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

I feel for each and every one of you. Though my dd is 2 I still remember the hell I went through to get her here.

Try the US support group as there are UK ladies there too: here

I was cured at delivery. I ended up with an emergency section but honestly the hours I was in labour were FAR easier than a hyperemesis pregnancy. So was the surgical recovery. And I have this wonderful human being who is the best thing in my life. At times it was a minute or even a breath at a time.

Ondansetron was great (I had lost 2 stone before I was given it) and I also needed agressive heartburn drugs (as I was bleeding every time I vomited) so DO ask if you think you need more than what you are being offered. Personally I found cyclizine good for the nausea, but in combination with the other stuff.

CAT me if you need some support - 2 years down the line I'm in a position to be able to provide it.

I had hyperemesis in my first pregnancy also and I was only in labour a couple of hours. I would give birth 20 times if it meant I didn't have to have hyperemesis, definately far easier than coping with this evil illness!!

Very reassuring to hear that, Hayley! Here is to easy births for us all when the time comes

This is my second pregnancy. Saw the dr. today who wanted to admit me to hospital but as I have a 6 month old who has never been apart from me, I am very reluctant to go. I also have no family nearby so no-one to step in and take care of DD. DH could possibly take some time off work though this will be hard. She prescribed Phenergan and told me to try and drink something overnight. I have to go and see her again in the morning and she will reassess dehydration/ketones.

Has anyone else been prescribed Phenergan? She said this is the first drug prescribed for HG but looking through other posts this doesn't seem to be so. It also has a strong sedative effect apparently, which is no good when I am in sole charge of my baby.

Also, does anyone know what are the worse weeks for textbook cases of HG?

Sorry to hear how awful your pregnancy is Benjy. I really feel for you.
I have had phenergan but it didn't work for me, neither did any of the drugs though. Phenergan was the first one my Dr prescribed but I think the majority of people get on a lot better with Cyclizine as I don't think it makes you as sleepy as Phenergan. If the Dr thinks you need to go to the hospital then you should probably go. If you are a little dehydrated and you keep being sick it will only get worse. I literally wished I was dead when I put off going to hospital for so long I was in a terrible state and couldn't even move without being sick. I had to spend 4 days in hospital and I even got loads worse whilst I was on the drip. My best advice for you is to try your best to keep drinking and try to get your wee as clear as possible. The darker it is the more dehydrated you are, i know that drinking is almost impossible when you don't stop throwing up.

Not sure about the text book months of being the worst, every case is completely different, but I know the textbook weeks for getting better are 16 weeks and 20 weeks. I never believed anyone when they said that but I am going to be 16 weeks on saturday and I'm feeling like a different person all of a sudden. Still feeling sick but haven't been sick in 2 days, I really hope this is the end!!

Good Luck and I hope it goes really soon especially with a little one to look after as well. Take care and drink whenever you can.

LesleyAP
I have great sympathy for everyone who is suffering at the moment . I am a midiwfe who is keen to help women who are struggling with HG. I am looking into natural remedies that have worked, in any way, any ideas?

Hello to everyone and hugh sympathy to you all. I had awful HG from 6 wks and was in and out of hospital on drip, tried lots of different meds, metaclopramide, cyclazine, and various others but they didnt seem to work. Eventually i was prescribed ondansatron (spelling ?) which apparently is exremely expensive and they only normally wheel it out when they have tried all the others!!! but it helped, finally something made a difference. It allowed me to eat tiny amounts of food and keep them down, basically it made the difference of being in hospital on a drip and managing to cope at home. Unlike some of the unlucky ones my sickness subsided around 20 wks and i am now nearly 36 wks and feel almost normal!! Just wanted to post my experience and to say it does end, and god i know it doesnt feel as if it ever will but it does!! Good luck to all of you out there. X

Hi all. I'm a 39 year old with 3 children (4 yrs, 7yrs and 17yrs) and a full time job.
I'm 12 weeks pregnant and really, really struggling with sickness. Had no problems with first 2 pregancies but had a hard time with HG with 3rd pregnancy.
I simply put up with it though it meant losing 2 stones and facing up to not being able to keep a meal or drink down. Frankly, I simply didn't want to eat becasue I knew that half an hour(or often less!) later, I'd be sick. I was weak and dehydrated and in hindsight, I'm not sure how I managed, but, somehow I just got on with it.
I was wary about taking any drugs and any medical staff I spoke with re. anti- sickness medication kept telling me to wait..."12weeks and it'll clear"..."16 weeks and it'll clear"..."20 weeks and it'll clear" so I put up with it - but it didn't clear until I was able to keep my tea and toast down after giving birth!
Anyway, I have not kept any food or liquids down for 7 weeks and have lost 8lbs so this morning I asked the doctor for anti-sickness medication.
Reluctantly, and with lots of warnings, he has prescribed antiemetics but now I'm worried about taking it.
I like to hear advice from others who have been there...please.

