Intended for healthcare professionals

Rapid response to:

Clinical Review Interactive case report

Treatment of nausea and vomiting during pregnancy: presentation

BMJ 2004; 328 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.328.7434.276 (Published 29 January 2004) Cite this as: BMJ 2004;328:276

Rapid Response:

Only one cure for hyperemesis

Hyperemesis can be a distressing condition and requires an open-
minded patient, doctor and midwife. From my own personal experience
pressure bands, ginger and prochlorperazine all failed.

As a last resort (with a BP of 80/50 and ketonuria), a hospital
midwife qualified in acupuncture, suggested I have some treatment. At 20
weeks gestation no decrease insymptoms, three half hour sessions were
carried out. The nausea and vomiting disappeared after the second session
with no recurrence.

From a patient perspective, there were no guidelines on how much
nausea and vomiting is acceptable during pregnancy nor at what stage
weight loss becomes significant. A better informed patient with a series
of treatment options available may help unearth the best treatment for
individuals.

Competing interests:
None declared

Competing interests: No competing interests

08 February 2004
Geraldine A Lee
Lecturer
La Trobe University, School of Nursing & Midwifery, Melbourne 3086