

Hyperemesis Support

(978 Posts)
LucindaE Mon 01-Apr-13 18:03:32

We need a new thread.



I used to include extracts from MOH's wonderful website
but I think that makes this link less visible so am merely putting the link. The information on this site is invaluable for sufferers, with information about medications, coping strategies, hospital admissions, useful links, advice for family members, and much more.

I would like to thank MOH MOP Ovaltine bluebirdsunshine (I think she's changed her nickname) Fluffy, Horsey Kalidasa, Nannyl and Everyone who has given such invaluable support and advice on previous threads.


Don't go back yet Hyper, it sounds like if you do, you'll take a few giant steps back. I have been off work for AGES, although managed (sort of) a 2 week spell of being back between hospital appointments) It's now HR saying they actively don't want me in - still blacking out, vomiting, and having to have daily IV treatment.

Maybe speak to your GP about the stomach ache. I am on ranitidine now to cope with the acid pains, which are caused by all the vomiting apparently.

Hope your meeting goes ok

LucindaE Tue 07-May-13 14:19:25

wavesandsmiles What is 'hr'' Sorry for my ignorance? I'm glad they realise, anyway, that you are too ill to be in. So agree. Hyper There is no way you are well enough to return to work and you'll make yourself faint etc.
how is Everyone

Hyperhelpmum Tue 07-May-13 16:24:17

Human Resources. Met with my manager and she was great. Only stayed an hour and she said literally come and go as I please but keep a note. Have decided to try a couple of hours twice a week for threevweeksvas and when I feel up to it. VERY LUCKY. Understatement! Feeling ok today after a horrific evening of vomiting and nausea. It is so odd the way it goes. Hope all feeling ok and glad HR are talking sense waves you are definitely too ill to work.

LucindaE Tue 07-May-13 18:41:48

Hyper What a thickhead I am, of course! I am so glad you had what might be termed a 'positive experience'. I still can't believe how unsympathetic some workplaces are, for instance, Reebok's manager, and there was a teacher in here called Ghoulelocks who had the misfortune to be forced back to work despite having 3+ ketones. Talking of teachers, I remember Belleetbaby was a lot better, I hope she's continued that way. wavesandsmiles are you a teacher, too?

Hyperhelpmum Tue 07-May-13 19:49:05

Yeah my manager when pregnant with DS1 bullied me repeatedly after I was off with HG. She ended up giving me a bad reference for my next job stating I was unreliable and not a team player because I'd had time off when pregnant!!!! One formal complaint later and I received a written apology. Still lost the job because of her. Will never forgive her.

TiredFeet Tue 07-May-13 20:05:16

so glad to see your managers / hr are supportive waves and hyper . this is hard enough without pressure from work on top. I know it is easy to try and be heroic but actually if you're too ill to work you aren't really doing any favours by struggling in as the work won't be very good if that makes sense. I look back now and think I probably shouldn't have tried to go in on the days I did when I was still quite sick. I'm not sure I did much that was productive. I was lucky too though and everyone has been supportive.

I am having a bit of a dip in form today, I had been feeling a fair bit better but I think I have over exerted myself trying to just get back to normal and I am feeling pretty ropey this evening

hope everyone is doing well

sprite25 Wed 08-May-13 11:04:00

Hello everyone, just checking in, and hoping today is a good day for us all. keeping in with the work subject, I managed a whole day at work yesterday without feeling nauseous, although by the end of the day I felt exhausted, which Im worried will make me feel bad today. I only have a short shift at work today but as we all know, being tired only makes things worse and I still feel so so drained from yesterday I am dreading having to drag myself up to get washed and dressed and leave the house for 5/6 hours. Its like one step forward, two steps back. I just hope I can hold out til the weekend! Also does anyone know how it works with sick pay/days? As I read on the DirectGov site (I think) that sick days off when pregnant are not taken as normal sick days, but I have still had to fill out sick forms for work explaining why I was off for what dates before they pay me any sick pay, which has left me behind in my bank balance but does anyone know if sick days taken for pregnancy reasons are the same as sick days taken when not?

LucindaE Wed 08-May-13 13:18:51

Sprite Poor you, are you sure you can't get some time off altogether to recover or is it impossible? All I know is that they aren't allowed to count days taken of sick through pregnancy related illness to count in assessments, etc as sick leave, as it's sexual discrimination. For all that, people still seem to be discriminated against in practice, not for supposedly 'excessive sick leave' but as in Reebok's and Hyper's cases (Hyper I don't blame you for holding a grudge against that manager), by managers trying to put pressure on them to work when they aren't up to it.I don't know what the situation is with regard to very small businesses exempt from some employment legislation, etc...
Tired Hope lavender still helping.
Hope Everyone is OK today,and wavesandsmiles is feeling better for IV.

