How do you personally deal/cope with nausea? More mentally rather than physically...

[Willhm]

Hello,

I get everyday, probably like most of you, very unpleasant nausea and feel generally unwell. How do you personally deal/cope with it in the sense that you know everyday you will experience it, how do you not let it get you down and dwell on it? I realise on the odd occasion I haven't thought 'oh no nausea again, will I be worse this time? Or was it this o this that set it off?' That when for some reason on the odd occasion I haven't dwelled on it, it doesn't seem to affect me as much.

I want to be able o accept my nausea but still get on with my life because at the moment it is consuming me.

So what do you do?

Thanks or reading this.

 

[globalpilot]

I don't have it but I happen to be reading about dyspepsia a lot right now due to other gut issues.
Impaired gastric emptying comes up a lot wrt nausea. Have you been checked for that ? It is a non-invasive test

 

[Dreambirdie]

There is an acupuncture point on the wrist that is excellent for nausea. It's PC-6, located about 3 fingers-width up from the wrist crease, on the inside of the wrist between the 2 big tendons. It's often used for seasickness, so you can buy wristbands that press on it. Why suffer with something when you can remedy it.

HERE IS A LINK FOR THE WRIST BANDS:
http://www.amazon.com/Travel-Wristbands-Motion-Sickness-Pair/dp/B000RH1RV2

 

[Willhm]

I don't have it but I happen to be reading about dyspepsia a lot right now due to other gut issues.
Impaired gastric emptying comes up a lot wrt nausea. Have you been checked for that ? It is a non-invasive test

No but I have had a stool sample and I am trying different things but thanks for bringing it up, I have heard of dyspepsia before but a lot these stomach issues and nausea seem to not give too much of a clue to what is the root cause, other than ME.

Thanks globalpilot

 

[Willhm]

And thanks dreambirdie, I have some bands that I sometimes put on my wrists but they seem to do little good. I am trying, have tied and will continue to try different things but I think I am mainly just 'managing it' rather than curing it. So what I want to do is being to live with it and get on with my life even if it means I am still pretty much housebound for the time being.

I just want to accept it, stop dwelling on it and move on with my life, but I just don't know how to do that.

 

[caledonia]

Ginger tea is another thing that works for nausea. Buy some ginger root, slice it up, pour boiling water over it. Let it steep for awhile. Drink.

Prescription phenergan is a wonderful drug for nausea. It will make you very sleepy though. And, of course, we often have problems with drugs, so it may or may not be ok for you.

Mentally speaking, you have to become zen about the nausea. This means living in the moment and not anticipating about the future. Meditation is wonderful training for becoming zen. When you meditate, you observe the breathe coming in and out of your nose. Sounds simple! But invariably, your thoughts will go elsewhere. When you realize that this is happening, you gently bring your focus back to your breathe. Practice this for 20 minutes twice a day. At around the 15-20 minute point, you should become extremely relaxed and peaceful. This is the body's natural relaxation response kicking in.

Ok, how does this apply to nausea? When you have the nausea, you take your meditation training and think to yourself things like, ok right now I have nausea. You can observe the nausea and how it feels. Notice how the feeling varies, gets better or worse, moves around, etc.

If you get anxious thoughts about what if the nausea lasts forever and so forth, you say to yourself things like - right now I have nausea, this doesn't mean that I will have it forever. I've had periods in the past where I didn't have nausea, so even thought I have nausea right now, it's only temporary.

So you'll still have nausea, but at least you won't be anxious about it and add to the suffering.

Some other things you can try which you may not have heard of are EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), and Healing Touch Therapy. Both are energy therapies.

 

[Dreambirdie]

Those are really good suggestions from Caledonia.

If you are going to approach dealing with any symptom on a mental or emotional level, you have to stop giving it attention and stop identifying with it. Not easy, because our minds love to latch on to problems and amplify them and run with them. If you can catch yourself in the act of this dynamic a few times, you can begin to derail it and set yourself free from it. It does take a lot of practice, and when the symptom (in this case nausea) is overwhelming, it can be very challenging.

