Chronic Nausea

[bamagairl]

I am a 31 yesr old accountant who has been dealing with strange episodes of nausea for about a year.  It started out as occasional bouts of nausea, kind of like motion sickness, it would come and go in waves about once a week.  Then it got worse, coming in waves about once a day then progressed into horrible nausea that woke me up in the middle of the night about once a week and I would dry heave all night until the sun came up.  Then it got to be nausea all day long with vomiting every night all night.  Sometimes I would shake really bad and get chills with no fever, my bp and heart rate would go up really high and I would have a bowel movement. Finally I went to a gasto Dr.  I had an egd, it was normal (they thought I had an ulcer).  Then I had a test where I swallowed some chalky stuff, it was normal.  Finally I had a gastric emptying test and it was borderline normal. I had un ultrasound on my gallbladder checking for gallstones & it was normal. A surgeon thought it was my gall bladder anyway-(it was distended), so I had it removed.  The nausea got a little better, but I still had episodes of nightime nausea, tachycardia with shaking and bowel movements.  I recently found out that I have too much methylhistamine in my body and I take claritin 10 mg 2x a day along with zantac 75 2x a day.  At first this helped, now all of the sudden I am starting all over again with the nausea.  It started now with early morning nausea, now it's coming in waves all day long.  I haven't had any vomiting yet, but it sure feels like I'm going to.  My question is, does this make any since & are there any other blood tests or diagnostic tests I can ask my doctor to do that hasn't been done yet?  I had an ultrasound done to check for any blocked gallstones and some blood work to check for liver enzymes, all normal.  This nausea is ruining my life.  Please help!!!!!

[Kevin Pho, MD]

You have had a pretty thorough GI evaluation for nausea.  The only other test I could think of would be an esophageal motility study, which can look for motility disorders that can lead to nausea.

Another consideration would be a non-GI cause.  This can be with any central nervous system disorder, which can also lead to nausea.  A brain MRI would be a reasonable first step to ensure this isn't the case.

You may want to consider a neurology referral if the GI workup has been non-revealing.

Followup with your personal physician is essential.

This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.

Kevin, M.D.
Medical Weblog:
kevinmd_b

[doc86]

Hey Bamagairl
I'd just like to say that I read your message and can identify except my nausea has been intermittent for about 10 years.
Sometimes I'll be fine for months and then I'll have a 6 week bout of nausea from sun-up to sunset.
I've had a catscan, an MRI ,an endoscopy, a colonoscopy, blood tests galore, a diet change . All tests came back normal and no treatment seems to help. It gets quite depressing to wake up and think-"I still feel sick!!!"
I have thought at various stages that it's stress but it will even happen on holiday or weekends that I'm not working.
I really hope there's an answer out there.
doc86

[bamagairl]

Are you the doctor giving the medical advice for this question?  I am a little confused.

[BradinBoca]

Hello bamagairl:
I've had similar symptoms to what you've described and what I found interesting was your reference to "shaking." I get that, too.

Can you describe it, where it starts, does it move around, where on the body, etc.? Not one physician I've met can give me an explanation of what it is or what's causing it. Did yours?

Thanks, Brad

[doc86]

Hi Bamagairl
Doc86 is my nickname I'm not a medical doctor-sorry you were confused

[Paul K.]

Bamagairl,

Hang in there! My Last attack was while dodging bullets (literally) in downtown Baghdad. Had one while working in Sarajevo at the height of the war in a blown out hotel room (*** bumker). The one I had in Somalia had my mates debating whether I would prefer to suffer on-site or in a western country (they loaded me into a cargo plane with a note attached for the doctors at the far end)

If it wasn't so miserable it would be funny.....

Docs here are still trying to diagnose me.

All GI tests show normal except hi white cell count during attack and generalized inflamation (inflammation).

quick fix during attack seems to be 2 bags saline I.V. and compazine, all of which I now carry in my field kit.

Some life we have huh......

[bamagairl]

Seems the nausea is from a mast cell activation disorder that affects the GI tract.  Not much helps except Zantac 75 twice a day.  I hope everyone else finds the answers they need.

God Bless!!!

[lakorusa]

I have been through every test bamagirl was discribing with all normal results.  I have been dealing with this since I was in highschool.  I have been on Pamine and Prevacid and Zantac and you name it.  It is really frustrating.  I started having attacks about 1.5 years ago.  I thought I was having heart attacks.  They were debilitating.  I couldn't breath and my stomach would hurt so bad that I couldn't talk.  All I could do was cry.  My doctor wanted to prescribe me an antidepressant and I refused.  I have a lot of friends that self medicate and it seems as though they are living in their own little world sometimes.  I don't want that to happen to me.  I am wondering if there are any solutions.  My stomach does hurt more often if I am stressed.  But sometimes I have nausea boughts and have no idea where they came from.  When I eat Korean food (I grew up eating it) I am perfectly fine, and it is extrememly spicy.  But other foods that are a different type of spicy keeps me up at night.  I am trying to figure out if it could be a particular chemical that is affecting me in such a way.  What do you guys think?

