No More Morning Sickness

Monday, September 25, 2006

Randy Armstrong, M.D., obstetrician and gynecologist
University Community Hospital, St. Joseph's Women's Hospital in Tampa, Fla.
TOPIC: NO MORE MORNING SICKNESS

What causes morning sickness?
Dr. Armstrong: Morning sickness is typically related to rising levels of pregnancy hormones and each woman's particular sensitivity to those levels of hormones.

What percentage of women actually suffers from morning sickness?
Dr. Armstrong: I would say 60 percent will suffer from some degree of morning sickness. That degree can vary from very mild, where it's not even a problem, to very severe, requiring hospitalization.

How long does morning sickness usually last, and when does it come into play?
Dr. Armstrong: Morning sickness typically begins between the sixth and eighth week of pregnancy and typically lasts through the end of the first trimester.

What happens after the first 12 weeks?
Dr. Armstrong: Hormones are rising during that early portion of the pregnancy. Once a woman reaches the end of the first trimester, the hormones actually drop slightly and quit rising, actually reaching a plateau at that point in time.

What are some remedies women can use to counteract that?
Dr. Armstrong: We try to encourage women to eat small meals on a very frequent basis, like every hour and a half or two hours. That seems to help in some cases. If it doesn't, we typically go to an over-the-counter medication called Emetrol, which is a liquid that's available at the drugstore. If we're still not successful, we have to consider going to prescription medications such as Phenergan, Compazine or Zofran.

How long have you been using this new relief band in your practice?
Dr. Armstrong: I've been using it for approximately the last six months.

This isn't your conventional remedy. What convinced you to try this?
Dr. Armstrong: We were first informed of the relief band and research done in other areas using the therapy. However, we were not convinced it was going to work on pregnant women. On the other hand, we felt it was very safe. We initially chose patients who we felt were very reliable and were definitely suffering from morning sickness. We agreed the response we would get from them would be something we could hang our hats on.

How does the relief band work?
Dr. Armstrong: It's a small band the patient wears on the underside of the wrist that periodically sends out very small electrical impulses. The impulses travel through the nervous system to the stomach and attempt to block the message of nausea.

How long can women wear this?
Dr. Armstrong: Women can wear it continually, if necessary. However, most patients don't do that. Most identify certain times when they need it and wear it during those times. They can wear it throughout the entire first trimester of the pregnancy.

Is there any harm done to the baby?
Dr. Armstrong: There's no harm at all.

How long does a band last?
Dr. Armstrong: The original bands were disposable and would last for about 140 hours of patient use. They have recently come out with a band that has batteries that can be replaced. It can be used indefinitely.

What is the success rate of the band?
Dr. Armstrong: In my experience, the success rate of the band is to or greater than the success rate of prescription medications.

Is this the first thing you now recommend to patients?
Dr. Armstrong: I have begun recommending this if dietary changes are unsuccessful. This is the next step I go to.

Are there different settings for the band?
Dr. Armstrong: Yes. The patient can actually set the intensity of the electrical stimulation they receive depending upon their need or tolerance.

Is there any patient that wouldn't be a candidate for this?
Dr. Armstrong: The relief band is most effective in a patient who is very reliable at following instructions. It has no medical contraindications that I'm aware of.

End of Interview

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