Support Thread for Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG) Sufferers

fromscratch - thanks so much hun. I saw my GP just after posting and he prescribed me Ondansetron 4mg wafers (I'm guessing they are the generic brand of Zofran) they are cat b1 but my GP told me to take them whenever I need to, I've only taken 3 so far, and they give me 36-48 hours throwing up/nausea free, sometimes a little longer if I'm lucky, only problem is they take away all the other symptoms of pregnancy other than the need to pee 100 times a day lol
Makes a huge change to what it was with the other 2, I was prescribed maxalon once with DD and then found out afterwards that it's the same thing that they inject you with when they give you morphine (which is what I react to re throwing up) so my midwife with DD said that I wasn't to take it at all. At least I know it should clear up around 16-18wks (hopefully!) and give me a 10-12wk break before returning in the 3rd trimester... unless this pregnancy decides to go against what happened with the other 2 and the HG sticks around the entire pregnancy.
I really don't want to be taking cat b1 meds for that long, it was bad enough that I basically overdosed myself on codeine painkillers at the start of the pregnancy because of my dead wisdom teeth (I have to wait until august next year to have them removed now because local doesn't work in my jaw and they won't operate under GA while I'm pregnant blegh).
Anyway, I have to go to bed, I'll try and get back online in a couple of days.

Hi all,
Jenna so pleased the Zofran is working for you. Yes it is generic brand of Zofran.
Wish it worked for me. Side effects for me are worse than the HG. Sigh.

Have had a few really bad days and ended up in the er twice in the last 10 days both times the sickness was assocated with Migraine and which made the combined vomiting from the HG and migraine unbearable. Both times they gave me cat C injections which worry me greatly but as I am having no success with cat a drugs it was basicly a weigh up the pros and cons type thing. With out drugs I'd more than likely still have migraine and still be vomiting. sigh.
so now we cross our fingers and wait for delivery to see if any birth defects. a real worry.
Have booked my ultra sound within the next two weeks, have met my trainee midwife, and other than the house thing everything else seams to be chugging along fine. Even got the kids christmas presents done. Two more gifts to go.

Thanks hun, I'm glad it works too, and that I'm not being forced to take maxalon, that would make my HG twice as bad *blegh*
I have to take cat b drugs (panadeine forte) for migraines, and recurrent hip/leg pain, I wish I could take tramadol again for my hip/leg but it's a big no-no for pregnancy.
Here's hoping your migraines stay away for a while so you can get a bit of rest.
And yay on getting all but 2 presents, I still have to get 6 presents next week - a late birthday present for my little sister, and 5 christmas presents (for my little sister and the 4 nieces and nephews). I have everything else except mine and DH's presents which are sitting on layby in the pawn shop (portable DVD player for the car for all of us, new fishing rod for DH and 6 Pandora charms for me :) ) I have to pick that up next week too

I thought the HG might have been dying off a bit until I tried to brush my teeth tonight, now I can't stop dry retching and my throat is raw and bleeding :(

I ended up in ER on tuesday for half the day, turns out my ovarian cyst burst on the weekend and was causing me a lot of pain and contractions, but I got to see bubby again and found out that the little "thumps" and "pressures" I've been feeling for the past 2 weeks are bubby kicking me and doing somersaults :) made a crummy day so much better, I think I'm in love with endone though, I had a lovely little sleep (I haven't been sleeping well lately) on one of those uncomfortable hospital beds and for the first time in years I was completely pain free! It was bliss for all of 2.5 hours, and sad when it wore off, but I had some really nice nurses looking after me who were really understanding so that made it all worthwhile.

Oh I'm envious........can not take any forte type drugs. Boo!
Seams I'm a can't take many drugs. The list of drug side effects (not plesent) keeps growing for me and this sure does make things hard.
But I went to the chiro today so I shouldn't get another migraine for a while now. Fingers crossed.

Oh that burst cyst sounds nasty. Hope your feeling better now, or at least starting to feel better.
Hospital beds should be renamed torture racks. They are far from beds!

For some odd reason I too can not brush my teeth, especially with tooth paste even tried childrens low foaming stuff to no avail. Just brushing with water now. I guess it's better than nothing. And nowhere near as much dry retching or vomiting after doing it.

Update.
21 weeks now and finally starting to feel a bit better. Well after lunch that is.
Morinings are still bed bound but am starting to feel like I'm getting there.
Have reduced my Meds and are doing well atm.
Had ultrasound and things look good so thats a relief. concidering migraine drugs in December which left me worried.
House still looks like WW3 exploded all over, but with the state it's in I'll have to sit and take each room one day at a time making sure stuff is put away not placed elsewhere which is what it happening atm and it's driving me crazy.
This is by far my best pregnancy to date.

