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.

@ohCARP ah so glad to hear you are doing better!! Mine is on and off, one day I’ll be fine, the next in bed again. Struggling with the nice weather as I feel bad for not wanting to get out and leave the house haha.

I had my 12 week scan today! Measuring 12w 5d- due date of 4th January :)

HG wise I've had a really rough couple of weeks, but noticed a link between starting iron tablets and sickness getting worse so I've stopped the iron for now. Sickness has definitely eased up since stopping, but is rather unpredictable now - just glad I'm managing to eat a little more 😅

Coming back to this, I had a call with the GP this morning. She said cyclizine is fine but the worry is Prochlorperazine, there’s been a link to nerve issues in babies but didn’t get much detail. She said there’s just so little data for obvious reasons. She suggests I should try and cut it down if I can but also said my midwife or consultant will have more knowledge than her so to ask them. I have a consultant appointment on Friday so will ask more then. Just thought it might be useful to hear this update!

@Worryant That's really helpful. Thanks for sharing!

In the third trimester it can cause something called extrapyramidal effects when the baby is born which is basically muscle contractions and the inability to be still. If after birth they suspect any of these side effects they will monitor baby. But these effects aren’t long term and will subside. They are side effects that can even happen to anyone when we take the drug class prochlorperazine belongs to.

This is what the GP meant by “nerve issues”. I wouldn’t worry too much, like with anything take in moderation, so maybe just decrease the dose and alternate until you feel you no longer need them :)

@JessV12 what iron tablets were you taking and at what strength? There are certain ones that even when not pregnant make people feel sick! But there’s others that are better such as ferrograd with vitamin c!

Hi everyone,
I'm sorry I haven't had any experience with prochloperazine other than early in this pregnancy and I have stopped taking it now!

I'm not sure if it was the hot weather or just my peak but after a few good days on ondansetron (I even made it to my big boys sports day!!) last Thursday the vomiting started again and has barely stopped since. Thankfully today we had our dating scan and all was well. Such a relief. I asked the midwife f I could take anything in addition to the ondansetron and she has prescribed my cyclizine. With my second pregnancy I took ondansetron 3x per day and one cyclizine before bed and this did the trick, but i must have been about 16 weeks at this point. I think I'm going to need all 3 doses each day at this point.

Could anyone please share what their ondansetron/cyclizine schedule looks like and what you have found works? I might try the cyclizine throughout the night as a PP so wisely suggested, but is it better to stagger them both throughout the day? Help much appreciated!

ChloeHel Great advice for Worryant and BalletN.
Worryant Thanks for the update on Prochlorperazine. That is a pest. Of course, doctors have to balance the small risk of these side effects with the very real dangers of dehydration.
JessV12Congrats on scan. I've added your date. I had that with iron tablets. I''m glad to hear from ChloeHel and from others that there are less indigistible iron tablets available these days.
buntywindermere Sorry to hear of the relapse. Glad that the doctor has prescribed Cyclizine to add to the Ondansertron. I hope someone can advise about staggering the meds soon.

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
JessV12 4 January

I’m so pleased that one of my suggestions has gone on the acceptable drinks list. 😍

I have also had my dating scan, where the baby was upside down for the whole thing. The sonographer said everything was fine the baby was just awkward 🤣.

ElephantGrey101 Happy news about the scan being all good. Frozen smoothies sounds a great idea!
Waves to all.

@ChloeHel I was on ferrous sulfate 200mg! I've had luck in the past with spatone/similar supplements so I'm going to give that a go and see what my levels are at in a couple of weeks, if not I'll ask about a more tolerable tablet- thank you!

Hi All, I am tentatively joining in and following this thread. I am 5+5 due 26th Feb. My last pregnancy I had HG from 6 weeks and was very rough until about 23 weeks then it eased a good bit. I was on cariban tablets 3 times a day, which did help a small bit, but I did find it hard to function. So I am so nervous now approaching 6 weeks, I'll have a 22 month old to take care of this time round. Can't go straight to bed after work.
Has anyone had it in multiple pregnancies? Am I just destined to get it?

