Hyperemesis gravidarum?

[kijip]

I am interested in hearing what other mothers here who have experienced extreme nausea with pregnancy that prevented them from eating and drinking much did to treat it and how fast you saw relief? Apparently, my nausea (which since I did not have any with T, I assumed was regular for some pregnancies) is actually hyperemesis. I have been instructed to eat protein every 2 hours when awake and then in the middle of the night if I happen to wake, been given medicine and told to sleep as late as I can and eat something before I get out of bed. I was not to the point of total dehydration yet, but I was well on the road and I have lost more than 7 pounds in about 2 weeks. I was glad to find out I was not just whining. I am not expecting to feel fantastic right away but I'll settle for not throwing up everything I consume. Even in just a few hours since this afternoon, the small protein thing is helping a little. Anything you learned when dealing with this or similar? Thank you!

[JTsMom]

Sorry you're feeling so sick. :hug: I don't have any personal experience with HG, but the author of one of the blogs I read has dealt/is dealing with it, and has some info on her site that might be worth checking out.

http://kerflop.com/faq.html

is part of the faq on her old site, and

http://balancingeverything.com/

is where she is currently writing.

Good luck!

[doberbrat]

I suffered w/hg until I was 7mo along. Vit b & unisom helped some, the rx drugs helped some, homeopathy helped even more.

I was hosp 3x for dehydration. I also threw up so violently that I bled from my eyes and had black eyes.

For me, I ate things that seemed like they might be appealing. I found that if I wanted to eat it, it might have a small chance of staying down. Sucking on sour patch kids (and throwing out the candy) helped a bit. Eating popscicles rather than trying to drink helped.

Above all else, avoid tuna fish. Had a sudden craving, and hey, its protein, … but the taste stayed with me LONG after the sandwich did and I haven’t eaten once since (dd is now 2.5)

*hug*

[kep]

I had severe HG with my first. I ended up losing 28-30 pounds and was in the hospital a ton. I know others here have had it, too. Try searhing for past HG threads, I know there have been at least two or three. Also, the www.HelpHer.org website is fantastic.

[StantonHyde]

Protein every 2 hours is a must. I think I lived on mozarella sticks and yougurt. Baked potatoes seem to work. The Vit B and Unisom is a godsend. Get a scrip and get it from a compounding pharmacy.

And--this is weird--my cousin, who had it with 2 pgs and was hosp etc, swore by McDs' burgers. I am a chicken and veggies girl. I lived on McD's burgers. Something about the protein and grease.

[Wife_and_mommy]

Ugh. I get violent flashbacks anytime someone talks about pg'y sickness. I saw midwives so never had a diagnosis of hg but threw up 10 times/day and pulled abdominal muscles. Again, ugh.

Here are some things that helped me:

-sucking peppermint worked with DD(can't touch it to this day)

-sucking the sour part of altoids, lemon drops, etc. worked with DS.

-eating *the moment* I felt nauseous. I literally carried a bag with me and ate constantly. Your blood sugars will feel better this way. It gets old to eat continuously but it's better than feeling so sick.

-also work hard to stay hydrated. Dehydration will make the nausea worse. Ice water did wonders.

-with DS, like Stant, I craved fast-food hamburgers. They were one of the few things that sounded good so I went with it.

--if you're agreeable, an OT friend of mine did some cranio-sacral work on me. OMgosh..the sickness literally was gone within two days. I was sick half as long as the first time. Don't know if it was a coincidence but I'm having her work on me asap next time. Chiros and physical/occupational therapists can do that as well as possibly some massage therapists? It feels incredible and is worth a try.

--as an aside...don't remember what T's birth scenario was but if you had premature membrane ruptures, I highly recommend a Vit. C supplement. I just made sure to drink 8 oz. juice(which I don't normally do) daily. The vit. C makes for a strong bag of waters that will help prevent one being put on a clock due to ruptured membranes. I found this tidbit out from lots of research after DD's birth. With DS, I didn't rupture till the pushing phase--I'm a believer....

