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.

Hi guys, I hope you don’t mind me joining, I feel like a bit of a fraud on this thread but I am just at my wits end with this nausea and dry gagging. I’m 11 weeks and ever since I turned 7 weeks I’ve not managed to go to work or barely get out of bed as I feel SO nauseous and on the verge of vomiting constantly. Tried Cyclizine with no benefit, now been prescribed Stemetil. Sending love to you ladies suffering, the nausea in itself is so debilitating so can’t imagine how some of you feel xx

Welcome to Charlotte1256 and QueenBee22 QueenBee22 A lot of sufferers find that they have to confide in at least a few other people before they wish to, as it is so hard to hide the symptoms. What meds helped you last time, if any? Can you get pre-emptive meds (obviously not easy over Christmas)? There is lots of support on here. Charlotte1256 Sympathies. I hope Stemetil helps. It has helped numbers on here. Xonvea has helped others, but I believe may be more expensive, so doctors are reluctant to prescribe it, though it was developed specifically for pregnancy sickness. Here is my normal spiel, which QueenBee22 doesn't need as a veteran. 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 and dry cereeal.
PumpkinDart I am glad Ondansetron is helping. I believe Lactulose is a really excellent laxative and many on these threads have been on it.
malllowmoon Good tips from you and Thumberline. I never knew that about the sugar free sweets by the check out in Aldi!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Thanks all some great advice. Oh to have a glowing lovely pregnancy hey 😭

Yesterday was a bad day for me. I seriously considered ending my pregnancy but I can't do it this time. I think it may have been the lack of rest over the past few days but I honestly felt like I was in hell. I'm 12 weeks with a scan in a few days. My partners finding it hard too. How do you guys see a way forward particularly on bad days? My house is a mess.

I meant I vomited a lot yesterday*

@PumpkinDart sorry in advance for the too much info 🙈 I had the exact same issue with ondansetron, and ended up so blocked up I had to use glycerin suppositories, so if you feel it getting bad then definitely push for help! I got Lactulose and I got another one called Cosmocol which both worked, I spoke to the GP to get Cosmocol as the pharmacy wasn’t able to give anything stronger than Lactulose. Otherwise, just try and drink plenty water/diluting juice and that helps.

@heartbroken22 I’m so sorry you’re having such a crap day. I had similar thoughts when I was at my worst. The only way I could do it was to make myself eat something even if I didn’t want to/it came back up again, to rest as much as possible even if just on the couch, and otherwise just to break it down into really small chunks. I’d just try and get through the round of vomiting, and then for the few hours after, and not think too much about how long it was going to go on for. Having said that, I have spent a lot of time just having a cry on the bathroom floor about how I couldn’t do it any more, so i know it’s not easy. Sending you all the non-sicky thoughts!

heartbroken22 Sorry to hear of bad day. I can't improve on FarmWife23's advice. PumpkinDart and FarmWife23 How could I forget about those suppositories? They've helped many, but I know some pharmacists are reluctant to prescribe them in pregnancy, though they're routinely used for pregnant women in hospitals. Interesting about Cosmocol.

@LucindaE thank you for your very informative post. Last time I was placed on stemetil which did nothing for me and then cariban which I found brilliant. I was also taking ranitidine which has since been taken off the market I believe. Last time around I wasn't given any anti nausea meds until I was vomiting would I have to wait until that happens? Are meds given for nausea alone?

@heartbroken22 sorry to hear you had such a bad day it can be soul destroying. On bad days I always tried to remain positive and remembered that it will stop eventually it isn't forever even though it seems that way. Hopefully more rest of the next few days will help.

@LucindaE thank you so much for your post. Six weeks (second child) and I’m am almost broken by nausea/saliva/being sick in my throat. Grateful for a few other things to try

18 weeks and 3 days now - about 16 and 2 days I thought it was getting better . Meds seems to
be working fine - however it’s back with a vengeance 😫😫😫😩I also really dislike when people say it’s just normal pregnancy sickness. No it’s not - not when you feel you can’t cope mentally or physically from being sick.

Question how does one alleviate fatigue - I am so tired constantly. I have to force myself to stay awake and force myself to motivate myself to do simple tasks with my toddler .

I hope everyone on here isn’t suffering too bad, but I know you’ve got to be suffering somewhat to join this thread 😓

I feel like I shouldn’t even be complaining as I’m not actually vomiting much at all (and I do know how bad the vomiting can get from my previous pregnancies) but I have very severe nausea, it has got me floored, I’ve spent the past 2 days in bed, I’m on prochlorperazine, it doesn’t seem to be helping the nausea at all, I just feel so sad, I don’t want to do anything or go anywhere as I know I’ll struggle with nausea and dizziness. I’m 10w 3d and I’ve already lost 18lb, I’m really struggling with eating, I am eating what I can when I can but it’s not a lot, I am overweight so I feel like the dr isn’t concerned about the weight loss, which I do understand as obviously if I was underweight or whatever it would be worse.

