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.

@ettariva I’m on xonvea and I do think it has helped. The one at night didn’t touch the sides, so I increased to two at night which helped a bit, but then had to start two at night and one in the morning. I’ve now weaned back down to two at night! So keep increasing until you find the dose that works best for you (no more than 4 though). The only annoying thing about xonvea is they come in packs of 20 so I’m constantly ringing the GP for a new prescription!

@Kiwi202 ah you shouldn’t have to suffer like this! How long have you been taking the ondansetron for? If GP doesn’t write a prescription today go to the pharmacy and ask to speak to the pharmacist, if you have been prescribed them more than once then please ask for an emergency supply to cover you for a few days and if the pharmacist isn’t too fussy they should be able to give you some! For future reference if it does happen again you can do this :)

Hi, how’s everyone doing? To whoever asked about covid (sorry I’ve lost track!) I’d call your GP to see if you need the risk assessment. I had covid a few weeks ago and being over 35 and having HG put me in the ‘at risk’ category so I had 2 weeks of heparin injections. I felt like I had a bad cold and cough for a week then suddenly felt better.

I’ve just upped it to two xonvea at night.

Ah running out of meds is the worst! Especially when then they don’t send the prescription in time and have to wait an extra day. I’ve started doing mine a week in advance to stop this happening hopefully. Gp still arsey about doing the prescription every time and will only give me 2 weeks worth at a time but the consultant emailed them so that helped!! Has anyone here ever had a pregnancy liver issue? I did in my last pregnancy and I’m sure it’s hit again but I’ve been too ill to drag myself and the now crazy toddlers to my appointments so keep rescheduling them... not good I know but don’t know how to make it there when feeling this terrible

@BuffyFanForever I had cholestasis and bypassed the GP and went straight to maternity triage! They sorted out meds for me within a day!

@ChloeHel I have been tempted to do this to be honest. It’s just tricky with not having anyone to look after the babies and my wife’s at work so abit worried they’ll admit me like they did the last time. On the plus side you guys here are all absolutely fantastic, I so appreciate the replies and knowing there’s such a great load of you guys on here for support. To those on 3rd pregnancies WOW I applaud you massively. To those on 1st pregnancies as you see some of us do it again (madness?!) so you can get through it xxx

@fumedup thank you! Horrified to read that they put stuff into your IV that you didn’t consent to. That happened to me too, I had said no to Ondansetron because I was worried about the risks but they did it anyway. I’m so sorry to hear you needlessly went through that, it makes me so angry on your behalf 😞

@Melleebacca Sadly not from NZ, just the only fruit I can eat at the moment 😅 Let’s hope we get even more research on the genetic front!

@ChloeHel I didn’t know you could do that! I’ll definitely keep in mind for next time thank you. I now have my next two week batch woohoo.

@BuffyFanForever tell me about it, why don’t they just give me a month supply at least so I don’t have stress 🙄

@Kiwi202 oh yes! Tart fruit seem to be what sticks best. I’m still adding lemon juice to my water and having stewed plums on my muesli.

@tigger2022 great mantra. 9 months of pain, for a lifetime of joy! Try to get more sleep, I find that lack of sleep really makes the sickness worse (says me who has had 6 hours last night and is going to have a really rough day!)

@ChloeHel I can’t believe you’re only getting 20 at a time! This is why people get sicker. They don’t have real access to meds, they ration them, and end up much sicker than they need to be. It makes me very cranky! I always got 100 ondansetron tabs at a time. 8mg ones even, so I was able to be on the max dose of 24mg a day from 4wks to 16wks easily. And it definitely made a difference!

@FateHasRedesignedMost we are still managing to avoid COVID (and I’m not 35 till week39), but it is interesting to hear everyone’s varying accounts of what it is like. I have one Neighbour telling me to avoid it like the plague because she still is fatigued 3wks later, and another who is 37wks pregnant saying it was just a couple days of feeling run down.

I hope everyone has a better day!

if I get told to "eat ginger biscuits" one more time I think I'm going to cry at this point lol

15 weeks pregnant today I thought the sickness had gone but it's made a big comeback, been in bed all day with the bucket beside me. It will all be worth it.. it will all be worth it..

hope everyone is feeling ok xx

@Melleebacca it’s ridiculous! When I rang to reorder them the receptionist was like “so your still sick then?” Well no shit!!! They took 4 days to generate the prescription too. I was on my last tablet when the pharmacy finally received the script. Luckily I rang the pharmacy to day before to order in stock as they never have it.

I feel so sorry for us HG sufferers, we are hardly taken seriously!

I’ve got to ring work on Monday to tell them I’ll be off for another 3 weeks and I’m honestly dreading it 😭 I’ve got to ring two separate people too because of my job and oh it’s such a farce to repeat the same thing!

@veryberrie oh no! This isn’t good :( hopefully it’s just a blip! ah yes but have you tried sipping on ginger? 😂 the amount of times I’ve heard people say oh your 12 weeks now it’ll get better, well I’m 13 weeks and it’s getting worse haha!

@veryberrie if someone suggests ginger you're allowed to be sick on them. Those are my rules anyway.

@ChloeHel I remember sipping ginger tea when I was 12 weeks pregnant and ended up in hospital on IV fluids because I was sick 8 times after it - ginger is such a touchy subject for me hahaha. I'm so sorry to hear you're feeling worse, praying for you ❤️

@ohCARP hahahaha I think this will work better than just the stink face I give them

@veryberrie That really made me laugh!

