Nausea in morning, not pregnant

Question

For well over a year now (probably closer to two years) I have been experiencing mild nausea to actually feeling as though I will throw up at any moment in the mornings.  About 75% of the time I feel better after I eat (still not great, but no longer nauseous).  23% of the time, I feel sick even after I eat.  And then 2% of the time I can't even eat anything for breakfast I feel so sick.  I can almost always drink orange juice, which almost always makes me feel better.  I can only eat sweet stuff in the mornings; savory stuff, even just the smell of it, can make me feel sicker.  The weird thing is that I usually only feel this bad when I don't naturally wake up.  There have been very few times that I've woken up naturally and felt sick (although not very often).  It doesn't necessarily have to do with getting up earlier, as I usually wake up around 9am.  However, if an alarm wakes me up around that time I almost always feel sick.  I don't throw up; I just feel as though I will.  An hour or two later, I usually feel fine; if I haven't eat breakfast, I feel fine as long as I eat once I get hungry. If I wait too long to eat, even if I don't feel sick beforehand, I tend to start feeling shaky, although this is definitely more likely to happen if I haven't eaten because of nausea and can't eat once I start feeling okay again.  Also, when I get nauseous, even if it's not in the morning, I get worse if I'm warm; I have to be cool to even start to feel better.  The weird thing is that I recognize that if I weren't sick I would feel very cold (my hands are like ice cubes) and I can even acknowledge that the air is cold against my skin but it makes me feel much better.

I also had one scary episode a month or so back, where I woke up in the mornings feeling sick again.  I read for a little while and then got up and continued on with my routine.  As I was brushing my teeth I suddenly started to feel very dizzy as well as nauseous.  My first thought was to get a sierra mist (the drink that usually makes me feel at least a little better when I'm sick) but I was so dizzy that I barely remember stumbling down the hall to the fridge where I basically collapsed, although in a controlled way so I didn't end up hurting myself.  I ended up lying on the floor with the room spinning around me, my robe open so I could be as cool as I could be which.  Eventually I felt better and managed to get up and walk back to my bedroom.  I have not before, or since, felt that dizzy.

My doctor thinks it may be acid reflux, but that doesn't explain why not waking up naturally would make me sicker.  Not to mention that the medicine that she gave me, Omeprazole, is, I'm pretty sure, making me sicker.  About three days after I started taking it I got even sicker feeling in the mornings that I ended up curled on the bathroom floor, although no actual vomiting occurred.  I felt better as the day wore on but never good, and I would get noticeably sicker if I tried to do anything physical (such as walking somewhere at more than a leisurely stroll).  I also experienced the very strange sensation of being hungry while having no appetite.  I stopped taking it two days ago, so we'll see what happens.

I know by searching a lot of sites that I'm not the only one feeling this way.  Has anyone had any success in feeling better?  If so, how?

x_pretty_flesh_x · Answer

I've also been feeling nauseous in the morning after I get up generally within 1-2 hours. It happens if I am moving around a lot or a bit for example if I am making breakfast in the morning I start to feel sick to my stomach and sometimes as far as to almost throw up. I find that if I stand still, or sit down and don't move, I feel better but not always 100%. It generally lasts between 2 minutes to an hour or so. This has been happening for about 3 months or so but not every single day but often and more frequent as time goes by. Sometimes but very very rarely I will also feel this way (happened once or twice) mid day or later afternoon... also happens when I wakeup from naps sometimes during the day/afternoon. Usually feel better when I eat. Haven't payed attention to if it matters what I eat. I am on a Low Fodmap diet (sometimes not following it), and have always had digestive issues like IBS, and constipation (used to experience diarrhea a lot but haven't in a while)... I'm not sure If it has anything to do with my digestive issues or not though the connection would make sense. I am definitely not pregnant. Things it may possibly hint towards could be gastroparesis, hormone related (maybe but I doubt it), or the fact that recently my doctor told me that I was on too high of a concentrated B12 supplement as my anemia is not low anymore due to taking too high in concentration supplements too frequently... so I am to take a lower concentration less frequently so my anemia can go back to a normal healthy level... I believe I had my blood tested recently and it showed all other (basic blood panel) testing - levels normal which included blood sugar (aka diabetes), but I am unsure if it included hormones so I am going to inquire about that when I see my doctor... 

