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.

@LucindaE thank you so much for your reply. Never had this with my son so it's caught we off guide. I thought I was being wimp with normal sickness until I wound up in hospital thinking I was dying (sounds dramatic but that was honestly how I felt)

I spoke to my gp today because I'm so dizzy and light headed I think that's making me feel rough. Because the being sick is under some control she said she doest want to change the drugs.

By 10 weeks with my son I remember the morning sickness starting to ease. I just hope I don't have this the entire pregnancy. My son is as nursery twice a week so now half term is done that does give me a break a couple of days a week.

Grandparents have helped but he's so full on they struggle if I'm honest so it's not very reliable child care. Today I think he sat on the dreaded iPad for most of the day while I planted my arse firmly on the sofa avoiding any movement were possible.

Hi thanks for the welcome @LucindaE I don’t want my old name linking with this one but my toddler is now 18 months old. Pregnancy exhaustion and nausea is so much harder with a toddler. And the expectation to go out and do things. It was lockdown last time so I could just be in a lazy bubble. Cyclizine once a day is keeping things under control for now which is a completely different experience to my first pregnancy and maybe I don’t belong here!

I am always saddened to read peoples struggles to get medications. I rang my GP at lunch time (so not even the morning queue) asked for an appt for pregnancy sickness, a doctor had called me back and I had 2 boxes of medication in my hands less than 2 hours later. I’ve been prescribed prochlorperazine too so I don’t have to call back if I wanted to try a second medication. The best thing I used before was oneansetron but I couldn’t get it until after 12 weeks.

Does anyone have experience of prochlorperazine making things worse? I don’t know if it’s just my memory about having HG and associating it with prochlorperazine or that it actually did make me feel very ill. Im not sure I would want to try it again.

Hi all, just checking in :)

I am currently on omeprazole (20mg, one tablet a day), has anyone found taking more than one tablet of omeprazole (with agreement with their GP) helped more than just taking the one?

I have filled in another e-consult today to see if they can prescribe me something different. I can't remember who it was that said it now, but defo think they are right in the sense that medications that worked at the beginning seem to stop after sometime. Yesterday evening was another evening spent with extreme nausea, sickness, sick bucket next to my bed, sleeping alone etc. I have also ordered some B6 from amazon, and some hard boiled sweets for travel sickness to see if they help. The sea-bands did nothing for me.

I am currently taking Prochlorperazine (1-2 tablets up to three times a day) and omeprazole (one tablet a day).

@Melissa2023 I think you might have been on a combination of Prochlorperazine and cyclinezine - did you find taking them both together rather than separately works better? or no difference? Also, noticed you were on ondansetron - would you say this is better than all the others you've tried? Also, what did you meanabout giving blood and wee at the hospital? Do you have to do that if you're on ondansetron?

@Okapi99 how are you finding ondansetron?

@LucindaE Thanks for sharing the usual patterns. I will look forward to week 21 with great anticipation. Thanks for encouraging me about getting another sick note, i think I might have to. My manager got in touch with me yesterday to ask how I'm doing, I do really want to go back to work when my current one runs out, but honestly... I just don't know if i can, so there is a real possibility i may be signed off for longer unless things improve in the next 13 days or so.

@Carly2014 Bless you, I have no idea how we're all getting through this. My advice is just to take it one day at a time, but I ask myself the same question "How am i going to cope" every day... and I am 15 weeks and 1 day now. My only advice is do reach out for any perinatal mental health support you might need through your midwife, and getting signed off work. I managed the first 11 weeks working, and almost hit the lowest depression of my life... don't let yourself get to that stage. Get signed off sooner than me if you need to.

@Quinny2288 @stewielouie I'm on cyclizine, prochloperazine and omeprazole and find the combination much more effective than just one on its own. It never completely stopped the vomiting but controlled it well enough to let me eat. Odansetron is the next line if those don't work but some GPs don't like to prescribe them in the first trimester.

Thanks for checking in quinny. I'm taking the ondansetron as needed, sticking with the 3x cyclazine and 1x omeprazole.

But I have an event tonight with a meal that I need to go to. (my husband is president of a charity church group). Its still a bit too early to tell people, in about 9 weeks, and I know I'll struggle with the meal but I think I'll just tell people I have been poorly and still struggling to get my appetite back!

I have taken ondansetron with my morning needs today, and i actually have no hint of nausea unusually. I think i might see how today goes and add in ondansetron as a regular need rather than add needed if it makes a bit difference.

I'm supposed to be back at work tomorrow night, I work nights in the hospital, so I'll see how tonight goes before I make a decision.