Hyperhelpmum Wed 08-May-13 13:34:23

Urgh feeling bad today. Knew I would pay for yesterday. Been sick after a morning of awful nausea and now can't even face meds. Grim. I'm 12 weeks now and although no longer bedridden still suffering 80% of the day. Heartburn is keeping me awake and tummy pains and gripes are there whenever I do eat. Gaviscon was my choice in the past but don't think I can keep that down. Hope everyone else is surviving, how are you waves? Glad you have had some good patches tired. Have you had a scan yet! I had one at 6 weeks when admitted but got mine Monday.

DIYandEatCake Wed 08-May-13 18:03:11

Hi and sorry to read about what you're all going through. I just wondered if I could ask a couple of questions about sickness from people in the know? I'm nearly 9 weeks with dc2, have just had nausea and food fussiness for a few weeks until today, but I've been sick about 12 times since 10am and can't seem to keep anything down, even sips of water/squash come back up after half an hour. I feel wrecked, dehydrated and weak, and it's been a real struggle looking after 2yo dd today. What stage would you see a doctor? Should I give it overnight or might the baby come to harm? Isn't it a bit late for sickness to kick in properly?

Tallyra Wed 08-May-13 20:08:17

hi diy and sorry to see you here. It does sound a little like hg, and it might be a good idea to talk to for doctors and talk to them about getting anyone anti emetics such as cyclizine to start with. you can get kesostix from the chemist which track ketones in your urine to see how dehydrated you are. if it says 3 or 4 then you need to get yourself looked at, maybe in the hospital. hopefully you aren't as bad as that though.
Take a look at the pregnancy sickness support website as well, it's a charity to help sufferers (sorry, in phone so not sure how to make links).

Feel free to ask anything else, most of us can empathise with much of what's going on with you. Xxxxx

TiredFeet Wed 08-May-13 22:06:57

hi DIY I second everything tallyra said. one day of being sick like you have been was enough for me ketones to be +4 so do check for these if you can, and do get some medication and it has definitely helped me this time. also make sure you try and stay hydrated, chips of ice work well for some people or I used to just try and do tiny tiny sips of water if I could

hyper I am still waiting for my scan, not till next Thursday (when I will be 13 weeks). I am a bit fed up of waiting, especially as I have had to tell everyone! plus me and DH have separated now, don't know if its permanent but I am feeling pretty wobbly about everything at the minute sad . he now says how bad he feels about how he has been behaving, but I can't bear the thought of him just being the same next time I am at my most vulnerable (probably post C-section....). hope you continue to progress and feel better. I am having a bit of a dip after a few good days. really want to feel well for my birthday on Friday!

hope everyone else is having good days

Tallyra Wed 08-May-13 22:19:18

aww huge hugs tired

Huge hugs fully of empathy and understanding tired, and thanks for your post on my other thread. I still have very wobbly days about the situation with DH, but really it is pretty good to know that there isn't any anger or black hole type thing devoid of any sympathy or understanding.

I'm tucked up in bed now having just got through a huge vomiting session.... Next door to the bathroom though and hoping there won't be too many more dashes to the toilet tonight!

TiredFeet Wed 08-May-13 23:13:02

I hoped you wouldn't mind waves. I think you should feel so proud of yourself. You have it 10000 times harder than me, this was a decision I made and it hurts a lot but it was a choice (of sorts). And I am a lot less ill now (though the worrying isn't helping). I have so much admiration for you and that is why I know you will manage when the baby does come, plus I think that will be a lot easier on your dc, they can have fun helping you and cuddling baby. Hope your night isn't too grim

Tired I don't believe in perceptions of how hard things are, if things are hard, they are hard - comparing to other people is not helpful. I know that I personally am struggling a LOT with the fact that the sickness hasn't gone away, and I guess is unlikely to now at 28 weeks. I hoped that I'd enjoy pregnancy with a planned for baby, with a man I loved, and thought loved me, but it hasn't turned out that way. Fwiw, I asked him to leave, but that was after months of him threatening to go, blaming everything on me, and being utterly, utterly awful to me.

I need to keep reminding myself that HG is hideously debilitating and that I will feel better, eventually. I really hope not to be going overdue with this baby, which means that I have less than 12 weeks of this to get through now.

Had my 28 week check yesterday, and weight has dropped a little again sad. But the baby's heartbeat was great. Other than ketones (as usual) in my urine, and the hideousness of the GTT, it wasn't too bad. Glad they gave me the IV anti-emetics first, but even so I felt so sick I had to lie flat for 2 hours after the drink to stop bringing it back up.

