Zofran pump UPDATE

beccabeeee

Okay, so I'm sure you guys know I'm dealing with HG and it just isn't getting better. I've tried so many oral medicines and I just can't seem to keep it down. I waited all day for the doctor to call me back and is hesitant to put me on the pump...do you know why he would be hesitant?

I felt like I wasn't being taken seriously and the nurse I spoke with treated me like I was dumb for even asking my doctor. When she asked me why i kind of snapped. I told her that I've tried the oral and I just can't do it, I have really bad hemmroids so I'd rather not go that rout if I don't have to. And then I told her that this is affecting my work and that the zofran through IV gives me the best relief and allows me to keep my food and fluids down. Although I am still very weak and light headed most of the time. She treated me like I was a drug addict. Why is it so bad for me to request something that will help me feel better and allow me to actually work and function like a normal human being? I told her that if my insurance covers it (I'm almost certain it does) that I don't see why it's a problem. I told her if they can't do that then I'm gunna need a note explaining to my employer that I'm not capable of working right now. Ugh so frustrated! It makes me mad because I've been dealing with this for a long time now and don't feel even remotely better and I know from the multiple ER visits what helps me and what doesn't, I know my body better than her or the doctor. I'm just so exhausted and tired of her telling me "just take the oral".... like no B!

Sorry for my long rant. I just feel helpless (

Update: Well, I had my appointment a little bit ago. The doctor was nice but I'm still a bit dissappinted. He didn't suggest a PICC of pump, wants to see if suppositories will work and said once I get back from my trip to come back in and see if things have gotten better. He said if not, admitting me to the hospital would be the next step so they can figure out which combinations will work best for me and to get me the fluids and nutrition I need. I did have a bit of ketones when they tested (no too sure what it means exactly?). I'm gunna be about 12 weeks when I get back from my trip, if my symptoms don't seem to be improving even just a little I will most likely be admitted to the hospital. I just can't take much more of this =[ and if things keep getting worse I feel like I'll lose my job...
Anyways ladies, thanks for all the advice and suggestions! I hope I won't be super miserable my entire trip, I'll be so upset since I haven't seen my mom since she moved.

gatorgrad11

Unfortunately many doctors still do not understand the gravity of HG. There are even doctors who will tell you it's just a fancy name for morning sickness. It took until I was about 15 weeks my first pregnancy and had lost quite a bit of weight at that point to finally get my pump approved. If you feel as though your OB is not taking you seriously you can visit the link below and see if there is an OB in your area that is knowledgable about HG.

https://www.helpher.org/mothers/referral-network/index.php

Hang in there, mama. I know this journey is hard and some days just seem impossible. Today was one of those days for me with lots of tears. On those days I have to break the time up. Instead of thinking about December I think something like "ok, I'm gonna get through this next hour."

Is this your first HG pregnancy?

vbrannin2010

I had the pump with my last pregnancy and it was the most uncomfortable thing ever, but it gave me some relief. Oral wasn't doing squat for me either. This pregnancy, I'm thinking the same is going to have to happen. I haven't kept a meal down in days nor liquid which has sucked beyond belief (I want a damn cheeseburger and large fries for crying out loud!!!). The ER that treated me for dehydration over the weekend gave me a different medicine, but it's having the same crappy effect oral Zofran was... just making me tired as hell.
There are risks to any medication consumed by a pregnant woman so doctors don't automatically agree to hand them over. Talk to him about the side effects and other important info on using the pump. It's also very expensive and took forever for my insurance to approve.
HG is no joke. :-(
Praying for it to be over soon for you as well as myself :-)

Lheat08

I'm very sorry to hear your having such a rough time! I have HG too so I totally empathize with your situation! It's so frusterating when the nurses are rude and you have no strength to debate! I hope things get better for you!

BostonBaby1

As I said before, I'm not familiar with the Zofran pump. My best guess is that they don't want to put a line into you that has the potential for getting infected if there is in any way shape or form for an alternative. I know that you're not so gung ho on the suppositories because of your hemorrhoids… There are treatments for hemorrhoids. They can inject your hemorrhoids with oil and often times they will go away within a few days. My guess is that they were not trying to be rude to you intentionally, just that they would like you to try every other route prior to an invasive procedure and ongoing invasive medical intervention.

The struggle is real though! And… I am certain that you feel as though they were being extremely rude to you. I have been starving myself before, on several occasions, and we are not in our right minds when we are in ketosis. That being said, they are going to want to run more bloodwork on you prior to any surgical intervention. I know it stinks, but they need to make sure that you are actually starving and there is no other way to put it then that it sucks!

