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.

Nelly040 Welcome. As you have read through the thread, you don't need my normal spiel. I hopesomeone can advise you about Xonvea and Cyclizine. Can the prescribing doctor advise? I have a feeling some on here have been on both, but I can't swear to it, sorry.
Worryant Sorry attempt to come off meds failed, but after all, a lot of sufferers feel worse round 20 weeks due to a hormonal surge, so maybe it's a good thing you are still on them. Glad you are coping on them.
IHaveBeenFallingFor30Minutes I'm sorry that things are bad. I hope they can sort something out in hospital.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

ElephantGrey101 Cross posted. Glad that the Cyclizine is helping you sleep. Sorry you are still in hospital.

@Worryant yes, my HG got bad again at around the 20 week mark! Definitely a surge in hormones.

@Nelly040 you shouldn’t really take them together as they are both in the same drug class so could have an increased effect in sedation/drowsiness. You could try one Xonvea before bed, then take one cyclizine in the morning to see how it affects you.

@Worryant I had a increase in feeling nauseous and a small print of vomiting at 20 weeks ish. It did settle back a bit. But still not enough to stop my tablets when I tried a couple of weeks ago.

I'm 32 weeks now and feel like I'm going to be on the tablets to the end.

The liquid antibiotics I've now been given are much easier to get down. Did have a failure taking my antidepressants earlier where I kept gagging trying to swallow the capsule and covered myself in juice.

@Spottybutterfly how did you get your antibiotics in liquid form? My boyfriend wants me to try and get liquid forms of all of my medications as I struggle to swallow tablets so much.

Thank you ChloeHel, Lucinda and ElephantGrey! I’ll steer clear of the cyclizine and check with my DR too. Hope everyone is holding up ok today

@ChloeHel oh blimey, I've just come on here to ask about this - 22 weeks here now - and saw your comment about nausea getting worse again at 20 weeks. I was late taking my ondansetron on Saturday night as I was out at a formal dinner and I thought that was the reason I was then feeling awful (hardly able to move/do anything again) on Sunday. I've been better yesterday and today but nowhere near as good as I was last week - just feel really uncomfortable in my stomach 😥

I had a total melt down on the phone. Cried, said I didn't think even medicine would stay down but I'd like to try. Said I'd been hyperventilating and used to get panic attacks so know this isn't good.

Pointed out even if I didn't have covid and morning sickness a would struggle to swallow them.

My cousin can't take any tablets (where as I can manage with smaller ones) and generally she can only get medicine by taking home the tablets to "try" and take them then speaking to the Dr crying saying she couldn't do it so they give her medicine.

Sorry my advice isn't of much use.

Early on in pregnancy when the sickness was really bad I could could only use chocolate milk to swallow tablets/ vitamins. Something to do with the liquid being a bit thicker helped. If I remember correctly the vitamin d, folic acid and vitamin b12 I could chew which made it easier. However vitamin b6 is soooo salty even now if I can't swallow it first time I just spit it out and give up.

@Weathergirl1 yeah mine did worsen for a few weeks, but I had also reduced my Xonvea dose haha! I’ve managed to stay on that dose now and feel ok so I definitely blame the 20 week surge for the increase in N&V!

@ElephantGrey101 it depends what medication you take; but you can take most in capsule form and generally you can empty the capsules to take the granules! Sadly a lot of medications that are liquid form are extremely expensive so GP’s are reluctant to prescribe them. Unless antibiotics because antibiotics are relatively cheap as a solution. With some normal tablets you can actually dissolve them in a small amount of water and take them that way. Your local pharmacist will be able to tell you which of your regular meds you can do that with..if they are helpful that is haha. I would be happy to help if there are any specific ones you wanted to know about!

ChloeHel Great advice and particularly about emptying capsules and taking the granules.
SpottyButterfly Glad you've been given liquid antibiotics. Good tip about chocolate milk's thickness helping to get tablets down.
Weathergirl1 I hope it goes off again soon.
Waves to Nelly040 and ElephantGrey101 Worryant and everyone.