Hope you are all starting to feel a bit better too. Please update us. Now I'm starting to feel a bit better I want to support you guys still suffering if I can.

Hi Guys,
It's been awhile since anyone posted so I thought I'd post an update in the hopes someone else will pop in and say hi.
I am I think 27 weeks maby 28 I can not remember.......sad I know.
Am still struggling with MS a bit now taking Restavit one tablet every night and maxalon during the day.
I'm too scared to stop the restavit at this stage.
At this stage I have avoided the glucose test which makes me ill for a week after which is a real set back, although the residing ob may force the issue.
Had my blood tests today for Rh neg blood group for testing and off next week for my first anti D injection this pregnancy. I was truly worrying about the blood test (I faint and vomit and go all weird) but the lady who did it was very gentle with me. I have squeezed pimples that caused more pain than this blood test. So it was for a blood test a plesent experience.

I am wondering how you all are going?

Post deleted by me :)

Hi :hello: doesn't look like anyone's been in here in a while. I was just dropping in as I am 10 weeks pg and am having another HG pregnancy, mild so far luckily. I hope the fact that no one's posted for a while means no one's suffering with the evil HG!

Hey willow5 :hello:

Sorry you are suffering HG again, it sux! It has been quiet in here for a while now. How many pregnancies have you had HG with? Im not pregnant so not going through it atm but will offer any support I can. Im glad to hear that it has been mild so far though :leap:

Hi :)
Sorry you have cause to be in this thread but happy you have us to get you through it :) I love you signature, existing is exactly right word.
I am not pregnant now, not sure if I will be again but still happy to hang around and lend support.

I had a HG thought the other day though, I had horrible gastro recently and looked at dates and a faint 'pregnancy' thought cros my mind, then thought to myself there is something wrong with the world when gastro counts as a pregnancy scare LOL

Hi Lily Dust and Sagres, I'm sorry I have to be here too but here I am and I'm glad the thread is here.

This is my second HG pg out of 4, well 5 I had a m/c about 20 years ago between my eldest 2 boys.

This is a surprise pg as I had made the decision for no more. We did some talking about a sibling for our youngest closer to his age, but after a bout of gastro a few months ago, just like you said Sagres, reminding what HG was like I freaked out and said I can't do it again! Well apparently the universe had different ideas and here I am.

I had lost 6kgs by the time I was 7 weeks along and slightly dehydrated, and that was without vomiting, all from the overwhelming nausea and food aversions. I haven't been able to work for 5 weeks now, but, I've so far managed to avoid any vomits. Although it didn't really ramp up for me in the vomit department until 12 weeks last time and was then pretty much daily until I was offered Zofran at 4 1/2 months. I was completely bedridden by now with my last pg, this time I'm doing a lot better, I think it's because I knew what I was dealing with and got onto meds as soon as I caught on. I'm taking 8mgs of Zofran and 1/2 a Restavit before I get up in the morning, then 4mg Zofran and another half Restavit late afternoon and a whole Restavit before bed at night. All weight loss has stopped since starting this dosage about 2 weeks ago which is good. I still can't move too much, but sitting still I feel okayish most of the time. Still have the headache most days a shower exhausts me, and the car is a nightmare. But really doing quite well for HG.

I was lucky enough last time for the HG to leave at 5 months and not return so fingers crossed it will leave me again soon.

I've actually had a few days of feeling a bit better and being able to eat a bigger variety of foods. Yesterday I even felt thirsty and hungry a couple of times, I've not felt either of those things for about 6 weeks now. I want to think it will last but I don't want to get ahead of myself in case it doesn't.

Did you guys have it the whole time with your pregnancies?

Sagres it's definitely not 'living' through a HG pregnancy, well not for me, I'm just here trying to ride it out. I do know that so far this time and last time I was a lot better off than a lot of other women with HG and I think myself lucky all the time, well most of the time, when I'm not having a real poor me moment or day.

Just in for a vent.

I am so sick of this, I know I should be grateful as the killer nausea and vomiting is pretty well controlled now and the list of things I can eat is growing. But I am still absolutely exhausted! :( I do nothing everyday and just going to the toilet or getting more water leaves me breathless, light headed and sick. I just want to be a normal pregnant woman, tired and exhausted after a day at work, not exhausted because I had a shower :( :wall:

I want to be off these meds, for the fact I hate what it could be doing to the baby, and the fact I hardly poo, and when I do I spend 1/2 hour or more in the toilet, I swear I've birthed at least one of my babies easier than most bowel movements, and I look 5 months pregnant some days, but not because I am, but because I'm so constipated and bloated it's ridiculous.

