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 don’t know how to tag everyone who replied to me but thank you all so so much for the advice!!! Going to call the doctors in the week xxxxx

gymithoughtyousaidgin I believe some midwives can prescribe, but most get their meds prescribed by a GP. Remember to emphasize the number of heaves in vomiting sessions in previous pregnancies,as GP's often count a 'vomit' as one heave, so often the severity is underestimated. I am glad you are going to the GP tomorrow.

Gymithoughtyousaidgin Sorry, i mistyped your name.

Cheering everyone on...

@Gymithoughtyousaidgin I just called the doctor when I told them I was pregnant and requested the meds then, got a prescription left. My doc is very good & understanding of HG. They did the usual urine test to confirm pregnancy then when that was confirmed they wanted to see me for the consultation, got more meds then

LilmissCa Excellent advice for Gymithoughtyoumeangin. I hope everyone has as good a May Day as they can.

Thank you!! Xxx

I hpe everyone is coping today. Quiet on here.

Anyone else found a cumulative effect whilst taking prochlorperazine? In that the longer you were on it the less sick you felt? Heading into what should be worst weeks of sickness and not getting worse really fearing it’s another loss.

InvisibleDreamer Much sympathy. A previous loss makes you very nervous, though the chances are very much on your side all is well. Can you have an early scan for reassurance? I know it's expensive. I didn't even know you could; I was really nervous until the 12 week one. if you've had previous losses, you'd think they might give you on.

@InvisibleDreamer I’m on Prochlorperazine and improved a fair bit around week 10, which was very unexpected. Had my 12 week scan last week and all was fine. Hope this offers some reassurance x

Hi everyone - can I take my seat up on this bus again? I was here with my first pregnancy way back in 2017. Managed to avoid it the second time round but this third has got me back.

I am nearly 8 weeks. Rough due date of 18th December.

Have the weirdest symptoms ever. I can only eat the tiniest amounts but I'm never hungry. If I eat large amounts I get horrid indigestion to the point I feel sick, hot and need to lie down. I have a horrible dry, bad breath yucky taste in my mouth no matter how much I try to brush or use mouth wash (boke boke boke...) No matter what I nibble on I get horrible upper gas and will burp like a man for hours. Oh, and I'm so very constipated despite taking medication and steps to help - I've gone from once a week to maybe once every 3 days. From 5pm onwards I can't stop peeing, and then from 6pm onwards I am nauseous... And it gets progressively worse as the night goes on. I now sleep with a sick bowl. I haven't been massively sick, only twice and small spit up amounts. With my first I was like this until about week 7ish and then the throw up came to the table, I ended up going off work from about 4 months.

I feel like tapping out already despite knowing it will all be worth it.

PS I recognise OP name from way back in 2017! Hi!

@LucindaE Yes I’m going to arrange a scan for a couple of weeks time I’d rather know sooner than later if it’s bad news
@Ambern7 thanks that is a bit reassuring trying to tell myself every pregnancy is different
@OnNaturesCourse sounds quite similar to how my hyperemesis started

Thanks for checking in with everyone Lucinda. After being sick daily wks 7-12 I had some respite this wk. As I approach wk 13 I think it is returning. Am I right in thinking there is a hormone spike wks 13-14 again? Think I’ve heard that.
also I got lazy on hydration last couple of days. Struggle to drink so it’s easy for me to avoid it. Does it make sickness worse? I’m sure I know the answer to this. 😁

@spanglesj I’m so bad with drinking. I can just about manage to stay hydrated but nowhere near enough and yes I think it makes the nausea worse. I don’t know how to convince myself to drink more.
I’m almost 12 weeks and really hoping some relief is round the corner!

@spanglesj have you tried ice poles? Literally one of the only ways I can get fluids into me.

OnNaturesCourse Welcome back. Sorry you are suffering. As a veteran, you don't need my normal welcoming spiel about ice lollies, full sugar coke and the juice of tinned fruit and in fact, you've given some good advice about ice poles, or the measurements of kesotix being taken seriously by hospitals even if they're not the best test of deydration etc. What meds, if any, helped last time? There's some evidence that getting them as early as possible helps. Is the indigestion acidity? As you'll know, an anti acid can make a huge differnce if it's a good one, like Omprazole. Have you got familly or friends who can help with LO? I've added your date.Good advice about the ice poles. I've added your date.
spanglesj I remember a hormonal surge around that time.
evuscha Cheering you on.
Ambern7 Goodadvice for InvisibleDreamer. InvisibleDreamer A good idea to
get a scan. The chances are heavily on your side.

Due Dates

izzyroo92 27 May
heartbroken22 6 July
charlotte1256 16 July
PumpkinDart 17 July
mallowmoon93 22 Jul
Yoga817 7 August or 28 August TWINS!
Wrenegade 15 August
Roxster 31 August
Improbablecat 13 October
Bunda 19 October
Ambern7 10 November
OnNaturesCourse 18 December

@LucindaE I think the indigestion is acid related. I was having some digestion issues prior to pregnancy (I had, ehrm, been "backed up" on and off for a few months) plus I'd been put on medication to help with heavy periods which destroyed my stomach. It all left me with horrific reflux and discomfort. I think as it's recovering the pregnancy sickness is taking over so I'm not seeing much improvement but my symptoms are different slightly. I was on omperzole, anti sickness (name forgotten), anti acid tablets by the bucket and lactulose until about a week ago when I decided to give my body a rest bite as no medication was really working. To be honest my symptoms of indigestion etc have improved since then but I think I'm going to go back on omperzole and seek alternative treatment for my bowels. Lactulose seems to be just upsetting everything. I'm lucky to have a good base of immediate family support - even offering to cook meals etc when I literally can't face looking at food, and do get atleast 4 hours child free per week as a minimum. One of the reasons we told our close family early was to get some help and not spend the next few weeks hiding from them to avoid suspicion lol. It will be a secret from everyone else until 12ish weeks hopefully including my 2 other DC.

Hope everyone has had a good as possible day ❤️

OnNaturesCourse Ah: I see: that does make it rather complicated! I hope the Omprazole helps, and I am glad that your family is being supportive.

I hope everyone is getting by today...

Any tips for excess saliva?

Hi everyone, does anyone know when is the right time to wean yourself off the medication or can you stay on it right up to birth? I’m much less sick now but still have nausea everyday. Just scared of coming off the medication incase it gets out of control again.

I'm also wondering this. I'm almost 20 weeks with twins and have reduced my Ondansetron down from 4mg twice a day, to once a day on a morning, but ideally I'd like to come off it altogether in the next few weeks. I'm just scared I'll struggle because come 8pm the nausea starts to creep back in, but I manage to fall asleep before it gets too bad xx

@Roxster @northernmam I’ve slowly dropped from 3x metaclopramide, 3x cyclizine and sometimes ondansetron when nausea was really bad - thankfully haven’t had many vomiting days since find this combination. I found my nausea reminded me to take it so when the nausea started easing around 18 weeks I would forget to take it so often and naturally ended up on just cyclizine AM and PM now at 30 weeks. Every so often I have a bad day and still have back ups of the other medications to take. I also found a few times(by accident) that dropping cyclizine in AM or PM increased my nausea so sticking to this from now on to the end. It was a combination of forgetfulness and trial and error 😅

@Roxster I am the same as you, no longer vomiting but still nauseous. I have tried twice to wean myself off the meds but each time I tried the nausea was a lot worse. I am still on 4 antiemetics and 2 anti acids daily and can't cut down on them. My consultant did send away a blood test to check liver function and rule out gallstones and confirm it is the pregnancy causing the sickness but other than they that they are happy to keep me on the meds as long as I need them.