my eldest was born, and we had lots of discussions around then about what quality of life we would be happy with. I find I have the same mental struggle while pregnant. That my quality of life, and what I am able to do is so little, that my mental health takes a huge hit. But fortunately it’s only for a few months and then I recover, but I’m now well aware of what quality of life I could potentially handle with no known end point. Bit morbid sorry! Take reassurance that you’re only going to be this “useless feeling” for a short time period in the scheme of things!

@Waddlegoose it could be dehydration, it could be the effects of starvation. Your body is going through a hell of a lot, be kind to it (I say as I’m making a permanent butt groove in my sofa 😅)

Ladies I’m still 4 weeks + 2 over here and wondering when hg hit you ? In my prev pregnancies it’s been week 6.

Morning all.
I was going to say with it being international womens day how kick ass we all are and what a fantastic job we're doing. Which of course is true. But that can be celebrated every day. Even more so with HG.
Be kind to yourselves, your bodies are going through a lot, it feels like a forever road, but it will pass soon, the bumps in the road will come and go, but we've got this, in whatever way we decide, and we should be proud of ourselves.

I'm taking a day today, I slept rubbish, the nausea is already letting me know it's about and so I'm going to be kind and not push myself today. I'm the only one that really suffers if I do. I'm going to find something to watch, and enjoy a cuppa tea - which I had for the first time in over 18 weeks yesterday and it felt like a little bit of comfort.

@Sunnierdays7 my HG hit at week 8 this time around, it wasn’t a build up just came on suddenly.
At least it’s getting better at week 15 - I’m about to reduce my Stemetil daily dose from 2 to 1 tablets and hope the side effect nausea is tolerable. I’m no longer nauseated and vomiting, but I am tired and suffer insomnia.
I’m working from home, but I’m resting so much I’m underperforming - I am starting to get worried.

I think I’m going to opt for a termination. I can’t do this anymore.

I’m back in hospital but as I have no ketones just sending me home with more tablets to try and combinations. I don’t feel like anyone really cares. Got a scan and I’m 6+3 but I feel so rubbish. I can’t be this debilitated for the next 10weeks and maybe plus. I missing out on so much with my current children, I don’t want to push through this i just want it to end.

Im pretty much bed bound or very limited movement round the house. I have no quality of life right now. Im so sad that I might be ending this pregnancy. It was very much wanted but thinking about my health and what’s right for my current children, I pick them, they deserve a mother.

I must add there is a lady who is having surgery in the same ward as me for an ectopic pregnancy and I am so jealous. I know that’s crazy

Can sickness get worse again towards the end of the pregnancy ? Does anyone find that it's worse when they're really tired and run down ?

Yes I’m afraid so. Mine has flared up again in the 3rd trimester (29 weeks now) and I can’t even seem to keep ondansetron down when it’s bad.

The more I rest the better I feel.

I threw up 7x before school run today, including up the wall in the en-suite 😳

Good news is the obstetrician approved my request for a c-section, regardless of whether placenta moves up or not. She was very kind about my fears of haemorrhage on labour ward with no theatre free, and admitted there’s an increased risk with low lying placenta even if it moves.

I don’t have a date yet, but have another scan in 3 weeks. If placenta’s near cervix still she’ll do the c-section at 37 weeks, if it moves out the way she’ll book me in for the op around 38-39 weeks. Apparently if I go into labour early (had my son naturally at 37 weeks) they’ll do the c-section straight away and bump me up the list as it’s now considered a planned section.

Such a relief in the darkness of HG!