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.

Hi @Georgie2022 if I were you I would call 111 and speak to them. They can get you an appointment with an emergency GP who will treat you based on what they see not based on what you've been told already. Ask for an in-person appointment and get them to check your urine. You may need to go to A&E for a drip to rehydrate you. Don't let them fob you off you don't have to feel like this

Thanks @ohCARP , that’s exactly it - feeling fobbed off which is horrible when you feel so awful. We’re going to go and see someone in person, you’re right that they need to see me because it feels like no one’s grasping it with over the phone stuff. Thank you!

Even if you can drink, DON'T drink before the appointment. I made the mistake of having a glass of water before and it made me appear like I was hydrated 😑 and if anything exaggerate how you feel. Don't play it down and be a hero because some doctors are reluctant to prescribe and you don't want to give them any excuses!

It will get better. I managed on just cyclizine but others have had to try different combinations until it worked for them. You've paid your taxes and you deserve this medication!

Welcome to Laylachouchou and Georgie2022. You have aleady had great advice from ohCARP and Lovesfood1987 Georgie2022 I so agree with others. Definitely you need to be seen, and h ave your urine checked, if you haven't been able to retain liquids for over 24 hours. Laylaychouchou Sorry to hear of that unsympathetic midwife. That definitely sounds like Hyperemesis. Again, I so agree with others, do ask for other meds.
Here is my normal speil, which I hope helps you both. Ignore the parts which don't apply, obviously. 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, Vimto, 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 (M and S has been recommende), 7Up, isotonic drinks, sips of strawberry or 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 , dry cereals and slices of melon and mango. Protein drinks have also been mentioned.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I'm nearly 18 weeks. I've been lucky this time in that my sickness was much much worse than before but not for as long. I was nauseous and sick until 25 weeks with my first, with this one I've been horrifically sick for 15 weeks but haven't had the nausea. I mostly feel ok now but when I'm tired or stressed the nausea comes back. I hope you start to feel better soon

@Georgie2022 Seconded! Don’t play down your symptoms at all. You will have to fight to get any proper treatment, and to do so when you feel like you’re dying is exhausting. It took 3 weeks for me to get a sympathetic GP and the right meds with my first. But once you’ve got it sorted, it does get easier. I did a combo of ondansetron and cyclizine this time around.

@Laylachouchou Strong advocate for meds here! Even if just something mild to help your body rest and recover. Trying to grow a baby while in a state of starvation and dehydration is incredibly tough!

37weeks here! Trying to get into the mindset that there’s only about 20 days left in this torture. I’ve finally reached my pre-pregnancy weight but it’s all on baby. Nausea is still there after breakfast and dinner - lunch seems to be when I feel the best.

Thank you everyone for your help. Waited at the walk in centre for a while (was definitely triaged to low priority!) but saw a very lovely and sympathetic doctor who is referring me straight to hospital for IV - said I’m obviously very dehydrated. While hospital obviously isn’t great I’m so relieved someone has taken me seriously and not dismissed how awful I’m feeling.

@Georgie2022 I'm so glad you got to see a doctor and they took you seriously. Hopefully the hospital will sort out your medication too.

Georgie2022 I hope you feel a lot better after the fluids, and have been given effective meds.
Melleebacca Wise words. Congratulations on 37 weeks. Wise advice, as ever. It's very warm here; I suppose it's heading towards winter in NZ now.
BalletN How are things?

Forgot to add - ohCARP, I am glad you are feeling a lot better earlier this time.

@LucindaE OK thanks. My sickness has been a bit better the last few days but the nausea has got worse. I've managed a few short walks in the afternoon (and then slept for an hour to recover!) It's my 12 week scan on Tuesday so counting down towards that.

@ohCARP I'm glad your sickness has lifted a bit earlier this time. It gives me hope too!

Hi all. Just wanted to has has anyone else had the fragmin injections? I'm due to start them Monday. My HG was a factor but so was my age and pre-pregnancy weight.

Did too much yesterday and paid the price with it, a stark reminder about pacing things.

Hope everyone is having an ok weekend

Hello all, I've really appreciated reading the advice on here since my sickness began at 6 weeks. I'm nearly 18 weeks now and am finally able to drink water again 🙌🏻

I now have a 1-2-1 midwife who thinks I should have had more support earlier on, so at least she believes how genuinely ill I have felt. She has recommended trying Vitamin B6 and to use the guidance on the HER Foundation website. As this is an American organisation their recommendation is 50mg per day. Is this the same daily amount that is suggested here in the UK? I don't want to take too much as I'm anxious enough as it is.

I can't manage a pregnancy vitamin at the moment as they're massive, but I have a vitamin D spray and I already take a high dose of Folic Acid as I have epilepsy (and have been told to continue this as it will do no harm).

BalletN Congratulations on those walks. Good about the scan coming up.
I hope everyone is - sort of - managing today...

@CurbsideProphet dont worry too much about the quantity of B6. If you take too much of most micronutrients like vitamins, all that really happens is you get expensive urine. It’s much more important to be careful with synthetic medications and follow the guidelines that come with them closely.

@PopGoesBang sorry - I have no idea about them at all! I’m always doing too much and making myself worse. I’m so desperate to get everything in order before the baby that I’m making nausea worse and adding in contractions. Probably doesn’t help that I’m so sick of my bland diet that I’m being more adventurous with my food and ending up even more nauseous!

