Welcome to the 2nd Trimester!

[MamaLily]

HalloweenBaby -

Just wanted to let you know I'm thinking about you as you head to work tomorrow. Keep us posted on how it goes, and try not to be too hard on yourself. We're behind you no matter what happens!

I agree with Andy that controlling the reflux might be soooooo helpful. I'm not pregnant right now but taking Pepcid has helped my reflux so much (and I'm only taking half the regular dose). Because I was ttc a few months ago, I spoke with several pharmacists, and they all said that Pepcid during pregnancy is fine. You can buy it over-the-counter. Maybe it would be worth picking some up and then calling your doctor to say, "I'm taking Pepcid. Any objections?"

Good luck and hang in there! I'll be thinking about you.

- Anna

[MamaLily]

Annie -

Of course we all have our fingers crossed for you (and for everyone here)! It sounds like you have learned what you can handle at work while you battle HG, so I'm sure I don't need to advise to take it easy. Good luck finding the balance between taking care of yourself and going back to work.

So happy to hear that your current "drug cocktail" is helping you. And I think you're smart to wait until you are more functional before trying to wean from meds. That was a lesson I learned the hard way!

Hope this is a good week for you!

- Anna

[amylds]

Annie,

My first pregnancy I was sick all the way through until labor and this second one looked to be even worse. I was on IV home care and IV zofran (weeks 8 thru 21) but still couldn't gain weight because of the nausea. At week 20 my home care nurse asked if I'd heard about solumedrol. I said no. She said I should try it. It's a steroid. After doing some research, I found that there are several studies that show it's fairly safe after the 1st trimester so I tried it. By the end of the first day the nausea was mostly gone and by day three I was off hydration and zofran and had ENERGY and an APPETITE!!! It's been amazing. I'm now on a really low dose which I'm taking orally and I feel great. I'm going to try to get my PICC line out this week and be off the methylpred (solumedrol) within the week. Before I heard about solumedrol I thought there really wasn't any hope for HGers beyond zofran which is a miracle drug when it comes to survival but doesn't do anything for comfort. I wish more people knew that solumedrol was an option! If you're looking to get back to your regular lifestyle, this is the best option I've ever seen. I'm back to walking 3+ miles a day, playing tennis, being a mom again (I have a very active 2 year old boy), and working. It's been an amazing 3 weeks and hopefully it will continue through the end of this pregnancy. Good luck!

[MamaLily]

Amy -

Welcome! Are you still in your 2nd Trimester? How many wks are you right now?

I have to say that I'm excited to have another Utahn here. I think it makes three of us right now...you, Rebecca, and me. I'm in Texas for the summer but will be back in UT in August. Rebecca, Andy, and I met twice before Andy left. And I know another HGer who is in the Salt Lake area...we'll all have to arrange to get together at the end of summer!

I'm very glad that the steroids worked so well for you. How wonderful to be back to your normal schedule and off hydration/Zofran. I don't think I've ever heard such a success story. I took the steroids and they helped me stop losing weight, but I was still very sick. I'm so happy that they were your "miracle drug!"

- Anna

[amylds]

Anna,

Thanks for the welcome. I'll hit my 24 week mark tomorrow so I'm still in the 2nd trimester for a little while (until 26 weeks, right?). I got my PICC line yanked yesterday!!! I'm excited but a little nervous. I realized that it really was quite a security to have the IV option. Now every time I get a little nauseated I think, "uh oh, I can't do this again." So hopefully it sticks! I just lowered my dose again today to one 4mg pill a day so we'll see if I can hack it!

It would be great to get together with everyone here sometime. I'm in PG right now but we are moving to Springville in a month or so when our house is done.

Good luck with everything! BTW, we're naming this little girl Ana.

[RebeccaM]

Anna and Amy,

I'm up for another get together. It was so great to be able to sit and talk to someone who actually knows how HG feels and how bad it sucks! Too bad Andy isn't here anymore.

Anna- When will you back from TX? I'm sure you've told me at one time, but of course I don't remember I hope all is well there.