Hi Lorralaffs.
I'm on my 3rd HG pregnancy. I'm currently about 14 weeks, having been throwing up since 6 weeks.
I have taken cyclizine with all 3 pregnancies and as a result it's kept the sickness to a manageable level. I've had several months off work each time but haven't lost masses of weight and I've managed to stay out of hospital.

It's funny how the attitude of doctors to medication varies. With my first pg I went and practically begged for medication after reading advice online about how if you control the sickness sooner, it's less likely to get as bad. They were really reluctant, gave me lots of lectures each time and would only prescribe a week's worth at a time (which made things tricky because it took more than a week to get an appointment!)
With the second pg, I went to the doc (different practice as I'd moved) as soon as I was pg and said 'I had HG last time, I want drugs in advance just in case' and she gave me Phenergan, which didn't stop the sickness so I got cyclizine, about a month's worth at a time. This time the doctor gave me 100 Cyclizine without a murmur and even put it on repeat prescription!

What drug have you been given? Thing is, these are drugs that have been used to treat pregnant women for many years. The fact that they are not guaranteed as safe in pregnancy is because of the litigation risks and it being unethical to test drugs on pregnant women, not because there is any reason to believe there is a risk.

Please don't worry. Nothing in life is 100% safe but you are balancing out the tiny tiny risk of taking a drug against the also small risk that you being badly nourished might harm your baby. I am sure this is the right thing to do. Good luck xxxxx

Hi Kathyis6incheshigh. Thanks for your reply and for your kind words. It's great to see that medication has made a diffrence for you.
I've been prescribed Buccastem - saw that it helped a poster on this thread (minouminou) but it really means nothing to me

I think what you say makes a lot of sense - just feel that if I battled through once, I should have it in me again...and then I play 'vomit comet' and my mindset changes temporarily!!!!

Thing is, if it was absolutely clear that medication was harmful to the baby, it would be well worth battling through, but as it is we simply don't know what's worse, the drugs or the undernourished, dehydrated mum.
The odds are that everything will be fine either way, but sickness is so damn unpleasant.
Hope the Buccastem works - keep us posted.

i have suffered on my pregnancies with awful versions of this. It was a good day when I was thirty weeks and only threw up three times in the day. I hated people telling me I wasnt sick just pregnant and laughing it off as tho I was overreacting - you be sick twenty times a day and see how well you feel. Glad to hear I am not the only one - six weeks now and it is just kicking in again.

on the birth experience btw - I vomited all the way through and straight after my labour BUT felt absolutely amazing a day later and went straight back to normal - better even as I was so relieved to not be being sick anymore.

Just to add my experience ...

I am currently pregnant with #5, I have had Hyperemisis with all pregnancies, unfortunately.

All I can say is Cyclizine, Cyclizine, Cyclizine, it works wonders, there aren't any side effects to the baby, other than I think there is a higher risk of a smaller baby, but if you didn't eat for 9 months and had to keep being put onto a drip, the baby will be small anyway, plus if you have a history of Hyperemisis, you don't need to wait until 12 weeks, it can be prescribed earlier.

I was hospitilized several times with my 1st 3 children, before anyone would give me anything for the sickness. So I know how it feels, I had and have tried everything. Nothing works to be honest, so it will be back to the Cyclizine as soon as I start being sick this time,

Gosh Hedwig I admire you going through this 5 times
I am pg with number 3, I always wanted 4 but I think this is the limit of what I can put up with! My mum thought I was crazy to have a 3rd.... actually I was in denial and had convinced myself it would be ok this time

My daughter is pregnant with twins, and at 29 weeks weighs less than before she conceived because of the sickness, which is still just as bad. She has to run/waddle from her classroom to throw up. I had to promise her today that I would go to court to be a character witness if she attacks the next person to suggest a) ginger, or b) eating little and often.

We will pay her legal fees GrammyW
There are some good posts lower down the thread about things people say that should be banned.
My best one was when I was told off by the radiographer who did dd's dating scan for not having a full enough bladder. I explained I was trying to drink but wasn't keeping anything down and she said 'You are making yourself sick by not drinking enough.'

