My morning sickness is so bad I am are afraid to eat.

[artichokes]

I am 10 weeks. So far Morning Sickness has been bad but not crippling and I can usually stop myself being sick if I am at work/on transport etc.

Yesterday it changed into a different gear. I was sick every couple of minutes non-stop for 3 hours. It came out of the blue while I was out of the house. At one point I thought I would suffocate and die as I could not stop retching to breath. The doctor came out and was very sympathetic but said that there was nothing they could give me to stop the retching and if I got too dehydrated I would have to go into hopsital on a drip. Today I am better enough to sip drinks but not eat - partly because I am scared whitless of a repeat of yesterday. I had no idea a person could be that sick.

I have a history of emetophobia that used to be a big part of my life. I worked hard to beat it and have but today I am scared it is all coming back.

Has anyone been as sick as I describe? What did you do?

I have hyperemesis which is extreme morning sickness. When I couldn't stop being sick my GP sent me to hospital. I think you need to see another more sympathetic GP.

Being sick every few minutes is not normal. There are drugs you can be given to stop it. It is very important to stay as hydrated as you can although obvously when you are that sick trying to drink is impossible.

I also had emetophobia which meant that in my first pregnancy my GP thought I was exaggerating a little bit (until he saw me unable to stop retching). I have to say the hyperemesis actually helped me get over the emetophobia. I didn't go out much whilst pregnant, because I just felt too ill, but once I'd given birth I was fine so try not to worry to much about your emetophobia. I'm sure it won't get worse, but if it does you can deal with it then.

The first thing you need to do is try to stop worryiing that it will happen again. It may have been just a one off, but if it does happen again. Call a dr, and try and explain that you really do need something to stop the sickness.

You really have my sympathies I am 12 weeks and have spent sometime in hospital on a drip. I feel crap all the time and have been very miserable over the past few weeks. What keeps me going is I've done it once before and it does get better to an extent.

Good Luck.

You poor thing. I was incredibly sick for 14 weeks with my first child and i can totally symptathise. However, I would say that the MOST important thing is that you do not get dehydrated as you could end up in hospital and you really don't want that. So please make sure you drink plenty - little and often - sucking ice cubes was my thing! I froze a load of ice cubes with different fruit juices and I found they really helped and I didn't get dehydrated. I would also say that you need to try and eat something very light - dry toast, some banana (if you can stomach it - I couldn't!) - digestive biscuits etc. It is HORRIBLE to feel and be this sick but IT WILL PASS!!! I also have a terrible fear of being sick (I still have it) and this I found to be the hardest bit about early pregnancy. But, the most important thing is to look after yourself and your baby and that means trying to eat something and it's really common for food to actually make you feel less sick, so please give it a go! The doctors will do nothing at this early stage in your pregnancy - some women do go on to get terrible sickness which requires treatment but it has to be v.severe for this - and to be honest, yours sounds perfectly normal at this stage in your pregnancy so you will probably just have to live with it. I know it's tough but it's a great sign that your hormones are doing their job so try to keep positive. Finally, just to say that you have to put this sickness thing in perspective - easier said than done I do realise... but it's not the end of the world if you are sick and when you are holding your baby in your arms you'll look back and realise it has all been worth it. Good luck to you. Take care

Don't understand your GP see another as tutu100 said. My GP told me I shouldn't have suffered for so long and was able to help straight away. I couldn't eat or drink water even without being sick. I was about 8 weeks when I had to go to the doctor as I just couldn't put anything in my mouth.

Thanks everyone.

I know being really sick is not the end of the world but it really felt like it yesterday. I have a 21 month old and my DH is away and so I was trying to look after her while being that ill and knowing I had no back up. I was scared I would pass out and she would be left alone. It was horrible. Really horrible. I can't beleive the GP lied about not being able to stop the retching. He seemed very sympathetic but said all the things they would normally give would harm the baby.

I am just so down about this. I know others suffer worse and for longer but this is a real area of weakness for me. That is why I am afriad to eat (although I know I must in the end). I also have a job to hold down .

Hello Artichokes

Congrats on being pregnant!!

It sounds as though you are having a really tough time of it at the moment.

Please remember that this is only TEMPORARY as Amandella has already said.

Having a kiddie already and a DH who is away must be tough for you - but please remember to look after yourself and keep trying to eat little things at regular intervals this will stop the lightheadedness/dizzy feeling.

Can you stomach fizzy drinks - alot of the ladies on here say that full fat coke really helps to settle their tummies.

Please try and eat little things at regular intervals though.

Also remember you are not going through this on your own - we are always here for a chat and advice!

Perhaps a call to your midwife might help - she may be able to give you some coping remedies and if she knows your circumstances then she will keep an eye out for you

((((hugs)))))

Oh Artichokes, you poor love, that must have been so frightening for you. I am so sorry you are feeling so pants.