In the meanwhile, PC-6 and ginger tea are really good remedies to check out. And also, you will want to eventually get to the root cause of the nausea and address that.

 

[rosie26]

Hi Willhm

It is important if you can work out what is causing your nausea. It took me 10-11 years to discover my main cause of nausea. And it is severe inflammation.
The reason I know for sure now is that
1) when my headaches get severe due to inflammation in the head, I used to lay down with a cold flannel over my forehead for about 3-4 hours and I would always find the inflammation would go down but not only that, but my nausea seemed to go down as well.
2) Last year I discovered D Ribose and it has been amazing in decreasing inflammation in the muscles through out my body, and I have noticed along with it the nausea has decreased quite dramatically as well. I still get some nausea, but no where like what I used to get. The D Ribose is no cure but it has made me a lot more comfortable, and I am able to do a bit more than I used to.

 

[Willhm]

I do have ginger tea too, but maybe I need it more often or stronger, I have heard in quite a few places that it helps.
Thank you for the breathing advice, you are right I need to rid myself of my anxiety of the nausea and also stop thinking about it.
As you said, it may sound simple but I'm sure it will be very difficult it has been something I have struggled with for years. Indeed to try and get the balance correct between trying to get rid of the anxiety surrounding (which involves thinking about it) but also trying to not dwell on it....tough!!

 

[Willhm]

Hi Willhm

It is important if you can work out what is causing your nausea. It took me 10-11 years to discover my main cause of nausea. And it is severe inflammation.
The reason I know for sure now is that
1) when my headaches get severe due to inflammation in the head, I used to lay down with a cold flannel over my forehead for about 3-4 hours and I would always find the inflammation would go down but not only that, but my nausea seemed to go down as well.
2) Last year I discovered D Ribose and it has been amazing in decreasing inflammation in the muscles through out my body, and I have noticed along with it the nausea has decreased quite dramatically as well. I still get some nausea, but no where like what I used to get. The D Ribose is no cure but it has made me a lot more comfortable, and I am able to do a bit more than I used to.

Thanks for the advice rosie26, I do notice some triggers with my nausea but at others times it just seems to come on stronger for little reason. I will certainly try the suggestion in regards to the affect the cold flannel had as that is an easy thing to try, thanks. In regards to the D Ribose is that a supplement or a certain vitamin or something like that?

 

[Willhm]

Those are really good suggestions from Caledonia.

If you are going to approach dealing with any symptom on a mental or emotional level, you have to stop giving it attention and stop identifying with it. Not easy, because our minds love to latch on to problems and amplify them and run with them. If you can catch yourself in the act of this dynamic a few times, you can begin to derail it and set yourself free from it. It does take a lot of practice, and when the symptom (in this case nausea) is overwhelming, it can be very challenging.

In the meanwhile, PC-6 and ginger tea are really good remedies to check out. And also, you will want to eventually get to the root cause of the nausea and address that.

You're right, I have heard something similar to that before that my brain is so used to thinking about it it will automatically veer onto that thought pattern, I need to start a new thought pattern and my brain will get used to that, but I assume it is much much much (much) easier said than done.

 

[rosie26]

Yes, Willhm, I used to keep turning the cold flannel over and over about every 2-3 minutes to get the cool side as it's amazing how much heat comes out of the head when you do this.

Regarding D Ribose, it is well worth trying ! But some people find it doesn't help them at all. Some find it makes them high wired and agitated, others feel that it does nothing at all, and others like me find it such an amazing help that there is no way that I will ever stop taking it.

I buy Drs Best D Ribose. It comes in a powdered form with a scoop inside. 1 scoop is 1 tsp. I take 1 scoop morning and night in 1/2 cup of water. I usually have it after breakfast and dinner at night.

It is a supplement. If you look it up you will be able to read all the info about it.

As I say Willhm it is well worth giving it a go. If you have unpleasant side effects, then it is not for you and stop it immediately.