[bamagairl]

Hang in there & don't let a doctor try to put you on an antidepressent if you are not depressed. If you are like me, you are somewhat depressed because you feel sick!!! I know I get that way sometimes!!  Do you have any other symptoms that go along with your stomach problems.  I may be able to give you some ideas depending on what symptoms you are experiencing.  Believe me, I have seen enough doctors and picked up on a few things along the way.  Again, stay strong.  You are not alone :)

Bamagairl

[trapley]

HI guys. My same problems have brought me here. In june I was diagnosed with H. Pylori after the doctor realized that I was too young to have such heartburn (20 years old). Since then everything has gone down hill. I have been to 4 different doctors and I"m going on my second GI specialist. I am already an emetiphobiac (fear of throwing up). I get nausea at least 26 days out of the month. it's terrrible. Some day I cant even go to class because I feel bad. I dont do anything that 20 year olds do hardly anymore. My days consist of going to work and coming home and eating hoping I wont feel sick to my stomach when I eat it. I have had an endoscopy with biopsy, ultrasound for gallbladder, blood work. My last GI specialist put me on medication for IBS since there was no other problems and I decided to leave there when he told me it was all in my head and there nothing wrong with me. I know my body. I always feel nauseous, my stomach feels bloated sometimes, and sometimes I have stomach pains. My general doctor thinks that I need a nissan fundoplication, but I dont think I have reflux issues because I have been on all the major antiacids and PPI's with no results. I have been so depressed lately not even looking forward to the holidays because I know I'll probably feel bad. Last week I was actually considering comitting suicide because everyone including my parents are convinced that either I'm making it up, theres nothing wrong with me, or that nothing can really be done. I literally have changed my diet around (eating out is out of the question)and I drink mostly water. I have went from 128 pounds to 106 and losing. I dont know what to do. If the rest of my life is going to be like this, I really dont know what I have to look forward to. I loved my life this time last year and I still do, but I can't live how I want to live beacause of these undetermined digestive issue.

[bamagairl]

Please, please don't give up.  I have had a five year battle myself with one health problem after another and I know how you feel, trust me.  I am 31 years old and have been having health problems for about five years.  I have been soooo sick at times and have also been told a few times that I am depressed or too stressed because the dumb jerk doctors would rather tell me that then say "I don't know what's wrong & I'm not going to go the extra mile to find out."  I too have thought of committing suicide.  I even had the bedroom door locked with the pills in my hand.  All I could think about was "if this is how my life is going to be, I don't want to live."  Then I would stop & think, "what if the next doctor can help me?" There is an answer to what's going on.  People are not just nauseaus all the time for no reason.  Have you considered going to a specialty facility such as the Mayo Clinic?  There is one in Minnesota, Florida and Arizona.  They take all insurance types and they specialize in diagnosing strange things that your regular doctor can't figure out. Please try to go there, I will help get you what you need to get there, just don't give up because you are not alone!

Bamagairl

[hola_lola]

Maybe gastroparesis?  I was diagnosed with GP after 6 months and 9 doctors.  The 8th doctor told me that "stomach problems and depression are a very fine line".  I almost didn't go to the 9th doc!  But anyways, keep trying to find out what is wrong.  I didn't have a gastric emptying study but was diagnosed the day of my endoscopy when I threw up food that was 3 days old.  Good luck!

[DKahley]

I have been nauseated since June and have been through many blood tests, MRI, Sonogram, Upper GI, and today I went for a Hida scan and most were normal but I was told that I had Sludge in my Gallbladder and a Hiatel Hernia. The hida scan was a more extensive test for the Gallbladder and that was normal. I was put on Paxil in July and let me tell you that stuff is horrible because it caused nuerologic problems and whenever I felt worse he wanted to up the dose. I decided to check into it and so I fired that Dr and now I am seeing an Internist but I am stuck still wondering why am I so sick to my stomach, it is just like morning sickness. I have alot of pain in my chest, stomach, legs, and arms so the only thing that they have told me is that I have Fibromyalgia but some of the symptoms dont match with this diagnoses. My memory is horrible that sometimes I cant remember things that I want to say even when I had it in my head when I began to speak. I also forget things that happened right before I went to bed that I should of remembered. Should I go to a Neurologist or stick with the Internist. I cant have more than three bites of food usually once a day because I get  nausea and bloated. I am taking Pepcid and Promethazine 25mg for the nausea which helps a little but why is this happening????
Any suggestions??
DKahley

[doc86]

Hello everyone,
does someone have a suggestion for controlling nausea that doesn't involve drugs that sedate you (and don't work anyway)eg: Maxolon (metoclopramide).Everytime I need to be at my best and I'm having a nausea attack (at work for example) I have tried taking things that are supposed to help only to feel sedated and groggy and still nauseous.!
Has anyone tried homeopathy or herbs other than ginger.
I can't believe it's new years eve and I'm writing about nausea on the internet!!!!
Here's to a new year without feeling sick!

[diamond79]

I have been suffering with nausea for over a year and a half. It started when I was pregnant with my son and had a stomach virus and was vomitting for 24 hours and has continued on since. I have had many tests including blood, barium swallow, ultrasound (came back with a thickened gallbladder wall and lots of polyps), Hida Scan (came back normal), and will be having a endoscopy in the next few weeks. My symptoms include nausea-usually morning, suppertime, and 2 am, full feeling after only eating a little bit, the feeling that food is just "sitting" in my stomach for hours, aching under right rib cage, fatigue and occasional dizziness after eating. I am currently taking Pariet for acid reflux/GERD which helps keep the nausea to a minimum.
It's unfortunate that we all have to suffer with this nausea. I wish you all luck in finding the cause.

[spen]

hi every body i have just read your comments and would like to tell you i had been suffering since 1996 taking all the meds and getting worse 5 years anti-acid therapy lead to infections and other terrible illness. i stopped taking this kind of medicine and after a few weeks did show improvement i have for the last month been taking a product which digests milk lactose although this has not enabled me to consume huge amounts of dairy product it has lowered the acid in my bowels and provided almost unbelievable relief from constipation/d'rea most noticeable is the nausea and vomiting completely stopping and releif from painful bowel spasms i have experienced since having GB removed

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