I don’t ever really know why I’m posting, I just needed to get off my chest how miserable I’m feeling ☹️

I feel you, the sickness is slow, rank and you feel every morsel coming up. Not a fan of sickness bugs but at least you aren't blacking your own eyes from the force of bringing things back up.

Make life as easy as you can. Set up activities for them that are easy to do and centred near the sofa. Take the guilt of giving them extra screen time away and do what you need to do to get through this hard time. I hope things settle down again for you, I remember with my eldest desperately getting to 12 weeks but it continuing then 16 then 20 it's so disheartening, I ended up with depression and anxiety so I completely resonate with you. Sending love xx

Hey Mama, could you consider changing meds? Prochloperazine did nothing for me other than make me sleep it really knocked me out.

The nausea is the pits, that and the rancid taste in your mouth and excess saliva is almost as bad as the vomiting. Hope you can get something that helps.

Uh I had 3 good days then back to square one yesterday. I felt so guilty it was my 6 year old's birthday and when she blew her candles out she wished that I'd get well again 😭😭 hope you're all doing okay xx

ive Spoken to 2 GPs so far and they’ve both basically said the same, they don’t want to put me on anything stronger as I’m not actually vomiting a lot.. I’d rather be vomiting than feeling like this all of the time, I actually feel worse this time around than I did when I was in and out of hospital because of the constant vomiting needing IV fluids etc 😓 x

What about Cyclizine? They're usually okay with that. It's hard first tri, my GP wouldn't prescribe Ondansetron but luckily the hospital did. Have they dipped your urine? You could be + ketones if you aren't eating well.

Thank you for the helpful advice @LucindaE.
Sending love to those feeling utterly helpless, as I do too at the moment. I’m 11 weeks and 3 days and there’s no sign of things improving, more so getting worse as I vomited properly for the first time on Boxing Day evening and still got constant nausea and horrid taste in my mouth. Eating less and less too. Also tried the Stemetil with no luck. I’m meant to be back at work on the 3rd and every day that passes by I’m dreading it even more - that’s if I am well enough to even attempt to go x

PumpkinDart Sympathies about poor daughter's wish; of course, she will soon forget this period of comparative neglect,but it's very upsetting. Great advice for MamaofTwooo and Zaalfruit. I couldn't improve on it.
Charlotte1256 Sorry that things are increasing. Have you arranged for as sick note, as realistically most sufferers are off work for a while with this?
GreySkyClouds Sorry: I think I'm being absent minded,or you've had a name change.

Not sure if I've just hit the worst patch of vomiting or I had a sickness bug on top of the HG but was sick every hour to half an hour yesterday. Called the EPU and they wouldn't admit me despite having 4+ ketones as had been around a family member who had a d&v. Ended up waiting 5 hours at A&E to get an injection of metoclopramide but was still throwing up and finally transferred to the EPU and still had to fight for fluids as my ketones had apparently dropped to just 1+ despite being 4+ an hour before at the other hospital. Was also made to feel like I was just being a wuss and told that sickness is "part and parcel of pregnancy" and have i tried eating little and often and sipping fluids. Was really disheartened by it as I didn't get any help in my first pregnancy and the two times I have been to EPU have been made to feel like I'm just making it up. Do have Ondansetron now at least to see if that helps

Ah Coffee that's wank. I've had a sickness bug on top of HG in a previous pregnancy and had a side room as I still needed the fluids. Ondansetron is all that helps me so I hope it gives you some relief! Crap you've had such a bad experience at EPU, although to be honest mine has been shit this time and I'm grateful for the gynae ward that's taken me each time EPU refused.

@Coffeewithmyoxyg3n hope you are okay that sounds awful - take care!
@LucindaE I’ve already been off for 5 weeks ☹️ So I will contact my GP again next week to get another sick note if needed, I feel terrible for being off work but I’m a nurse and am simply not well enough to be on my feet all day looking after others!

Feel like I'm being a right winge today!

I've had a good day, I've eaten, I've only felt on the verge of throwing up once and instead of enjoying it, I'm paranoid that I'm losing my symptoms.

The mind is a wonderful and sometimes very annoying thing!! Has anyone else had 'good' days? I never really had any relief with my first so it's making me paranoid!

@mallowmoon93 yes I had good days on my last pregnancy. But the sickness nearly always came back within a day or two until I got to 24 weeks. I was panicking as well but it will probably come back!

Charlotte1256 Ah: I'm glad you are signed off: you obviously need to be.
PumpkinDart Wise words.
Coffeewithmy oxyg3n That treatment from EPU sounds awful. Really insensitive and unhelpful. How was the 4+ ketones 'part and parcel of pregnancy'? Quite infuriating. I do hope Ondansetron helps; it has helped many on here. You probably don't need me to urge you to make sure you have a laxative with it!
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

Sorry, mallowmoon93 and QueenBee22, cross posted. Good days are common and ironically make sufferers anxious. They are often a sign of the turnaround to come. The decline in symptoms with an mmc seems to be more gradual.