hyperemesis

rpbear · Dec 26, 2005

I don't have any suggestions for the sickness, but you need to get FMLA paperwork from your doc so you can get the time off that you need to be healthy. It will use up your PTO but it will allow you to call in to work if you feel you can't make it that day and not have to worry about being fired.

Good Luck!

BabyRN2Be · Dec 27, 2005

Hi Jeepgirl,

I'm not an RN yet, but I'm a doula with 8 years experience. I've had many of my clients say that they've had some great results with ginger root. I've used it for myself and sometimes it's the only thing that will work when I'm sick. You can grate the ginger root into finer pieces, and mix it in with chicken broth. Another way is to make a "tea" out of it by grating it and placing it in cheesecloth or any type of strainer. Let it steep about 5 minutes according to your taste. If the ginger works, that can very well be a good thing as I'm not away of any side effects which can effect baby. Not that I'm aware of any effects with Zofran either.

If you can't take the broth or you want ginger in a convenient form, I suggest ginger "Preggie Pops" for my clients. They can be found at http://www.preggiepops.com. Also, look for anything containing REAL ginger at a health food store.

Another answer to your question re: morning sickness continuing on as it did in your last pregnancy. As you probably know, m/s is very common in the 1st trimester until about week 14-16 (at least that's what I've noticed with clients), from there it SHOULD start to recede. But "SHOULD" is the key word here. I will say that every pregnancy is different. You could be experiencing the "usual" n/v that occurs with 1st trimester pregnancies, and that it might abate when you are firmly in your 2nd trimester. I've seen that happen so many times. Mom is very sick with her 1st pregnancy, n/v lasting the entire pregnancy (or at least to 35 weeks), and her subsequent pregnancies she may not experience any n/v. Not even "run of the mill" morning sickness. This is currently happening to my SIL now. She was pretty sick with her first pregnancy, she's currently 11 weeks and she's experiencing NOTHING like she did in her 1st pregnancy.

One last suggestion as I know this is pretty long, have you petitioned your health insurance to cover more of the Zofran? I know that Zofran can be expensive, but if you can show that it works better than, say, phenergan, there might be a good chance that they may offer better coverage. I don't know what your insurance is like, but this is just a suggestion.

Best of luck to you, and I hope that the nausea goes away soon!

VickyRN, MSN, DNP, RN · Dec 27, 2005

I really feel your pain. I had intractable nausea during my first pregnancy that lasted the entire 9 months (I was still throwing up the day before I delivered). My OB-GYN prescribed Bendectine with the first pregnancy and I was also given vitamin B-6 injections. Bendectine is now off the market, but the active ingredient, the antihistamine Doxilamine, is found in the OTC preparation Unisom. I had very severe morning sickness with my second pregnancy also, but this only lasted through the 5th month and then abated. I was prescribed antivert with this pregnancy, since Bendecine was off the market. For your safety and for the optimal safety of your unborn child, I would advise not working until the morning sickness passes.

truern · Dec 27, 2005

*edited for Terms of Service compliance*

jeepgirl, LPN, NP · Dec 27, 2005

*edited original post quoted for TOS compliance*

Ooops, sorry... forgot to mention that starting at 5 weeks I was taking the B6 and unisom until I was getting no effects and then started on the phenergan. Maybe I should ask my doc if I should even try to start back on it? My doc didn't mention continuing on with it after she gave me to zofran, but it is OTC and on our little "approved OTC" list to treat ourselves we're given at our very first appointment. But it seemed as though that mix was pretty uneffective by the time I stopped taking it. I will try the ginger. I am going to start calling my insurance company again about the Zofran this week.... last week we started on Wednesday, and it was a bad week due to Christmas to get through to anyone. I really appriciate ALL the comments from everyone on this thread. Thanks.

mollysn · Dec 27, 2005

Ginger always helps me with n/v and calms my stomach. They sell ginger tea in bag form, I don't if it will work as well as ground fresh ginger. Lipton makes a ginger tea and I always drink that when I am sick-- I know your way worse but it might help calm your stomach. Take care I hope you feel better soon!

