Chronic Nausea

[sally]

Thank you for this service.  After reading your archives I see I am not the only one with a nausea problem. I am a 40 year old women. 7 years ago I had a stomach virus.  Prior to that I hadn't vomited in 20 years!  Since then I have become extremely nauseous 2 -3 times a week after eating.  I have seen several MDs, homeopaths, tried acupuncture, chiropractor, and numerous others things.  I've had an upper GI, Gall Bladder Test, Stomach cat scan, blood tests,etc.  I had an allergy test that showed sensitivity to several foods and I have eliminated them for several months, still no change.  I went 6 months without wheat!!("I'm Italian and that means no pasta!)  My symptoms are:  after eating within 5 minutes or 2 hours I get very nauseous.  THere is no pattern.  I can eat the food once and be fine, eat the same food another time and be sick.THe only pattern is that my worst attacks are after eating out at a restaurant.  I do not vomit- though I feel like it.  THe attack can last several days, nauseous, shaky, weak. I swear I'll never eat again.  Then I start to feel better, start to eat again.  THen I get another attack.  The bad attacks don't happen that often, but the nausea happens 2-3 times a week, bad enough that I have to lie down.  I'm afraid to eat, afraid to travel...it's starting to affect my life..I've lost alot of weight.
After 6 years of this..I went to see another MD.  He gave me Propulsid to take and I just started with it. I don't understand, if my stomach is not emptying correctly, why is it ok sometimes and then others I get very sick?  His diagnosis was
cyclic nausea.  What does that mean??  He did not mention gastroparesis, but after reading your archives , it sounds like a possibility.  Is this something that can be healed or do I have to keep taking medication forever?  Will the medication make my stomach dependent on it to empty?  I hate to take medication and would rather find a natural way to heal myself, but so far, 7 years of trying has not helped.  ANy advice?

[HFHSm.D.-Gastro-rf]

Dear Sally,
You should ask you rdoctor to arrange for a gastric emptying study to confirm a diagnosis/.

WE know that patients with impaired gastric emptying do not have continuous symptoms.  Why these patients have intermittent exacerbations of symptoms is currently unknown.

If you have idiopathic gastroparesis (i.e. no defined cause), then you will probably require treratment indefinitely although there will be times when you are symptom free despite not taking medications.  If you have a specific cause for the gastroparesisi (e.g. thyroid problems or diabetes). then treatment of the underlying condition alone may allow symptom improvement

[Christine]

I'm not a doctor but just wanted to let you know that, at times, I suffer the same symptoms.  Mine started after a 2-month infection with a parasite (giardia) which affected my bowels and stomach.  I became so nauseous that I lost about 25 lbs.  I felt full all the time and got to the point where I had to force myself to eat about 800 calories per day.  I thought I was dying of stomach cancer!!!  I finally had an upper endoscopy done (once my bowels were straightened out) and the doctor saw that I had a VERY mild case of reflux.  He said that it was so mild that he could not imagine that I was suffering as bad as I was; however, he did prescribe Prilosec which helped me get back to "almost" normal.  It has been about 18 months since and I am mostly normal; however, I do get these cyclical bouts of nausea that will last for up to 2 weeks.  My GI doc has suggested that I could use the Propulsid; however, I don't want to because many people get diarrhea from the medication and I don't need that.  My nausea does not sound as severe as yours but it was at one time when I was very distressed over my condition.  I think the stress and worry really exacerbates the conditon.  And it also seems plausible to me that one could have intermittent gastroparesis--kind of like irritable bowel syndrome of the upper gut.  People who have irritable bowel don't have it everyday--they go through spells of it.  In some people it is caused by the nerves that control that area.  Same can be said for the upper stomach and the bladder (overactive bladder).  Maybe your nervous system to that area is slowing down at times and causing this.  Hopefully, the Propulsid will help you during those times.
Christine

[carissa]

Hi,

I am a 22 year old suffering from ideopathic gastropresis for 6
years.  It sounds to me like your symptoms fit exactly with gastroparesis.
I suggest that you ask your doctor to have a gastric emptying test done.
It shows how quickly or slowly your stomach empties food.  If your
stomach is slow and there is no sign of blockages or anything, they
will tell you it is gastroparesis.  Some people recover fully from ideopathic
gastroparesis, other get a little better and others never get better.
There is not a cure.  There is only medication which can help with motility and
nausea. As far as there being no pattern, gastroparesis is ALWAYS there in the
same shape every day, but you can have good days and bad days of eating.
Sometimes food makes me sick one day that didn't before.  There is no explanation
for that...just good days and bad days.  Foods that you should avoid include high
fat foods since fat takes longer to digest, high fiber foods, depending on your
situation you might avoid meats...especially red meat, but some people can handle
white meat (I can't).  You should also avoid certain fruits and veggies.  A lot of
it is trial and error.  Some gastroparesis patients can handle some things while others
can't. There is another drug you can try called domperidone.  It is
a research drug.  You can get it free through a compassionate clearance program at
some research hospitals, otherwise you will have to order it directly from Canada. If you
want the name and address of the pharmacy I use, feel free to contact me.  Unfortunately,
it is a rather expensive drug and insurance companies don't usually cover it since it is
research.  If you have any more questions feel free to contact me at ***@****.