I am going to finally see my doctor oin a few days because I figured it is time to inquire about this issue although it is probably not life threatening, but definitely isn't fun to deal with and can make certain things in the morning difficult. 

I have recently been approved and given a license for medicinal marijuana for my digestive issues (IBS ect), as well as possible alternative treatment for my Narcolepsy. I hear that it can (or may not) help Nausea, so I am looking forward to the cbd oil treatment for my digestive issues and if it may lessen or stop my Nausea symptoms although finding the route of the problem would definitely be a good thing for me to do. I think cannabidoil (if it works for Nausea) is possibly a good alternative and natural method for me to treat myself with rather than going on any possible (maybe harmful) prescription medications, (note I have not yet done research into medications or treatments for Nausea as this is new to me but will in my near future and possibly with my doctors. Hoping to find a cause for this and correct it, and that the cbd oil helps me. 

Side note, I also have Narcolepsy, and Vasovagal Syncope. 

Thanks for listening. If I remember I will try to post a response comment below this / my post so you guys can hear as to the outcome of the cbd oil and or tests / treatments.

Lettuce20 · Answer

Change you diet. Eat lettuce and greens. Get a natural remedies medical book by doctors MD.   I have the same problem and can eat a bag of Sweet Butter Lettuce and it goes away. It calms the stomach.

Logene1 · Answer

I have been  like this for 2 to 3 years I am 70 I have had lots of test and lots of specials had twisted  lower bowl and had two hernias a year later am still have have all the systems as before if mine last all day and has really messed up my life I can't do anything or go anywhere  and enjoy myself I pray someone knows what is is also weight loss because I can't eat much

Michelleareynolds · Answer

Hi all, just stumbled upon this feed. I've also had this problem for as long as I can remember. It always comes on before I eat breakfast while I'm getting ready in the morning and is worse with heat (though I run very cold typically) I've thought maybe it was low blood sugar,I'm also pretty thin and have difficulty gaining weight so I thought it could have to do with my metabolism. I would like to keep track of how it relates to my period to see if there's a hormonal factor to it. I recently got diagnosed with celiac disease and now I'm wondering if that could be a contributing factor..?

WinthrupDays · Answer

To follow-up I am not thin, not medium, a bit obese 170 lbs, 5'7" very sedatsry life, in tech, but do weekend warrior hiking.  This only started a few years ago - the mornlng nausea and mind blur.  May be sleep apnea as well my husband says I snore heavy.

WinthrupDays · Answer

Thanks P for the response!  I have had this problem very very similar description!  I will look into this more.  I also drink orange juice everyday first thing thinking it was low blood sugar (blood tests do not show disbetes), but I was taking a cortisone cream for lichen and every few weeks when I place it on, the morning after I am nauseous and dizzier than usual.  Always takes me a few hours to "wake" up.  As a systrems engineer, you can bet I want an ultra sharp mind, so when it takes a while to get fully multi-tasking and running on all cylinders, usually at 2 PM, I get concerned.  I also thought I had been pregnant... But I am 47 now and no chance.  When I had been pregnant 10 years ago, had similar mind blurand nausea that would come and go early mornlng.  Again, thanks so much for the detail and follow-up, I am not alone :)  Ps. One way to combat this has been to eat closer to bed, smaller meals for breakfast (as the belly is still full).  Also after a bowel movement, nausea gets better.  Good luck

lizrules · Answer

I'm very thin and have trouble gaining weight.  I'm nauseous for at least an hour each morning.

T3trah · Answer

To anyone who is still following this thread and had discovered they also had the same condition with a slow digestive system: I don't intend to be rude, but are you thin, average, or heavy? Absolutely everything here lines up with my symptoms besides the fact that I'm naturally very thin and I would assume that I digest things rapidly rather than slowly...

