need help re Hyperemesis/morning sickness and my medication to help it??

[glaskhamhasoneintheoven]

I am nearly 10 wks pregnant, had Hyperemesis with DS 4 years ago, was in hospital on drips etc etc... fine with DD'd pregnancy... this time i was throwing up from 4weeks and GP put my on a medicine called Maxolon at 6wks as i was borderline Hyperemesis, he said if the meds didn't work he'd have to send me to hospital which i can't physically do with 2 under 4's and a DH who can't really take time off work so easily.

Anyway, went to collect my new prescription of my meds yesterday and he wanted me to see him, so made an app for yesterday morning. Saw him and he's given me my last dose of 100mls of medicine, i normally get 200mls and it lasts about a week. Have reduced the dosage myself as i could last without the mid-day dose, but i'll be sick in a morning until i get my first dose. Last night i tried to half my bedtime dose to ease the coming off the meds for my body and i was up all night throwing up, and am now looking after my kids with only 2hrs sleep!!

Will my GP have to give me more if i am still sick after coming off the meds?? I'm scared it's going to escalate fast like it did with DS's pregnancy and i'll be in hospital. I planned to have a work with my midwife when i see her on weds.... my sickness didn't stop at all with DS either, i'm just really scared i'll end up not getting anywhere with my GP as yesterday i seemed fine about coming off it... its only since it sank in and he'd given me half my normal prescription that i realised i'm gonna only be just over 10wks pg when i run out....

Please help me????

Hi countrylover,

I haven't been sick today yet, so I guess that is a good sign. Still nauseous but not as strong. Have felt very sleepy today but that could be a side-effect of the medicine.

A friend who is a midwife came to see me today and said she was surprised the GP didn't admit me to hosp for rehydration - bit scary! I didn't think I was that bad but obviously I am... Trying to drink more today but it's still a struggle.

How are you doing? Are you managing ok now you are back at work?

Sending ((hugs)) back x

Yeah, I'm ok. I'm really lucky in that I started to feel a lot better just as I went back to work last week. I still feel a bit queasy in the evenings but that's it.

I found going back to work really took my mind off obsessing about feeling sick. But my queasiness is nowhere near what you've been going through you poor thing.

Have the tablets carried on working? Keep getting those fluids down when you can - I've read that dehydration in itself can make you feel sick. It must be such a vicious circle though and I'm guessing you must dread putting anything in your stomach at all.

xx

How is everyone getting on today? I'm starting to really struggle. The first thing I did this morning was take some anti-sickness. The second I did.............throw up! I'm fed up of feeling terrible

Hi Swaliswan - How many weeks are you now? Know just how you feel
I went back to the GP today who wants me to keep trying the Zofran - I took it yesterday and managed to keep down a small dinner. He has given it to me on a repeat prescription even though it costs a bomb. He thinks I'm worth it
I had no ketones today but did have protein in my urine. Had pre eclampsia with DD1 but thought only had a 20% chance of getting it again... he wants my urine checked every week now.
i don't know anyone in real life who has been as bad as me so its nice to know I am not the only one when I read this thread
Rosy x

Hi Rosy, Swali, Country,

The tablets don't see to be working so well today....I'm on Maxalon and still feel very sick and exhausted. I threw up once yesterday and feel like I am going to be sick now....

I'm 13+2 now and am beyond fed up of feeling like this. When is it supposed to get better?! I am going back to the docs tomorrow morning, so will see what she says....Maybe I do need to go to hosp to get rehydrated...I feel like all those weeks when I just struggled on I have created more trouble for myself.

Love to everyone suffering - it is truly soul destroying.

just wanted to send all of you my sympathies - had HG when pg with ds and was hospitalised twice and we are about to start TTC so am dreading getting HG again (assuming i will - will obviously be great if i don't!). interesting to read all the meds you have been on - may print out this thread and keep it to thrust in front of my GP!