[jennifer]

Hi! I was wondering if you've had your blood sugar tested
after eating, the symptoms you explain sound so similar to hypoglycemia. It might also explain your worsening symptoms after eating at a restaurant. If your doctor thinks this could be a possibility, he may run a glucose tolerance test. Hope you find something helpful and get to feeling better!

[Mercedes]

I need help with my stomach, I am continuosly neausus most foods I eat makeme sick I feel weak with headaches I get a few good days then become sick again it has been going on for four months.
My stomach is nervouse when i wake up and when i get nervouse or upset it seems to get worse and lasts for a longer period of time. stomach also makes noises all the time and occasionally i feel as if i am going to pass out on my feet with cold sweats and severe loss of energy.. Doctors have done a multitude of tests and cant seem to come up with a definitive answer, also my liver enzymes fluctuate increasing to extremely high numbers and then returning to normal. My blood presure is having the same ups and downs. I may have more than one thing wrong but I need to start somewhere.. Thank you ,
Mercedes

[Joy Collins]

My 10 year old daughter had her gallbladder removed October 29, 1999.  She had been suffering for a year with chronic, severe pain and nausea.  We finally found it to be her gallbladder.  There were no stones just an inflamed gallbladder that was only functioning at 28% (normal is 40%).  After the gallbladder surgery her pain went away but the nausea has intensified.  She is nauseated everyday.  Some days are worse than others. She has had blood work, sonograms, x-rays, endoscopy, ulcer tests, small bowel series. You name it and shes had it.  She had a gastric emptying test done that revealed a slow emptying stomach.  They put her on Propulsid.  This has not helped. She has been on this since 12-20-99.  Last week that put her on Prevacid along with the Propulsid.  She is constantly nauseated and complains of just feeling yucky.  Is this normal.  She hasn't been to school since October.  She has managed to go six half days to school.  She is that sick. The doctors seem clueless.  Help! Has anyone found out anything that can help?

Joy

[Laura To JOY]

To JOY

Your daughter and my son are so much alike, while my son has not has his gallbladder removed, the lack of school, since October, the nauseau and with him as I write this even vomiting water are alike.  Do you think they did enough tests on her?  They hospitalized my son for an entire week and did very little testing I felt like except for stabilizing him it was a waste of what could or should have been an excellent way to find out what is really wrong with him.

Right now, he is able to stay "stable" and enjoy anything he wants to eat then he seems to "breakthrough" the meds and is sick 2 wks after some stability.  This has been a pattern with him.  I would suggest you go get yourself and your daughter a 2nd 3rd or 4th opinion and don't let anyone give you the stress excuse either.  Dr's are so good at that.  I say bull.

If you would like to "talk" further to vent share whatever feel free by emailing me at ***@****  I wish you and your girl the best.

Laura

[Ruth Rogerson]

Our 21 year old daughter has had repeated bouts of vomiting since Sept 99 and we are getting frustrated getting answers. At the beginning of this illness, she could neither sleep nor eat and would be off her feet for 4-5 days at a time. She missed a month of classes at university. In November she was hospitalized for three days and had several tests done-upper GI, ultra sound, blood work, EEG and everything appeared normal. A few weeks later, she had an emdoscope done. The opening to her stomach is abnormally large but nothing else seems to be wrong. She is currently taking motillium and pantoloc which seems to make her feel somewhat better at times, but we never know when she will start the vomiting again.
In June of last year, she spent 2 weeks in Japan. While there, she ate raw fish and raw chicken.
She is very thin. She has always been a poor eater ever since she was born. She says that the texture of a lot of foods makes her gag. Until now she has appeared healthy.
She does not have a fever or diarrhea with the bouts of vomiting. If any one has any suggestions of where to turn next, we would appreciate your help!

[shelley]

Hello, I am 34 Y.O and for the past month I've been suffering from severe nausea. This happens in the morning as soon as a wake up. (I am not pregnant) It seems to get better as the day goes on but then after I eat (if I eat)it comes back. The nausea is so severe at time that I have to lay down. I never really vomit just feel like Im going to. I've been to the Hospital 3 times in the past 3 weeks and the doctor just gave me Tagamet. While it helped for a few days now it stoped working and im back to square one. I just tested for diabetis and it showed negative.
The problem is that Im getting very weak, can't fuction, work , concentrate or anything. Is there anyone out there feeling the same way? and has found a diagnosys? any sugestions , solutions?
I am at the end of my rope.

