For all you HG'ers with pytalsim

[k3tglazier]

When I went to see the Perinatologist she asked if I had an over production of spit. My husband promptly held up a soda can with a straw (which is what I spit into) and said only if you call filling up 2-3 cans a day.

She gave me a prescrition for a scopolomine patch. It is a motion sickness patch that goes behind your ear. It helps with the motion sickness but its side effect is a dry mouth. WOW!!!!!!! I mean dry mouth. It has helped a ton. The only problem is the back of my throat gets so dry that I gag when I try to swallow sometime. I just have to keep taking tiny sips of water. But way better than the alternative. I still get hypersalavation when I am feeling my worst, like when its time to eat or something but it has made it tolerable at least.

It is kind of pricey. I paid 88.00 for 10 patches and they each stay on for72 hours. So I will need to get somemore but the the zofran and what ever else I am on my bills are just racking up. I am sure my insurance com. loves me.

I am also on a sub-q pump and Matria thought I had strung enough good days together to decrease my dose from 32 mg to 24 mg on Friday. She thought that paired with the patch it would do the trick. Well not the case. I was in bed all weekend throwing up blood uncontrolable. I am not pretty much down and out but we increased my dose again and hopefully that will help. I am also going to ask for vistiril since Amber is having such good luck with it.

I was hoping to wean off my pump and just take oral tablets because my legs are soooooooooo sore. I HUGE bruises and knots all over the place. Where the injection site is so painful, I have to limp to walk it is like in my muscle. Has anyone else expirenced this. However I don't think I can come off it. Oral zofran doesn't seem to do much for me.

Ok thats enough rambling on and on about me. I hope everyone is doing HG OK and at least staying a float.

Keeping everyone in my prayerS!!!!!
Keri

[AmberWest]

Keri,
LOL your husband cracks me up. Great idea about the soda can too. Currently my nightstand is mount tissue from having to spit into kleenex etc. However, one thing you might find if your doctor will give you the vistaril is that it too dries everything up, but not to the degree you seem to be getting. Being that it's classed as a antihistamine it dries out the nose and I'm noting the spit production as well. So maybe if you're lucky you'll find that relief from it as well without the too dry issue. I'm really happy one way or another you're getting the saliva under control because currently I LIVE with an altoid mint in my mouth to keep the horrid taste of all the spit at bay.
I'm sorry to hear the reduction of your meds went bad on you. I'm also coming to the conclusion that while I may not need all three zofran a day, I probably do indeed still need two. Bummer. I'm so tired of the constipation issues. So I guess the key here is that we need to try and keep a balance we can live with. I hope your doctor will at least let you give the vistaril a try. It's making a dent for me, I pray it will for you too.

Please try and come on Thrusday and give us an update, I'm just worried silly about you and your baby and keep praying every day that all will go well for you both.

`huge hugs`
Amber

[rjdecker]

Keri,

I, too, noticed a decrease in the spit when I was taking vistaril. I think the scopolamine probably does a better job. But if it is too much, maybe the vistaril may have just the right touch? Let us know what they decide to do for you.

Jenny

[nomore]

Thanks for the info on the scoplomine patch!!!! This will be the 1st thing I dicuss at my appmmt tommorw.... the spitting is just UNBEARABLE... yuck!

Also, vistiril is another drug that my home care agency suggested for the spitting.... but since it didnt seem to provide other benefits (for me), my Dr wanted to avoid it while still on my slew of other meds

Do you know anything about the drug classifation category for this? Just wondering. My Peri has also said the drugs used for bladder control issues provide dry mouth.. but didnt feel comfortable with the safety issues.

Writing this down and THANKING you for coming up with antoehr option!!!! Hoping you feel better soon... and dont let the DRs and home health push you into a med reduction if you are not ready. Sending love.

Robin

[rjdecker]

Robin,

Both scopolamine and vistaril are category c drugs. Not as great for you as the b category, but still relatively safe. This is the first time I heard about the scopolamine, but I imagine it might even help with the nausea? I don't know. The vistaril was a drug that was used way back in the 1950s. When I was introduced to it, the OB I was seeing was in practice with his dad and this is what they found worked better than anything else. I have since heard older docs are more likely to give this because of the experience they have had with it. My mother was given it when she was pregnant and it worked for her, too. I would ask a little more about the scopolamine. It may work just as well, but it probably works in a different way, so who knows?

Jenny

[nomore]

Jenny,

Thanks for the drug category for the scoplomine. I knew vistril was a C. I am taking phenergan which is also a C. Just wanted to know the drug category before the Drs appointment, so I could get a "feel" for what my DR may say about it.

I wonder how long this med has been around. I know the visitril has been around for ages!

Oh well... we will see what DR says today. (Hes a peri too... and been around for ages!)

Heres to hoping I gained weight and have no keytones today!

Robin

[Natalie]

Keri,

So glad for you that you have found something that works for the spit. I think Marie could have done with that tip off - she had to take a decorated spit cup to her brother's wedding and it turned up in the wedding photos

I was also told a side effect of Reglan was to stop the spitting but if it did anything, I didn't notice.

