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.

Thank you @SunSparkle & @InvisibleDreamer !
I'll give the midwife a call in the morning and ask about other medication possibilities, I'm just so hesitant as this is my first time ever pregnant and for all I know this amount of sickness is normal and I'm just a big wimp - The way the original phone call went I was certainly made to feel that way at least!

I'm just about to go over that charity website now, tysm for pointing me there! Hopefully it'll give me some extra info to go in prepared for the phone call so I don't feel so ashamed!

It's just so hard when I know this sickness/nausea is part and parcel of the experience and so many women before me have gone through it and ploughed on ahead and I just seemingly can't.
Hard to find the right words other than feeling like a complete failure at the first hurdle!

Hi guys,

I hope you're all managing to survive the long drawn out HG days!!

I can't believe I'm joining this thread again it only feels like it's been 2 minutes since I was on it with DS1. I originally ideally wanted a 2 year gap & 3 children - but after having HG with my first from start to birth at 41 weeks I think I suffered some trauma and it completely put me off. But we've been going back and forth for sooo long about whether to have 1 more and decided that we would do it.

Well I found out I was pregnant on Friday just gone, I'm exactly 4 weeks today! Which will make a 4 year 4 month age gap between my son & this next baby.

Started with the nausea at 7DPO and was sick yesterday morning (13DPO) and this morning. It's not been too bad though - the HG didnt kick in fully last time until 5+5 so i'm hoping it will be the same and i'll get 2 weeks of 'normal' sickness and nausea before the HG kicks in.

Anyway - should I call my GP and ask them for anti sickness already? Will it help if I try get some into my system before it kicks in again? Last time I was on a cocktail of ondansetron, cyclizine and metoclopramide all at different times, combined etc. None of them worked though lol.

I feel a little silly as my 'missed period' is today - so I might wait a few days and call them later on in the week.

@BeautyAndTheBump1 congratulations! I started on meds before I got sick this time and I think it's helped with the severity. Pregnancy Sickness Support reccomend starting before sickness kicks in and have dosages and medication suggestions too if you get in touch with them. Never too early to start on anti sickness meds.

Hello 👋🏼
I was here 3 years ago when pregnant with my daughter and suffering horrendous sickness.
im now 11 weeks with my second and suffering, I am on ondansetron again, I took it the whole of my first pregnancy.
But am still feeling quite nauseous at times, especially in the evening (which usually coincides with solo bedtime for a hyper 2.5 year old 🫠)
im also feeling very foggy headed, like a zombie - anyone else? I don’t remember that feeling so bad last time. And soooooo tired.
hoping everything eases off after first trimester but not holding my breath.
anyway, just wanted to say hello and have some solidarity with other going through the same. It’s going to be a looooong 6 months xx

Just found this thread. So sorry you are experiencing too.

Did anyone find meds that also help with the nausea? I can cope with the vomiting, the meds have it down to a few times a day but the all day nausea is too much.

How do you know when you need hospital IV fluids rather than just holding firm at home?

I don't have a massive amount of advice or help I can offer as nothing has really worked for me at all prescription wise, but I did eventually find something that worked - At least for me personally, though god only knows why!

Orange juice (Not squash, juice!)
I know that probably sounds incredibly counter productive and I have absolutely no idea why it's worked for me as usually anything acidic is the absolute LAST thing you'd want in your stomach when the threat of vomiting is very real (I'm sure we've all experienced how gnarly orange juice vomiting can be after a hangover for example).
But bizarrely it took away practically all of the nausea for me and actually enabled me to eat solid foods properly without gagging at each mouthful for the first time in nearly two months - Before that I'd been living off of Complan and the occasional Actimel and forcing myself to eat one plain slice of toast over a two-three hour span.
I'd been avoiding anything acidic like the plague before, as anything acidic usually triggers vomiting for me rather than stopping it, but with pregnancy it seems to be the reverse!
(Last night for example with my trusty OJ I managed to eat a whole bloody curry of all things, not even in tiny bites but proper mouthfuls. It was pure bliss.
Without OJ I wouldn't have been able to so much as stand the smell, but somehow it just works)

My OH's theory for why this worked is that whatever was sloshing about in my tummy and making me nauseas was more alkaline than acid, and the orange juice was helping balance it out - but that's literally sheer guesswork as neither of us think OJ helping makes any sense at all, we're just going along with it.