Hi @Quinny2288 yes I take cyclizine and prochlorperazine at the same time and I have found they work best together for me. That said by far the most effective has been ondansetron - my GP was happy to prescribe me a short course (a week) of ondansetron once the hospital had okay'd it but in order for them to continue my prescription they wanted another round of bloods and urine to check for dehydration etc which I wasn't up to doing at the time as I'd just fasted! The GP here won't prescribe ondansetron without it being explicitly okay'd by the hospital as it's "third line" and everything else needed to have failed, plus for the hospital to confirm I'm definitely not in the first trimester.

Okapi99 I do hope you get a strong improvement around week 21. Extending the sick note seems a good idea. Mother Hen says don't rush back to work without giving yourself time to get your strength back. Can they do a staggered return, or is it impossible for your work? I expect you are at the charity occasion now; I do hope it is going well for you.
Melissa2023 That's so annoying about those tests. I hadn't heard of those being insisted on before prescribing Ondansetron for more than a week before.
Quinny2288 I hope that they can give you something that helps more, and also, someone on here can answer your question about two doses of Omprazole a day possibly helping more.
izzypoo92 I am glad that you have a little help with childcare via the nursery and when your parents feel up to taking on the lively three year old. A lot of sufferers on here find that their LO''s get fairly good at entertaining themselves as Mum lies on the sofa.
stetwielouie Ah, I see, about name change. Don't feel you don't belong on here just because things are being controlled effectively by the meds. It's good you have that when an eighteen month old must be a handful, when you suffering. There have been those on here who felt that Prochlorperazine didn't improve things, but I don't know if anyone has actually said that it makes things worse.
Apologies if I've rudely overlooked anyone, or mixed up messages. My handwriting is particularly bad today: I can hardly read my own writing!

Sorry, that was stewielouie a mistype, and BalletN I meant to say, great advice, as ever.

Hi all,

Thanks for your replies @Okapi99 @Melissa2023 @LucindaE @BalletN

The doctor reluctant to prescribe me any of the others for longer than 5 days, and she wanted the midwives to be involved. So I am still on prochlorperazine and Omezapram, but the doctor did say I can add in 1 tablet 3x a day of cyclazine, to the mix. I've taken that combination today but still have nausea :( Oh well... I think I'm just going to stay with this combination for the foreseeable future, see how I get on with them, and then decide. I have also ordered some boiled sweets because I find the physical act of eating something is the only time I don't feel nauseas!

Quinny2288 I do hope that combination helps. I found boiled sweets - particularly the barley sugar - did seem to help nausea a bit, and they certainly helped with the foul taste in the mouth.

I hope that Quinny2288 and everyone is coping.

Hello! Hanging in here. My section is booked for next week so am on the final stretch!! Still nauseous all the time but have only been sick twice this week.
genuinely never thought I’d make it so to everyone in the earlier stages, I’m sending lots of love and strength. The end does come! ❤️ Xx

Worryant Cheering you on! Wishing you all luck for next week. Thank you so much for your encouraging message.

Hey, I thought I’d share my ongoing story as a glimmer of hope.
At exactly 6 weeks my hyperemesis started aggressively, having me up every 15 minutes with continuous vomiting of bile for the first night. Unable to eat or drink even the smallest sip of water without being violently sick.
I ended up admitted twice for a total of 9 days.
The hospital were incredible, caring, sympathetic and understanding. I was under an obs consultant.
We followed the RCOG guidelines for the drugs and found that absolutely none of them worked.
i started cyclizine in week 4 from the GP and obviously that didn’t do anything to stop the HG beginning in week 6.
Hospital started prochlorperazine and metaclopromide along with the IV fluids.
I was still endlessly vomiting and so weak I couldn’t walk. It really was the lowest point of my life. Everything I owned was covered in sick, I couldn’t drink or eat and felt so, so weak. I didn’t feel alive.
I was then consented for Ondansetron and given Xonvea too. They also started a thiamine supplement along with the metaclopramide and prochlorperazine. Again, no change.
I then asked the consultant if I could start steroids. I felt better immediately on starting these however was still vomiting and not really keeping anytbing down.
i was discharged and keen to go home though as I felt so much better and could finally walk!
After a week on 30 mg on Prednisolone with Ondansetron, metaclopramide, prochlorperazine and omeprazole, I began to go downhill again to being violently sick with the smallest sip of water and endlessly vomiting bile.
I ended up readmitted with an injection of hydrocortisone and fluids. I was now 8 weeks. Suddenly whilst admitted, I felt like I wanted food. It just came to me out of nowhere for the first time.
I started to eat with the occasional vomit then after 5 days I more or less kept whole meals down.
I was discharged at 8+3 and have managed to continue foods, I have only been sick twice in two weeks and found that I feel better with a full stomach.
My HG has more or less left me at 8+3!! In now have what I would consider a normal level of 1st trimester sickness that is manageable.
I am 10 weeks now, so not out the woods yet, but have had almost 2 weeks of eating.
I’m coming off the steroids every 4 days and so far, so good but aware this may cause a relapse.
I wanted to share my story to give others hope that my severe HG stopped a lot earlier than predicted so this can give you a slither of hope.

skyofdiamonds Thank you so much for your encouraging message. You obviously had an horrifically severe case, and started very early, but it's wonderful that it is easing early.

