Nausea: how to treat it?

[FrankDI]

I have always experienced nausea when in my relapse periods.

It is one of my most disabling symptoms. I can walk around my flat and do very basic tasks, but nausea prevents me from being able to focus on things. It is very severe - I retch at times, though don't feel like vomiting.

My nausea feels neurological in origin. I have tried various drugs that act on gut nausea, but none works. I feel like my nausea comes from inside my brain (along with the tinnitus, fog, weird buzzing inside head, fatigue and other autonomic problems) and therefore cannot be touched by the standard drug treatments.

After 20 years of relapsing remitting disease, I am sceptical that there is anything that can touch my nausea, and that it just has to be borne.

Has anyone got suggestions about possible drugs/ alternative approaches to try?

 

[shannah]

Have you ever tried ginger?

 

[FrankDI]

Have you ever tried ginger?

No, I haven't. Do you think it will work on the neurological nausea? I thought ginger was good for stomach nausea.

Thanks.

 

[shannah]

Don't really know. Just think it might be worth a try. I find it calms things down a bit when I experience wretching and nausea from severe migraines.

 

[drob31]

I'm not sure about the origin of your nausea, but mine seems to be caused by high cortisol.

 

[FrankDI]

I'm not sure about the origin of your nausea, but mine seems to be caused by high cortisol.

Interesting - do you mind me asking how you know this? Thanks.

 

[drob31]

My cortisol is sky high, and one of the symptoms of high cortisol is nausea. I'm not saying it's your issue, unless you had labs done for it.

 

[minkeygirl]

I have nausea when my hormones are out of balance. I'm post menopausal with almost no hormones but I still have estrogen dominance issues so maybe drob31 is on the right track?

 

[eafw]

I have tried various drugs that act on gut nausea

There's lots of anti-nausea drugs available that work on the brain, used for migraine, travel sickness, vertigo, chemo side-effects etc. Have you asked your GP ?

Also, when you say gut drugs does stuff like gaviscon help at all ?

 

[drob31]

I have nausea when my hormones are out of balance. I'm post menopausal with almost no hormones but I still have estrogen dominance issues so maybe drob31 is on the right track?

High cortisol causes cellular resistance to all hormones, including cortisol itself. This means you can feel deficient in everything like testosterone, estrogen, progresterone, etc. It's kind of like how eating foods that constantly spike your insulin leads to cellular insulin resistance, AKA type 2 diabetes.

So, yes, high cortisol, or possibly low will give you almost any symptom.

 

[MeSci]

I have always experienced nausea when in my relapse periods.

It is one of my most disabling symptoms. I can walk around my flat and do very basic tasks, but nausea prevents me from being able to focus on things. It is very severe - I retch at times, though don't feel like vomiting.

My nausea feels neurological in origin. I have tried various drugs that act on gut nausea, but none works. I feel like my nausea comes from inside my brain (along with the tinnitus, fog, weird buzzing inside head, fatigue and other autonomic problems) and therefore cannot be touched by the standard drug treatments.

After 20 years of relapsing remitting disease, I am sceptical that there is anything that can touch my nausea, and that it just has to be borne.

Has anyone got suggestions about possible drugs/ alternative approaches to try?

Have you tried sedating antihistamines like chlorphenamine (usually sold as an allergy drug) or diphenhydramine (often sold as a sleeping drug)? I find those good for nausea. Cannabis can be good too. I don't know whether CBD (cannabidiol) oil would do it - I think that's legal.

 

[rosie26]

Have you tried D Ribose? I was amazed how it helped ease some nausea - I wasn't expecting that added bonus. D Ribose gives me a little bit more energy and also relieves some pain in my hands. Unfortunately D Ribose doesn't help everyone though. Some feel worse when taking it, others feel no difference at all, but those like me find it very, very helpful and with no side effects which is also amazing.

 

[FrankDI]

There's lots of anti-nausea drugs available that work on the brain, used for migraine, travel sickness, vertigo, chemo side-effects etc. Have you asked your GP ?

Also, when you say gut drugs does stuff like gaviscon help at all ?

Hi

I've tried cyclizine, metoclopramide, buccastem and cinnarizine without much help. I've also tried betahistine.