Ballyboo this is my second pregnancy and I have hyperemersis again but I am not nearly as bad as I was last time. Hopefully you are lucky and do t get it. Can you get preemptive medication. My GP was happy to prescribe them for me. That can prevent you developing it or reduce the severity.

Ballyboo1986 Welcome. Sorry about the apprehension. There's lots of support on these threads. I can't improve on ElephantGrey101's advice about how pre-emptive meds can reduce the severity, and how some are lucky and escape it. It's good that it did get a lot better last time. They may well find a Are there family and friends who might be able to help out, if the worst comes to the worst? As you are a veteran, you don't need my normal spiel about drinks, kesostix, and anti acids. I've added your date.
JessV12 With luck, they'll find one that suits.

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
JessV12 4 January
Ballyboo1986 26 February

Ballyboo1986 Sorry - that should read: 'They may well find an anti emetic or a combination that helps more this time. There are several that they can try.'

@Ballyboo1986 congratulations on this pregnancy, sorry you're feeling apprehensive about HG. From what I've read HG is very likely to reoccur, but in a few people it doesn't. I've had HG in all my pregnancies, taking ondansetron in combination with cyclizine and prochloperazine this time has made this one the most manageable (last time I had metoclopramide with cyclizine and prochloperazine and that wasn't as an effective combination for me), as Lucinda said it might be a case of finding the right combination of medications that work for you, and taking them as early as possible. Having HG with a young child is a whole different experience so I hope you find something that helps you function hug.

Slightly TMI, but I have had the worst ondansetron constipation the past few days. Trying to open my bowels this evening felt worse than giving birth (no exaggeration). DH has said he'll stop in at the pharmacy tomorrow to get me some lactulose, I never want to go through that again 😓.

In slightly more positive news I had my booking appointment yesterday and it was with a midwife I've previously worked with (just once but we remembered each other!) and who is a fellow HG survivor. It's nice having a midwife who gets it and she has said she'll be my named midwife, I'm hoping this pregnancy may actually be a good(ish) experience (sickness aside) 🤞.

Hi everyone, I’ve just read through most recent posts and some great info here re: meds. I had HG with my first pregnancy but it got better at 16 weeks and then better again at 20 weeks, though I always had low level nausea which didn’t go away completely until a few weeks after the birth when I could finally look at certain foods again!

I am now 14 weeks pregnant with my second child, looking after my 19 month old (who I adore) and I think it’s all starting to affect me a bit mentally- just the endurance of the constant nausea and sickness. Oh my first pregnancy, I had horrendous nausea but didn’t actually
vomit until 7 or 8 weeks at which point it became relentless but this pregnancy, I was throwing up twice a day from 5 weeks and called the doctor for meds straight away..

ive been on a full dose of cyclizine ever since and I totally agree that preemptive is good- the Cyclizine definitely reduced the vomiting to one or two a day at most and not every day. The nausea is more manageable and I have been able to eat (albeit not all foods) in a much more manageable way. i also haven’t had any time off work and have managed for my toddler, thought the effort of all of this is maybe starting to show on me.

I am exhausted….. I think the mental drain of dealing with these symptoms, trying to hide them in public, trying to put a smile on is so so so hard. The strict routine of taking meds at particular
times and eating at particular times plus rest is the only way to stay functioning and that too is exhausting.

I have a very loving husband but he also really struggles to understand that if im Not heaving over the toilet, if doesn’t mean im not suffering pretty badly. It’s almost like the more I manage the more people assume I’m not suffering.

Anyway… I know you ladies can relate. Having a day where im just feeling so fed up with it and wondering how much longer it will go on (a long time no doubt.)

love to all of you. Xx

I’m also starting to suffer from acid reflux now too (which also set in layer last time) so thinking of calling the doctor for something for that… I can’t remember what I was prescribed last time but I think that also helped with the sickness/ nausea as well as the reflux.