That's all I can think of for now. Will post again if I remember something else.

Congrats again!

[jhrabosk]

--if you're agreeable, an OT friend of mine did some cranio-sacral work on me. OMgosh..the sickness literally was gone within two days. I was sick half as long as the first time. Don't know if it was a coincidence but I'm having her work on me asap next time. Chiros and physical/occupational therapists can do that as well as possibly some massage therapists? It feels incredible and is worth a try.

I don't have any experience with the condition, but this made me think...the last time I spoke to my insurance company about covering acupuncture, they said they only cover when it's prescribed by a doc for nausea due to pregnancy or chemo.

Acupunture treatments might be a helpful tool in your alternative medicine arsenal...I went weekly through my whole pregnancy with DD, just for general well-being, and it was fabulous.

Congrats! Hope you feel better soon.

[candybomiller]

Zofran is the ONLY thing that worked for me. And it only worked occasionally.

[megs4413]

i had it both times. best website out there is helpher.org. there are forums there also so you can ask your questions and meet other moms currently suffering from it.

what meds are you on now? normally people start out with vitamin B6 in combination with unisom (the original tablets, not the gel caps).

what are you managing as far as eating/drinking right now? how often (if at all) are you vomiting? how many weeks are you?

PM me if you want. let me know how I can help.

[MommyAllison]

My sister is pregnant now and she was sooo sick - lost 14lbs in as many days. She was put on meds and tried three different meds - Zofran worked best for her - got her to only throwing up 1x/day. Just after 20wks she was able to go totally off the meds and only gets sick rarely. Keep trying different meds if the first one doesn't work!

[hollybloom24]

I had HG too - bad. So bad I became dehydrated and got a blood clot and was hospitalized for a week.

Where do you live? Because Miriam Erick, an RD, is a HG expert at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston and she saved my life. She has written a book available on amazon.com that might be helpful. She sees patients at the hospital.

The key is, stay hydrated - even if you need IV fluids to do it. You'll feel better when you are fully hydrated.

[kijip]

what meds are you on now? normally people start out with vitamin B6 in combination with unisom (the original tablets, not the gel caps).

what are you managing as far as eating/drinking right now? how often (if at all) are you vomiting? how many weeks are you?

I am currently seeing a CNM/Nurse Practitioner plus my general family doctor. She has me taking the unisom/B combo which I started last night. If that is not enough, Zofran was mentioned. I am very nervous to take medications if I don't need them, but clearly I needed to do something.

I was 9 weeks Monday. I have lost weight, mainly due to vomiting. I feel VERY queasy right now but have only thrown up once today (it is 2:30 in the afternoon) so that is good. For the last 2 weeks it has been several or more times a day and when I did not eat, it was just bile/acidy. (gross, I know). For several days this week, more than a small sip of water just came right back up. I have broken blood vessels in my face vomiting and gone on a reduced/work from home schedule. Today all I have eaten is almonds and cheese sticks. Trying to work up the courage to eat more.

[kijip]

And--this is weird--my cousin, who had it with 2 pgs and was hosp etc, swore by McDs' burgers. I am a chicken and veggies girl. I lived on McD's burgers. Something about the protein and grease.

I actually just am having a craving for a cheeseburger from a local greasy hamburger place- I'll have the see if that works.

[brittone2]

Feel better!

I didn't have HG, but I was pretty sick when I was pg with DD (and not sick at all with DS). One good thing in my case was that right when things peaked for me, they suddenly stopped. I thought maybe my nausea would sort of peak and then gradually decrease, but right around 10 weeks it went from really bad to pretty much gone.

Maybe that will be the case for you. I'll cross my fingers. I was nowhere near HG at all though, but I still remember how hard it was to care for DS, etc. while being sick.

Anyway, I hope you find some relief soon.