You need a different GP honey. When I had a dating scan a couple of weeks ago, I mentioned to the obstetrician doing it that I was very sick (nothing like you though darling - I just feel very sick and retch a few times a day) and she asked if I had meds. When I said I didn't, she offered to prescribe. I passed, as I am managing but she said there was no need to suffer and I should come back to the EPU or to A and E if it got worse.

Can you get to EPu/A and E tomorrow? And could you buy a bit of childcare to help you out while your DH is away? Where are you (approx)? I am in S london and if I am near enough will gladly do what I an to help.

Take care lovely.

God it's so awful isn't it? I had it dreadfully last time and will never forget that feeling of constant nausea.

Things I found made it worse and to avoid were not to get too tired and to rest often.

Drink as much as you can but in lots of little sips. An energy/sports type drink if you can bear it or just water.

Nibble on plain things ie toast, crackers plain biscuits.

This'll sound awful to someone with emetophobia but plain foods are less er..traumatic on the way back up iyswim. Also, again sorry, but it's easier to have a little bit to bring back up rather than to retch on nothing which hurts.

I found I was very sensitive to smells. I could smell cigarettes from 5 miles away (yuk) and some ordinary things like the clothes liquid I'd been using was horrendous. Some smells did help though. I liked fresh lemons. Anything fresh and lemony was nice.

Be kind to yourself. It will pass but don't take on too much if you can avoid it.

I read this book which helped a bit too. Notice the lemon on the front

Hope you feel better soon. I could actually feel mine lifting after a while. What relief!

Thanks for your lovely messages - I am clearly very hormonal because they have reduced me to tears! It is a real comfort to me hearing from others who have coped with this and getting a bit of sympathy!

I have just eaten a small plate of plain rice. It is my first food in 36 hours and it seemed to go down OK (touch wood, cross fingers etc etc etc).

My DH is home for 48 hours between the two legs of his mammoth business trip. It is sooooo nice having him here looking after DD and me. I have begged him to cancel the second leg of his business trip. This is a huge thing for me to do as I never admit I can't cope and to cancel will be very hard for him. He was very sweet and is obviously very concerned so here is hoping he won't have to do that part of the trip. I am just so scared that if he goes and I end up in hospital DD will have nowhere to go (well I have friends who would all offer to take her, and she would obviously go to one of them, but none of them have experience with kids and has never been put to bed by anyone but DH or I).

Thanks for you lovely offer Chutney. I am in W London but hopefully DH will be here and I will be OK .

Oh artichokes I've been there and didn't eat for nearly a week. Wound up in hopsital with hyperemisis - had 4 stints over 6 weeks (weeks 8-14), during which time they sorted out ketosis, dehydration, kidney infection and borderlien malnutrition. @but this is my first pg so I didn't have another child to look after so it was easier to go to hopsital.

There are meds you can take to help with the sickness, but many GPs don't knwo about them or are wary of them. I got mine prescribed by the hospital, but if you go there then you're running the chance of being admitted.

Takw a look at the lovely hyperemisis website www.hyperemesis.org.uk. There's a helpline number on there too.

Try eating very small amounts of very plain food - I was down to a teaspoon of mash 3 times a day at one point and getting all my fluids by drip. I couldn't even drink enough to swallow my tablets without throwing up (and the tablets too).

If you are not keeping anything down, the dehydration is far more worrying that the lack of food. Ketosis really messes up your liver and kidneys www.nhsdirect.nhs.uk/articles/article.aspx?articleID=221#

so if you can try to drink, please do! Ice lollies and melon may make it easier to get some fluids too. I found (and still do) very cold drinks - mostly fizzy water - much easier to swallow and keep down.

My GP prescribed Avomine (travel sickness tablets) for me at the start of the year as I could only keep down ice cubes. Even rice cakes, plain biscuits all came back up again and I was losing weight. Mind you the tablets made me sleepy so I could only take them in the evenings or if DP or my mum were around to help with DS.

I really feel for you its a truly grim experience and very tiring. I'm not emetophobic and I was at breaking point for while. If you can take some time off work sick then do so. While it is part of pregnancy you don't have to be super woman and keep going.

I have had awful morning sickness that has lasted all day, vomiting, retching, I have lost 10 lbs in weight, but it stopped last week, just past 14 weeks, but I am almost too scared to eat much, in case I am sick again. Rice is good, anything plain and boring.

Hope that you feel better soon - I tried travel acupressure band, which helped a little...

Just adding sympathy really - hyperemesis is dreadful, I had it severely with dd1 but with dd2 I was a little better i.e. not hospitalised.

Lots of good advice from others already so I won't repeat it. All I would say is that if you need to go into hospital and get rehydrated don't get too anxious about it - it makes you feel much better in the long run.

Just wanted to add my sympathy. I've had Hyperemesis with two pregnancies, escaped the worst of it this time.

Try not to worry- your baby will be fine, but you need to take care of yourself. If you find you can't hold down food again, I would forget GP, just go to hospital- they will know what to do.
You need to watch your fluids, mainly.Did GP check for keytones?
Ice lollies are good- esp. orange juice ones. Just take the tiniest sips of drinks- but very often. I find soda water or fizzy of some sort more palatable. Mints can help. Sniffing lemons also. NO idea why any of these things work, but they do, so I didn't question it! And anti-emetics, but they do make you sleepy.