Merryhen Great advice for Ballyboo1986 . Never worry about TMi on here! That sounds awful. Apart from Lactulose, some are helped by those suppositories, though they won't sell them to pregnant women despite them using them in hospitals. I know there are other laxatives recommended, but don't recall their names.
That's so good about having the support of a Hyperemesis survivor midwife.
Snowwhite2020 Congratulations about managing a toddler, work and Hyperemesis and having reached 14 weeks without time off. That is really good. I'm glad the combination of meds is helping. I so agree about anti acids greatly helping nausea and vomiting. Would that have been Omprazole? There's been a health scare over Ranitidine, and they've had to withdraw it.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked. Much sympathy over people thinking if you're not in a state of collapse you're fine. It sounds as if you are being too stoic!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Yes @LucindaE Omeprazole. I’ll report back about how it goes/ if it helps on top of the other meds. Thank you for your kind words, as always xx

Snowwhite Hopefully it will. Cheering you and everyone on.

Evening everyone, I'm not currently pregnant but I was an occasional poster here in my last pregnancy and found a lot of good advice and support on this thread.

I'm currently breastfeeding my 16 month old son and I'm thinking of trying for baby number two later this year. I'd hoped that he would be the one to decide when he was ready to stop b-feeding but as I've been sick each time I've become pregnant I'm worried I won't be able to cope with continued feeding and the sickness. When pregnant with him I was on cyclizine for the whole of the pregnancy.
Does anyone have any experience of continuing to breastfeed whilst pregnant and unwell / breastfeeding whilst on medication for Hg?

@christmasbox such a shame you have to even think about Hg in the context of breastfeeding. I purposefully stopped at 14 months breastfeeding my daughter because I didn’t want to add anything to the hell that is HG… it is such a personal decision when to stop though and you might be lucky and get a few weeks at the start of the new pregnancy where you know you’re pregnant and could stop? Depends how much you are actually feeding at this stage how easy it would be to stop quickly, if that’s what you decided. I also dropped the feeds slowly to ensure nothing unpleasant on the hormone front since HG had made me a bit paranoid about hormones and their power!

Has anyone here with HG had a high reading for HCG in their blood whilst pregnant? I know that’s only part of the recipe that leads to hyperemesis but I did notice my HCG levels were above “very high” with this pregnancy. Doesn’t stop it either way but just wondering what others’ experience was.

love to all tonight. Hope no one suffering in the heat xx

Hi @christmasbox unfortunately I had to give up BFing my 22 month old when I got pregnant. I managed about a week and it was hideous. I started on cyclizine the week after and Dr. advised me not to BF. Thankfully DS weaned really smoothly and there were no issues! I was only really feeding him for comfort in the morning and before bed at that stage though.

@Snowwhite2020 I haven't had bloods taken and tested for hcg levels in this pregnancy, but I did during my miscarriage where I still suffered with HG. I couldn't tell you numbers but my levels were so high the nurses were surprised and then said no wonder you're still feeling poorly. My baby stopped growing the first week of January but I didn't get a negative test until the very last few days of March. This is not meant to panic you about mc at all, just indicates crazy high hcg levels!! I got a positive really early this time too.

I am really in awe of anyone coping with a baby or toddler and hyperemersis. My little boy is 4 and I think any point before this I would not have managed. I breastfed him for a really long time because he is a poor sleeper and it was the only way he would go to sleep. I do find that lack of sleep makes my sickness worse so although I have not breastfed with hyperemersis I think that how well your child sleeps is an important consideration.

Today I have been really hungry and I haven’t felt hungry at all since I have been pregnant even when I haven’t kept anything down for days.

ChristmasboxI'm glad this thread helped you beofre. You've had such great advice from others, I haven't much to add. Sadly, I didn't go for it again anyway. I gave up breast feeding when my daughter was five months because I was one of the unlucky ones who get milder Hyperemesis symptoms with the let down reflex. From what I've seen on these threads, it does seem to be problematic to try and breast feed if youre liable to severe pregnancy sickness or Hyperemesis, as it is so dififcult to keep hydrated. It's a shame, really, as others say, that sufferers have to keep this in mind when planning when to go for another.
Great advice from Snowwhite2020, buntywindermere ElephantGrey101 and everyone. ElephantGrey101 Good news on the hunger front.