Hi Fairy & Cosmo. I am now 25 weeks and its getting worse rather than better... but this does not mean it will for you. I was the same with DD and threw up til the night before she was born. However know plenty of ladies who only had it with 1 child and plenty whose sickness stopped around 16 - 20 wks... so do not lose hope.
Fairy the Maxalon seems to be similar to my Zofran in that it does not stop nausea or daily vommiting but it does enough to keep me out of hospital.
I am quite large around the belly now at 25 wks but when the GP weighed me yesterday I am half a stone lighter than when I got pregnant... lost 2 stone with DD so this is quite good!
Keep chins and belly's up xx

Well I'm ten weeks today and feeling terrible. I have given myself a headache from all of the heaving. Anti-emetic=schmanti-emetic IMHO. The midwife is going to call me soon apparently. I only have about a week of stemetil left and don't know what I'll do after that because they don't make the suppositories anymore

Thinking of you all x

Hello to everyone, just finsihed reading all the threads in the hope of hearing this ends soon (was hoping for 12 weeks) but it seems its not going to happen. I have tried 3 different drugs so far including cyclazine which didnt work and am now on zofran but still feel so bloody awful. I cant do anything, have been in hospital twice but as soon as i come out i go straight down hill again. Husband has been a brick doing everything but our relationship is really suffering because i am so totally fed up with this cant bear it. Tears are rolling down my cheeks as i type this, i miss my life as it was, my son (5) and just being me. Not normally a down sort of person but this is truly unbearable and to think it may drag on (i am only 8 wks been sick since 3 wks). Its good to hear there are other people like me tho and i send you my HEARTFELT sympathy. Sorry to sound dramatic but i really feel at the end of my tether.

Oh ogs, so sorry you are feeling so rough and so low. It truly is such a horrible feeling and I understand exactly what you are going through. Do not blame yourself or feel bad for the way you are feeling, it is not your fault.

I am 15 weeks tomorrow and have been sick since week 6. Things have improved slightly but still nauseous and throwing up now and again. Seem to have good days and bad days when it comes to the vomiting.

I am really hoping for a dramatic improvement around 16 or 17 weeks as this is when many people experience the turnaround (not at 12 weeks like all the stupid books promise). I have stopped looking at the books because they annoy me so much and just don't reflect how I am feeling at all.

I can't offer you much advice, all I have been doing is trying to cope in the only way I know how. I feel my marriage has been put under a lot of strain as well but again, don't blame yourself for this. Hyperemesis is a recognised condition and an awful one and until you have experienced it, you don't know how debilitating and soul-destroying it really is. Feel free to vent away if it makes you feel better xx

dear cosmogirl, thank you for your message it doen make such a difference to hear from someone who is experiencing this too. It really does take over your life and your familys life. Sometimes i get so cross when i think that i am missing out on the joy of being pregnant and how its incredible the things they can do medically these days and yet there doesnt seem to be anything that really "works". Dont want to run a marathon or anything just want to live some sort of normal life! I take my hat of to you and just think, how on earth has she got to 15 weeks, that seems a lifetime away and i am due back at work on weds after almost 3 weeks off! I wish i could go to sleep until this is all over, wake up and be the happy person i used to be!! - i know it will end and somedays i can be more positive than others, just a particularly bad day today i guess. thank you for your thoughts, made me cry just to hear from someone the "same"! X

Hi all - its made me really sad to read your messages - I had HE and was hospitalised a few times when I was pregnant and can never quite explain to anyone how awful it was.

The only thing that I can tell you that might be of help is that hopefully there is light at the end of the tunnel for you soon - when I could manage to use the computer without throwing up I trawled through all the websites I could find in hope of a reading someones story that said their HE didn't last the whole pregnancy and couldn't find one but 16 weeks was the turning point. I managed to go back to workpartime(had all the nice comments of you look like a corpse etc etc) I was still throwing up but not like before

If its of any use to anyone here's what got me through:
lemonade sparkle icelollies
teatree oil (I used to put it up my nose as my sense of smell was so horrendous)
Keeping a diary each day
Crossing each day off before bedtime

It is hard, I felt suicidal and would have done anything to feel normal or for someone to have put me in a coma for the rest of the pregnancy but I want to say incase it helps anyone that it will end and you will get through it

I have HG for the second time. I'm now 13 wks and managing to live on Lucozade. I am trying to stay positive but it is hard with a 2 year old at home. My husband and family have been great and are taking care of my daughter.
I have had two stays in hospital this time. Back on cyclizine as I reacted very badly to stemetil. Didn't think it was helping but I was so much worse when I stopped taking it.
It started to get better at 5 months last time but hoping it will be sooner this time. It is a nightmare and each day seems to go on forever. It will be worth it in the end I know!