Thank you in advance!

Shelley

[Bonnie]

To Shelley:  I have had the exact same symptoms as you do.  I have been suffering with this problem for almost 7 years now.  I have had several stomach emptying tests done and they are always fine.  My doctors (and I have see specialists in all categories) cannot pinpoint the problem. I've never been sick enough to vomit but nauseous to the point where I end up in the hospital dehydrated.  My family doc finally put me on Zoloft, which is an antidepressent and after a couple of weeks the nausea decreased dramatically.  I took the Zoloft for 10 months and then quit.  I still have the nausea in the morning but it is slight and passes quickly.  Nothing like it was.  If it comes back full force I will not hesitate to start taking it again.  I talked to several sufferers of chronic nausea and they all good results from antidepressents.  Worked for me after 7 years :-) Good Luck

[Marita]

I am 72 years old, and had my gall bladder removed 39 years ago.  Had no aftereffects.  After an emergency hysterectomy 4 years later, I developed staph infection, and the bowel collapsed.  Since then I have had multiple colon problems, culminating in part of the colon and middle intestine removal.  Seven years ago had emergency surgery for a blocked colon, caused by adhesions.  Since then have had bouts of diarrhea which were thought to be due to food allergies.  However, the past few months have been plagued with sparodic bouts of nausea, and complete loss of of bowels.  The doctor just prescribed, Questran (cholestyramine), but yellow dye is one of my worst allergies, so am unable to take it.  Does anyone know of a form of this drug that is without dyes?  Would appreciate any help I can get.  I don't eat any gluten, milk, or soybean products, as these all seem to aggravate the diarrhea condition.  But NEVER had the nausea before.  That reminds me of when I was pregnant, same no rhyme or reason pattern.  Thanks to ANYONE who can help me.

[Pam]

I checked the comments but did not see much on actually vomitimg.  My 12 year old nephew has vomited allmost everyday since Thanksgiving.  I prepared the turkey and I am feeling so guilty that maybe that was what caused it.  No one else became sick, but he has not been back to school since then.  My brother and sister-in-law have taken him to doctor after doctor and can find nothing.  Just before Thanksgiving day my brother had mentioned that he was feeling depressed because some kids had called him fat, but he is not fat just a little flabby around the middle.  Can this have anything to do with.  Please, if anyone has had this type of problem I would so appreciate your response.

[Tony]

My 7 year-old Son has been battling nausea since he was 3 years old.  He never actually vomits. It almost always happens in the early morning and gets dramatically better in the afternoon (although it has happened in some afternoons and 1 or 2 evenings).  In the past, he has gone a few months without an episode.  For the last 2 weeks, his nausea gets activated the minute we arrive at school.  I can't imagine that it's "stress" related because he is a popular little boy with many friends and does very well in class.  His Doctor has ordered several tests and has not found anything wrong with him. Another Doctor did however find that he had excessive air in his stomach (revealed in an x-ray) and recommended he drink Ginger Ale or an Alka Seltzer so he could burp -- we tried this and he has not burped. As a matter of fact, he has never burped (3 months since the Doctor's suggestion now), no matter what we do!!!! (my Wife & I can't remember the last time he ever burped!).  For the past few years, when he was feeling nauseaus he liked to drink water, it seemed to provide temporary relief & he kept a water bottle around as a security blanket.   He doesn't ask for water anymore. We need HELP because this Nausea is starting to affect him negatively (today at his sister's birthday party he had to sit down and watch the other children play because he was having several nausea episodes).  Also, none of the Doctors has ever prescribed a thing for him!!!

[Justin]

I am a 33-year-old male. I have had chronic naseau for 10 years, with no real diagnosis ever given. I have very few acute bouts these days, but almost daily I experience "stomach awareness" - sort of a mild nauseau. This sometimes kicks in during a meal, causing me to abandon it. As a result I am about 15 pounds underweight. I have given up on a diagnosis (I have had several endoscopies, CT scans, etc. I do not have an emptying or motility problem.) What I'm wondering is, is there anything out there that could help treat the symptoms? When I get an acute attack I use Emetrol, which seems to work reasonably well. But if there is anything better I'd love to hear about it. I know of nothing to take for this 'stomach awareness.' It is too mild for Emetrol but nontheless it is more than just a nuisance. I could also use something to act as an appetite stimulant, if such a thing exists. Thanks for any help.
Justin

[west coast man:]

Shelly: You should see a Dr. May have G.E.R.D. The H2 blockers
        will seldom help in true G.E.R.D. An Acid Pump Blocker
        (Proton Pump) as Prevacid ( Lansoprazole) is far better
        than an H2 drug.

[Sparky]

Justin - my 17 year old daughter has acute nausea whether she eats or not.  She is under weight also.  The doctor recently prescribed a very low dose of Elavil for an appetite stimulant.  Ask your doctor about this.