It will pass, and you'll have a lovely baby- most illnesses don't bring that kind of reward!
take carexxxx

Pinky can I just say that I am very happy for you that this time you are feeling better. (I don't know you btw, I have just suffered myself in the past)

In fact we have stopped at 2 children because I couldn't face going through it all again.

Thanks I was adamant I was stopping at two..but changed my mind. I was really worried about getting ill again, esp.as I have two lo at home, but I believed it would be worth it. I have just been really lucky. Still being sick, at 16 weeks, but no HG.

google morning well....helped me a lot with awful awful sickness

www.morningwell.co.uk/

Sleep is good. You don't feel sick if you're asleep

Really hope it passes soon for you artichokes.

If you have it very badly people often just don't understand. They know about feeling a bit sick in pregnancy and it gets glossed over, but when it's really bad it's so so much more debilitating than a bit of nausea in the morning. I used to want to scream 'it's all b*%%&y day, not just the morning!' And I remember trying to look after another little one too is so difficult. Just don't push yourself too hard. Do the absolute minimum.

I am so happy today. DH has got out of the second leg of his business trip so will not be leaving us alone again and it has been decided that I will go to the GP tomorrow and get signed off for a week to recuperate. I have never taken time off before (except when my Mum was dying) but I just can't do the tube/office/meetings thing when I being so sick, so often.

These two events have cheered me up so much that I dared experiment with mixing a little plain yoghurt with today's plate of rice. It went down quite well and I even managed 2 whole cans of 7up by gently sipping throughout the day (I normally can't stand canned drinks but at the moment it is all I can drink).

I am beginning to feel that maybe, just maybe, I can get through this (touch wood).

Hi artichokes, hope you are feeling better. I think having your DH around and not worrying about getting to work will help a lot. I am 14 weeks and just getting over the worst of hyperemesis. It really peaked a few weeks ago when DH was working really long days and I was exhausted and dehydrated and stressed about passing out when looking after 2 yr old dd. In the end I went to stay with my parents and just having them there to look after dd helped me a lot. Stress and tiredness are your enemies with this kind of sickness so you need to take care of yourself and have others help you out. Best of luck with your pregnancy.

Thanks Suile - I too get v stressed about passing out with DD around. Luckily she will be in her regular childcare all week even though I am not at work. Therefore I can really rest.

Can I ask whether you have stopped being sick now? I keep wondering how long this will last. With DD I felt ill 'til 17 weeks but I was never this ill and I wondered if more severe sickness tends to last longer or be shorter and sharper.

That's great that you will have a real chance to rest this week. It really will help. I am much better than I was a few weeks ago. Still being sick occasionally - usually if I go too long without a snack or overdo things. When I was really sick I had some injections of cyclizine which stopped me throwing up so much. I was prescribed it in tablet form too but ended up not taking it often as it totally knocked me out and I had dd to think of.
This time round I think the hyperemesis hit me harded but has eased off sooner. I dd I was still being sick regularly up til 20 weeks whereas this time it had eased a bit by 12/13 weeks.

Just wanted to add my sympathy. I felt constantly nauseous for the first 15 weeks both times I was pregnant. It was awful, really awful. I totally lost my appetite and lost quite a lot of weight (which I soon put back on once my appetite was back

Definitely take it easy for the next few weeks and look after yourself. I found I could eat more if I didn't have to cook - I was extremely sensitive to strong smells.

Hope you feel better soon.

Artichokes- that's great news, that you are managing to eat and drink a little. Just take it steady, and get lots of sleep. I was much worse when I was stressed out at work, having to give up my job was quite a relief in the end.
Of course yo can get through this. It is horrible, horrible- I agree, but it does pass.

It may pass in a few days or a few weeks, but it does tend to ease up for at least some of the pregnancy.

And you will develop coping methods- finding a drink you can sip and a basic meal you can eat is a really good start.

Try to take some vitamins if you can, they will help you feel better.

Artichokes, that's brilliant that you are managing to and drink a little and that DH isn't going on the second leg of his trip. I have all my fingers and toes crossed for you. For sick leave - you can sign yourself off for a week with seeing a doc. If you're going so see yours, get them to do you 2 weeks! Min did me 2 weeks, then I was in hospital and he did me three weeks recuperation afterwards!

I second everything that everyone else has said about not getting tired, stressed or hungry. My work and DH have been fab about the was first two and I always have a few breakfast bars throwing up the first inkling that I might be a little peckish in half and hour or so!

I stopped throwing old me up on the first day of week 15. I'm sure it was psychological, as all the literature I'd read told my that it op would normally stop by week 14.

I've only been sick once since, and that was when I was very hungry.

23 weeks tommorow and all is well. Apparently really sicky first trimesters mean really healthy second and third ones and healthy babies!