From a bit of light googling just now, it could be the potassium in it perhaps?
Google is also saying OJ has "aromatherapy benefits" but that's a bit "woo woo" imo!

If your body is anything like mine you'll be able to tell if it's going to help or not after just a small sip, so don't try and force down a whole glass if it feels like it's going to make things worse for you - Best of luck, and I hope you find something that gives you at least a little relief! <3 <3

@pinkandredflowers i haven’t found anything that takes the nausea away really. My meds help a bit but then it comes back whether j have a full or an empty stomach. I do think that omeprazole in addition to an anti emetic is helping more this time around.

i don’t have any safe foods really but I do find fizzy drinks easier to drink that any other liquids and water in particular sets me off. I think it’s because I sip fizzy drinks slowly. I’ve heard from a few HG sufferers that fizzy drinks (full sugar versions) helped hydrate and give them some energy. In particular fizzy orange (but that doesn’t appeal to me).

there also aromatherapy sprays to help with nausea but I’ve not found them particularly useful for me. Sometimes chewing peppermint gum helps and other times it sets me off. I also find a fan/cool air, and ice in drinks helps.

Thanks both. Both juice and cold fizzy drinks have been helpful!

Today I stayed in bed all day so this eve I went downstairs to just sit on sofa so I could see my toddler and just that move made me so so sick. This is horrible!

Hi everyone, 1st post in this group. I had hyperemesis in my last pregnancy that ended in miscarriage and I have it this time but it really ramped up from 10weeks, I’m now 16 and feel no better. I had a sinus infection last week and since then I seem to get really bad headaches/migraines as well as the nausea. I’m getting myself really down as I’m not a person to be off poorly or not do anything. I’m on prochlorperazine and it takes the edge off but nowhere near where I feel right. Finding this group has helped me realise I’m not alone, Hope we all start feeling more normal soon 🙏

Here for a moan as I'm feeling so down in the dumps today.
8+6 been hospitalised twice, and the extreme nausea is absolutely tipping me over the edge, I am so sick of feeling like death 24/7 😫 nothing helped with my 1st pregnancy and I can't stop thinking why on earth did I get pregnant again, how was I so delusional to persuade myself to do this again. I have zero motivation today. 😫

@BeautyAndTheBump1 what nedication are you on? Do you feel supported by your GP and midwife? I found each of my HG pregnancies responded to diff meds which was annoying and unexpected. They can also do injections if you can’t keep tablets down

@BeautyAndTheBump1 second the above. Had to try very different combinations of meds this time round to see an improvement. I've been where you are and at 9 weeks I was booking a GP appointment to discuss my options for termination as I just didn't think I could do it again, it's only natural to hope it'll be different the second time. It will get better but it is so much harder the second time with other responsibilities etc. Get back to your GP and request to try something else, call in all the help you can. It's been rough but my HG has generally been better managed this time round with a better knowledge of medications, in my first pregnancy I vomited everyday until 39 weeks, multiple admissions etc, generally from the second trimester this time actual vomiting has been rare, maybe once or twice a week, and yes I've had to make my life much smaller but I've managed to get by, you will too! I'm now 37 weeks and the end is in sight. That said, I'm replying at this time because heartburn has ramped my sickness back up recently so I'm up randomly throwing up in the middle of the night :( Read the medication info on Pregnancy Sickness Support and push to try something else, I know it's so hard to fight for it when you feel so rough but there will be something that helps you get to a more manageable point x

@sunsparkle My GP has prescribed me Cyclizine (didnt work) then Metoclopramide (didn't work) and has now just prescribed me Prochlorperazine (in buccal form which i've never tried before) so I can pick that prescription up today. The hospital gave me a promethazine injection and prochlorperazine injection on Saturday which definitely reduced the sickness - but they seemed to make the nausea soooo much worse so whilst I had the benefit of not being sick - I couldn't function because the nausea was so bad. I have my first midwife appointment tomorrow so hopefully I can go through it with her and see if I can get additional support somewhere somehow!

@Bunnymummy89 what meds have worked for you? How have you found the nausea with them? as i've written above to sunsparkle they gave me 2 injections which helped the vomiting but seemed to make the nausea unbearable to where I couldn't function at all! I'm glad you've found some relief throughout your pregnancy though - i'm hoping i'll follow you as I was the same with my first pregnancy nothing helped until he was born at 41 weeks. Sorry to hear you are vomiting again though - only a little more to go and you've done it! Well done!!

