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.

Georgie2022 Sorry - stupid of me - your Georgie2022 not Georgie2012.

The sickness was definitely worse late PM and evening and then early morning and AM. are you taking you4 medication through the night as well so there isnt a long break overnight?
I'm not sure on how long the pregnancy vitamins take to be absorbed but the ones with iron like pregnacare the iron makes nausea 1000 times worse. If its any comfort to you once I started being sick from 5-6 weeks with both pregnancies i couldnt hold them down so i wasnt able to take them. My consultant told me not to worry baby would get what they needed from me. If your struggling definitely speak to your midwife.

Im so sorry your suffering so badly. I would ask for 2nd and 3rd opinion on xonvea esp as your so early into pregnancy. Its a safe medication. Its technically an antihistamine and even has a logo of a pregnant woman on each tablet. It honestly made my last pregnancy so much more bearable after my first was horrendous.
If you haven't already check out the pregnancy sickness support page that has lots of advice, help and information on medication, day units for fluids etc. If you need any help let me know.
Sending hugs 🫂

abbs1 Great advice. My goodness, that is so miserably true about the iron in vitamins making vomiting so much worse.

@LucindaE @abbs1 Thank you both, I was in for 3 days and then they moved me out at 2am.. so yeah that was fun, they thought i was ok enough to medicate at home despite me wretching bile up. I was so flustered and anxious as its not a hospital I know and I threw up on my way out.

Just heaving bile up so I've asked my gp for omeprazol now. I've not heared of xonvea before is it something they are willing to give? I don't find cyclizine works and we'll yeah I had the injection and still threw up bile.

Cyclizine is only a 1st line medication for hyperemesis and morning sickness in general. You need to ask for a 2nd line one like ondansatron, metoclopromide or see if they will prescribe xonvea which is 1st line but felt like a 2nd line one for me. 3rd line is steroids which i was on in my 1st pregnancy. This explains it more.

www.pregnancysicknesssupport.org.uk/get-help/treatments/

They shouldn't have discharged you while youre still vomitting. Does your hospital have a day unit at all? They have gynae consultants that know a lot more than GPs etc.I would go back to the GP or go to hospital via a and e i had to do that several times to be taken seriously. I tried to arrive between 6-7am. Not always easy but found i got seen a lot quicker as it was quieter. Dehydration is far more dangerous than being medicated. You and baby can survive on medication but not without water/fluids. As your 8 weeks youre past the risk of cleft palate that fuses between weeks 6-7 i was told which i is why i was given ondansatron from 7+4, metoclopromide from 9 weeks and steroids from 12 weeks in my 1st pregnancy.
Xonvea is safe from as soon as you get a positive test. It was legalised in the uk in 2018 but not all GPs know about it. Theres information on the pregnancy sickness support page in the link above.

Im so sorry your not getting the support you need.

Hi, sorry if this is a long message.

I’ve just found out I am pregnant. I have a 6m old baby who I am currently breastfeeding.

Any baby will be welcomed and so so so loved but I am absolutely TERRIFIED of what is to come.

I have two children and both times I have had horrific HG so I am expecting it, my anxiety is already through the roof and so many questions flooding my head right now.

im so worried about how I will manage to care for my baby whilst having HG if it is as severe as last time, I don’t have much support from family and no one to help me with babe as my other half works 6 days a week. Obviously he will help when he’s at home but he’s at work more than he’s home.

has anyone managed to keep BF a baby whilst being pregnant with HG?

are anti sickness medications safe for breastfeeding? Both times I have been prescribed ondansetron, cyclizine and prochlorperazine.

and does anyone just have any general advice for me at all?

one worried mama here.

Hi lovely,

Firstly congratulations on another little one. I completely understand how daunting it feels from going through it twice myself.
I would ask for xonvea ASAP. its considered a antihistamine and can be taken from 5 weeks pregnant. It honestly helped me so much with my last pregnancy and i only vomitted once. I had awful nausea but managed to keep food down unlike the first time where i spent nearly every day in hospital or had a nurse coming to my house for treatment.

I would get straight on cyclizine otherwise to try and get some in you before the vomiting starts. Not sure if its safe when bf. Definitely call your GP or whoever supported you through your last pregnancies and go from there.

We are here for you so ask anything or rant if you need to.

Mamasoftwood Welcome. You have already had such great advice from abbs1 I can't improve on it. As a veteran you won't need my spiel about the usefulness of kesostix measurements to be taken seriously by hospitals, coke, ice lollies and the juice of tinned fruit and anti acids being a great help. I'm afraid not many are able to breast feed while suffering from Hyperemesis, from what I've seen on here. I had vomiting after birth - don't worry about that, that is very rare and has only happened to a handful of women in about eleven years of these threads- but I found it very difficult to continue breast feeding while vomiting, because I was too dehydrated, and it was lucky that it cleared up after ten days just to mild nausea with the let down reflex. I hope if you get effective meds, you will find it more manageable.
TisforTucan Like abbs1 I am shocked that you were discharged while still vomiting. I have never heard of that before. When you have recovered, I suggest you complain about the negligence. I so agree with abbs1; if you are no better than you need a stronger anti emetic. Sorry that you have to press for meds when feeling very ill.
abbs1 Excellent advice, as ever. How is baby?
Waves to all.