@LucindaE Yes, lovely autumn days here! We’ve had almost a month of dry, warm days, and the rain has just come this weekend which is well appreciated. I do love autumn, and am very much looking forward to hibernating for the winter with a newborn!

Hello everyone, hope you are all managing okay. I was in hospital overnight Friday and all day Saturday. I did feel a bit better on discharge though had to be very firm with them that I wanted to be prescribed different drugs before discharge as I was worried they were going to discharge me with just cyclizine which hadn’t helped enough to prevent me going into hospital in the first place.
I seem to have been lucky that the nurses and doctors were mostly more sympathetic than others experienced - it must be very hard when the medical staff are so dismissive. But thank you all for your advice about how to navigate the system - my husband wasn’t allowed in to any appointments with me and I had been expecting him to be able to advocate for me, so having to explain everything myself when I felt so ill was very difficult but your advice helped a lot, so thank you.

My sickness has reduced a fair amount on the new tablets, though I was still sick after everything I ate yesterday so I probably still need to try something different. While everyone keeps telling me it should get better at 12 - 14 weeks, and I hope it does, I’m not sure they understand how far away that sounds to me at 9 weeks! One day at a time I guess.

@Georgie2022 it will improve, but I always find weeks 9-12 the hardest mentally and physically. I also didn’t stop vomiting with even the strongest meds until I was past the peak, so don’t be too discouraged if you’re still having some sickness.

Hey everyone!
I’ve been suffering from a horrible nauseous feeling constantly for about a week now (conveniently when I was supposed to come on my period) anyways, I’ve just taken a test and it was a BFP. I was just looking for some fellow nauseous people for advice really lol! I’ve tried ginger biscuits and they’re just not really touching the sides. I think I’m still very early, according to the NHS I’m only 4 weeks, I’ve yet to call the doctors.
Thank you in advance everyone.

Georgie2022 Wise words from Mellebacca.
Melleebacca That sounds nice, about hibernatng with baby. Ha, Ha, about 'expensive urine'!
Waves to all.

I have gradually been feeling better and from week 26 my sickness has almost gone. Around weeks 6-15 along with the sickness I was dizzy and felt faint lots.

Yesterday this seems to have kicked back in. I spent 4 hours where I had to lie down yesterday and it's been on and off today.

Any tips for the feeling faint?

I started back at work 2 weeks ago, after a failed attempt around weeks 16 and 17. I feel like I can't go on the sick again. I've been off nearly 5 months.

I work in a school and part time so I have 13 more days in total left. I decided to take maternity early at week 34.

I forgot to say I'm taking promethazine teoclate everyday and have been since about week 8. Tried something else first, think it was cyclezine and it didn't work.

@RedLipsticks I get a prescription for medication as soon as my doctor confirms pregnancy. I normally am nauseous for a day before my period, and then if pregnant it builds up and vomiting starts around 5wks. Taking medication religiously from as early as possible pushes my vomiting back a week or two.

@Spottybutterfly I always have low blood pressure. My tricks are, drink plenty of fluids, eat regularly and when changing position, do it slowly. If I get light headed, I sit immediately and put my head between my knees until I start feeling better.
You may be having a slight relapse due to doing too much, or potentially eating a triggering food (sugar is one of mine). If you have meds, try taking them at max dose to get you to the end of work and then start weaning off them.

@Spottybutterfly I also work in a school. During my first pregnancy, the doctor signed me back for afternoons only until I took mat leave early. Whole days just sent me backwards. I'm still of sick just now but planning to ask for that again when I go back. My head teacher also gave me an electric fan to keep blowing cold air at me!

I had my 12 week scan today. The baby was uncooperative so they couldn't get proper measurements, so I've to go back in 3 weeks. Everything looked fine though. At least I get the bonus of an extra scan to keep me going.

RedLipsticks Sorry I cross posted and missed you. Welcome. I hope you will escape with normal pregnancy sickness, but it is certainly early for it to start, and I so agree with Melleebacca about getting meds early. Just in case it turns into Hyperemesis I am quoting my normal speil, which I hope helps you both. Ignore the parts which don't apply, obviously. 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, Vimto, 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 (M and S has been recommende), 7Up, isotonic drinks, sips of strawberry or 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 , dry cereals and slices of melon and mango. Protein drinks have also been mentioned.
PopGoesBang Sorry that I don't know about those injections either. I hope someone can advise you.
BalletN Congratulations on the scan.
SpottyButterfly Great advice from Melleebacca ab out resuming the meds untl you stop working. Sorry to hear you are suffering again.
Waves to CurbsideProphet and everyone.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I ended up at the MAU today, eventually and they couldn't find anything wrong. But the doctor said they seeing if coming off the Promethazine teoclate works as it could be making me drowsy along with my antidepressant (clomipramine). The way she said it was like that could be causing the dizziness.

Personally think she's talking bollocks, drowsy and dizzy are not the same. Also it's strange I've been taking them together for 23 weeks and the last 9 weeks I haven't felt dizzy. The first weeks I was dizzy and nauseous, then it changed to just nausea.

I'm concerned that coming off the Promethazine will make the nausea worse where as I'm getting by now.