Treatments
In the past, hyperemesis gravidarum was sometimes thought to be a psychosomatic illness and women were often accused of mentally rejecting their baby. Thankfully this has been completely disproved and it is well established to be a biological condition with a genetic basis.
Unfortunately there is a persistent belief - even among some healthcare providers - that medication to treat nausea and vomiting should not be used in pregnancy. Again, this is not true and leads to a significant amount of suffering when treatment for severe symptoms is refused.
There are a variety of safe treatments available and there are guidelines doctors can follow for prescribing them.If you are suffering nausea and vomiting in pregnancy and it is much worse than you expected and impacting your life or your ability to eat and drink - then you may need to seek treatment. How effective the treatments are can vary from person to person, but unfortunately for many women none of them act as a "cure", rather they help to control and manage symptoms.
The Institute of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, Royal College of Physicians of Ireland and the Clinical Strategy and Programmes Division, Health Service Executive has produced national guidelines for treating hyperemesis gravidarum and nausea and vomiting of pregnancy in Ireland. The guidelines contain information about each of the medications available in Ireland and an algorithm for which to try and when.
In addition to anti-emetic medication it is important to correct dehydration with an IV drip if you can't manage to drink or keep fluids down.