Why 1st tri. gals are my priority

Moms with HG in their 1st trimester.

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Why 1st tri. gals are my priority

Postby Ivydragon » May 29, 2004 11:26 am

Hi! I'm Andy. Although I administrate here, I will also be moderating some folders, and this is the most important one to me. I will always be checking in here, first, to see how you all are doing.

My 2nd pg, I was told (before conceiving) that every pg was different, and that I wouldn't be as sick for another pg. They were right - every pg is different, and they were wrong! It was WORSE! I was on B6/Unisom before conceiving (now we know that Unisom before conception isn't neccessary), and held off the start of my HG, but not for long. We'd been in a stressful car accident just after finding out I was pg, had just moved out of my parent's basement, and I found myself back on my Mom's couch, miserable. The Phenegren that had helped in my first pg was given to me again, and I reacted badly, hoping in and out of the ER. So they gave me Reglan, and I reacted badly to that, too! I couldn't hold still, it did nothing for my vomiting, and I literally didn't know which end to present to the toilet first because it makes anything you eat move through your digestive tract faster than usual. FOODMENT: When you're eating satline crackers and drinking mint tea - well, it certainly shot right through me (if I didn't throw it up fast enough).

I begged to be admitted to the hospital (against their recommendation), and was. They told me I'd be home the next morning, but I was not. I had to have glucose added to my IV fluids, I was certainly sicker than they thought. Unlike my first pg, IV fluids didn't bounce me right back to feeling ok - I didn't eat for three days, every IV infiltrated in 24 hours, and by the time I left on day 5 I had 11 or 13 IV marks in my arms. (It's been 7 years, and I don't remember exactly how many anymore, and can only find so many tiny scars left.) It was on my last day there they finally gave my Zofran. I ate breakfast, ordered and ate lunch, and went home. I ran out of Zofran and relapsed horribly, and after that had to add injected B6 to my Zofran/B6/Unisom regimen. As long as I stayed on this religiously, I was able to stay out of the hospital. I weaned very very slowly, but was never able to wean off any of these until delivery.

I remember so exaclty those few days where knowing that Phenegren failed me, and that I'd reacted to Reglan, knowing no idea what was going to happen to me, never having heard of Zofran, and knowing none of my options. I was so uneducated about HG, the internet held very little information, most of which was terrifying, and I felt incredibly alone.

That's why my main focus is 1st trimester gals, preparing protocols and 2nd trimester gals. I never want another HGer to feel that horrible feeling of not knowing what they could try next, that they are alone, that no one understands, and that no one knows exactly how they feel.

I'm a huge proponent of early intervention. I've watched pregnancies for the last three years, and have seen from other's experiences many options that can work to help prevent the worst, and how to cope if nothing will prevent the worst. I do plan on gathering the info and getting it posted, but in the meantime, feel free to ask questions - lots of questions, because anyone here is automatically my priority.

Hugs, Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .
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Postby Milli » May 29, 2004 6:47 pm

Andy,
I'm so glad you're moderating here. Your advice and the advice on being prepared helped me avoid hg this time.
I'll hang around still if that's ok.
Milli
Rowan 5/12/02 - HG pregnancy
"Charlie" edd 12/15 - normal pregnancy
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Do stay!

Postby Ivydragon » May 29, 2004 7:06 pm

Yes, it's fine for you to hang around. Most HGers have HG regardless of what they do, but I think some mild and even some moderate sufferers can avoid a lot of that horror with proactive treatment. You're not the first one to do much better, but I do think you are one of the first to do this well! I think it's really great. Not everyone will have such a great repeat pg, but proactive care makes a difference, and you're a great testament to that.

Besides, you've still suffered HG, and it still has affected your fears and attitudes, and you know what it's like - we're not going to boot you out for a less-rotten pg! lol.

Huge hugs, Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .
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made me instantly cry

Postby ischa27 » May 30, 2004 7:39 pm

Thank you for your post. I am 13 weeks pregnant with my 3rd child and admittedly this has been the worst period of my life. I read your post and felt very understood. I was in a very bad car accident nine months ago and was confined to a wheel chair and my home for several months. As I was finally healing we found out we were expecting. This was a shock as we had problems conceiving our first two. Within 2 weeks my HG returned with a vengeance and I once again am left feeling broken.