JillD007 · Answer

I have been researching for 20+ years about my tummy troubles and stumbled upon your post today and BINGO!!! I just wanted to say thank you for coming back 4 years later and posting!

Aokshats · Answer

Thank you for coming back! I had to laugh at what you eventually found out: I already *knew* I had gastroparesis, but I didn't know it could result in morning nausea!

FWIW for others, I've had acid reflux for over 30 years, untreated until 2 years ago. Omeprazole was my godsend. No gallbladder, removed half a lifetime ago. Did the radioactive egg thing (not as bad as it sounds) after having some evening nausea and a bad episode of nearly passing out in the bathroom, found I have mild gastroparesis. That was several months ago; just this week I've had severe nausea every morning which seems to get better when eating, no matter what kind of food or how little or how much. 

I think your answer is also my answer: the gastroparesis has either gotten worse, or an empty stomach is no longer my friend. Thank you so much for sharing, as your idea has probably prevented some wasted medical inquiries and tests. I'm going to start on the 5-small-meals-a-day plan today and see if it doesn't help.

Patty7777 · Answer

I have also bee going through the same symptoms of nausea in the morning.   Can't eat in AM.  continues  through the day.   My Md suggests Endoscopy.   eech.   I also have been going through this for. Awhile 6 mos.   too long.   i am also on omprazole.   just started it.   I am so happy I found this link.   thought I was crazy.   Thank u so much for proving I am not crazy !   I have had ultrasound labs  now more testing to come.  Dang....

Nathilt · Answer

Hi There. You are very smart to take your health matters into your own hands! Also the Human Body book is a Godsend. Please do not, however discount "American trained" acupuncturists! I went to school in Southern California where there are at least 5 very good schools pumping out hundreds of new Acupuncturists every year. We are not trained in China, but we are trained by those who were. The Acupuncture Boards are very challenging, and no one is licensed unless they REALLY know their stuff! The big difference is that we are also trained in Western medicine and have the ability (shared by neither Chinese practitioners nor western docs) to integrate Acupuncture and Chinese medicine together with western medicine! Stomach problems are quite easy to control with Chinese medicine as we also view the body as a whole and it is also on a time clock! The qi flows through the body at regular time intervals and the time of the stomach is 7-9 am, peaking at 8:00 am. We use this clock as a diagnostic tool. I would highly recommend Acupuncture for stomach problems. I've also noticed that when my patients switch to Organic food and try to avoid GMOs, the stomach problems always improve greatly! We are what we eat!

ultralitemin · Answer

I had same problem two years ago and doc gave me omeprazole and it helped. I quit taking it after 6 months as I wasn't having it anymore. But now its back again. (ofcourse) I am  going to try the omeprazole again. I HATE NAUSEA!!!

MomBot0001 · Answer

I have had these symptoms most of my life (I'm 46 years old) and they are exacerbated really badly by motion sickness, so sometimes when I travel I literally cannot walk from the dizziness and nausea for up to 2-3 days. The only things I've found that help are acupuncture from a doctor trained in China in the traditional way (I'd tried acupuncture several years previous to finding this doctor, and that had not helped me. American acupuncturists are often less well trained, and my current acupuncture doctor says hormones are the hardest to treat.) Several years ago I tried homeopathy, and that helped. But again, the practicioner really mattered. I moved and tried other homeopaths later and they did not help me. I drink milk before bed every night. I still feel nauseous in the mornings, but I don't actually get sick or feel dizzy if I've had milk just before going to bed. Heat is definately a huge factor. When I am overheated I put an ice pack at the base of my skull, at the top of my neck, and I make sure I am in a well-aired area where I can breathe deeply without strong smells, fumes from cars, etc. That helps me recover as quickly as possible. Oh, and drink a big glass of water right away. Hydration really helps my self-regulation kick in.I have a few great books that have helped me understand what I think is happening. The Science of Homeopathy by George Vithoulkas is useful for explaining the different perspective for treatment between western medicine (which breaks illness into body systems) and holistic medicine (which views the entire body as having one illness which manifests in different ways.) The DK Complete Human Body by Dr. Alice Roberts breaks the body into systems, and I found it to be really helpful in pinpointing which systems my illness is manifesting in. I think endocrine (horomones) is the primary one, and that my middle ear (balance) and sensory processing systems are also problems for me. I also have migraines, which are sometimes triggered by my morning symptoms, and I think that is my neurological system. I think the strongly adverse reaction to heat is a problem in the autonomic nervous system. In general, I think western medicine is very good for acute problems dealing with one body system, such as heart failure and surgery, and I think holistic medicine is better for symptoms which cross into more than one body system and which are not immediately life threatening. I go to my medical doctor for regular physicals, testing & analysis of results, infection or illness, and/or injuries.