@skyofdiamonds what a ride you've had girl! Thank you for sharing, I'm now 11 weeks and felt pretty good this morning and fancied a cup of tea, that was a huge mistake, that one cup of tea has had me vomiting all day. Hoping a good nights sleep and a fresh (as fresh as you can be with hg) start tomorrow and I'll be feeling a bit better again!
I'm living on chips and toast at the moment, coke seems to help a bit when I'm feeling really rough, I thought I was starting to feel a bit better but now I'm not so sure!

Glad your on the mend @skyofdiamonds sounds awful bless you. Well done for coming out of it positively. Hopefully it can only get better still with no more admissions, my last one was at 9 weeks (10 weeks ago) so definitely hold onto hope, crossing everything for you that it continues to get better ♥️

izzyroo92 That is such dismal thing about tea being unacceptable! I hope you get much more improvement asap. I so agree with you and Springchikcen 06 that things were truly horrific for skyofdiamonds - and in cheering on her improvement. SpringChicken06 I am so glad you haven't had any further admissions.

That should be SpringChicken06 not Springchikcen06. Typing not good today.

Is anyone totally sick of bland food?!
Omg I feel like I'm turning into a slice of toast. Thought I was doing better but today has been relentless x

izzyroo92 Much sympathy. I didn't suffer badly or for very long, but I remember having such bad heartburn in later pregnancy that boiled potatoes and suchlike was my staple diet. I hope someone can suggest something.

I hope everyone is managing today.

Just a note to say thanks for the advice about pregnancy sickness support website. I read over all of their guidance and spoke with my GP today who is happy to prescribe meds as soon as I get a positive test!
hope everyone is improving 🙏🏻 @Quinny2288 have you had any further days were things haven’t been so bad? I checked the name of my meds and it was promethazine, wasn’t sure if it was the one you were on xxx

Hello @FTMworrier , thanks so much for checking in on me. So, the last two-three days were not horrible. Like they were unpleasant, but they weren't horrible, and then today, for the first time since I had that 48 hour period almost two weeks ago now where I felt great, I felt normal again!! I feel a tinge of nausea coming on now, maybe over the last half an hour, but for the whole day up until now, i have felt great today. No nausea until now and just a touch of heartburn. I have been doing lots of self-care stuff whilst i have the energy today to help me feel a bit more human. I have plucked my eyebrows, put a conditiniing treatment on my hair, had a shower, shaved my legs... first time I have shaved my legs sine I found out!!... i just really hope this feeling lasts!! I am now 16 weeks and 3 days according to the dating scan, but I think they have me a week and a bit ahead of where i am according to my last period date, so I think I am actually 15 weeks. Apparently the 20 week scan can give me a more accurate due date, so after that scan, i'll just go with the number they say.

Pregnancy sickness support are great, if you haven't already, i would also use their chat facility if you ever need to talk to someone, or just want to ask them for all the options of support they can think of. On a particular dark day a few weeks ago i reached out to them, and it was SO LOVELY talking to someone on the chat facility that understood, and was also source of knowledge.

No, I am not on promethazine, I am taking cyclizine and prochlorperazine but I'm not sure they helped all that much. Also, they have side effects which are making you really spaced out and tired. I used to take them three times a day when I was at my worst, but more recently I've just been taking them twice a day. I have also added in vitmin B6, that I got from Amazon, for the last 3 days or so. i honestly think that helps with the nausea. I am taking 20mg twice a day.

I have stopped taking the med for heart burn that I was on on (omeprazole) because it was giving me terrible migraines every few days. I have switched back to gaviscon and I have actually found the gaviscon tablets that you have to chew and swallow work so much better than the liquid, so trying to manage with that for now.

Let us know how you do with promethazine. Really hope you feel better xx

I wanted to come and say a huge thank you to everyone for getting me to the finish line. I genuinely did not think I could do it, earlier on at 9/10 weeks I thought this time couldn’t come. I’d have been broken without this group and the excellent advice and support that is always there, at your lowest ebb and all hours of the day. Our baby boy arrived safely on Monday and is doing really well. Nausea, vomiting and heartburn all disappeared immediately.
I hope this gives someone some hope, there is an end in sight even if it doesn’t feel that way. X