Does anyone have any suggestions on what might be wrong with my daughter?  The doctor has not been helpful.  She misses way too much school and activities.  She has very low blood pressure.  She was not given the glucose tolerance test but several tests were done on her blood and they have ruled out hyper or hypo glaucemia.  She is nauseated upon waking and lately gets sick after she eats also.
Thanks.

[Greta]

My 11 year old daughter has been diagnosed with gastropareses. I was wondering if there is anyone out there who has actually had and recovered from this? She has been sick for about 4 months now now. Nothing works to help her, I'm worried because she has recently been getting extreamly depressed to the point of me bringing in a councelor. If someone could email her with words of encouragement,I would be so grateful  ***@**** Thanks, Mom

[comment to JUSTIN]

to justin and anyone else experiencing nausea, loss of appetite, weight loss, etc....
i'm recommending that you guys try and smoke some pot.  i'm serious.  i have a terrible stomach.  if i get really hungry but don't eat in time, it could be 2 or 3 days before i'm hungry again.  or sometimes i eat too much and it feels like my stomach doesn't want to digest.  but when i smoke a little pot, i'm hungry, not with the munchies, it stimulates my appetite just enough to eat without feeling sick.  
i really think you should try this.  don't bug out cos it's illegal, just try it for the benefit of your health.

[Krysta Furioso [email protected]]

I am  24 year old female and have had chronic nausea for just about as long as I can remember.  In the past year it has gotten so bad that I am almost never able to eat at a restaurant (in loud settings, the nausea and inability to swallow are terrible... could this be a psychological thing?)  My jaw and throat are often tight and I resort to taking anti-nauseants to lead a normal life.  I also have chronic idiopathic stomach problems.  I have had many tests, since a very young age, and everything has been ruled out.  

HELP!!!

[steve]

I don't know if this site is still operative, as it's been a while since the last post. But I figured I'd give it a shot, as I've got a problem that doesn't seem to fall into any of the categories above. I just turned 50, and my only symptom, for about a year now, is nausea of varying degrees--no burning, no pain. As with many of the previous posters, my nausea never quite seems to build to vomiting (though it sometimes is severe enough to force me to stop what I'm doing), but unlike in other cases, it tends to be relieved, if you can believe this, by eating beef. Poultry sometimes will do the trick as well, but beef always gives me at least a few hours of normalcy. Certain foods, on an empty stomach, make it worse: chocolate and most sweets, cheese and--oddly--tuna fish are just a few of the offending items. I have a family history of diabetes (mother), but I've been checked for that and the results are normal. In fact, all of my blood work is negative. The problem is worst when I am sitting, a little better when I stand, and best when I lie down. Any thoughts?

[steve]

I don't know if this site is still operative, as it's been a while since the last post. But I figured I'd give it a shot, as I've got a problem that doesn't seem to fall into any of the categories above. I just turned 50, and my only symptom, for about a year now, is nausea of varying degrees--no burning, no pain. As with many of the previous posters, my nausea never quite seems to build to vomiting (though it sometimes is severe enough to force me to stop what I'm doing), but unlike in other cases, it tends to be relieved, if you can believe this, by eating beef. Poultry sometimes will do the trick as well, but beef always gives me at least a few hours of normalcy. Certain foods, on an empty stomach, make it worse: chocolate and most sweets, cheese and--oddly--tuna fish are just a few of the offending items. I have a family history of diabetes (mother), but I've been checked for that and the results are normal. In fact, all of my blood work is negative. The problem is worst when I am sitting, a little better when I stand, and best when I lie down. Any thoughts?

[Doug]

Sally -- it really sounds like you have emetophobia.  Check
out the emetophobia FAQ at http://www.fortunecity.com/greenfield/dwellers/790/emetophobia.html

Maybe you'll agree.

[elvia]

My son is 5yrs old. He started getting nausea spells when he was 21/2 that would make him gag and sweat. When he turned 3 he started vomiting with his nausea spells, usually in the middle of the night. We have taken him to get checked several times but everything always checks out healthy. He is tall for his age and weighs 80lbs,solidly built but a little chubby in the stomach. He has a healthy appetite and has no food allergies, as soon as he vomits he is back to normal except at night when the vomit expells through his nose a little bit which makes the ordeal a traumatic affair for my son and me as well.  Has anyone out there ever experienced a case like this, and is there any danger of his stomach acid permanently damaging his nasal passages. Any information to help end this problem would be greatly appreciated.

[stephanie]

I'm going through this same problem for two years, 24hrs/7days seem like.  I know there is no cure, I'm on my way to another doctor tomorrow, hoping that they can find something to help me.  I know one thing we all have to do is stretch out on God and know that God is our HEALER.  May God bless each of you.