As I mentioned to you in another post, I have not had HG, but I have definitely been in a similar position as you. I have a condition called pots and I also have Crohn's disease. I have gone for ridiculously long stretches of time without being able to eat or drink a thing. Literally not one sip. I spent 14 weeks straight through inpatient in the hospital the summer-fall before last. I wound up not only on IV fluids, but also on TPN (total parentenal nutrition) which is no joke and can end up destroying your liver. I was able to finally start eating again, but I was on 2 L of IV fluids a day through my Port-A-Cath (Central line running through my chest) for a year this last go round.

I hope that everything works out well for you sweetheart! You had a really rough road. Nobody would deny that. And I can only imagine how frustrated you feel when it is implied that you were drug seeking. I think that everybody here knows that that is not the truth. You just need some relief and hopefully you will get that soon! I would arm myself with as much information as possible for my next visit with you will the OB if I were you. Would also definitely make sure that you find a recommendation to an MFM (high-risk OB) because frankly it seems like you need it. There is no shame in that!

navyblueladybug

@BostonBaby1 A Zofran pump looks just like an insulin pump. It's not as invasive as a PICC line or even an IV Since it doesn't go into the vein, it's just a 1-2 inch tube that goes into the skin on your stomach and has a line that attaches to a pump with a syringe full of Zofran. It tells you when you can have a dose, you press the button and it's injected under you skin into your subcutaneous tissue. There's still a risk for infection but if you take care of it and change your site when needed it's pretty minimal.

I'm sorry the nurse was thinking you're a drug seeker for wanting a pump... That's just insane to me. It's not like it's a drug to get you high or knock you out! It's making you feel like a human again and able to eat! Keep on pushing for it...The squeaky wheel gets the grease! Good luck

BostonBaby1

@navyblueladybug does it work as well as IV Zofran then? I would imaging that it wouldn't be nearly as effective as a venous access? Maybe I'm wrong and the continual dosing is adequate? How often does the pump dose you & at what volume?

beccabeeee

Thank you ladies! I'm just so down and bummed because I feel as if my doctor will brush it off. I go in tomorrow to speak with my doctor, any suggestions?
This is my first pregnancy and HG has made me not want to get pregnant again, sadly =[
My life basically involves sleeping on the couch every day and trying not to move or get up because it makes my nausea so bad like I got punched in the stomach and need to run to the bathroom to vomit. I can barely take showers because I will pass out (last time I couldn't see and couldn't hear anything), I got out and just layed on the floor. At that point you think there's gotta be something to help. When I got the IV fluids with IV zofran I felt seriously amazing that day, I wish I could have that every day.

Wish me luck tomorrow!

navyblueladybug

@BostonBaby1 It's not going to work as fast as IV but it'll be faster than oral, plus it can't be thrown up. I'm not sure about dosing, but I assume that it could be a continuous infusion and/or give you bigger doses when triggered... Probably depends what's been ordered by the doctor.

kidcapri100

@beccabeeee Have you tried the orally dissolving Zofran?
I have a friend who had intense HG - literally threw up everything she ate and drank. She swore by the orally dissolving tablets. She would wake up 30 min before she had to get out of bed, put a tablet on her tongue, and then 30 min later the medicine would be through her system enough that she could get up and eat a little something without throwing up her medication or food.
Might be worth it to try (if you haven't already) before going the route of a pump??

gatorgrad11

@beccabeeee I found that the zofran pump took longer to provide relief, but once it did it was comparable to IV zofran. If your dr is not willing to go that route yet ask about home health. That was the first step I took. They came to my house a few times a week for fluids and meds. It sucked being stuck so many times, but not living in a constant state of ketosis made me feel a lot better. I continued to lose weight so my OB prescribed the pump. It will tell you how much and when you can have a dose depending on what your dr prescribes. Changing the site is not a pleasant experience, but it definitely beats living with unmanaged HG.

I had hoped for a pump this time, but my HG is worse and doesn't respond to just zofran so I have a PICC and my house looks like a little hospital with IV poles and supplies.


Keep us posted on how your appointment goes!

Lheat08

While I was in the hospital to weeks ago my OB gave me the disolvable zofran he said it hits the blood stream immediately through the blood vessels under the tounge but not to drink anything after it disolves for a minute ore two. Not sure if you have tried this or not. I take diclegis 2 at night and one in the morning as well as phenagren. This has seemed to really help. My OB had mentioned if the disolvable zofran doesn't work we could try a patch but since we didnt need that I didn't get any details so if that might be something you could ask your OB if you have tried all of the other meds. With no relief!