Hello, new to this (1st time preg), could use some help

[Beth]

Hi, not sure if I really qualify, but I'm tired of feeling like this. I'm due in January, still having a lot of nausea and some vomiting. I'm now on Tigan, dr wants to give it another week before doing some kind of sub-q pump. Don' t know what that is? I've had ketones, lost about 7 lbs in last couple weeks, and worst of all, just miserable. The only cure for the vomiting seems to be not to eat at all right now, at least that way the nausea passes after an hour or two. But I can't catch my breath, have to rest after even taking a shower or washing dishes. And we're moving in a week, hubby leaving for Europe, and I'm already on semi-bedrest because of bleeding, can't lift anything, do housework, anything.

Everyone keeps telling me things that should help, mostly tips for morning sickness, but nothing seems to help right now. I'm scared for the baby, I've read all those books about eating right during pregnancy, now I'm happy if I can keep anything down, no matter how healthy. I wish so much to have a happy, healthy next few months, but things seems to be getting worse instead of better, is this unusual? Maybe stress...

Just wanted to see if anyone else could relate. I'm scared and feel like I should just be able to force myself to get better, but it's not working. Help!

[PamelaRose]

Hi, Beth, and welcome. Sorry you're getting the nasty crash-course in HG, but you found the right place for help.

First, to address the progression. Many women do see HG symptoms lessen as they get into the 2nd trimester, but it is absolutely common to have it hang on for the entire pregnancy. Tigan is a med we hear of, though Zofran or the very usual Phenergan and Reglan are the staples of HG treatment. A sub-q pump delivers a steady dose of meds, and it injects into the thigh muscle. If you cruise around here, you'll find many, many women who can answer questions about sub-q pumps. Most people like them because of their continual-release qualities, though they make legs awful sore in a hurry. The things to remember about any treatments are that hydration is crucial for meds to work best; if you're not able to keep up with fluids, you need to set up some sort of schedule to rehydrate. There are several different ways to go about this, but you'll be amazed at how much better you feel when you're not spilling ketones! The second important point is that if one med is not working, you do have other options. Very often, HGers find success in combining meds. Not all doctors are confident with combos, but there is no reason to believe that nothing else can be done if one or two meds have been unsuccessful.

Stress can definitely fuel HG, but you realize pretty quickly that HG is far beyond the realm of normal "morning sickness" and that conventional coping techniques do not begin to touch it. Your body is telling you that it is working its hardest to get your baby here; you need to forget about what should be and go with what is. Leave details of the move to someone else; the new place will be there when you're beter and baby is here. Forget about "best odds" nutrition; the diet code for HG is, "If it sounds good, eat it because it has the best chance of staying down." Calories outweigh nutrition at this point. If you're not able to keep up with calories, ask about TPN.

Know that you are not alone; if you're interested in a support volunteer, just let me know and I'll match you up. I wish you the best in the months to come!

[Beth]

Hi and thanks for the reply! It feels so much better to know I'm not alone with this. I read up on the ketone thing and finally remembered that I have ketostix here because of a diabetic cat (yes, really!). Don't know why my brain won't work, but checked my own ketones for a change and they were at the next-to-highest possible level?

I've been taking the meds, haven't thrown up since this afternoon, but too nauseous to even think about food for a couple days. Any idea how long to wait before calling dr or something? He never said anything about ketones, I was just told that I wasn't drinking enough fluids. Don't know what to do, I just feel all over lousy, but worried about being a pest, both to this forum and the doctor. I haven't been hospitalized at all to this point (17 weeks), but wondering now whether I should have been more proactive about getting help...

Thanks for listening!
Beth

[PamelaRose]

Yep, you need fluids. It sounds scary, but you will feel much, much better afterwards. You have to decide if your doctor will take you seriously or not. If you think you can just call right away tomorrow morning, report the Ketostix findings, and get an appt and an admit, then do that. If not, I'd head to the ER--your doctor can't deny it when he/she's not the one admitting you. Tell whomever you speak to that you have HG, that you've kept down x-amount of fluids in the past 24 hours and have vomited x-# of times. Tell them you are dehydrated and need to be admitted. Even if they don't believe you, they'll run a urine test to prove their theory, and ketones speak for themselves in that case. The really important part here is to NOT leave the hospital/ER until you feel in control. Some clinics will run a couple liters and send HGers home still vomiting; demand more treatment, or turn right around and march back in if that's the case. Do not worry about being a pest; you are paying your health professionals to care for you, and that is their job. And us, we're used to it! But you will feel better once you get fluids in you - dehydration tends to make our minds foggy and our emotions raw. Let us know what you do - I want to hear a full report about your first rehydration! Good luck.

[Beth]

Back again, and thanks for the encouragement! I called dr this morning, on his advice went to the ER for fluids and Reglan. Didn't expect to be there ALL day, but feeling much better now. When dr came in to see me this evening, turned out the whole office had spent the entire day on the phone, trying to get that pump lined up for me immediately. Unfortunately, it won't be here until Monday, but I know they did their best trying to get it for the weekend, and the nurse will be here Monday am...much better than having to go back and forth to the hospital!

Yes, they wanted to keep me for a day or two to give Reglan and make sure the vomiting/nausea stopped, but I was just exhausted and wanted to come home once I got hydrated and started feeling better. Plus I have a cat that needs insulin shots twice a day and dh doesn't know how to do that yet. They gave me Zofran sublingual tablets and strict instructions to call if I still couldn't keep anything down. I'm on 8mg tablets three times a day for the weekend.

I'm feeling much improved, and thanks for giving me the courage to actually do something rather than just getting muddled in the head and thinking it would pass on its own, that course of action just isn't cutting it anymore, I don't think I have the fat and nutritional stores that I did when I first started this.

Hope everyone out there is doing well or at least isn't being driven crazy by this,
Beth

[PamelaRose]

Hooray! I'm glad you got some fluids - Isn't it amazing what hydration will do for you? Now the trick is to stay hydrated; keep up with fluids the best you can, but pay attention to signs that your body is going back downhill again. With my 3rd HG I just popped into the clinic for a few hours every few days to have a couple bags of fluid run, and many other HGers do the same thing. And with the Zofran, you can actually go up to 32 mg/day, so there's room for another dose if you think that would help even more. I hope the pump is just the thing for you! Good luck, and thanks for the report. I'm so proud of you.

[BlueEeyore]

Be careful about not eating. Not eating can make you lose more weight, which can increase your nausea. The nausea makes you eat less, which makes you lose more weight. It is a viscious cycle.

Of course, I can't follow my own advice. I barely eat or drink. I'm being sustained by IV fluids and nutrition. But if you can bear to eat small bits and sip small sips of fluid, you'll be much better off.

Good luck!

I have some experience with the zofran sub-q pump, if you have questions.