Hi all,

I am so glad to have found this forum -hearing stories from real women who are suffering HG. I had it in my first HELLISH EXISTENCE of a pregnancy. My darling little girl is now 2. I also had obstetric cholestasis (liver function problem -think thats the spelling) from 30 weeks. Has anyone else ever had both? My Consultant said they were linked but thats all he could tell me.

I am possibly early stages pregancy at the mo (3 weeks roughly) and feel like it's the calm before the storm!! So terrified of that horrendous sickness and the sheer torture that hospitalisation brings! Sights, smells and unsympathetic nurses! But I am desperate for my little girl to not be an only child, so I am doing it for her really. GP keeps saying I might not be sick second time.

I at least know what could be coming this time. But coping with a toddler and her seeing me not well is not a nice prospect! I have ginger tea, seabands etc and might consider taking cyclizine as a preventative measure when the nausea starts. Has anyone every done this?

Any advise much appreciated

Hi OhToBeAMan,

Firstly, congrats on your pregnancy. I can't give you any advice on taking cyclizine as a preventative but just wanted to say I'm crossing my fingers for you that the nausea and/or HG won't set in - or won't be as bad as with the first pregnancy.

I had HG with my DS, started at around 6weeks and continued until about 4 or 5 hrs after he was born, with about 10 hospitalisations so can truly sympathise with you. In the end I was taking zofran wafers and they kept me out of hospital at least.

I'm considering TTC no 2, but, like you, am terrified of having HG and a toddler.

Will wish you the very best of luck and will keep an eye on this thread! xxx

Hello

I am nearing the end of my 3rd HG pregnancy and I have to be honest and say it has been the worst of the lot so far. Looking after a toddler is NOT easy when you feel so awful (let alone having a four year old starting school as well!!) but you will get through it and I think I went in to my second pg ready to fight it as much as I could!!

I think taking whichever of the drugs that works for you as a preventative measure is a very good idea, especially before it gets really really bad. I also tried some acupuncture with number 2 which helped a little and I saw a nutritionist which was very helpful. She recommended little things to me that I may be able to stomach which weren't the hula hoops and melted cheese sandwiches that I was craving. Things like - Marmite - even a little bit on toast has some B vitamins in.
Also The Food Doctor seeds (get them from health food shops or Sainsburys). Very nutritious and low GI so kept me feeling full and therefore less sick for longer.
Also she told me to swap to mineral water (Volvic is apparently the most hydrating) striaght away to help with the dehydration. I was just drinking squash with tap water - couldn't bear the taste of water on it's own.

Apart from that gather as much help as you can - accept all offers of babysitting. And don't feel guilty about your first borns. They are more resilient than they look and with some tlc and a few treats they will get through it. My DD's were adorable and would run and fetch my sick bowl as soon as mummy looked a bit green.
Wish you the best of luck.

Thanks for sharing Three. It's comforting to hear your story and know your 2 DCs have been so understanding!

Thanks for the tips too, will keep them in mind if I have HG again.

Hyperemesis and Severe NVP...

As this thread doesn't seem to have any new contributions,

I thought anyone suffering might be interested to learn that there's a current Hyperemesis Awareness/Support thread on talk, which I hope sufferers might find of use. There's me (once suffered, untreated
AAGH!)and some current sufferers on it, plus a couple of other ex sufferers who call in, so please, anyone who currently has HG,don't feel alone, call in...

LucindaE
XX

Ladies, I really understand how miserable you are all feeling right now, having experienced this with my DD, I had accupunture from 5 weeks pregnancy as a preventative with my DS and it worked quite well, the worse I got was being sick 3 times a day and believe it or not it started to pass after 16 weeks.I was told 70% of those that develop HG go on to have a girl, which makes it a hormone thing. For me sleep was crucial to preventing the downward spiral and making youeself eat every two hours hungary or not. I lost no weight with my 2nd pregnancy but 1 & 1/2 stone with my first which I was hospitalised with dehydration by 9 weeks. I have found I very lovely website that you may want to look at.
www.helpher.org
I DH won't let me haveany more babies but I've just started training as an antenatal educator and I'm going to make sure people are aware of this horrendous condition.Let me know if there's anything you want we me to pass on x

Im so sorry to hear about everyone experience of hg, Im currently workingon a research study into care of women with hg, and so i am very interested to hear what people find helpful/unhelpful -whether it be medication or coping strategies.