Thanks Kathy. The most recent 'have you tried eating little and often?' was from a MW. And a few weeks ago, looking grey and distracted by the constant sickness, she was asked at the hospital whether she had tried giving up rich, sweet, foods. Not so much giving up as throwing up! The richest thing she has managed so far is the very oddly named rich tea biscuit.

im glad i found this site to read through cos im feeling sooo alone at the moment!! today is a very bad day i cant stop crying and feel as if this sickness will never end...............feel really guilty cos at the moment i am not at all enjoying this pregnancy and the baby is really wanted so i should be ecstatic and able to get through it all!!
I am 11+2 with my first baby (have had a prev abortion due to personal circumstances at 12 weeks and the sickness was really bad then as well)
cannot stop worrying that something will happen to the baby due to me having to abort the first (god getting me back in some way...i know thats stupid but i cant help it!!)
i have been to see my gp and was signed off for 2 weeks and given cyclizine and antibiotics due to a uti as well...........my urine was tested for ketones but i havent heard anything back?!?
i went back to work last thurs but the sickness is still really bad and im getting a bit of abdominal pain as well. on tues i was violently sick all over my work uniform and my boss sent me home and have been in bed since (apart from the constant dashes to the toilet to throw up) i cannot hold anything down not even water and it is really getting me down.....feels like it will never end
had lost 5lbs last time i was weighed but havent got any scales at home and havent weighed myself recently
my other half is trying to do everything he can but i feel really helpless and dont know what to do
i rat at him because of stupid thing as well, he smokes and the smell of smoke triggers my sickness, he sprays his aftershave in the bedroom which again triggers it i think the poor bloke feels he cant do anything right and just gets a depressive moaning gf all the time!!
he also feels really left out as he says everyone is always asking how i am and doesnt seem to care about how his feeling........we have our first scan next week so hopefully that will make him feel more involved

im sorry if it seems im ranting on but i really need some support noone seems to understand and i dont know what to do
i feel sooooo down
my boss has been ok but she is getting slightly frustrated now i think
she asked this morning when i called in sick whether i could be in tomorrow as she needs me and to start early but from how i feel at the moment i really dont think i'll be able to drag myself out of bed
ive phoned the dr again as out of pills and it just doesnt seem to be going away but they cannot see me till tues :-( called midwife as well re: the pains ive got but she just said its prob growing pains and i will see at my scan next week.............
just need to feel like im not alone i spose

Oh msaphi82, it is miserable isn't it? So sorry you're going through all this.

It will end and at the end of it you'll have a lovely baby. Hopefully the scan next week will make you feel like it's worth it.
It really strains your relationship too doesn't it? My dh and I are both being very snappy at the moment.

I would be happy to send you some of my cyclizine if you are desperate enough to trust a random stranger over the internet! I have more than I will need. However I know that is not terribly sensible so I understand if you'd rather not.

Keep posting. There's another thread which might be more active than this one - hand on and I'll find the link.

thank you...............i wrote on the other thread (or just copied and pasted) cos i dint know whther anyone would still look at this one
this was the 1st one i found

i said to my other half last nite that i hope when i see my baby that everything will seem brighter so fingers crossed

is just all pretty grim at the mo but feel like im bein a complete and utter wimp theres ppl like that coleen rooney that seem to be gliding through it and still looking as pretty as ever when all my bloke comes home to is a lump in bed with no makeup on whos throwin up every 5 secs...................attractive!!

thanks for the offer of the pills, will wait till i see doc i think thank you sooooooooo much anyway!!

you're pregnant atm as well then??

Yes I'm about 15 weeks I think - due mid October, anyway. 3rd HG pregnancy (and last).

Yes those photos of pregnant glowing celebs are soooo irritating. However in real life as far as I can tell most people seem to have either a problem with the pregnancy or the birth or the baby, or trouble getting pg in the first place - hardly anyone seems to get the perfect pregnancy, so I try to tell myself it could be worse - at least this is one of the few pregnancy problems where you don't have to worry about the baby.
Worst thing about HG is that you do feel a wimp though because you feel like you should be able to cope with sickness - however the thing to remember is, it's not just sickness, it is a real problem and you need to get as much rest as you can.

Hope you feel better soon.

ignore the end comment my brain is dead.............i linked you to the other comments lol :-)

feckin norah this pregnancy is killing me. Now at the stage where I literally cant keep anything down. Triend ginger biscuits, not eating anything, eating every time I feel nasous, mint tea, ginger tea, preggy pops, preggy bands - anything else - this si worse then my first pregnancy and with ds I ended up in hospital twice with hyperemesis. I cant even drink water, I cant concentrate on work and feel bloody horrific HELP.