Rebecca

[MamaLily]

Amy -

What a great name for your baby!

I'll keep my fingers crossed that you won't have any trouble without the PICC and as you finish your taper. When I was coming off steroids, I still needed my zofran...if you feel the nausea coming back, it may be worth taking a little bit of zofran as you decrease the steroid.

Let's definitely get together at the end of the summer (when I'm back from Texas). Dh and I will probably be living in UT county, so we'll be neighbors!

Keep us posted!

- Anna

[MamaLily]

Rebecca -

Things are great in Texas. It's been raining for a couple of days, which is a nice break from the HEAT. I'll be back probably mid-August. Do you think you will ttc this fall? We'll have to plan on getting together sometime before you ttc...or at least sometime before HG hits!

Hope all is well with you!

- Anna

[Ivydragon]

Amy,

Oooo! Springville! I'm quite familiar w/ Springville, living so close in Mapleton, there for a while, w/ my dh's parents. I had a quilt shown in the museum there in 99.

My daughter's name is Anna. It's a great girl's name.

Sigh - wish I could come down for that get-together, but we have a Japanese exchange student arriving end of summer!

Andy

[OldMom]

Anna,

In your post you mentioned this:

"I was recently preparing for ttc and went through the process of finding something to control my reflux. Originally I was going to take Nexium, but I think it's a Category C drug. Prilosec is also Category C. But Pepcid has been used a lot in pregnancy and I think it's a Category B drug."

I have been on Nexium for GERD for years, so when I became pregnant asked the OB about it, and I was told it is a Category B drug. A call just now to the pharmacy confirmed this. Even so, I tried for weeks not to take it ( in the first trimester) however, right before I got into the second trimester, my stomach began the awful burning, and pain, which I know from experience also causes nausea and no appetite ( just what I need, more of it !) I decided then to take it for a few days, then skip a day or so. It has greatly helped to control it.

In my 17th week now, I am finally able to think occasionally about food! Without the Nexium, I am sure that wouldn't be happening. BYW I sure would like to vent about the excessive cost of the Zofran and the Nexium!! Geeze.

[OldMom]

Annie,

HG was always worse for me in the evenings. I knew from experience that I couldn't plan to try to eat or drink much after around 5PM because it was AWFUL. I am still, at 17 weeks, going by that schedule, no meals after 5. I will go to bed just as early as I can stand it, because by that time I can no longer stand to be in that day, and want to start a new one as soon as possible.

Morning, however strange it seems, was the most calm for my stomach. Also, after a long nap I would feel some better. Maybe because of being so very still for a long time, with no demands put on the digestive system.

I hope you are able to find relief soon.

[MamaLily]

Jennifer -

Nexium! I was originally told that Nexium was a Cat B drug by my doctor, but then another doctor and two pharmacists told me it was a Cat C. It is the Elusive-Category drug! Pepcid works fine for me in my non-pregnant state, but I'll have to do some looking into this one!

I'm so glad that Nexium has helped you! I really think most HGers would benefit from some kind of acid-reducing drug...I wish more would try it!

- Anna

[OldMom]

Anna,

Thanks for the added information about Nexium. I'll go try some Pepcid and see if it will work. I would imagine it will. Even if it might have a lesser effectivness, it would be better than my infrequent doses of the Nexium.

I'm glad I listened to my "mothers intuition" about the Nexium. I was told to go ahead and take it, no problem... but my gut was telling me to watch it.

I agree strongly that HGers should look seriously into taking Pepcid, as I believe the Hg symptoms may cause increased acid, which in turn only aggrivates HG. Kindof like a snowball effect.

I didn't origionally take any reflux drug with my first three children, and wasn't diagnosed with GERD until about 8 years ago. This pregnancy I noticed the reflux drug improving my nausea and appetite when I began taking it again in the second trimester.

Tums did nothing except help reduce the burning when throwing up.

Thank you all for being here, and I will pray each and every HG sufferer is allowed at least a small bit of relief and hope each day to help keep you going!