@BeautyAndTheBump1 the good news is you’ve still got medicines to try. I have similar with the two drugs you mentioned - they largely handle my vomiting but the nausea is severe. Dealing with that can be a bit more difficult. You can still try Xonvea, ondanestron, domperidone etc. I would also consider omeprazole twice a day for nausea. I also take metoclopromide ever now and again. It empties the stomach quickly so if it feels like my food is ‘sitting there’ then I take one and can avoid being sick or nauseous for hours.

other things can help like ice, cold compresses on your head, aromatherapy, the smell of alcohol wipes helps rid nausea. Though I will be honest and say between 9 and 13 weeks I signed myself off sick.

the final meds they can try are steroids. I’ve not tried them but they should always be tried as a last try and particularly if you get to the point of considering termination. They are the most effective but they won’t try them til you’ve tried everything else. The difficulty is finding a combo of meds, balancing that with your other responsibilities in life and getting the rest you need too. I don’t think anyone with HG can be medicated enough so they feel normal but hopefully can mitigate it so you can function better.

hope you get some more meds to try and try a few in combination. And if it’s an option for you, consider going off sick from work for a little while while you’re getting the treatment you need

@BeautyAndTheBump1 this time I've been on a combination of ondansetron and xonvea. Ondansetron did little for me on its own but combined with xonvea they get me through the day. Xonvea is a slow release so it's really helped to get over that first thing in the morning sickness. Neither were easy to get my hands on but it was definitely worth the early battle. I'd say ondansetron did nothing for the nausea for me although for others it is magic. Xonvea definitely reduced it but I think the main thing for the nausea is being able to eat and drink consistently which this combination helps me to do. In my first pregnancy I'd just run myself into dehydration then get a cyclizine injection and a few days of relief before the cycle started over so could never get into a pattern to manage the nausea or to properly recover. I am still nauseous particularly first thing in the morning but it wears off as the day goes on and the more I manage to eat and isn't as all consuming. Knowing you're less likely to throw up helps to get something in earlier too to get you over it quicker in the mornings.

Some of those first line meds I found made me so drowsy and dizzy that I felt more nauseous. I'd say go armed with the guidelines to your midwife and really emphasise how awful you're feeling and push for something else or to see a consultant if they're not able to prescribe. I hope you can get it under control and have a better time this time round. Remember you're in the worst weeks at the mo, even for a normal pregnancy x

@BeautyAndTheBump1 I'm also taking omeprazole which I do think helps with the horrible taste that contributes to the nausea and is helping with the acid issues. I'm always so much worse if I miss that one out by mistake, just realised I didn't take it yesterday so that's probably why I was so sick in the night!

@SunSparkle Thankyou your message is really helpful! I have my first midwife appointment today so i'm going to talk to her about it and ask if they will prescribe me the omeprazole. I was on ondansetron throughout my first pregnancy but i'm still too early for that they wont prescribe it me until after the 1st trimester and i'm only 9 weeks.

@Bunnymummy89 Thankyou - i have my first midwife appt today so i've noted down the xonevea as i've never tried that before. I was on ondansetron throughout my first pregnancy but they wont give it me yet until i'm out the first trimester.
I seem to be stuck in the cycle you were in your first pregnancy, the past 2 weeks I've been in hospital on saturday had fluids and promethazine injections and then the sunday and monday my vomiting was reduced dramatically and then the tuesday started vomiting everything straight back up again. And the same has happened this morning I've just had some breakfast and it's came straight back up. So I'm getting 2 days relief from the hospital visit then back to keeping nothing down!

@BeautyAndTheBump1 it's so horrible and I really think you need to stress that these medications are not working for you. There is a very small cleft palate risk with ondansetron in the first trimester so GPs are incredibly reluctant to prescribe it. Before I was under consultant care I made the GP ring the consultant on call at the local hospital and with their say so they were willing to prescribe having gone through the risks. Another way is to ask for it at the hospital when you go in for fluids and then often GPs will prescribe it thereafter, if you are comfortable with the small risk ofc. Again PSS is a really good place to look for more info on this. I've found most medical professionals still haven't heard of xonvea so I'd be taking the written info on this with me as I think the guidelines have literally just been updated to include it. You could probably ask your midwife to speak to a consultant too. Even my consultant hadn't heard of xonvea but his colleague had and helped him to prescribe it and it was then much easier to get it repeated. I hope your midwife is helpful. Have you got someone going with you? X

Hi all, sorry for those suffering. @LucindaE no reason to remember me but I've had two HG pregnancies in 2017 and 2020.