[Wife_and_mommy]

I am currently seeing a CNM/Nurse Practitioner plus my general family doctor. She has me taking the unisom/B combo which I started last night. If that is not enough, Zoloft was mentioned. I am very nervous to take medications if I don't need them, but clearly I needed to do something.

I was 9 weeks Monday. I have lost weight, mainly due to vomiting. I feel VERY queasy right now but have only thrown up once today (it is 2:30 in the afternoon) so that is good. For the last 2 weeks it has been several or more times a day and when I did not eat, it was just bile/acidy. (gross, I know). For several days this week, more than a small sip of water just came right back up. I have broken blood vessels in my face vomiting and gone on a reduced/work from home schedule. Today all I have eaten is almonds and cheese sticks. Trying to work up the courage to eat more.

Strong hugs, Katie!! It's counterintuitive but eating will make you feel better, not worse. Try some toast, or grilled or broiled chicken. Also if you like ginger or lemon, tea made with either of those might help.

I'm not a fan of meds so never took them. I couldn't take my prenatal vitamins for half my pg's due to the gag reflex they induced.

[Fairy]

I got nothin', Katie, but just wanted to send hugs.

[nov04]

The key is, stay hydrated - even if you need IV fluids to do it. You'll feel better when you are fully hydrated.

No personal experience myself, but I've heard this many times. Meds can't work if you're dehydrated in the first place.

[ShanaMama]

I didn't officially have hyperemesis but I had pretty severe nausea. The protein thing didn't work for me. All I could eat (and still can) was carbs. I remember calculating every bite I put in my mouth- how bad will this be coming back up.
What worked for me was making sure my stomach was never empty. Even now, when I go too long without food I vomit. Eat *right* before you go to bed & keep crackers or dry cereal on your nightstand to eat as soon as you wake up.
And Zofran. That drug is truly a miracle. Saved my sanity.
ETA: I craved salty foods (think sour pickles & tortilla chips) both pregnancies. I think the salt helps with the nausea.

[ShanaMama]

If that is not enough, Zoloft was mentioned. I am very nervous to take medications if I don't need them, but clearly I needed to do something.


I believe you're referring to Zofran. IIRC it was developed for chemo patients & is also being prescribed for HG. The song & dance I was given is that no drug can be ethically tested in pregnancy, so there is no research 'proving' it's safety. They can only say that it doesn't have known bad ingredients or side effects.
In the beginning I was pretty hesitant to take it & held off as much as possible. Since then I've mellowed out. DD is healthy & I know many IRL people who've taken it with no known adverse effects. I ended up getting it down to a science- taking a pill right before bedtime which helped me survive those first couple of minutes in the morning until I ate something.
This pregnancy I took it as needed, thankfully had less nausea. It is pretty expensive so insurance companies like to ration it, but the generic is now on the market so I believe the price has come down. I think I've been taking the generic one this whole pregnancy.
Hope that helped some. Good luck!

[kijip]

I believe you're referring to Zofran. IIRC it was developed for chemo patients & is also being prescribed for HG. Yes, I am! :hysterical: Pregnancy brain I guess. Anti-nausea, not anti-depressant. :)

[icunurse]

I can't offer much, but sympathy and these 3 things: try ice chips, even ones made out of Gatorade, ginger ale, whatever is soothing to you at any time; my RE always told me that nausea is a good sign, so when this settles down, just know your little one was giving you LOTS of reasurance :); finally, Zofran is a miracle drug - I swear I wanted to become a drug rep for them after I had post-surgical nausea and it stopped it within minutes - literally (but check your insurance coverage of it - my friend needed it for chemo and it was still $$$, but worth it).

[bubbaray]

Vit B + unisom is sold as Diclectin in Canada and everywhere except the US.

http://www.diclectin.com/

Its very safe and has over 50 years of use. I know many people who have taken it with success.

Good luck!