Let us know if you try it and let know how you get on. x

 

[Willhm]

I will be trying the flannel suggestion and hopefully will post how that goes. I will look into the D Ribose but I am very wary of taking new things just because I am worried how my body may react. But I do know I have some other supplements I need to add first like b12 and other b vitamins and vitamins in general and I will just see how it goes, but I hope the outcome is positive.

 

[rosie26]

I know what you mean, it's possible that the D Ribose may not have helped me in my severe years. You do what you think you can cope with xx

 

[Crux]

But I do know I have some other supplements I need to add first like b12 and other b vitamins and vitamins in general and I will just see how it goes, but I hope the outcome is positive.

B12 and other B's help my nausea. I think the B12 works to help vagus nerve function. Other B's, like B6, may help nausea by increasing stomach acid.

If stomach acid is low, bad things can happen.

 

[Shoesies]

Ay yi yi...every single day I deal with it. Gets better after 2pm. We have checked everything and tried everything. So far nothing helps. I just feel it until I puke enough to start feeling better. Keep pushing fluids and if I throw up my meal I eat again. Ugh.

ETA - I have been dealing with it so long that I just experience it when I must and look forward to the moments it is dissipated. Life must go on, so I have airsick bags in every car...I just go. I get up during church service to puke most sundays. There are times I have to leave the stage during worship. My kids are used to the sounds. Still geeks the hubs out. Whatever, it is just what I deal with.

 

[SOC]

My best techniques for coping with nausea are:
1) Actively ignore it, using techniques Caledonia mentioned above. I also do things that keep my mind continuously occupied so that it can't dwell on the nausea. For me, audiobooks work best. I will listen to books all day long if I'm nauseous. Television/movies can also work. Music doesn't work for me, but might for other people.
2) Deep breathing works really well for acute bouts of nausea, but is hard to keep up for long periods of time.

 

[Firestormm]

Hello,

I get everyday, probably like most of you, very unpleasant nausea and feel generally unwell. How do you personally deal/cope with it in the sense that you know everyday you will experience it, how do you not let it get you down and dwell on it? I realise on the odd occasion I haven't thought 'oh no nausea again, will I be worse this time? Or was it this o this that set it off?' That when for some reason on the odd occasion I haven't dwelled on it, it doesn't seem to affect me as much.

I want to be able o accept my nausea but still get on with my life because at the moment it is consuming me.

So what do you do?

Thanks or reading this.

Morning

Have you had you ears checked out and is it possible that you may have had some labyrinthine infection or disturbance? Is the nausea associated with vertigo and balance problems?

My own problems originated with an infection of the ear and once I had spent time messing about with wrist bands and peppermint tea (blurgh!); I finally saw an immunologist who prescribed Betahistine Hydrochloride and this appears to have knocked the nausea on the head - as well as fixing the vertigo problems - although I still experience a feeling of wobbly-imbalance.

Getting that nausea sorted out was an amazing feeling. Nausea was for me a killer. Horrible to experience for years on end and it really screwed me up. Pursued several 'diets' upon the advice of 'nutritionists' that were silly. Nobody until that immunologist - other than an ENT specialist who confirmed the imbalance and vertigo - had been able to help.

My advice - get you ears checked and then discuss the possibility of being treated for a labyrinthine infection if this is deemed appropriate. Don't spend years - like I did - suffering needlessly and thinking 'it's all my fault', 'it must be me making it worse'.

Take it easy

 

[SOC]

Firestormm has an excellent point -- you might want to look into vertigo. Meniere's Disease causes vertigo and nausea, for example. There might be a treatment for your symptoms.

 

[perchance dreamer]

To make ginger tea stronger, first bruise the ginger lightly with something like a meat tenderizer before slicing it. I also let it steep at least an hour. This will give you a strong cup and it is so good for nausea.

Ginger tea bags are also effective although they cost more than fresh ginger. Let them steep a long time, too.