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.

@Laura0589 I'm on ondansetron. I was originally given 4mg then requested to try 8mg. I only took the 8 for max 2weeks (twice a day). Gradually dropped to an 8mg in morning, 4mg in afternoon. Now back down to 4mg now twice a day.

InvisibleDreamer That makes sense.
northernmam and LilmissCa Great advice for Laura0589 about dosing for Ondansetron.

Anyone else find they feel worse at night? Can’t sleep for the nausea.

@InvisibleDreamer
Yes I do. My anti sickness medication level I'm guessing starts to run out in the small hours and I'm always worse when my stomach is empty so night times are the worst for me.
At around 9 weeks I was getting up several times to be sick but it has improved and now I'm not sick as long as I don't stay awake for too long if I wake in the night.

What times are you taking the meds? Can you rethink the time so you have good coverage into the night so you can get off to sleep?

I used to set a timer for midnight and take one to help me through the rest of the night

29 weeks and it's come back with full force. Been sick all day. Non stop 😭 hopefully these days will pass too.

heartbroken22 Sorry it's come back full force,and I hope it is just a glitch.
InvisibleDreamer Does being propped up help? It helps with acidity.
Thaimoon Great advice about meds at night. I am glad it has improved for you now.
Apologies to those rudely overlooked.

@Thaimoon I’m just starting cyclizine today let’s hope it has some effect this time round as it didn’t do much last time. My problems are definitely acid reflux / digestion related so not holding out huge hope.
@LucindaE I actually find lying down most of the time helps, the less I move about the better. I sit up after eating, not that I’ve been able to eat more than a couple of mouthfuls today.

InvisibleDreamer Ah yes, many say that resting and lying down is as effective as meds. What I meant was sleeping or resting, lying down but slightly propped up on pillows, for the acidity; I was recommended that by a midwife, and found it surprisingly effective.

I’ve got issues with acid too and split the omeprazole dose into two, for a morning and evening dose. If you can tolerate it ‘gaviscon advance’ I take a tablespoon before bed. It’s double the strength of normal gaviscon and helps so can get off to sleep.

Stupid question, in the midst of the vomitting etc, I couldn't stomach the folic acid pills. And mine are confirmed twins. I got this sudden anxiety attacks that as I couldn't take them bloody pills that I have harmed my babies. Can you all just sit me down and tell me it's not the end of the world?

@enigma22220 honestly you are not alone I noticed that after taking my folic acid tabs the sickness would indeed ramp up more, so literally spent at least and hour trying so hard not to vomit, and by christ its bloody hard then when you do and it all comes back up, feel so bloody guilty! Honestly you think they would find another way to do the bloody folic acid wouldn't you!
The other day I was vomiting blood and honestly thought I'd ripped a whole in my oesophagus and spent the night sweating in sheer panic, if it isn't one thing it's something else! I totally hear you, but just try not to stress, It really isn't the end of the world, that's what all the scans are for, to make sure babies are healthy, also I just remembered that on pretty much all my pregnancies I struggle to hold down any folic acid/pregnancies pills and they always came back up, but at the time I never really thought about it, but for some reason now I agonise over all the little crap and feel bloody horrendous! Sending big hugs to all you ladies suffering and yet your all absolute bloody troopers!😊

Enigma22220 I honestly wouldn't fret about it,that is the norm with Hyperemesis. I found the iron tablets impossible to take. Some find the liquid form easier to endure, but they are really just a safeguard.
Puddinandpie Great advice for Enigma22220 and Laura0389 Excellent advice about dealing with night acidity.

Oh dear, my comments about folic acid and heartburn were full of typos with names.
That is enigma22220 and Laura0589, sorry for getting your names wrong.

On the topic of folic acid etc, my Dr told me not to bother with those if they make me more sick, priority is to decrease vomiting and stay hydrated. I couldn’t stomach any prenatals, I am taking some individual vitamins like B1 and B6 but my Dr wasn’t worried.
I think folic acid is particularly important in the first weeks or even before conception, so if you were able to take them before you started getting sick (I did til about 6 weeks) then that’s already something!

evuscha That is so true, and thank you for your nice encouraging message.

Hey I have just found out I am pregnant with my third (approximately 4-5 weeks I think). I had HG with both previous pregnancies from 5 weeks until 6 months in. Bed ridden and ended up on two type of steroid meds after many other anti sickness didn’t work.

my question is, has any one suffered HG then gone on to have another pregnancy and not had HG? Please tell me there is hope as it’s completely soul destroying 😂

my sympathies to all of you as no one understands how bad it can be! Xxxx

gymithoughtyousaidgin' Welcome. Sorry you have suffered so badly before. As you are a veteran, you certainly don't need my normal spiel about kesostix and ice lollies and anti acids. Some on here who have suffered badly in two pregnancies, have in fact surprisingly not suffered anything like as badly in a third pregnancy. I recall kalidasa* was one. Of course, pre-emptive meds, and having a care plan for the other LO's can help a lot, but you don't need me to tell you that. There is lots of support on here.

This brings me hope!! I didn’t actually know you could get ‘pre emptive ’ meds though. My doctors made me really fight for them last time before they gave in and they made me wait till I was past 12 weeks. Can I request them before it even kicks in? Hope everyone here is ok ❤️

@Gymithoughtyousaidgin I got early meds from the doc & started them at the very start as soon as the nausea & sickness hit. Went straight on ondanestron & anti acid. I 100% have not been anywhere near as bad. I had 2 quite bad weeks at the start but now I'm almost wk 11 and eating & drinking pretty normal albeit very plain & flavourless food. I do live in fear that this changes so hoping and praying for now!

Really hope it gives you hope. The fear of the sickness took over my pregnancy excitement at the start, knowing what's coming is horrible.

@Gymithoughtyousaidgin I also got meds quite early on after being extremely worried after my last pregnancy. I was lucky to have a GP who had experienced bad nausea in pregnancy and she helped me find a combination of medication that worked for me.
I am still experiencing extreme food aversions but the sickness has been nowhere near as bad as my last pregnancy. If your GP is being difficult then definitely ask for a second opinion. Unfortunately there’s still many GP’s out there who are not well educated in pregnancy sickness medications. Pregnancy sickness helpline will provide you with the NICE guidelines that GP’s should be using and good to present them if you are getting pushback.

I also second the preemptive meds advice. After a horrible first HG pregnancy (no meds til about 9 weeks, vomiting out of control, losing a lot of weight) I got on meds right after my positive test and added more when things were getting worse. I still had a very unpleasant time with nausea in weeks 8-10 but almost no vomiting, could eat/drink a little and at 11 weeks now I’m relatively stable. I think without medication it would be a completely different story.
Xonvea, cyclizine and ondansetron are some of those you can ask for.

gymithoughtyousaidgin Definitely do press for pre-emptive meds, as others say. Great advice from evuscha, Ambern7 and LilmissCa about how useful they have found early treatment.
Apologies to anyone rudely overlooked.

I am so happy this worked for you! What a relief 😍 thank you for sharing. Do I go to the doctors or midwife’s for meds? Xxx