[megs4413]

you definitely need more help katie! IME, the nausea (queasiness like you mentioned) is far worse than the actual vomiting. it can be downright debilitating and you have a life that you have to keep living! you should not be to the point of vomiting bile. if you get there again, it's time to go to the hospital. you're in a really great window right now for drug safety...if you can get through one more week without more serious Rx intervention, you will be *mostly* in the clear for pretty much everything that they will suggest (aside from the steroids, which are always a last resort).

i suggest going in for IV fluids if you fail to take in adequate fluids (and continue to vomit) for a 24 hr period. i'm sure that seems extreme to you, but i have SOOO much experience with this and I can tell you that if you get "behind" with the dehydration, you end up in a vicious cycle that is very hard to break. dehydration causes nausea, nausea causes vomiting/dehydration and so on and so forth...dehydration is extremely dangerous for a normal person, but for a pregnant woman it's downright threatening. so please, treat yourself aggressively knowing that it's what's best for the baby *and* you. it's not selfish to do what you have to do to stay hydrated...your baby needs those kidneys functioning!

if you want to wait out more aggressive meds, you can go in for just the fluids for the next week, but after week 10, you really should ease your conscience about meds. if you do not make it through the week (and honestly, i think it would be better in the long run if you were treating more aggressively now), go in and get IV fluids AND IV zofran. have them write you a script for the zofran at home. the best way to get relief using zofran is to maintain as constant a rate of the med in your bloodstream as possible. so, you want to take a small dose (they come in 4mg or 8mg) more often (you can take a 4mg every 4 hours for example). if taking the zofran allows you to get your fluid/food intake up where it needs to be, then that's all you need (though i want to stress that i think you should go ahead and get fluids before even attempting the zofran orals, please please try to trust me on that). if it's not working, the zofran works well for some in combination with other drugs. other options include benadryl, reglan, mecilizine, compazine, or the unisom/B6 you're currently taking. there are more options from there if it comes to it....

alternative therapies include chiropractic care, accpuncture or reflexology (i had luck with the reflexology!).

i want to really stress the importance of hydration. if you are not hydrated you will not get better. simple as that. the meds won't even work if you're not hydrated. so please get yourself in and get a couple bags of fluids in you to get you back into better condition.

some signs of dehydration:
dry mouth/lips
skin stays pinched if you squeeze it (looses elasticity)
headaches
nausea
dizziness
muscle fatigue/weakness
concentrated urine (looks darker when you go)
infrequent urination/burning upon urination
rapid heart rate

you can test your urine for ketones to help know if you're seriously dehydrated (or seriously in the calorie hole) by picking up ketone test strips at a pharmacy. it's very easy to do. if you test positive for moderate ketones, you need to go to the ER for fluids.

please let me know how i can help and keep us posted!

[kijip]

(but check your insurance coverage of it - my friend needed it for chemo and it was still $$$, but worth it).
Thankfully our insurance will cover it- J looked into it because we knew how pricey it was because of my mom's chemo. Our insurance covers everything we have ever asked about, it is one serious advantage of J working at a non-profit hospital...and it is nearly entirely employer paid (no cost for J or T, very, very low cost for me) even though he just works part-time while he is in school. That insurance has been a real blessing as of late. :)

[mommy111]

Katie, no useful advice beyond what you got from the other mommies here, but hugs! I've been there with this latest pregnancy and it was one of the worst experiences that I've had...I even posted here and Megs and some other moms had some wonderfully helpful posts (I meant to say thank you to everyone who posted but was too sick then, so thank you now, Megs, and everone who posted!) The medication I was taking aggravated the situation too, Zofran made me feel even more nauseous but stopped the vomiting, and the anti-histamines made me woozy all day. Finally, based on what the moms here old me, I realized that my dehydration was making me even sicker and I had to get some IV fluids. Much better after that. I would watch out and make sure you are adequately hydrated, as some of the PPs said, as dehydration can make things much worse.