Have you got a Dr appt tomorrow? Do update us asap if you can. Praying your lo is doing ok in there. This is a total shot in the dark but a friend of mine lost one of the twins she was carrying pretty late on due to Twin to Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This was back in '99 but I heard that these days, it isn't so likely to happen as if it is caught early, a specialist in Foetal Medicine (is that your Perinatologist???) can laser through one of the blood vessels or something to equal up the blood flow. Could the blood vessel leading to the tumour be lasered at all? Have you heard about anything like this?

Robin - hope you Dr appt. goes well too. YAY for no keytones

Love Natalie, x

[nomore]

Well, I have good news and bad news...lol I got a script for the scoplomine (Dr OK'd it), but apparently it cannot be taken with phenergan. Ok, Im stuck in yet another catch 22!

I think what i will do is hold off on trying this until I have slowly weaned off the phenergan (and I honestly am not sure Im at that point yet... as I sometimes pray for time to pass so I can take it!).

Im hoping in a few more weeks I can try the patch!

Also update of appointment:

Stayed the same with weight- which was OK, since I didnt loose!
No Keytones
Heart rate of 142 for little one
And I am to schedule an U/S for next week

Im hoping we might be able to tell the sex of the baby, as I will be like 15 1/2 weeks, but trying not to get my hopes up too high, in case its too early or baby wont cooperate!


Not much else to report. But, no news is good news

Thanks again for the patch info!

Robin

[nomore]

Keri,

Also forgot to add about the zofran pump:

I get those knots in my leg too. They feel so strange. I consider myself lucky though, as I put a new site in, its irriated for the next 24 to 48 hours and then calms down a bit, and doesnt seem to bother nearly as much. I have been keeping the sites for 5 to 6 days sometimes.

I hate the pump... but I react SO much better to it, even better than the IV push, so Im not ready to toss it just yet.

My home nurse also tried to convinve me I could put a site in my belly.... I was like I dont think so! I cant even put it in myself.... I make DH do it... and he hates to (it freaks him out), but I cant seem to get over sticking myself with that ridicoius looking needle!

Feeling your pain,

Robin

[AmberWest]

Robin,
Wonderful news that your OB went well.
I was so glad to hear that you hadn't lost ANY weight and had NO keytones! That's just so cool.
I'd wean carefully off of anything because it sure can be a problem if you aren't ready.
Sounds like you and I will be lock-stepping off together next week for the u/s. Here's hoping our little ones won't be too shy or poor Nat will vibrate up to the ceiling with suspense. hee hee... as if we won't.

Keep up the good work, it sounds like you had a really good appt. Like you said, no news in our case is darn good news.

`hugs`
Amber

[AmberWest]

Keri,
I'll be checking in tomorrow for sure to find out how your appointment went. And I'll be spending the night praying everything is going along safely for you and your baby. I was very interested in the suggestion of a possible laser. Please ask about that because anything that could lower the risks to you both is something we are all praying exisits and will help you.

`huge hugs, and waiting with bated breath`
Amber

[rjdecker]

Robin,

Do be careful weaning off the phenergan. If it doesn't work, you have another option. Tell them it isn't working and would like to try something else. I took both pheneragan and vistaril. The vistaril helps the nausea and that was the primary reason I was on it. It helped also with the spit in the mouth as an added bonus. that way you can combat both problems at the same time. I am a little worried they want you off the phenergan to take the patch. Do be very careful!

Keri,

Sending prayers your way they may be able to find something to lessen the risk to your little one! Let us know how it goes.

Jenny

[nomore]

Jenny,

I will defiently keep the vistril in mind if I cant wean from the phernergan. Don't worry though.... I DONT feel ready to wean from it, so I am not even attempting it yet I feel its a good indication that my body knows when it wears off and I feel awful, that Im NOT ready to pull it from the meds just yet, kwim?

I am beginning to wonder if my DR just doesnt want me on 2 category C meds at one time. hmmmmmm........

I will tell you, he does go into detail how certain meds will affect the baby. For example with the scolpolime he said it crosses the placeta and can elevate the babies heart rate. He also said that if you are taking it upon delivery, the baby might have the "shakes" when he/she is born. (Short term). I love my DR, and Im glad he wants me informed.... but I really dont need something else to feel guilty about, ya know?

BTW, I had to laugh as my DR thinks I should try to get out of the house more. OK... HMMM... do I take the IV pole with me.... or just let the dehydration overtake me...lol I think hes more concerned about my mental health.... which honestly I feel is doing OK right now. I have a good fmaily support... lots of friends (who keep asking to visit, but I havent felt up to it), so Im not sitting at home being depressed.... Im sitting at home being SICK still

Guess I needed to vent

Robin

[ufgatormom]

Hi,
Has anyone tried Unisom (doxylamine)? It is an anti-histamine. It has helped with the saliva production and the nausea and is a class B drug. I am taking it with Zofran. It is over the counter, inexpensive, and well studied in pregnancy. Of course ask MD if it can be mixed with other meds that you are taking if you try it.
Good Luck!!!