Thank you for your reply!
honestly I feel absolutely terrified.. I rang up to speak to my GP today and have to wait until 3rd oct to speak to her! The other drs were useless last time I had HG so feel it’s a waste of time speaking to anyone else but also terrified that the sickness could start before then 😬 x

my baby literally will not take a bottle at all, it’s sad to see not many manage to breastfeed through although I can totally understand why! Hoping I manage or he starts taking a bottle soon! X

@LucindaE baby is doing so well! Shes 7 months tomorrow 😱😭💖 where has the time gone? She learnt to sit and crawl about 4 weeks ago and I'm like where has by little baby gone? Her big brother is her best friend and entertainer. Its the sweetest thing to see. I feel so lucky to have my little miracles after HG.

abbs1 That is lovely! It's great for a baby to have an older sibling, as they think the same way: a joke is funnier the more often its repeated, etc...
Mamaoftwood I do hope you find it you manage to get Xonvea, that it helps you as much as it did abbs1 and you manage to keep breast feeding. Silly me: as so often with me - I'm dyslexic - I read your name wrong. It's not Mamasoftwood but Mamaoftwood!

Just wanted to post some positivity and say I’ve had a fairly good week just for some hope for everyone. I’m 12+5 weeks, bump has had a growth spurt, went to my first event in over a month last night, and returned to work for a couple of days last week. Even though it’s been tiring, work are great and seriously understanding thank god after reading up on hyperemisis and knowing how serious it is.
Been an emotional, physically and mentally hard 6 weeks and it might just be a one off, but it’s nice to actually feel and see the side of “it does get better” finally, and already gaining some of the 5kg lost! Even other people have noticed i look less pale and drained which is obviously a big compliment.
I’ve also noticed with not having the Pregnacare for a few days has made a massive difference after reading what you all said so thank you ♥️
Would of seriously struggled without all the advice and support from everyone these past few weeks though so again, beyond grateful for you all.

Hi everyone! Just wanted to drop in. Currently 38+4 and the HG has decided to kick back in quite badly, why not finish with a bang ey? I only stopped taking my xonvea for two days so I’m straight back on it until baby is here. Also battling a stinking cold which doesn’t help the HG. Not long now though!!

Hope you are all doing ok!!!

Awww so happy to hear your doing better. I hope it continues and you get your strength back fully. Also thats sooo good work are being so understanding as that is one of biggest battles so many women face so that must help you mentally a lot having support from that side of things.
Pregnancare was like my worst enemy for making the nausea worse. Im so glad youve seen an improvement stopping it.

Awww you're so close! I hope baby comes soon for you. Yes i stayed on xonvea right up until baby was born as unfortunately hg does like to rear its head again at the end. I hope youre cold goes away quickly.
Best of luck for the birth. 🙏

SpringChicken05 That is happy news. As abbs1 says, it's so good that work are being understanding - and have actually taken the trouble to read up on the severity of Hyperemesis. And you actually got out to socialise - really good.
ChloeHel I am sorry that Hyperemesis is hanging about like an unwelcome guest. I'll be welcoming you into the fabled Pink Castle soon at the end of the miserable Hyperemesis journey.
Thanks to abbs1 for her great advice, as ever...🤗

Hello. Can I join you? Got a bfp this morning, will be baby #6 🙃
I've had hg with my others. What's the goto meds these days? (my youngest is 5).
Im going to speak to my Dr tomorrow and ask for cyclizine, but does anyone have any links or knowledge of how it is treated now..
Thank you

Okapi99 Welcome. You are very brave to have gone for 6. You are such a veteran, it would be presumptious of me to give any advice about Hyperemesis, except to say in response to your query that a fairly new anti-emetic especially designed for use in pregnancy is Xonvea, which has really helped many on here, including abbs1 who calls in and gives great advice. Did your Hyperemesis improve at a particular time in any of your previous pregnancies, and did you find an anti acid helpful or avoiding iron supplements?

Thank you lucinda. Honestly, this baby is a complete shock. I'm 39 this week. My youngest is 5 and my eldest is 18. I was not expecting this at all.

I saw about this new drug and I've requested it from my gp, to hopefully start taking it before symptoms start.

I'm actually 'lucky'. I'm really bad between 6-15 weeks but I have usually got it under control by 20 weeks, with just relapses x

Congrats on #6 definitely ask for Xonvea. Worked so well for me. Can be taken straight away from getting a bfp.

Can I ask how you've managed your other hg pregnancies and what age gap your children are? I'm in the mindset of no more but my husband still thinks we'll have more 🙈 I can't see how with how sick I was let alone caring for the 2 kids I had and all the complications i had as well.
Any tips of making it manageable?

Hi Abbs.

My children are 18,15,14,10 and 5 now. I won't lie, it was damn hard work But I wasn't working, I had a lot of help from my in-laws (who gave both sadly passed away now), and my husband. My parents also helped too. I've no idea how my parents will react this time though 🙈

Most of mine don't need much help now, they can all(bar the 5year old) make their own tea and drinks etc.

I've got a telephone appt with my Dr this morning. I've asked the receptionist to say I wasn't this xonvea, though I have heard the are supply issues (according to pss), so fingers crossed x

So the dr called me back and said he doesn't know if I can have Xonvea as he can't see it to prescribe... He will prescribe cyclazine, but not a b6 supplement 🤔

Okapi Thirty-nine is young. Hopefully, your older LO's will be able to help look after the five year old. I am surprised at the doctor refusing to prescribe B6 and being suspicious of Xonvea, given that Xonvea was specifically designed for pregnancy. I am glad things get better for you between 15-20 weeks.
Waves to abbs1.