let's brainstorm HG theories

[IslandDreamer]

We don't have a cause yet, but many of us have theories. Let's brainstorm, without debate, our varied theories.

I believe HG is a spectrum type disorder with varied causes and varying degrees of symptoms dependent on the cause. (What I mean is that I will never be one of the mommas who could die during treatment.)

I believe there is an autoimmune connection for some of us.

I wonder about thyroid involvement, which could also be autoimmune.

Liver cleansing seems to help many, and I am having liver issues postpartum. So what's up with the liver's role.

My oldest ds believes, "you swallowed something that maked you throw up, Momma." As good a point as any I've seen in the research literature

What are some of your own personal theories and wonderings.

[mandy]

Intolerance to hormones. I have had other hormone related problems - directly as a result to too many hormones in my system, resulting in the growth of breast lumps that needed surgery. I can't tolerate the pill very well. I was a moody teenager (lol ). Hormones, hormones, hormones.

Mandy x

[caleighbelle47]

I agree with Mandy, I think a big part is an intolerance of the hormones. Many of us can't handle hormonal birth control and get sick every month around our periods. It's also more common in pregnancies with multiple fetuses because of the increased level of hormones.

[C&G'sMommy]

I was a very moody teenager and can't handle any form of hormone in a pill. I also had severe cramps when I had my period and was extremely moody.

[unsuresmile]

In my case, I can honestly say that I have NO idea what caused my HG. Prior to getting pg, I have NEVER gotten sick in my life...not even growing up! I've NEVER had to be hospitalized in my life. I never took any kind of birth cotrol or anything (our BC was basically timing). The way my DR put it was that my body basically "freaked out" by having something developing inside of me. Since the hormones in our bodies change, that change did not take a good effect in my body. I really have NO other explaination for it.

Did I make any sense?!..lol

[megs4413]

like pamela said...

i think there are different causes and that's what causes the wide spectrum of the illness...

theories...

-allergic reaction to pregnancy (either hormones, placenta, fetus, etc.)
-auto-immune response to pregnancy possibly related to pre-existing autoimmune conditions (known or unknown)
-thyroid, gall bladder, liver, kidney problems....
-psychosis or neuropathy...the body actually receiving mistaken signals.

i have NO idea. many of us have strange similarities...and then others don't fit at all...i think in some way we ought to start categorizing ourselves differently. right now we mostly do a mild, moderate, severe separation, but i think it would help to identify ourselves by symptoms (what part of the 'syndrome' affected us most) and what treatments worked/did not work for us. also, what our personal medical histories are...some of us have autoimmune stuff...it would be interesting to see if those of us predisposed to autoimmune conditions had similar HG experiences.

i don't even know if any of that made sense....

[teddi]

HG is all in our heads! No seriously though I think the chemical changes of pregnancy, primarily hormones, affect the brain. I told you about those HCG dieters. It is somewhat interesting research that Dr came across.

All brains are different. As we see, there are so many ways a body and brain can react to any given medication or substance or chemical. I don't believe it's primarily auto-immune in nature, but more on that later. I actually don't think it's a spectrum disorder. I think there's one primary cause, and I do believe it's the same cause as what is behind normal NVP. ANY bioligical process can go awry... and in our case... it's the "normal" m/s that probably originally was protective to the embryonic young.

I think HG actually is what should be m/s for us- but our brains handle the hormones differently than 99% of women. If all our brains are set to "normal" and things like viral illness or food poisoning are DESIGNED to essentially to push our brain from "normal" to very nausated (and thus vomiting to protect itself) ... the chemical changes for OUR brains sets it into 'VERY NOT NORMAL'. Again, we're all different. That would be why we all have different triggers, respond to different medications, get better at different times, etc.

Now, the placenta does communicate with our bodies. There is an auto-immune aspect to all pregnancies. However, I think that is where you may actually see a link to pre-E and HELLP and other issues that may involve the liver. I think, being nutritionally compromised (as HG leaves us too often) leaves us at increased risk (albeit probably slightly on the whole) for just about everything. I think it's certainly possible that having the two issues "auto-immune" and HG could exacerbate each other.