I think reading you were also in an accident just felt like a life line. Knowing others get it is such a help. Thank you.
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I was fortunate!

Postby Ivydragon » May 31, 2004 4:16 pm

We were fortunate - despite it being the beginning of March, and I being 4.5 wks pg, we were driving in the mountains to a baby blessing when our brakes locked up and we stopped in a snow drift. A semi hit the back of our car - no chains, icy roads, then caught up to our car again and hit it a 2nd time. My dh was standing in front of the car and jumped out of the way, and I was sitting sideways in the driver's seat. Our son was in the back in his carseat, less than 2 yrs. old. We were forunate, as we walked away from that accident w/ nothing more than a mild concussion and a bruise on my leg that took months to heal.

9 months of recovery from an automobile accident back to back with a pg must be pretty awful. - It's almost like two HG pgs back to back!

Sometimes I wonder if my HG was much more in my 2nd pg because of all the stress surrounding us w/ our receant move and then the accident on top of that. We didn't have very much money at all. I worried about it all. We had a rental car that was dented while we had it (by someone in a parking lot), and then I was actually in the hospital the day my dad and dh went and picked out a new car for our family. I saw it the first time when he took me home.

My fil (father in law) had an amputation of his lower right leg several years ago, and we watched his slow recovery and strengthening exercizes. My dh had a thumb knuckle shattered in a separate auto accident, and the surgery to reconstruct and then the time it took for him to regain strength as much as possible was very eye opening.

I know that my experiences aren't quite the same as walking in your shoes, but I do understand that the impact of the last 9 months of your life can and most likely will affect how well you are coping with your pg, and that is a concern to me. You are already no doubt worn thin. Try to rest as much as possible, and in a way, you are so very fortunate to already have children, because you know how worth it is in the end - 1st time moms just have to trust that we're not all lying!

You are so close to the worst being over. You are right at the peak. Just hang in there a little bit longer, and you can resume your already long road to recovery - and this time, you won't come out of it alone - but with a wee one in your arms.

Huge hugs, Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .
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zofran

Postby bobbie » Jun 11, 2004 12:48 am

I am currently trying to persuade my dr to let my try Zofran (2 hg pregnancies on stemetil and 1 termination last year due to hg) does it just stop vomiting or nausea itself? is this dose dependent? do people really use it before nausea sets in? does it work better because it is a stronger drug (therefore riskier) or does it just work differenty/more efficiently? it is difficult to get answers in uk as it is unlicensed and medics will warn you off. I would also like to know what others think about the idea of h.pylori bacteria being responsible for hg and whether they have tried to remedy hg in this way, ta Bobbi (London)
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Postby Ivydragon » Jun 12, 2004 11:59 pm

Zofran is not neccessarily more risky. It IS more expensive, which is why lots of women are warned off. Motherisk (in Canada) is studying Zofran, and so far, last I knew, everything looked good, with very low risks to the fetus (there's always a slight birth defect risk in every pg by mother nature).

Zofran works with the CTZ (?) receptor in your brain. There are two sister drugs, Kytril, and Anzemet that work similarly. Sometimes when Zofran isn't as effective as hoped for, or as available (or too costly), the others are available. They are less tested, but have been used for HG. Zofran is known also as Ondansetron. Zofran for 90% of HGers works better on Vomiting than Nausea, although for a few it helped with the nause in addition, or instead. It definitely helped with MY nausea, but I was not any more than a moderate HGer. It's partial help is why so many HGers and their Drs. find better results fighting HG w/ a combination. B6 is really important in the battle against nausea. In the first trimester folder there is a B6/Unisom/Zofran post that can tell you more about how best these are used, and the options available that you can ask for. Zofran really does seem to work best as a preventative. HGers don't take this before the nausea begins, but in the first stages of nausea that kick in after they've tried some basic preventative methods, and those have proven inadequate. It does control the vomiting better if taken before the vomiting begins (instead of in the midst of the vomiting), or once vomiting has become under control again (through use of a different drug, or IVs, etc.). It also works best when you are well hydrated - having a better result in controlling the vomiting and nausea (if it will help that). It's so individual if it helps the nausea or not vs. the vomiting.