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 27, 2005

I am so sorry you are so miserable......my sister had severe n/v for about 25 weeks or so in her last pregnancy, it was unremitting and only Rx zofran seemed to have brought relief (at a great price).

I am going to ask the participants in this thread NOT give any sort of medical advice, esp. to discuss specific medicines and dosing. This is a nursing support board, not a medical advice board, and solicitation and dispensing of medical advice is strictly against our Terms of Service. It is also against the Nurse Practice Acts of most states, unless you are an advance-practice nurse who is licensed to dispense Rx---even for OTC meds, we are disallowed from doing this.

If you have questions, please see the Terms of Service at the bottom of each page or ask any moderator for clarification and help.

To the OP: I hope you feel better soon. I feel for you; I hope you find resolution soon. Meantime, rest up, take care and hang in there. It's a good thing pregnancy does not last forever. Meantime, I hope your dr/midwife can help you find solutions to your misery.

SmilingBluEyes · Dec 27, 2005

PS: I was given Rx Antivert and B-6 combo for my misery, Like VickyRN. Ask your dr/midwife about these! NEVER attempt meds or homeopathic remedies when pregnant, w/o running them by your HCP first. Homeopathic remedies , especially, are NON-standardized and may NOT be safe for some individuals.

Burnt Out, ASN, RN · Dec 28, 2005

I feel for you! I had HG in both of my pregnancies. My first pregnancy it lasted until 18 weeks and with my 2nd it lasted until about 20 wks but it started a little later.

I couldn't work much when I had HG. So I think it would be a wise choice to talk with your ob/gyn about work: it is important for you to stay hydrated and it can be difficult when you are at work.

Zofran and Phenergan really helped me both times. I also did the Unisom/B6 combo-it worked if I was mildly nauseated (if I could catch it before it got really bad!). I was put on Reglan with my first pregnancy, but it didn't help and I have a severe reaction to it.

Some things that helped me cope with HG:

Eat what you feel like eating. If I wanted grilled cheese, I ate.

Eat small meals (sounds like you've been doing that-seperating dry foods and liquids)

Sniff lemon slices (fresh) or lime. I would suck on lemon slices (I would drink my H2O that way) or suck on lemon drops.

There is a website for women and their families about HG: they've got good tips there. http://www.helpher.org/index.php

christinemj · Dec 28, 2005

I am so sorry to hear that you are having such a rough time with your pregnancy. I've BTDT x 4!!! I say that only to give you hope that when it's all over, you actually do become willing to try it again!! (Love those make-me-forget-the-bad-parts pregnancy hormones! :)

With pregnancies 1, 2, and 3, I was a part-timer and subsequently a stay-at home mom, so I was able to survive with A LOT of help from hubby and family, while getting my daily fluids through PICC lines, and using mega-doses of IV Zofran. Unfortunately, pregnancy #4 was a surprise and happened days before the start of my 3rd semester of nursing school!!! Sheer willpower and shooting up Zofran during lecture breaks kept me from wanting to curl up in the corner and cry until it was all over. (OK, OK, so I DID do that a few times too!

Clinicals, of course, was a whole different story. The Zofran "took the edge off," but the plethora of strange smells could send me running to the bathroom at the drop of a hat. I quickly learned that "smell prevention" was very important. For some strange reason, sniffing alcohol wipes (sometimes!) helped to break the incredible waves of nausea. I think that I equated isopropyl alcohol with "clean," which helped.

The other thing that sometimes helped was chewing on mints... all day long. I went through MANY tins of Icebreakers mints. Some days they worked, and other days they made me gag.... but the few moments of relief were worth it.

That was a common theme in all of my pregnancies... what worked to calm the nausea today, might be the CAUSE of it tomorrow. I wish you good luck in finding those things that can give you some long moments of relief.

PLEASE PM me if you want to chat... I really do know how hard it is and am always willing to lend an ear to a fellow HG sufferer!

Aneroo, LPN · Dec 28, 2005

I did Zofran, but my MS was never that bad (I did start taking the Zofran prior to when it would have started though).

My sis had HG, plus gastroparesis. She ended up with a PICC line and some IV Zofran and IV Reglan.

I hope you get to feeling better soon.