Many fluffy moms also end up with auto-immune issues too, so I don't think HG is just AI in nature.

[PamelaRose]

A wicked little fairy sneaks into our bedrooms early in pregnancy and sprinkles us with HG dust. That, or I blame my mom and dad. LOL I think it's got to be hormone related, some kind of auto-immune/allergic reaction, but why or how it does or does not develop, search me. It seems that HGers' trigger point for reaction to pregnancy hormones is set much lower than 99% of the pg population. I attribute that to the HG Fairy.

[Sckitzo]

I believe that it has to be at least partially genetics. The genetics of each baby and each plecenta comes from both the mother and father. there are some people who have hg then go on to have HG free preggers. So I think it would have to be the combination of genes for that baby/plecenta. Because the combo is going to be different each time, thats why no one 100% gaurnteed to have with every preg,(but some feel like they will) I do believe that hormones do play a role and my give us the side effects, but the baby and plecenta still send the directions as to how many of what hormone. I think the autoimmune systom can play a role and make things worse IF you already have it, but I don't think it CAUSES HG. B/C their are alot of people with no known Auto immune issues that still get it.

Like with preeclampsia, They found that people with autoimmune isses tended to get PE more and worse. Now they think it is a Gene Mutation that causes PE but if you have Autoimmune issues, it makes you more likely for this gene to effect the preg, and make PE worse. That is the latest research (could change tommorrow) There is not much of a link that I have been able to find between the two, I think if you Have HG you are about 1-2% more likely to also Get PE.

We can't forget that are male sperm donores still gave us half the genes, and just because we carry the baby, does not automatically mean we are the whole problem, maybe we are allergic to our men

Who knows????? I wish someone did, find a cure

[Christi]

Know this is old, but wanted to bump it up a bit. I agree that is is hormones mostly.
I have had shots nad bc pills and both were awful for me. I had nausea and dizzy spells and even had a blood pressure problem on one pill (it dropeed toooooo low and I could not stay conscious!

But I do agree that the hubby aspect plays a role too. I joke that I am carrying my husbands super spawn and they are trying to kill me in order to survive, but truth be told I have heard of ladies who had severe Hg with a baby and later had a baby with a different mate and had fluffies....could be just a statistical chance, but seems likely to me.

I had a friend who was actually allergic to her hubby's sperm and had a hive reaction ...they had some conception issues and several MC before a healthy baby, if I remember correctly she took a lot of meds for that one...so I think maybe we could be producing a lot of 'reaction' to the foreign body too....

I cant wait for the genetic study to get any information for us!

[RebeccaM]

Very interesting ideas. This is a great thread!

So why do some women have have a fluffy pregnancy and then go on to have HG with a subsequent pregnancy (or vice versa) with the same spouse and sperm? That really boggles my mind. I wonder if it really could be the babies gender playing a role.

[AmberWest]

I too feel that this may be realated to hormone sensitivity. In my case I know when I ovulate because of a spike in that hormone which makes me ill, pms is a nightmare for the same reason and I am ill when pg before a test even comes up positive. When pg with every large hormonal jump, (which I've checked via my past posts and a guide to hormonal rise levels) I have a relapse etc. I wonder if dna research could find the possible gene mutation or whatever that may cause HG? What makes me wonder this is my 2nd cousin, who is the one I take after in looks etc. also suffered from HG which went untreated. Yet no one else in my family that we know of suffered from this illness. As a side note on the dna concern, Kim, my cousin and I are the only two that look alike in our family in these two generations, so we must share a good deal in our genetic makeup that is similar or duplicated. As always I feel so much more research is needed.

[HG Mama x 2]

I'm going to jump on the hormone bandwagon. I have other issues with hormones, so it seems logical to me.

[Corrine]

When I start on the pill after being off for a while (ie. months)I feel nauseous for a few days and have even puked. It's even happened with a change in the type of pill. But I also believe in the genetic factor. This disease runs heavily in my family.