I just wanted to share this in case it will help anyone who is struggling to get a toothbrush near their mouth. Aquafrash do a kids mouthwash called Big Teeth which is a very mild bubblegum flavour. I feel at least it may kill some bacteria.

Welcome to ettariva and kiwi202. As you are veterans, you hardly need my normal spiel about flat, full sugar coke, the juice of tinned fruit, ice lollies, anti acids, and 'have you got keostix, as while not th e best test of dehydration hospitals do take them seriously.' Everyone is very supportive on h ere. kiwi202 I am glad you got the meds. ettariva Several on here have been helped by Xonvea.
tigger2022 So true. 'This Too Shall Pass'.
Piper22 Thank you so much for your encouraging message.
Melleebacca That is good news, anyway. About the Hyperemesis carrying gene, that is good news.
fumedup My goodness; are you allergic to all anti-emetics?
BuffyFanForever Sorry to hear of liver issue.
veryberrie Sorry to hear of the glitch. I hope it's just a hormonal surge or a couple of bad days.
FateHasRedesignedMost I can't read my message to you, my handwriting is so bad! Sorry about that.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I hope everyone is coping today.

Anyone taking Cyclizine for sickness? I've had multiple injections and on three tablets a day, make me so drowsy though it's so difficult as I'm in my last year of uni. I'm either asleep all day or being sick all day.

Hope everyone is doing ok today xxx

@veryberrie I was prescribed cyclizine in the first instance, but it didn't help me at all, so I called the GP back a few days later and was given prochlorperazine (stemetil), which sort of helped in reducing the symptoms a bit - saw me through week 16 when nausea and vomiting stopped. I think there are better drugs out there though - stemetil gave me insomnia as a side effect and weaning off it has to be gradual.

My COVID symptoms are easing up (knock on wood!) - no high temp, headache is manageable, some cough. Still waiting for the COVID midwife to call me to assess if I need anything e.g. blood thinners.

@7Worfs ah I see, I think I tried that but it didn't work for me 😳 I'm glad you're nausea has eased.

So sorry to hear you have Covid, hope you're getting lots of rest and recover soon. Sounds very scary for you. Xx

Hi to all the newcomers! I hope you manage to figure out the right combination of meds for you, it's very frustrating having to switch it up.

@LucindaE sorry about your husbands foot! Yikes, I would not have handled that well.

@ChloeHel sounds really stressful having to explain to 2 different people in work. I hope they are supportive, you are not well enough to be there.

I've made it to 14w, although I'm ill again.. 2 weeks after covid. So annoying. Meh I think I'm a bit down about how little I'm able to do, especially with our toddler. Hopefully once I get rid of this cough I'll feel a bit better.

@nee22 totally relate to toddler guilt. I'm 12 weeks and feel like I've ignored my toddler for over a month because I just can't do anything. It's not your fault and you're probably doing more than you realise. This will pass and you'll be back to yourself at some point. Your toddler won't hold it against you.

My sickness is mostly gone but my gosh the exhaustion is kicking my arse. I think because to avoid sickness I just don't eat much or really drink so I'm in a constant state of low level hunger and fatigue. I'm back at work in 2 weeks and I honestly don't know how I'm going to do it. I get out of bed now but walking for a few minutes requires a huge nap to recover. I sleep when my toddler sleeps and when she wakes up I feel even worse than when I went to sleep in the first place and I'm counting down until my husband gets home. It's just so depressing!

I take it back. I am not "mostly over" the sickness 😭

@veryberrie you can get stronger meds. I had cyclizine combined with ondansetron. Ondansetron made it physically hard to vomit, and cyclizine turns off the vomit sensors in the brain (so you don’t think about vomiting). The combo worked really well for me, but as an antihistamine, cyclizine will make you sleepy (which I appreciated, but I understand why you may not).

@ohCARP it doesn’t sound like you’re ready to go back to work. Be prepared the extra exertion your body undergoes, will increase your sickness. With my first I had a high powered career (ish), and was off work till I hadn’t vomited for about 3 weeks, so returned at 26wks. The toll of returning to work, meant I did vomit a few times that first week back.

@nee22 I think having HG and a toddler kinda teaches your toddler to be more independent prior to there being a newborn on the scene. We had no jealously issues when DD2 was born, in fact, life got better as I was able to eat and more energetic, plus DD1 knew how to cope if I was stuck feeding the baby. She was used to entertaining herself while I lay on a bed in the same room. However, this does fade around the age they go to school and they forget they don’t need to be told what the next activity is all the time!

I’m ok here, 31wks, nausea/fatigue in mornings and evenings. An endless list of things I want to be able to do, but energy wise I’m unable to. Still haven’t hit pre-pregnancy weight.

veryberrie I so agree with others, if Cycliine knocks you out, which must be very difficult as a third year student, there are alternatives.
7worfs I am glad the Covid isn't too bad.
nee22 Thank you: that's not a thing you want to have to deal with with Hyperemesis. I am glad the Covid is clearing up. On toddler guilt suffered by you and ohCARP, you are giving them a unmatchable present in a sibling,and from all I've seen on here, they tend to forget all about the period of comparative neglect. Melleebacca speaks wisely as ever. Melleebacca Congratulations on 31 weeks!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Did anyone else see this article? A friend sent it to me. New research showing a genetic cause for hg. Some parts of it are upsetting just to warn you.

www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2022/apr/02/why-are-women-who-suffer-extreme-sickness-in-pregnancy-told-it-is-all-in-their-heads