Please tell me this will end

[mommy111]

I have been horrendously, uncontrollably sick this first trimester. DD#1 was easy, I had 2 weeks of morning sickness, not too bad, that was it. DC#2, I'm 11 weeks and have had 7 weeks of unbearable, daily nausea/throwing up etc etc. Doc even investigated me for twins (no, no twins.) For the past 2 weeks, its been so bad I've even stopped browsing this board because reading the computer makes me sick. I'm taking round-the-clock anti-nausea meds for the past 5 weeks and they make me feel crappy. I thought this was supposed to start ending right about now, please tell me it is, did any one of you have nausea persisting into the 2nd trimester?

[scoop22]

i am sorry to hear you are so sick.. i was sick with ds till i was 14 weeks. this time i think it started to slow down around 12 weeks. but i would occasionally feel sick. i am 17 weeks and i still have times when i feel nautious. it stinks.. i just want to feel like myself. it will come!! i hope your sick time is almost over!

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[g-mama]

I'm really sorry to hear you're feeling so badly. I can completely empathize. With my first, I was horribly sick 24/7 up until 12 weeks and like magic, it disappeared.

So naturally, I thought with my second that the same horrible 24/7 sickness would go away right at 12 weeks. It lasted *full on* until 20 weeks. I thought I would die.

With my third (at which point I began to question my sanity about even having a third with my track record of all-day sickness!), I was again horribly sick and it ended at 16 weeks.

Unfortunately, every pregnancy is different. I hope it does end for you soon.


~Kristen

Paolo 11-00
Benjamin 8-03
Marco 12-05

[megs4413]

check out the HER forums...

forums.helpher.org

what meds are you on? the meds are making you feel bad? have you lost weight? have you had to go to the hospital for IV hydration?

i can totally relate and i'm so sorry you're feeling so sick. please check out HER or email me with your # and i'll give you a call(since being on the comp makes you sick). i'd like to be able to help if i can.

HUGS to you!

*******************a bunch of info to read if you have time***********

a lot of the medicines given to women with severe NVP (nausea and vomiting of pregnancy) or HG (hyperemesis gravidarum) can make women feel WORSE. antihistamines (like vistaril or phenergan) can make women very drowsy and dizzy. Reglan and compazine have known severe reactions including depression or psychosis. zofran (ondansetron) has the very unfortunate side effect of constipation (severe enough at time to require intervention). steroids open up their own set of problems.

if you are having trouble with the medications you are on, there are things to try and different avenues to pursue. talk to your doc. Check out the information at the HER foundation's website. You don't have to suffer in silence. there is help out there, but a lot of docs just don't know enough to help. HG is estimated to affect only 1-2% of all pregnancies, and varies in its degree of severity, so some docs have simply NEVER seen a woman get sick enough to require them to "do more homework" so to speak.

normal protocol for escalating NVP or suspected HG:
start on unisom/B6 combo if tolerated. begin testing urine for ketones (ketostix are available at walgreen's and are easy to use).

move to phenergan or reglan if symptoms worsen or persist. asses hydration and receive IV fluids if necessary (most will agree that a ketone reading of moderate needs immediate attention).

if condition worsens/persists, move to zofran. if oral medications are no longer tolerated, you can move to a sub-q pump of reglan or zofran, or phenergan suppositories. consider adding an acid reducer (helps minimize damage and can give some relief) like pepcid. (do not take over the counter acid reducers as some are not safe in pregnancy).

if weight loss exceeds 5% of pre-pregnancy weight, it is probably time to consider more serious interventions. Home health is an excellent option. It is also important to note that most medications do not work when the patient is not properly hydrated.

i hope any of that was useful to you. and i hope you get some relief soon!