Ah - H. Pylori! Have you tested positive for H. Pylori? If you've not been tested, it's worth being tested. There are some studies that show that H.P. is a catalyst to HG. Some even discuss HG symptoms ending with successful H.P. treatment. However, H.P. in connection w/ HG did not seem common in 1st world countries, being much more common in 3rd world countries. I've seen very few HGers test positive for H.P., and cannot recall if any of them were successfully treated and then went on to face another pg. Keep me up to date! If you'd like to see those articles, let me know, and I'll dig them up. I have copies of them, and I could email them to you. I do know that H.P. treatment usually is a course of a few antibiotics, and isn't all that nice to experience. You can be tested w/ a blood draw (shows positive for 5 years), a breath test that shows a current active infection for sure (or if it's been successfully treated), or a fecal test. H. Pylori is one of my pet interests. :)

Will you be ttc? This H. Pylori topic would be great to move to the research forum. I'll look for you there.

Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .
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Hello Andy

Postby Valerie Cruz » Jul 01, 2004 3:03 pm

I just signed up here yesterday and was directed to the first trimester HGers. This is my third pregnancy and so far I'm not on any medication. I do okay for a couple of days then everything just starts coming up.
With my other two pregnancies I was constantly sick. The first pregnancy was untreated but the second I was given medication, which worked pretty good up until my last month or so. This time I notice that I avoid eating and only when I feel like I am starving do I eat. I don't know how much more weight I lost because I skipped an appointment but the last time I was in there I had lost 12 pounds in a total of two in a half weeks. I feel so tired and I've been getting dizzy alot, but I am afraid of being put into the hospital. I have two other children.
Valerie
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Postby Ivydragon » Jul 02, 2004 12:24 am

Hi Valerie! Congratulations on your pregnancy. How far along are you?

I know it is so hard to try to eat and drink when you don't feel well, and that is no doubt what I did when I had HG. Being dizzy can be a sign of dehydration, and an IV would probably help a great deal. An IV doesn't neccessarily require hospitalization, though. Many times HGers are in for a few hours, an evening in the ER, or the IV can be done in a hydration lab, sometimes in the Drs. office, and many times at home. Do you have a support group of family or friends who would be able to watch your other children long enough for you to get an IV?

On eating and drinking: HG thrives on a vicious cycle. Nausea obviously makes us not want to eat or drink, and the more hungry we get, the more nauseas we get, until we know we have to try to eat something. But, what is so hard to reallize when you're in this perpetual cycle is that hunger + nausea increases your chances of vomiting. So, the "ideal" is that you start as soon as you wake up (even before your out of bed) with something dry, small, and something you can stand to eat. For me, I started this cycle super early in the morning (well, to me 6:00 am is way too early to greet any day) with my husband bringing me food. I always had something dry next to the bed in case I woke up in the middle of the night. Try to keep in mind, never hungry, never full. Try keeping your liquids separate from your solids - it can be helpful, but for some HGers it doesn't really matter. Keep them separate by 1/2 an hour. It doesn't take a great deal of food at each time - just try to vary the variety, if you can. It's not important enough to stress about - variety just means a less likihood of being stuck w/ 3 things you can eat - don't worry about nutrition, something staying down is better than throwing up everything healthy.

What types of meds worked for you last time? Have you asked your Dr. for help? There are many options open to most HGers, depending on what worked in the past, the severity of your HG, and if you've reacted adversely to any of the options - they are automatically crossed of the list.

Huge hugs, and know that we care about you, and will try to provide you with info so that you are able to discuss options with your Dr. to adequately cope with your pregnancy, and be here with you whenever you need someone to understand, because we've all been there, and we remember.

Andy
Mom to Aaron 14 (HG), Anna 11 (HG), Adam 8 (adopted), Andrew 8 (adopted), fostering a newborn . . .
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