How is everyone getting on?

LucindaE Thu 09-May-13 09:22:28

DIY I second what everyone says, do see a dr asap, y ou'll be dehydrated, with my last migraine (I'm not pregnant) I tested myself for dehydration with kesostix as an experiment, and after ten vomits I was 3+ ketones after twelve hours, which would entail a hospital admission for a pregnant woman. I believe Hyperemesis can kick in at any time before twelve weeks, and very occasionally much later, unfortunately, though it usually builds up rather than starts abruptly, so lets hope this isn't it, but you do need to see a dr about the dehydration. S/he may have you admitted.
Tired I am so sorry about split up with DH, whatever happens, it is, as with wavesandsmiles an extra strain you just don't need. I am very angry angry with these inconsiderate men, but there's no help in my ranting about it. Hugs to both,you are both very brave. waves you are very tidy, making for the bathroom rather than keeping a bowl to hand as I always did when suffering.
Hyper Sorry you are feeling bad. Hugs.
Sprite How are headches? Reebok I hope coping and Everyone?

LucindaE Thu 09-May-13 09:25:51

wavesandsmiles Cross posted, that test sounds awful, congratulations on managing to get through it. Hugs about the disappointment with OH, as for Tiredfeet. I can't belive these men acting so insensitively!
DIY As below, I hope you've seen the dr, poor you?

Hyperhelpmum Thu 09-May-13 13:48:59

tired I'm so so sorry to hear about you and DH. You poor thing. It takes amazing strength to make a decision like that and especially when you have HG. Hope you are getting support in RL. I'm also bored waiting for scan as everyone knows and just want confirmation it's all going ok now. waves keep plodding on, you are doing so well. Hope everyone is having an ok day. I've been at work 3 hrs and am now exhausted so going to catch some zzz's before kids get in at 4.

TiredFeet Thu 09-May-13 14:22:48

hyper I don't know how you made it in to work, you take care!

Ds said to me today 'I wish I was a big brother mummy' (after a story about a big brother). Makes it feel like the suffering will be worthwhile smile

I am doing ok but I think the emotional rollercoaster is taking its toll so I am a bit sicker than I was. Also struggling as we are still in a fair bit of chaos from when I was very ill. Can't face jobs like cleaning the fridge etc yet. Contemplating getting a cleaner in to do a big clean but it feels very indulgent and I need to find the energy to de clutter first then!

waves I am sure it must be hard to imagine feeling well again, but you will get there. Although I guess it may take some time to build your strength up

Tallyra Thu 09-May-13 14:58:14

tired, I wouldn't even declutter. explain to whoever you hire that you are still too ill and ask if they can work round it or at least tidy it slightly. you can't be expected to clean the fridge!!!!

Hyperhelpmum Thu 09-May-13 16:43:09

tired I am just the same. House in chaos. I have a cleaner once a week but she does the essentials eg kitchen, bathroom, hoovering. Things like fridge, piles of washing and as you say clutter a total mess. I find it depressing as I'm usually organised and neat. I was considering a spring clean agency. Also, do much paper work etc to file and manage. I just can't. No energy. Work ok as I know I can leave when i like and it's only twice a week. It's nerve wracking the night before as don't know how I will feel but I very much suffer from afternoon/ evening sickness so it's not too bad. In bed now feeling rough and like I could sleep forever. Chin up all. One day we might live normal, efficient, productive lives again without battling this crap condition.

TiredFeet Thu 09-May-13 19:21:43

thanks guys, you have made me feel it would be ok to ring a cleaner. I was feeling to embarrassed but I am going to ask how much they will do, e.g. will they even sort clutter / work round it. there is so much else I need to do and sort, I think it is worth getting someone to help me make an inroad into my jobs list as I am tearing my hair out at the sight of the house at the minute.

DIYandEatCake Thu 09-May-13 22:48:27

Thanks for the advice, I saw the out of hours gp last night, they said I was dehydrated and had low blood pressure and prescribed some medicine, buccastem. I'd kept some water down by the time we got home so didn't take any (the leaflet with it said not to be used in pregnancy, especially first and third trimester, which freaked me out a bit). Have been much better today, still feeling very sick and retching at smells but not actually vomited. Hopefully that was a one off, thanks for your help x

Tallyra Fri 10-May-13 07:13:28

Glad you got looked at diy. Don't worry about the leaflet. almost all the drugs given to us say that despite being safely used on pregnant women for decades with no problem. they just don't have the courage to do a clinical trial on pregnant people. buccastem isn't a bad one to start with, so don't hold off on it if you are starting to feel bad - sometimes it can get worse quite quickly. don't be afraid of the meds in this case. they are your friend.

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