I agree with the comment that successful treatment seems to be very trial and error, it seems to me that hg is very idiosyncratic and so one treatment does not work for everyone, indeed women sometimes find that a treatment that once worked, may stop working for a time.

Dehydration is indeed as some people have said the most important factor, and needs to be avoided if at all possible. This clearly means drinking regularly, small sips, ice cubes/ ise pops can be useful. Using a straw may help. Eating foods which have a high fluid intake: soup, jelly, fruit etc.

I would be really interested to know which medication was difficult to get hold of Swaliswan and also which trust provides district nurses to give IM injections to women with hg at home... I am trying to enlighten my local trust that this is a possibility and I think a workable alternative to hospitalisation for some?/many? women?

If anyone could tell me where the provision of medication which isnt tablets (I still cant get my head around why doctors prescribe oral medication to someone who vomits frequently?!) I would be really grateful.

My deepest sympathy, and after some time spent researching this condition, my empathy too to all you whi have suffered and are currently suffering.

hi all just to let you all no i had hyperemisis from 6 wks of pregnancy and it didnt stop until after i delivered a very healthy 8lb 10 oz baby boy ( which is massive for me as i was only 8 stone prior to pregnancy ) ....i was given zofran and took it for the whole time of my pregnancy ..my baby boy is now a healthy happy 7 yr old (:

Severe Hyperemisis

Just to share my story. I am ten weeks pregnant and had severe nausea and vomiting. My interactions with health care professionals went as follows:
Previous medical history: 2 miscarriages

1. Started feeling sick around 4-5 weeks. Vomiting approximately 2-3 times a day. I spoke to the doctor who told me that this was a normal part of pregnancy and he wouldn?t prescribe anti-sickness as it would harm the baby.

2. October 5th 2010 Started bleeding and had discharge. Went for emergency scan at hospital, all was ok baby healthy, but was sick at the hospital and was prescribed cyclizine.

Cyclizine did not work. I did manage to keep some down but it made no difference.

3. 1st Midwife appointment at hospital was sick during session and she said it was normal to be sick and there was nothing that could be done. In her opinion we shouldn?t fight it, it?s a natural part of pregnancy and morally she was against taking drugs for a natural event that is there to protect the baby. At this point being sick around 6 times a day, mainly bile coupled with dry (very noisy!) retching. Able to eat and drink small amounts at supper and midday. Emotionally all over the place, feel very guilty but half relieved if I miscarried at this point, feel terrible writing that but it was the truth at the time.

4. Last week Tuesday left work early, had spent all morning being sick in work loos, I was sick at the station getting my train. Told my manager and team leader about my situation (hard to hide was disappearing to the loos a lot during the day and unable to focus at work) Vomiting about 10 times a day. Keeping some drink and food down around midday. Had an emergency appointment at GP?s and asked to see a female GP. Was prescribed prochloperazine but as soon as I swallowed a tablet I vomited It up again.

5. Wednesday following the GPO appointment was unable to keep any food or drink down. Spent whole day in work loos very embarrassing, getting odd looks from colleagues (who don?t know I?m pregnant)

6. Thursday took day off. Sick in the night and all day- couldn?t keep any food or drink down and was sick with bile and dry retching about twenty times by midday. Felt helpless rang the antenatal centre and they said go to A and E. Felt a bit melodramatic but went to A and E, sick lots whilst waiting there. Ketones were 4++ (highest they can go) was put on IV fluids and cyclizine. The first five minutes of IV felt like heaven. I was admitted as an impatient at around 8pm. I was placed on continuous fluids overnight but was sick 3 times during the night. I was nil by mouth. Cyclizine didn?t work and was then put on IV Prochlorperazine and ondansetron, IV multivitamins and sodium lactate. By Friday evening started to feel better stopped vomiting. Ketones still 4 ++ though. Friday evening had a slice of toast and kept it down. I was given ranitidine, antiemetics (prochl and ondansetron), thiamine and folic acid in oral pill form and kept it down!