I have been sterilised and had an edometrial ablation. But I am convinced I am pregnant. My DH says it is in my head, I can't possibly be, but I have had non stop nausea for three days now and am up at this time as I have been vomitting non stop.

I have had HG twice and I know what it feels like and I am certain I have it.

Is this possible? Have you ever come across something like this? I only had sex 3ish weeks ago, so too soon for a test. But I am petrified :(

@FilthyforFirth I couldn't read and run - I just wanted to let you know that Lucinda is no longer active on the thread as she had personal issues to take care of. I think her final post was earlier this year.

Hi girls, so glad I’ve came across this thread as just reading others in the same position helps somehow.
we have 3 kids & I’m unexpectedly pregnant again with 4th and at 7w+3 I am feeling so low already 😥 I have had nausea with all 3 but somehow because they were “wanted” pregnancies it seemed slightly easier to get through… the shock of this one + what feels like never ending nausea already feels like I can’t go on… I did end up being sick with my 2nd (girl) so know that could start up soon too. No idea how I’m going to get through these Easter holidays with 3 kids to entertain whilst feeling like this… I feel useless & no motivation or energy for anything. This is a total vent post, just to get my thoughts down x

Hiya Ruby, sorry you're going through this! It's awful, I've also got 4 and the last year of holidays was the worst.

What's your GP like? Because mine has dealt with my hg before I was able to get the cyclizine/ondansetron/prednisolone straight away because I wouldn't have been able to stay in hospital during half terms. Would yours be able to do anything similar? Get the big meds in now, try keeping you on your feet a bit?

Do you have hg all the way through?
It's so hard with other kids isn't it? I'm sorry hen x

Thank you for replying to me… today has been just awful, my husband works shifts so still isn’t home… I’ve pretty much had to get my eldest to look after the 2 wee ones :-( I feel like a terrible mum… but also know they will be absolutely fine as this is short term (in the bigger picture!)

So last preg i got prescribed cyclizine & it made me drowsy so I stopped taking it pretty quickly, I’m quite sensitive to medication in general - are the other 2 you mentioned anti sickness too? I’m so scared to take something to add any more side affects to this but also at the stage I think I’d try anything to take this away.

what’s it like having 4? I’m not going to lie, it scares me right now… I find 3 quite a handful, ofcourse wouldn’t change them for the world but just worried how I’ll cope with another!! Xx

Having 4 is bliss. 🧡
I mean its knackering and very constant, but when it's bliss, it's so worth it. It's good to let the older ones get involved, they have such lovely bonds then.

The cyclizine on it's own did nothing for me, so I needed ondansetron with it. Now, the best way to get it into your system is on a drip from the hospital along with fluids, but usually you'll need 4+ ketones (if you've not been in hospital before that's when they test your wee, depending on how severe your hg is your gp may prescribe the sticks so you can test your own wee, then if it's 4+ you can go to hospital for fluids. However if you're too dehydrated to wee, it's a pain in the arse!)
Ondansetron is the one I've always been prescribed but I believe there is a new miracle drug offered for hg now, so look into that?
Prednisolone is a steroid, its used to boost the efficiency of the ondansetron and cyclizine. It has side effects (it can give you gestational diabetes, which it gave me, it's a fucker but it keeps me out of hospital) but it is worth it if the vomiting is so extreme you're just bed ridden.

The thing about meds and risks to baby is quite simply, without them, you're at risk of dehydration in the extreme and that is a risk to both you and baby. It's a horrid catch 22 but your 3 other kiddos need you!

I'm really sorry it's so bad and of course It's school hols! It always is, isn't it 🙈

Good luck and keep us updated! 💐

I had to come away from this thread for a bit as I was a bit post natal and the sadness of so many hg pregnancies triggered me a bit. Sounds silly when some amazing women can't have babies but I'd see really crappy school mums yelling at their kids or kids looking malnourished and unclean but the mum (complete with red bull in hand and still smoking) is just pushing them out with no drama and there's women like us who just want a normal pregancy experience and I was getting a bit angry! Which I get isn't rational and I'm calmer now my wee girl is a bit bigger and hormones are calming down. But I'm back now.

But I'm hopeful our auntie @LucindaE is doing well, she's a wonderful lass ❤💐