[mommy111]

Thank you for all the suggestions, I am just browsing those today. Yes, the anti-emetics make me feel sick most of the time, my mouth is bitter, I'm drowsy, and I feel like a plugged up drain. But without them, I am vomiting (or more like retching since I can't eat anything) every hour or so through most of the day. And I haven't had more than a sip of water in weeks, I really miss my water!
Again, thank you for the reading material, I'm going to browse today and see if there is anything that may work better than the anti-histamines, reglan, zofran ride that I've been on. Meanwhile fingers crossed that this will go away soon!

[megs4413]

i woulda PMd this to you but your profile is disabled!

LISTEN TO ME: go to the hospital. go NOW. do not pass GO. do not collect $200. SERIOUSLY. if you haven't had more than a sip of water in weeks, you're in some really deep trouble. you CANNOT break the cycle of sickness without getting rehydrated. you just can't. and dehydration can cause all sorts of serious problems both for you and the baby.

if you don't know if you should go or not (and you should), please have your DH or a friend go buy you some ketostix from walgreen's and pee on one. if it turns moderate or large you need IMMEDIATE care. please don't let this go another day. call your doc and tell him you need help!

the drugs WILL NOT work if you are not properly hydrated. you could take all the best drugs known to man but if you don't have enough fluids to carry them through your body, it won't matter. i wish i knew where you were, cause i'd drive to your place, pick you up, and take you in myself!

i want to reiterate...this will not get better without intervention. if you're dehydrated, the sickness is not going to go away. dehydration CAUSES nausea, dizziness, weakness, fatigue, etc.

[Rachels]

Get checked for h.pylori bacteria! I wish I had known about this. It's an easy test, and a round of antibiotics can knock it out. Google h.pylori hyperemesis-- there's a huge link between the two.

-Rachel
Mama to Abigail Rose
5/18/02
http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_amethyst_36m.gif
Nursed for three years!

and Ethan James
10/19/05
http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/bf.jpg

"When you know better, you do better." - Maya

[megs4413]

it's possible, but in the stats, only a small percentage of women with hyperemesis test positive for h.pylori. some women also have gallbladder issues. the cause for the majority of hyperemesis cases is still unknown.

[dr mom]

I have to agree with Megs, if you're really that dehydrated, go get some IV fluids. You will be amazed at the difference in how you feel.

Hyperemesis is truly debilitating. I spent weeks 6-18 in bed with my current pregnancy, because anything - light, movement, noise, and oh the awful SMELLS - would cause me to gag and get sick. I'm very lucky to have an office full of nurses and a DH who used to be a paramedic, they were able to start IV's for me and keep me out of the hospital, but it took quite a bit of IV fluid (2 liters three times a week) just to keep me functioning. If I was feeling stubborn and skipped the fluids, I'd be uncontrollably vomiting within a day or two - just like what you describe. The more dehydrated you are, the more easily you will vomit...once you get stuck in that cycle, the only way to break it is with rehydration.

Things I found helpful: zofran, unisom, and the helpher.org website that reassured me other women have experienced and survived this. I was *never* this sick with DS, and I kept thinking "this is crazy, it must be all in my head" but without the meds & fluid I literally could not get out of bed. THE GOOD NEWS: after 18 weeks the worst of the symptoms resolved, and while I still have a trigger-happy gag reflex and not much appetite, I'm off the medication and back to my normal routine. Many people start to feel better even sooner, at 14-16 weeks, so you may be even closer to relief.

Again, I really urge you to get some IV fluids - if not tonight at the ER - then go see your PCP or OB first thing in the morning. It will only take an hour or two, and you will feel so much better when the constant heaving has stopped.

[betsydenny]

Do listen to Megs! She knows what she is talking about. I was so sick this time and it took her pushing me to make sure I was taking care of myself properly!

I have no good stories for you as I was awfully sick with my first 2 pregnancies till 16 weeks and the third till 22 weeks. I did take Zofran which at least got me functional- I have two preschoolers- but I was terribly nauseous and miserable- but at least not puking daily.
It will end eventually, but you have to take care of yourself and stay on top of your hydration and food intake.

Good luck. You are in good company here on the boards as many of us have been thru it.
Hang in there!
Betsy