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.

@Waddlegoose you know what’s best for your family - whatever you decide, that’s the right thing for you.

Waddlegoose It is very hard. As you know, almost everyone does get better than they were in the first tri, and very often, too, sufferers do find that one of the combinations helps them enough to make things bearable. What are the new meds they offered? There was one sufferer on here who was saying the same as you, but her doctor offered her steroids and she was able to keep on.Do speak to a counsellor before you make any irreversable decisions.But if you can't face it, nobody is going to sit on moral judgement on you on this thread.

Melleebacca What you say is so true. Sympathy about your father having cancer and your having Hyperemesis at the same time.
PopGoesBank So true about women.
Sunnierdays7 My own run in with the scourage was not severe or long lasting, and long ago, so I'll leave it to others to answer your question.
7Worfs I think you deserve a medal for working at all.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

@FateHasRedesignedMost a little jealous of your c-section, it must be lovely to have an idea of date of when this all will end. I don’t want a c-section, I just want an end date! I’m hoping he comes before 40wks like his sisters!
Sorry to hear the vomiting has gotten worse!

@Waddlegoose oh, I know exactly how it feels to be in your shoes. Loads of sympathy. I’m sure you will make the best decision for your family and there is no judgement here.

I just did athletics day at school, supposedly all staff have to help out. I did get the job of timing races, so it’s wasn’t very physical and I could just sit the whole day. But I was at work 2hrs longer than normal and I feel exhausted now! Going to leave early on Friday to balance everything out. I haven’t been sleeping well due to restless legs.

@Waddlegoose you sound like you're suffering a lot. I know exactly what you mean when you say it feels like nobody cares. There really is an attitude of "of course you're being sick you're pregnant what did you expect?" I really don't think doctors understand how fucking awful it is a lot of the time. In general it feels like nobody cares about the baby until it's viable either and anything pre 24 weeks is just an inconvenience to them.

You have to make the choice that's right for you based on your quality of life. Nobody will judge you for whatever you decide. I hope you're as ok as you can be.

So as long as I do nothing but lie on the sofa and eat toast every 2-3 hours I feel just about ok but exhausted. Ok enough to feel guilty for not being at work, but I know if I went in it would be awful.

I'm meant to be back in next week. I already don't enjoy my job and my time back from my last maternity leave has been a joke. I just don't want to go back at all. I'm so stressed I can't even look at my emails. When I emailed my sick note I had to do it quick enough that I didn't accidentally ready any other emails.

I hate this.

Melleebacca That sounds like a long day to me. Roll on your maternity leave.
ohCARP Do ask for your sick note to be extended. You're obviously nohing like well enough to return for a good while yet.

@Waddlegoose here if you need me as I know what your going through, been there got the T shirt xxx

@ohCARP I’m the same with work emails, I can’t even bring myself to log into them to look at them. I have to ring them again on Monday to say I’m off for another x amount of weeks. But I’m not feeling guilty because I know I physically can’t do it! Just keep taking as much time as you need

I’m peaking guys :( 10 weeks now and all of a sudden it’s gotten so much worse! I’m crying all day, please someone show me the light at the end! I actually started to feel a bit better on the weekend but now I’m back to where I started pre-meds! :(

Those of you who are bed bound like me, are you doing anything to decrease risk of DVT? My husband keeps worrying me saying he’s worried about me getting DVT! I don’t know whether it’s worth getting a hold of some compression socks.

Hey all I was wondering if anyone has tips on extreme dizziness and fainting. I’ve barely left the house as Eve time I stand up everything goes black. I spoke to midwife who said it’s low blood pressure but didn’t suggest how to help it. Any tips gratefully received as I’m struggling to get out of the house safely at all

@ChloeHel I've cried a lot today too. And shouted. I feel like a useless short tempered mum. Someone from work texted me to see how I am and ask when I'm going back and that's made me angry too. Only management know I'm pregnant but now I'm feeling pressured by colleagues to go back.

Compression socks might not be a bad idea if you're bed bound. They can't hurt anyway and might put your and your husband's minds at rest. I got some from Amazon years ago and they weren't very expensive

@BuffyFanForever

Hey all I was wondering if anyone has tips on extreme dizziness and fainting. I’ve barely left the house as Eve time I stand up everything goes black. I spoke to midwife who said it’s low blood pressure but didn’t suggest how to help it. Any tips gratefully received as I’m struggling to get out of the house safely at all

I have POTS which makes me probe to fainting. Best advice is to drink lots of water and eat salty food. Easier said than done when you're being sick though!

Are you in medication? Cyclizine helps with dizziness

*prone

@ohCARP unless obviously you are quite close with the colleague, they shouldn’t really be texting you! Usually in work places if someone is off on the sick then the manager should be saying to the colleagues please don’t contact them they are unwell! My manager text me the other day just to say they all miss me, I wish the feelings were reciprocated! But the only thing I miss right now is more normal bloody life! Don’t feel pressured at all, health and sanity before work!

