New - from the UK - advice required

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New - from the UK - advice required

Postby sallywilde » Nov 05, 2007 6:09 am

Hi All
I have visited this site a lot in the last few days but not this forum, was hoping to get some advise from UK ladies.

I am now 7 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child. The first 2 I had HG though it was mainly the severe nausea and generally feeling like I was dying that was the main problem for me along with the copious amounts of saliva. I didn't end up in hospital and I am hoping to avoid the worst by taking medication early.

I have started taking benadryl (acrivastine)- as per a lot of the US ladies. I have also seen my doctor once who did prescribe phenygren. At the moment the benadryll does seem to help a fair amount, but I notice no other UK -ers seems to have taken it - is there a reason for this? It is an antihistamine and I presume similar to the other antihistamines listed.

Are there any other Uk ladies in the throws of HG at the moment ?
Would love to hear from someone
Sally x
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Postby HelenA » Nov 05, 2007 6:34 am

Welcome and congratulations on your pregnancy!

The reason many women don't take it here is because the main "helpful" ingredient in the US version of Benadryl is dyphenhydramine (sp?) and that isn't present in our UK version. I would also be careful taking phenergan as well, as they are both antihistamines.

I have just come out of the throws of my 3rd HG pregnancy just over a week ago (technically I "should" still be PG as my little boy was born at 32w 6d) so it's still very fresh in my mind.

If the phenergan doesn't seem to be working, there are planty of other meds to try, don't be afraid to ask your dr. Lots of them can be anti- dishing out drugs to pregnant women, so stand your ground.
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Question about Benadryl?

Postby sallywilde » Nov 05, 2007 8:16 am

Hi Helen

Do you have any idea in which medications is the ingredient dyphenhydramine present that we can obtain here?

Sally
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Postby HelenA » Nov 05, 2007 4:37 pm

I believe it's present in Nytol, but I would talk to your dr before taking that as it is a kind of sedative. I'm not sure what else it is in.
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Postby sarahkate » Nov 06, 2007 2:09 am

Hi Sally,

Helen is right, the brand names are very misleading in this country.

The usual antihistamine prescribed in the UK is cyclizine and several of us have had reasonable success with it. It is a bit less sedating than phenergan and the sleepy effects wear off after a week or so. But if the acrivastine works, I would check it with your dr, and just take that.

What have you taken in previous pregnancies, and did it work?

Have a look at the sticky at the top that Natalie and I put together - I know you are an old hand at this - but there might be a few things to help.

Sarah x
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New - from the UK - advice required

Postby sallywilde » Nov 06, 2007 4:46 am

Hi Helen and Sarah
Thanks for your replies. I took cyclizine last time but I was already in the throws of it, I was hoping this time but starting meds when the nausea started to get uncomfortable I may be able to prevent getting to that really low point. Cyclizine did not seem to control my nausea at all but it did stop the vomiting.
As I said so far the acrivstane is helping and I'm trying to get an appointment at the doctor to check out if its OK to take, currently I can't see her till next week. Its a bit late though as Ive already started on benadryl (acrivstane). I presume all antihistamines are very similar.

What meds did you both take?

Sally
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Postby sarahkate » Nov 06, 2007 6:44 am

I think starting meds early is a great idea, it has been proven to reduce the severity of the HG. I hope it continues to work for you.

In first tri I started on prochlorperazine (Stemetil) suppositories - they don't make them any more - but they were a real godsend, and cyclizine tablets. I also tried oral and buccal prochlorperazine, and metoclopramide, which I didn't find that effective. My weight loss continued and so I started ondansetron (Zofran) in second tri. It stopped the vomiting but I was very dependent on cyclizine for the nausea.

I also had a lot of reflux pain, tried increasing doses of ranitidine, but after several episodes of vomiting blood got the good stuff - omeprazole - which made a world of difference.

Are you working/ SAHM/ coping with whichever of those?
I grew up in Chertsey in Surrey, anywhere near you?

Sarah x
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Postby HelenA » Nov 06, 2007 7:14 am

I had to try a few different meds this last time, to find something that worked, I had stemetil at the beginning (both ODT and pill form) and it worked for a little while, until the HG really kicked in and then it did nothing at all and I ended up in hospital for IV's. Then they gave me cyclizine while in the hospital (in injection form) which seemed to help, and then they switched me onto the tablet form when I went home. That worked while I was hydrated but after my waters went and they put me on antibiotics, the side effects of the antibiotics counter reacted with the cyclizine and made me sick again so I had to have IV's again and then the hospital topped up my antiemetics with stemetil on top of the cyclizine, which I managed on for the 4 weeks until I went into labour.

ETA: I also had Domperidone suppositories on standby for if/when I couldn't manage tablets.
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Postby mandy » Nov 08, 2007 1:44 pm

Hi Sally,

Another Uk-er here, living in Bristol.

The first med I was given was stemetil. I had tablets, then moved on to the melt under the tongue type, then finally supps. I struggled that pregnancy. My dh said the stemetil helped, I am too fuzzy on that time to know for sure.

My second pregnancy, out came the stemetil again. I rapidly went down hill and was hospitalised where I received fluids and cyclizine. The cyclizine probably helped, but the only thing I know for sure did, was the iv fluid. It literally gave me strength. I had better follow up care that time compared to round one.

The thing I have learnt for sure, is that if I ever did it again (and I'm not going to!), I would want to try Zofran. If my GP wouldn't give it to me, I would go private. Also, I would try med after med after med until I found one that worked for me, instead of just suffering in silence at home.

Going to hospital was more preventative, than a last ditch thing to me. I know it made the hg back-track to a level where it was spiralling down no more. My second pregnancy was more tolerable than the first for that reason.

I just have to say to you, iv's are good! They also will allow the meds to work better. So if in doubt, have your fluids topped up!

Sorry you are suffering.
Mandy xxx
mother of two
hg from wk 6 - daughter born in 1999
hg from wk 5 - son born in 2002
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