Support thread for those with hyperemesis/bad ms

[Swaliswan]

I know that there are a few of us struggling on here with hyperemesis. Anyone fancy joining a support thread?

A little about me...

I'm 10 weeks pg with dc2 and am on stemetil for the constant sickness. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Today is a bad day. I can cope with the HG but I do get a bit irate when people tell me about their 'miracle cure' as if I haven't already tried everything

When you feel up to it. My work have been pretty cool and I've been able to work from home for the last few weeks. I have said to my boss I won't be coming back until I feel better. I went back a few weeks ago because I felt guilty and actually ended up making myself much sicker, so now, I've decided you've got to put yourself first and not try to run before you can walk.

That?s good you have to stand up for your self, I teach and have to drive for 45 min to get to work. I?m really bad in the car. So its all day or nothing, worried about going back maybe sick on kids or collapse in the corridor. Worst of all I?m worried people will say your 'only pregnant' what are you making a fuss about.

My work have been really good and let me go back 3 days a week until I feel better- occupational health got involved and recommended it

Hello

You all have all my sympathies. I was hospitalised with HG and associated dehydration, urinary tract infection and ketosis, 4 times between weeks 9 and 15. I would throw up any thing I tried to eat or drink, including the antibiotics they gave me for the UTI. I lost a stone and half too. The longest I was in hospital was 2 weeks and 2 days! In hospital I was toggling between cyclcizine (in drip, as injection and as tablets), stemitil (intra muscular injections in thigh) and metroclopromide (tablets), to varying degrees of effectiveness.

Then on the first day of week 15 it just stopped and I was able to eat and drink normally. I didn't tell any of the hospital staff for three days until I was confident that I might be able to go home without being readmitted a few days later (as had previously happened 3 times).

DS now three weeks old, but I havn't forgotten how unbelievably grim I felt.

My employer was very sympathetic. I was off for 8 weeks altogether (6 in and out of hospital) and then they insisted that i went back part time, building up my hours to full time gradually. Under the watchfull eye of the occupational health folk it took another 8 weeks for me to get back to my full time hours.

Don?t know how you all must of managed, have lost just under a stone but I have not been so bad I had to go to hospital. It would be great if I could go back part-time but I can?t imagine the school letting me unless medical folk get involved. As I have not been admitted don?t know if they would get involved.
I had no idea being pregnant would be like this, thought it would be great and i could walk around enjoying my bump, how naive!
x

I was exactly the same before I got pregnant Kayme - the reality of the first trimester has been a complete shock physically, mentally and emotionally. Hopefully we will get to that enjoying the bump stage.

Having a very unusual day. Haven't been sick yet .... most odd. Feel pretty nauseous still but no vomming..[yet]

Such a shame that we are not feeling up to going out and showing off our fabulously slim figures!

Everyone has been really sweet my husband is away so I was taken to my mother-in-laws, and they tried really hard to look after me, and feed me, yuck! Have been dropped back home and my friend is going to come and stay, cant imagine what it would be like if you were on your own.

I am only 6 weeks pg with #2 and have started to feel the nausea all day. I am open to any advice to help with the worst of the nausea...

I feel a bit of a fraud joining this thread because I have not vomited (with either of my pregnancies,in fact) but the nausea lasts all day and is so intense! It comes in big swooping waves and I just feel rank. And the very strong metallic taste at the back of my mouth makes me dry heave (sorry if tmi).

Had it badly for 3 months with ds and I am sure it is going to be the same with #2.

Ds is 3.8 and in nursery in the mornings, but I have him at home all afternoon when all I want to do is crash and sleep (he does not nap these days). I am being ratty with him and then feel awful because (this time ) it is not his fault.

Any ideas on how to survive the next couple of months of sickness with a lively ds?

Things I have been told to do and work for losts of people are:
-Eat ginger
-Go for acupuncture (I saw an acupuncture midwife very nice Lady)
-Eat little but often,
-Try sea sickness wrist bands ( you can make your own with a dried bean and medical tape, place it 3 finger widths from your hand in between the 2 tendons).
-take anti acid liquid, doctor prescribed peptac peppermint liquid tastes bad.
-Try medication

Unfortunately none really worked for me, but I really hope they will for you. Can?t imagine having to look after a little one as well.

Thanks so much kayme - have tried some of the others but not acupuncture.
Eating little but often does seem to offer some very temporary relief, but then another wave hits and I guess you all know how that feels.

I think ds is just going to have to become a slave to the dvd player for 3 months which makes me feel guilty...

My dd is now 7 but i remember the HG with horror! It is truly awful. I was hospitalised 6 times as could not keep even water down and was sick night and day! I vividly remember lying on the bathroom floor for hours as there seemed no point going anywhere else to just be back there in 3 minutes. Awful experience. I sympathise with anyone whi is suffering.
Acupuncture did work for me very temporarily, but a respite was worth having-got me through Xmas day!
Do make sure your work is aware of how ill you are, it is not just MS. I became very depressed, suicidal even and i really think the whole HG thing should be taken very seriously in terms of mental health so do seek help with this side of things before you get really down.
It did ease off by about 25 weeks, but only ended at delivery.
Sorry if this is not very helpful but good luck anyway and look after yourself.

It's very interesting hearing how people are finding acupuncture helpful. My MIL is a midwife and a medical acupuncturist but she lives up in Derby (200ish miles away) so I'm trying to find someone else to give me acupuncture down here.

Swaliswan Have a look at this site. I have to say that acupuncture got me through my pregnancy with ds, I honestly couldn't see a way forward, thought I was going to die but literally the first time I went I felt loads better almost immediately. Still awful, but better. However, it doesn't always work that way - for my last pregnancy I went, and it actually seemed to make it worse. I ended up being hospitalised ten days later (which probably would've happened anyway to be fair to my acupuncturist).