7. Saturday Despite slight random raised temperature I felt much better. No vomiting. Still nauseous when moving. Discharged Saturday evening/night, equipped with ondansetron 4mg t.d.s, ranitidine 150 mg t.d. prochlorperazine 5mg t.d.s, folic acid o.d, thiamine (can?t remember dosage) o.d. Precriptions are for two weeks (they are hoping as am I this will last until 12 weeks then suddenly go, I want to believe this but don?t have that much faith!).

8. Currently today is Tuesday and back to work. Feel wiped out but eating and drinking. Feeling very nauseous at times and few near misses but no vomiting as yet! Hoping I stay this way ?.

i suffered from HG for 2 years straight. i vomitted on average anywhere from 50-75 times per day. i was hopsitalized over 30 times. i have yet to see a case as severe as mine and im starting to wonder if maybe i have/had something else? my youngest daugher is now 19 months old yet i still have the urge to vomit on occasion. i read somewhere that the UK is the only country that actually has a foundation for HG and is doing great things with medical research and maybe some day, a cure.
during my pregnancies, i was given a 'triple whammy' if you will. my first and second children were both very healthy eight pounders although i have absolutely no idea how they did so well. my last child, however, was diagnosed trisomy 18 and i was advised to terminate on account of putting my own life in danger as i had gotten pregnant again 5 weeks after delivering my 2nd child. i ended up losing my daughters twin half-way thru the pregnancy. and the trisomy 18 diagnosis along with living in the bathroom with only a pillow and a blanket to comfort me while i laid on the cold, hard tile awaiting the next vomiting episode..... i cant even put into words the kind of emotional state i was in. i literally had days when i would pray to God, 'please take me now. i cannot take this anymore. if i fall asleep, just take me with You. and please let my husband hold my daughter one time before she meets me in heaven.' i wanted to die.
i spent 6 hours in the hospital trying to push my daughter out so that i could hold her just one time before she went to be with God. but my body was too weak. i finally had to agree to a c-section, knowing that i would never see my baby girl because the doctors injected me with some sort of medicine that made me pass out upon arriving in the surgical room.
my doctor woke me up to tell me that my daughter was fine though!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! all the diagnoses were wrong! i now know that the child i lost was the baby diagnosed trisomy 18... how those stupid doctors couldnt figure that out, ill never know. but it doesnt matter now because i have 3 beautiful healthy children and i beat hyperemesis 3 times!!! and i beat it 2 times in a row!!!!!
i was given 27 different medications during that pregnancy. but the only one that helped subside the vomiting for about 30 minutes (i could only take it every 8 hours) was something called Zofran. apparently it is the same medication given to chemo patients. i had it intraveneously several times also.
i could go on for days upon days with my story but i wanted to post this to let everyone of you out there who have or are currently trying to beat hyperemesis.... DONT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!!!! i am living proof that you can beat it. and if anyone out there knows of someone who vomited every 10-15 minutes and had to sleep in the bathroom all day and all nite, id sure like to know i wasnt the only one. it still bothers me. i still have nightmares. and i still cant believe im actually alive and that my daughter survived after i was told she would die hours after birth.... if she even made it past pregnancy. thank you to all who read this. and you are all in my prayers as well.

also the perception that only women who are overweight contract HG? bull crap..... im 6 feet tall and i weigh 130 pounds. my mother also had hyperemesis although im not sure if they had a name for it 30 years ago. she,too, had it twice in a row. my bother and i are 51 weeks apart in age. my daughters are 50 weeks apart. my son is 7. i only vomited 30-40 times per day with him. it seemed much much harder with my 2nd child.... and my last child was a twin... although her twin is with God now, i think that maybe thats why my 3rd pregnancy was a million times harder than the first 2. although the vomiting for my 2nd and 3rd children was about the same.

Hi everyone, first of all i feel so lucky to have my 8year old son as i was so ill with HG i was being sick every 2 minutes all the way through my pregnancy and was in hospital from 8weeks till i gave birth. i did plan to have another 4years ago but the HG got so bad my life was in danger so the hospital terminated the pregnancy which was hard for me. 8 years on I'm desperate to have another child. going to see the doctors Tuesday to see if they have any new medications.