I have a lot of gastric reflux normally, and have gaviscon advanced for that - sometimes I wonder whether Gastric Reflux contributed to this relapse - I had been having lots of it prior to this relapse.

 

[FrankDI]

Have you tried sedating antihistamines like chlorphenamine (usually sold as an allergy drug) or diphenhydramine (often sold as a sleeping drug)? I find those good for nausea. Cannabis can be good too. I don't know whether CBD (cannabidiol) oil would do it - I think that's legal.

That's interesting - I have problems with sleep and have been using an anti-histamine based drug to help with sleep and it seems to have help a bit. I suppose feeling more sedated but less nausea is a worthwhile trade??

Have you tried D Ribose? I was amazed how it helped ease some nausea - I wasn't expecting that added bonus. D Ribose gives me a little bit more energy and also relieves some pain in my hands. Unfortunately D Ribose doesn't help everyone though. Some feel worse when taking it, others feel no difference at all, but those like me find it very, very helpful and with no side effects which is also amazing.

Not heard of this - I wonder if I can get this in the UK. Will investigate. Thanks.

 

[MeSci]

That's interesting - I have problems with sleep and have been using an anti-histamine based drug to help with sleep and it seems to have help a bit. I suppose feeling more sedated but less nausea is a worthwhile trade??

(D-Ribose)
Not heard of this - I wonder if I can get this in the UK. Will investigate. Thanks.

Whether the trade-off is worthwhile depends on one's own perspective, I guess!

There is a paper here that lists some antihistamines with anticholinergic properties, which AFAIK are the ones that reduce nausea (and muscle tension, and urinary tract irritation, and anxiety, and probably more. A lot of people with ME seem to find them beneficial.) BTW I find promethazine very sedating. I'm surprised they include loratadine - I don't recall getting sedation with this. I get a surprising amount of sedation (sometimes) with cetirizine, which several people with ME have also found beneficial for various things. Can't remember if it includes nausea. You could find out more with a site search.

Have you tried hyoscine (used for travel sickness)?

If you try d-ribose, start with a very low dose and look out for hypoglycaemia. If it doesn't suit you it can be quite nasty. It messed up my gut too.

 

[FrankDI]

I've just realised that cyclizine, which I have tried, is an anti-histamine. Maybe other antihistamines are better at treating nausea??

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Promethazine (phenergan) is available in tablet and suppository form. Never had much use for the suppositories, because the tablets work fairly well for me.

http://www.drugs.com/promethazine.html

I used to have nausea accompanied by hypoglycemia and a nurse told me to drink warm flat Coca-cola. That really helped me to not feel weak and faint. Make sure it's the regular kind, not diet.

 

[IreneF]

I used to nibble on candied ginger. Docs often recommend ginger ale to pregnant women.

I've also heard of a product called sea-bands, which supposedly stimulate an acupressure or acupuncture point on the wrists. I don't know how effective they are, but I think they're pretty cheap.

When we were on a cruise my husband used little patches behind his ear with scopolomine in them. You have to get them by prescription, but they worked very well.

 

[MeSci]

Personally I would avoid anything sugary. It may provide a quick fix, but in my experience it just messes up the gut microbiome and makes future nausea more likely. A more long-term solution may require stabilising blood sugar, for which I have found a low-sugar, low-grain diet extremely helpful.

 

[CFS_for_19_years]

Personally I would avoid anything sugary. It may provide a quick fix, but in my experience it just messes up the gut microbiome and makes future nausea more likely. A more long-term solution may require stabilising blood sugar, for which I have found a low-sugar, low-grain diet extremely helpful.

There have been times when I've been too nauseated to keep any food down, and obviously suffering from hypoglycemia, i.e. the "food shakes." This is the same situation as someone who has taken too much insulin and their blood sugar is too low. A low blood sugar can turn into a medical emergency if not treated quickly with sugar via mouth or IV.

It is a quick fix, and the best thing to do is for the person to look for ways to NOT feel nauseated in the first place, so they can eat the right kind of food. The Cola drink, with sugar included, is necessary at that moment, to bring blood sugar levels up to the point where the person can function without feeling shaky, sweaty or close to passing out. Maybe you've never felt that way before. If you have, please tell us all what you did to correct it, while avoiding sugary substances.