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.

I hope everyone is managing today.

Thanks. I’m still at home and sipping water but struggling with any kind of food!

skyofdiamonds I am glad you are managing to that water and are still at home.

Hi all, I'm new to this thread. I'm 13 weeks. I have been reluctant to give myself the HG label because I always think there are people who are much worse than me, at least I'm not in hospital etc. but one of my friends that's had HG says I defo have it. I have all day nausea (whenever I'm awake), painful acid reflux, headaches, and last few days, sleeping until about 3pm or even 5pm, as can't get out of bed, and now excess saliva. I haven't been throwing up that much, more just nausea. I am on some medication prescribed by the doctor.

Sometimes the symptoms have taken me to dark places. I often wonder if I can make it through, how can i etc. I just can't wait until I'm not pregnant anymore.

Is there anyone on here that is signed off work, as well? I battled through taking the odd day or two and working from home like a zombie for the first 12 weeks. However, i think I have hit a wall, and have been off work for the last week. I don't know why I feel ashamed/worried people think I'm exaggerating, ...but I'm literally not even able to get out of bed at the moment, so I've got now choice but to be off sick, i feel.

@Quinny2288 I think most people on here have been off work at some point. I've been off most of my pregnancy. Don't feel bad about taking time if you need it.

@LucindaE I've just over 5 weeks left so hanging on in there thanks! It's helping seeing birth announcements from people who are just ahead of me.

Quinny2288 Welcome. It is certainly possible to have Hyperemesis without frequent vomiting. Many find the constant nausea worse. I so agree with BalletN, do take time off. You are not well enough to go into work at this stage, if you are still bed bound. What meds are you on? Have they given you an effective anti acid? Here is my normal spiel, which I hope will help. Most 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, frozen smoothie 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.
BalletN Great advic e for Quinny2288 I am so glad you are so near the end now. I'm tidying up the legendary Pink Castle for your arrival with baby.

Hello! I am just marking my place on here, previously I was KatieFTM and we’re about to embark upon trying for our second baby.
Not going to lie I’m pretty petrified of suffering with HG again and having to deal with a toddler, whilst also not being able to hide away at home due to lockdown 😭🙈

@LucindaE Thanks so much for the info. I have tried all of that recommended food advice as I started searching and talking to friends about it maybe 5-6 weeks ago now, when I came across the pregnancy support charity, but nothing except very bland foods works for me and my sickness and heartburn. I can honestly only drink water, and some coconut water. I don't enjoy water but squash/ribena/anything fizzy gives me really bad acid reflux and anything with taste like flat coke just turns my stomach.

I haven't thrown up in a couple of weeks now, but throughout my whole pregnancy I've only had a few nights (maybe 4-5) where I was awake all night throwing up. I spent some nights sleeping in the hallway so I could be closer to the toilet than in my bedroom. It's the constant nausea that is making my life a living hell, and acid reflux. The only time I don't feel nauseous is when I am physically eating something.

I am on omeprazole for my heartburn. I haven't found to have agonising pain that keeps me awake all day/night since I've been taking it for just over a week now. I take it every morning. I still get heartburn if I am not careful, but I eat very bland foods, melons, things with not much flavour etc. and that seems to help.

I am also on prochloperizine for the sickness, too. It works a bit better than the cyclizine i was on before, but I swear it knocks me out. I usually get up around 8:30/9am, take my meds, then I'm back in bed by 11am and then asleep until late afternoon.

My baby's due date is 24/4/2023.

It's so nice to have this thread as a source of support. I have said it to one of my friends (that has been through HG), how much I sometimes want to abort the baby just so I can be done with the symptoms. It scares me when I think like that, usually after a few days of really bad symptoms. Yesterday i accidentally blurted out to my husband "I can't do this anymore". He has been so supportive, couldn't have wished for a better husband to go through this with, and he was like, "you know, if you can't do it because you feel so awful, there is no shame. I know we pictured our life with a baby, but if you're feeling this bad and you don't think you can go through with it, we can just have a different life". Bless him. I don't really mean it... or rather on better days I am determined to make it through. Yesterday was another one of those low days for me.

Saying all that, when I am not feeling like I just can't do this anymore, I am so pleased we managed to get pregnant, and looking forward to being a mum xx

You are SO BRAVE.

@Quinny2288 brave or stupid 😳 I’m also scared about the damage to my teeth. I needed 8 fillings after baby no 1 😭
I hope today is a better day for everyone! 🤞🏻

@FTMworrier I made an appointment with my gp prior to getting pregnant to discuss my care in advance. Pregnancy sickness support have advice on this on their website. It meant that as soon as I got a positive test, I could phone the receptionist and get preemptive meds straight away. My dentist also put fluoride varnish on my teeth as a precaution.
@Quinny2288 Sending lots of hugs. It sounds like you're at the hardest part.

Hi everyone, I've been reading through this thread and cannot thank you all enough for the advice and support I've gained from it.

I'm currently 14w5d and due in April 2023. From 9 weeks, I started suffering terribly from what I thought was indigestion. Since then, I've had a long, slow descent until last week when the GP diagnosed HG and sent me to hospital for rehydration.

I'm now on cyclizine and ondansetron for the sickness, which is preventing me from being sick. I've been on omeprazole since 11 weeks, but I'm not sure it's doing any good! I feel like I could cope with the other issues if it weren't for having constant, humongous burps.