I want to be headache free and just feel normal :( I want the feeling someone holding and squeezing my stomach just enough to make me feel sore and sick and at any minute do a final big squeeze that forces everything out, it's like they're holding my stomach with one hand and have a few fingers in my throat on my gag reflex.

*sigh* I'm just over it. My house is a nightmare, man and teenage boy 'clean and tidy' I pray no unexpected guests call in :pray: too embarrassing.

Rant and vent over.

:comfort: Oh Willow, its such a rough time. My heart is breaking for you. Bugger the house, don't do embarrassed, its not worth the little energy you have :hug: Please try not to feel bad, you NEED your meds. It really is a matter of your life that you are taking them for. Stay strong, you have done this and you can do it again, hun!

Im sorry, ive only just seen your previous post. I took zofran till 20 weeks when I went back to what I would deem 'bad early pregnancy m/s', basically I stopped cause of the guilt (hence why I say dont buy into your own guilt in this situation) :wall:

Oh love :hug:

I didnt even know this thread exsisted or I would have been in here much earlier than now!!! I know just how you feel! I'm 25 weeks and still suffering with horrid morning sickness, at least now I manage to have good and bad days.

I got to the point between weeks 6 - 15 where I was admitted twice to hospital because I was so dehydrated and literally couldn't even get out of bed. As for the constipation, I know exactly how you feel! As I said in the other post, give the Mircolax a try, it was instant relief for me after not going for 17 days!!!

As for food etc nothing for me was better than anything else, I tried every old wives tale etc that there was and nothing worked. I was on Zofran from weeks 6 - 16 and then my body started to become immune to it and it stopped working. My ob then told me to start taking Phenergen which is not recommended during pregnancy :rolleyes: Honestly some days I was awake for about 5 hours out of a whole 24 hour period because it makes you drowsy. I still take it occasionally when feeling off. My bub is happy, healthy and measuring a week ahead even though I have lost 8.5kgs! I know sometimes you feel guilty but I think its better to have some food and fluid in your body for the baby than worrying about taking the tablet.

Aim xxx

Thanks ladies. Amy_jellybean I wish this thread was here last pg it would have been a great help when I could get to the computer again I know I need to be on the meds, I actually think I am doing a bit better and would like to try cutting my morning 8mg Zofran down to 4mg and see how it goes, but I'm terrified it won't go well. I'm taking Restavit which is an antihistamine like Phenergan, I'm not sure the difference, but I know it helps a lot. For those that Restavit doesn't help much they usually try Phenergan. The conflicting advice when it comes to meds is terrible too, some doctors and pharmacists scare the crap out of you and make you feel guilty, but like you guys said dehydration and malnutrition isn't exactly great for the baby either.

I'm just having a down day I think, I'm sick of being useless, hopefully tomorrow will be a better day, or at least I'll have a better attitude. I don't think waiting on the results of my 12 NT screening is helping. Oh well patience is a virtue.

I have HG too. I have managed to wean down to 4mg of zofran. yay!

Hi 2cheekyboys :hello: I only just saw your post now. I've weaned down to 4mgs too! :D I still take the Restavit 3 times a day but glad to be down from 12mgs of Zofran.
I actually think mine is on the way to resolving :happydance: Just don't say that out loud I don't want to jinx myself :shhh:

Last night I ate a meal :o Chicken, mashed potato and vegetables :o and it tasted good and wasn't a hint of it trying to escape again afterwards :D I can eat chocolate again, and have even felt hungry occasionally the last week. I have not felt hunger for months. Only that feeling of you need to put food in now or your stomach will turn it's self inside out and claw it's way out of your mouth! Then make sure it's the right food or it's either not going in or coming straight back out :sick:

How are you going? Can you eat now? Gaining any weight? Is this your first HG pregnancy?

Hi Willow, this is my 2nd hg pregnancy. thankfully i can eat pretty much normal now. thank goodness! But if i don't eat regularly then i have the random vomits. I still either vomit bile or just dry heave every morning when i first get up. although even with my non hg pregnancies i have that - until delivery. My hg started at 6 weeks. I'm going to try and wean off the zofran with my next script. Hopefully i can go off it! I am still nauseous alot but it's better then vomiting all day. I am grateful that the zofran worked enough so that i only had 2 hospital visits. I know some women have many many more. And i only lost 5kgs. I joke to my dh that i could stop eating for an entire year and i still wouldn't lose weight. lol I could of afforded to lose much much more. lol I have regained those 5kgs and some more but my scales have a flat battery so i don't know. before the batteries died i was 2kgs above my pre-preg weight. But my belly is huge. i look full term already. lol This is my 4th and last baby. I just can't do HG again. This time has been worse then last time(i was bed ridden for weeks) and it's just SO hard on my kids and dh. and me of course! And i'm scared if i have another baby that it will be worse then this time and i don't think i can face that.