Thanks so much to everyone who took the time to reply, there’s so much support on this group. Did NOT realise you get a hormone surge at around 20 weeks so couldn’t have picked a worst time to try and wean off tablets 🤦🏻‍♀️
But half way mark and twenty week scan looming 🥳 Finally feel like I might actually make it to the finish line!

Worryant You are so right; the halfway mark is a big milestone!

I hope everyone is coping today. Not so hot, anyway...

Very quiet on here, which I hope is a good sign.

I am doing a lot better since I have been in hospital. I have discovered that you can buy ice lollies that are frozen smoothies so I have been living on them.

I'm 18 weeks and also doing much better than I was. I'm on cyclizine and prochloroperazine. Last pregnancy I was on them till the end but the gp says apparently that's not recommended any more for third trimester. So might need to switch eg to ondansetron. I haven't had much success with ondansetron previously due to the constipation. And I throw lactulose up immediately. Anyone on any different laxitives with ondansetron?

Thank you for the checkin @LucindaE Doing much better here since I went back on meds. If I sleep in a bit and am even just an hour later taking them I feel sick so it’s good to know they’re working and how important they are. Hope everyone else is doing ok.

ElephantGrey101 I'll have to add frozen smothies to the list of suggested drinks and foods 'of a sort'. I'm so glad thing s are a bit better since being discharged.
BalletN I never knew that about Cyclizine and Prochlorperazine. Did the GP explain why Ondansetron was better in the third tri? I hope someone else can advise about alternatives to Lactulose; I know there are some.
Worryant I'm glad to hear that.
Waves to all.

I’ve not heard that about cyclizine and Prochlorperazine @BalletN - did the GP say why? I’m on both and am twenty weeks.

Here's the Due Dates list. I am sure that BuffyFanForever has had her twins, now, as they were due a week ago.

Due Dates
PopGoesBang 7 August
FarmWife 12 August
rainbowzebra05 15 September
ChloeHel 5 October
Weathergirl1 12 October
Kiwi202 15 October
ohCARP 16 October
tigger2022 18 November
BalletN 25 November
greenerfingers 28 November
Watermelonbonnie 2 December
ElephantGrey101 29 December
buntywindermere 4 January

Worrant I am sure that a number of sufferers on these threads have been on that combination throughout: I hope someone can advise. I never heard of that either...

Thanks @LucindaE it does seem a pretty common combo so am hoping it’s fine to continue. As I mentioned at length my attempt to wean off was disastrous!
My due date is 14th November by the way - feel a bit more confident post the 20 week scan.

@LucindaE @Worryant She said that the guidance had changed since my first pregnancy - not sure if that's correct or why. I'm not due to discuss it for another couple of weeks so I might phone pregnancy sickness support for advice before speaking to her again.

Just checking back in. Hope everyone is ok! My sickness is gone for the most part but I do still get some nausea however omeprazole is helping with that. I'm still having food aversions as well but I think I can cope with that as long as I'm not actually sick.

@BalletN I had that combination last pregnancy and nobody said anything about not taking it in the third trimester. I wonder what had changed 🤔

BalletN A good idea to ring Pregnancy Sickness Support about this third tri concern that the GP raised and it might be an idea for Worryant to ring them too for reassurance as much as anything. What is ironic is that various sufferers in the past have been taken off Ondansetron in the third tri because of the then guidelines, which seem to change all the time ! Wlorryant I've added your date.
Congratulations on being over halfway.
ohCARP That is happy news.
Waves to all.

Due Dates
PopGoesBang 7 August
FarmWife 12 August
rainbowzebra05 15 September
ChloeHel 5 October
Weathergirl1 12 October
Kiwi202 15 October
ohCARP 16 October
Worryant 14 November
tigger2022 18 November
BalletN 25 November
greenerfingers 28 November
Watermelonbonnie 2 December
ElephantGrey101 29 December
buntywindermere 4 January