I hope you find someone near you, and fingers crossed it works!

I think the only really good advice I can give anyone (having been through 4 pregancies with HG) is to get help before you get too bad (I know convincing doctors etc that it is more than a bit of morning sickness is hard). After being hospitised with the 2nd pregnancy, GP's etc were more willing to prescribe medication as soon as I started being sick rather than leaving it until my BP got so low that my veins were collasping, needing potassium drips etc.

I had most of the medication allowed eg maxalon (which gave me restless legs), stematil (which worked quite well for me) and, surprisingly phenergan (which I think the GP gave me to make me sleep (obviously can't be sick if you are sleeping!)).

It also helps if you can keep your stress levels down - I used to fret about going back to work etc. I was SAHM with last two pregnancies with DH and mum doing alot for me, it was easier to cope.

I also had acupucture - unfortunately did not work for me. I even spent £20 on a cassette tape that you are supposed to listen to 24/7 as it equalised something in your ears (based on the theory that MS is like seasickness and is to do with your ears). Just proves how desperate you get and no, it didn't work.

It will end eventually but, god its hell.

Hope everyone who currently suffering feels a lot better soon.

To all of you who are suffering from M/S or HG, I send my heart felt sympathy.

I couldn't believe how totally awful I felt from week 7 - week 14. This is my first PG and its put me off having another. At week 10 I was being sick every 2 hours day and night, had a dry cracked swollen tongue, found it impossible to drink without being sick and went to hospital for rehydration, although they said I wasn't really dehydrated. Kindly they gave me a drip and metaclopromide. I thought I was better but it came back. I felt like death, wanted it to stop and to be normal.
I ate my way through it, eating small amounts every 2 hours day and night - mash potato & peas, soups, weetabix with hot milk, it came back up a lot.
I had acupuncture in week 12 when I felt like crap again. I took ginger capsules, tried three types of homoeopathic salts and sprays.
By week 14 I's have the occasional great day then return to feeling ill. If you get this, hold on to the good days! If you are getting some improvement it probably means you will get better.
As my immune system was so battered I have got Oral Thursh and just found out I have a bacterial gut infection that has been the cause of my continuous mild diarrhoea. Despite being so sick I put on 6KG (over 11 lbs)
I feel so much better now at 16+4. No real nausea and only a bit sick in the morning when I first get up. I'm even starting back at work tomorrow in a new job which makes me a bit nervous, but needs must.
I hope I'm not tempting fate but I do feel like a different person and should remember how much better I am.
I hope you all get better too and don't feel guilty or that its your fault. It is not.

Thanks Littlemisskiwi. Again, your story does give me hope that things are going to improve. I am 14 weeks now and yesterday I had a whole day with no vomiting, which is a first for about 5 weeks. I am prepared that there may be more bad days to follow, but I am trying to hold on to these positive experiences.

was pretty sick up until about 20 weeks (30 weeks now)...not thrown up for about 4 weeks now but nausea has begun to return with a vengeance again...only constant eating helps. anyone else had a return of the nausea in 3rd trimester?

With my 1st 2 pregnancies I was sick most of the way through but it came back more in the 1st pregnancy as he turned into breech position at about 34 wks and I had his head pressing/nodding on my stomach !

I'm hoping that everyone is having a reasonable day and managing to keep some food or at least drink down. I had a really good day yesterday, only threw up once in the morning. Today is not as good and it's DH's birthday today. At least I managed to sort stuff so that he has a nice birthday yesterday. I even managed to take DD to Gym Tots (still not sure how we got there!) and made a glitter picture with her for her Daddy.

I've also managed to get an appointment for acupuncture on tuesday evening after work. I'll let you all know how it goes. I am starting to think that I'm getting away with just bad m/s this time though rather than full-blown HG and am hoping that the sickness will start to fade soon.

Message withdrawn

Not knowing when it will end is the worst bit for me too. After a great day with no throwing up, yesterday nausea was super strong and threw up once at 5.30. Today feel very nauseous again and threw up my scotch pancakes this morning which was extremely unpleasant (lumpy...)

Have a scan later this afternoon and hoping I can make it through without being sick....such a nightmare.

I really hope we get some respite soon, we bloody well deserve it!

How's everyone doing? Still having up and down days here. Vomiting much reduced but nausea still won't bugger off which is driving me nuts! 15 weeks tomorrow...

hi - thanks for the link to this Swaliswan.

I am now nearly 9 weeks and still ill. the tablets have reduced the vommiting to 2-3 times a day but nausea constant. We have decided to tell DDs at the weekend because they are really struggling to understand why i am constantly ill and tired. think will risk having to explain a loss if it happens.

hope everyone who is feeling awful today has a better day tomorrow

Can I join? I feel absolutely terrible... I'm 12 -13 weeks with no 2. I couldn't get to work until 10 am this morning as couldn't stop being sick. Was then sick in work, felt terribly unwell and went home by 11am. Was sick in the car in a plastic bag on the way home and then had to pull over to be sick by the side of the road (couldn't undo knot in plastic bag that held previous vomit as hands shaking so much and was already starting to gag). This was after I had taken cyclizine...

I was in a terrible state in my first pregnancy too - never stopped, was still being sick at term plus 12. I found labour a complete breeze - I think it was because I knew that the morning sickness would end so I felt I could tolerate any pain whatsoever!

Can I just tell you ladies that the constant vomiting puts a LOT of pressure on your pelvic floor (some may already have stress incontinence when being sick). PLEASE do your pelvic floor excersises. I ended up with a prolapse following my first baby - my physio thought that the constant vomiting could have been a contribuing factor.