Oh good shout with Amazon! I’ll get some now - thanks :)

Just popping my head in as after nearly 11 years to the day of having my youngest and this thread literally saving me making me laugh, cry and generally being awesome, I’m pregnant again (yes I am crazy) only 4 weeks and no sickness so far…but last time it started at 8 weeks and lasted till the end. Please someone tell me things have moved forward and it’s better now days I don’t think I can cope with a 10 week hospital stay and midwife’s and doctors telling me it’s all in my head! I’m scared to read the thread

katystar Welcome back to the thread nobody wants to be on. I am glad the thread helped you last time. Congratulations on your pregnancy. Things have got a bit better - these days many doctors prescribe anti emetics pre-emptively to those who suffered badly before. Do enquire. Ondansetron is perscribed more frequently now (you'll probably remember you need a laxative with that) and there's a new drug called Xonvea which has helped a good few on here.
Starbeach
ohCARP Good advice for BuffyFanForever and others. Sympathies over tears and stresses from work and having to cope with LO's when suffering from this scourge.
ChloeHelGentle cyber pats on offer, for you and ohCARrP Things will almost certainly improve, if you're at the 10 weeks stage. Take it one day at a time. Are there any (non edible) treats you can give yourself for coping?
I hope everyone is coping today.

How is everyone? Sorry for all the suffering!

I made the mistake of toast for breakfast and vomited 8x afterwards, including losing the omeprazole and ondansetron etc. Oddly I feel better after vomiting a lot so school run doesn’t feel as daunting as it did early in the morning. 6 year old has been off 2 days with a cold, now I have it and every sneeze/cough jars my back and hips!

I’m almost 30 weeks now and the baby seems to be taking up a lot of space. I feel like I can only get comfortable if I lie down or walk (but walking triggers SPD so I can’t win!) Hubby’s getting fed up with me being in bed so much, he’s having a stressful week at work and says he needs my help. I want to help I just can’t find the energy, and cooking leads to vomiting (and burning everything) as evenings are the worst.

Anyone else retire to bed at 6pm? Lying down is such a relief!

@FateHasRedesignedMost Me! It's a bit of a running joke that when dd goes to bed that's me upstairs for the rest of the evening. I'm far comfier laid down/sprawled out.
I had the back handed compliment last week of 'see the house is much better when you do the tidying' yes, even I can agree with that, but was it worth the evening of being sick and feeling rubbish - no! Dp best get better at it himself, cos he is gonna have to help out and become a pro himself.
It's hard when you know it's a tough week for them, but physically and mentally they are likely to be ok again next week, where if we push ourselves we'll be suffering more. It's a very hard balance. We can only do what we can do.

Hello all, it's been a couple of weeks since I posted. I'm approaching 37 weeks now and feeling optimistic that this will all be over soon.

The vomiting and nausea really eased up about 34/35 weeks and I've had two weeks of eating normal foods just in smaller amounts. Amazing! The last two days the nausea has returned and my blood pressure has risen enough that I'm having 3 x weekly monitoring at the hospital. Luckily baby is still kicking and growing happily. Latest eviction will be by the end of the month so not long to go now, thank god!

Hope you are all doing well and plodding on through it all.

alpinia Nice to hear from you again. Congratulations on reaching thirty-seven weeks, with the end so near. Sorry to hear that you only had a couple of weeks of relief from nausea and vomiting.
FateHasRedesignedMost Aagh! I hope that was eight heaves, the way doctors often count, and not eight different vomiting sessions? I am sure that your OH - and that of PopGoesBang' - does feel he could do with some help when having a busy week - but you aren't doing so little housework for the fun of it! That is a bit provoking.

Argh I’m 26 weeks today and I went to see a doc at the surgery who I’ve not seen before for a repeat of my ondansetron and also because I have had this really annoying cough and feeling like something is stuck between my tonsil and the back of my mouth but only when I’m tired for the last 2 months. Which then the useless coughing that I do to try get rid of the then makes me sick.

She took my temp and listened to my chest and said I havent got a chest infection - this I know already! So it has to be acid reflux but I had to ask her to check my throat grr and then to top it off she said why am I on Ondansetron - as I have hg I said oh well you shouldn’t take that have you tried ginger biscuits!! How I refrained from shouting at her I really don’t know 22 weeks I’ve been suffering with this if ginger biscuits worked do think I wouldn’t have tried 🤬🤬🤬🤬🤬

@Starbeach you have got to be joking…I’m sorry but I would have more than likely said something very sarcastic. Did you ask WHY you shouldn’t be taking ondansetron? Doctors shouldn’t be saying things like that as it can trigger anxiety! And bloody ginger biscuits..if only haha.

Also, you might have post nasal drip? I’ve had it for the last 3 weeks, feels like a huge lump of mucus stuck in my throat! Its horrible.

@ChloeHel I think I was taken a back tbh how could she be so bloody dismissive. She just said you shouldn’t unnecessarily be taking tablets while pregnant, sadly another alleged Gp who knows nothing of hg. I’ve got another appointment next week she just gave me gaviscon for the cough which is useless.

But the ginger biscuits comment was just beyond stupid I expect that off every well meaning family and friends who has no idea how bad it really is

Getting my 28wk glucose test done. In tears. I’ve been told off for sitting cross legged on the chair because they don’t want my feet on the chairs. I’m trying not to hurl, and my body is going on a crazy sugar overload. It never lets me stomach sugar when pregnant, and I feel awful. I’ve got the shakes and my body is fighting the fight or flight reflex. The sugar is making me panic. Plus the stupid cow who won’t let me sit in a comfy position.

@Melleebacca No help at all but I feel for you. I'm dreading mine and it isn't until May. I hope everything's settles a bit for you and that the time passes as quickly as it can.
I'd also possibly have said something along the lines of 'it's feet on seat or vomit all over the floor - I know which I'd rather wipe up when I'm done' so you're a better person than me!

@Melleebacca why are they so horrible when we are in such a state already I don’t know hope your glucose test went ok I’m dreading mine xx