I'm hoping that someone will be able to advise me on what to do to get some relief from them. Food and drink isn't the main cause of the problem, as I will burp throughout the night and before I've consumed anything at all, as well as the rest of the day. The omeprazole isn't stopping it. Rennie and Gaviscon just made everything worse!!! What other options do I have? Honestly, I would happily trade the rest of my pregnancy being sick and tired if I could just stop the burping 😭

@FTMworrier I am so in awe of people who do this two, three, four times. There is not enough credit given for the sacrifices made. I hope that your journey this time is a smooth one.

@Quinny2288 I’m only 10 weeks but feel like we’re in a similar spot with our symptoms so I really feel for you. The excess saliva one is really getting to me now. Have to take an empty bottle with me if I dare leave the house, constantly spitting, have to take a full bath towel to bed to soak up the saliva. I can never find any info on trying to reduce it either. When I mentioned it in my first pregnancy, all the midwives looked at me like I was mad.

Anyway, I hope your symptoms start to ease soon and don’t feel bad about taking time off work. Yours and your baby’s health comes first :)

Has anyone tried multiple medications and they all work for a bit and then stop? Its like my body gets used to it I’m back at square one again.

Thank you @BalletN I will read the info on the site and make an appointment!
I know what you mean @OrangeOtter I think my husband has also forgotten the extent of it!
I found that my medication used to do that, I would feel okay for a couple of days and then it would come back. Thankfully, from around 16 weeks mine eased a lot after rest and my 3rd set of meds. I dropped the dosage as the weeks went on but didn’t dare come off them completely, just incase. I hope things ease for you soon xx

Hi everyone,
Our little DS3 arrived 5 weeks early last week after a HG pregnancy with no let up for the whole 35 weeks. I was still taking anti-emetics in labour until I ended up with an emergency c-section. It’s been a rollercoaster as he had to be ventilated but we are on the home straight now.
To anyone who is struggling, I feel you - take what you need, I was on omeprazole, ondansetron, cyclizine, Promethazine and had 3 courses of steroids (prednisone) and he came out weighing 5lbs 15oz at 35 weeks!!
Of course it’s all worth it now but I questioned constantly throughout my pregnancy whether I could carry on and whether it was worth it.
Hang in there xxx

@OrangeOtter and @BalletN aww thanks both. Hugs and love back. So glad we have this thread xx

@OrangeOtter im not sure if they completely stop working after a while, or they never really worked in the first place for me and it’s a placebo effect. So when I first start taking something, I am just so grateful to have SOMETHING and then after a while I realise it’s not working. But it could be that it was working at first and then stopped. I never thought of it like that before.🤔

simplythequest Welcome. I am glad the thread has been helpful. Sorry you are suffering. My goodness, I don't know what to suggest about the burping: I'm flummoxed. I wonder if Pregnancy Sickness Support o 024 7638 2020 could suggest something?
Hyperemesishell Thank you so much for coming back on with that encouraging message and great advice. Congratulations on baby.
OrangeOtter That is so discouraging about various meds ceasing to work after a bit. Some on here have had that. It is particularly exhausting having to go back and to press for new meds. Perhaps the doctor will be able to juggle something or add something? Like others, I hope you get an improvement in symptoms soon.
Quincy2288 Every sufferer has dark thoughts at times. Your OH sounds great.I remember living largely on potatoes at one time due to heartburn; It is dismal. I've noted your due date. I'm due to make a new thread, as this one is nearly used up, so I'll add it to a new list there.
KatieFTM That is great advice from BalletN about a flouride cover to protect your teeth. Wishing you all luck. With a care plan for LO, and pre-emptive meds, hopefully things will not be as bad as you dread.
Aologies to anyone rudely overlooked. I am off to make up a new thread as this one is nearly full. I'll update the due dates there.

@Hyperemesishell Congratulations on your baby! Sounds traumatic but glad you are doing OK now xx

@FTMworrier Maybe people forget because its worth it in the end. Thats what I’m holding onto anyway!

@Hyperemesishell Congratulations!! Hope you and baby continue to thrive!

@Quinny2288 I did question whether it was placebo but this latest one worked so well for a week. I had no vomiting and just a small amount of nausea but then it started creeping back up and I felt awful and was sick yesterday. Then today I’ve barely left the sofa and not kept down any meals. Will just keep trying until something works long term or it starts to reduce on its own later on (probably more likely).

@LucindaE Thank you and thanks for keeping the threads going. They make a lot of difference :)

Everyone, this thread is full up. Please come over to the new one.
www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/4514492-Hyperemesis-Support?reply=120863798

Would you believe it, everyone? I gave the link to the old thread. Words fail me: here's the new one.

www.mumsnet.com/talk/pregnancy/4658900-hyperemesis-support?reply=120867012

I'm still here, I'm 12 weeks today and had my scan yesterday. Still no change really just learned to cope with what I like and can manage.

Cyclizine doesn't work for me so waiting it out. The nausea is terrible, I just feel like crap all day and eating in the evening is out the window as I'm worse then. Has anyone else lost appetite? My mouth has such a weird taste all the time, only thing I can drink is apple juice.

Congratulations @Hyperemesishell!! 💙
Heard a lot of stories of babies coming early, trying to work round when to leave for mat leave considering this.

SpringChicken06 This thread is used up. Do come and join us on the new one, linked below, and above my mistakenly linking this thread!