MomBot0001 · Answer

I have had these symptoms most of my life (I'm 46 years old) and they are exacerbated really badly by motion sickness, so sometimes when I travel I literally cannot walk from the dizziness and nausea for up to 2-3 days. The only things I've found that help are acupuncture from a doctor trained in China in the traditional way (I'd tried acupuncture several years previous to finding this doctor, and that had not helped me. American acupuncturists are often less well trained, and my current acupuncture doctor says hormones are the hardest to treat.) Several years ago I tried homeopathy, and that helped. But again, the practicioner really mattered. I moved and tried other homeopaths later and they did not help me. I drink milk before bed every night. I still feel nauseous in the mornings, but I don't actually get sick or feel dizzy if I've had milk just before going to bed. Heat is definately a huge factor. When I am overheated I put an ice pack at the base of my skull, at the top of my neck, and I make sure I am in a well-aired area where I can breathe deeply without strong smells, fumes from cars, etc. That helps me recover as quickly as possible. Oh, and drink a big glass of water right away. Hydration really helps my self-regulation kick in.I have a few great books that have helped me understand what I think is happening. The Science of Homeopathy by George Vithoulkas is useful for explaining the different perspective for treatment between western medicine (which breaks illness into body systems) and holistic medicine (which views the entire body as having one illness which manifests in different ways.) The DK Complete Human Body by Dr. Alice Roberts breaks the body into systems, and I found it to be really helpful in pinpointing which systems my illness is manifesting in. I think endocrine (horomones) is the primary one, and that my middle ear (balance) and sensory processing systems are also problems for me. I also have migraines, which are sometimes triggered by my morning symptoms, and I think that is my neurological system. I think the strongly adverse reaction to heat is a problem in the autonomic nervous system. In general, I think western medicine is very good for acute problems dealing with one body system, such as heart failure and surgery, and I think holistic medicine is better for symptoms which cross into more than one body system and which are not immediately life threatening. I go to my medical doctor for regular physicals, testing & analysis of results, infection or illness, and/or injuries.

Pollybean · Answer

Hi Petratora,
My daughter has almost the exact same symptoms as you and dr's have not been able to find the problem.  Did you have both an endoscopy and blood work and they could not find?  wondering if the only way to find is this procedure you call radioative egg sandwich?

Livingandlearning · Answer

Thank you for letting us know the solution to morning nausea without pregnancy. Your solution makes total sense. The medication my doctor prescribed made me feel worse in general. People with a slow digestive system need stomach acid. Some medicines stop the cells in the stomach from producing hydrochloric acid - which is bad for those with slow to empty stomachs.

My doctor - who is actually a great physician when he can see something but terrible when he cannot see solid evidence - does not believe in homeopathy but I have found another world in homeopathic medicine.

 Instead of stopping the hydrochloric acid, I am taking digestive enzymes and garlic oil and slippery elm.  I advise people to find a medical doctor who will let you try homeopathic treatments and find naturopath to help guide you through the options. Everyone is different so what works for me may not work for you. 

Homeopathic methods take weeks or months to show if they are working.

If you will research the side effects of metachlopramide you will see that it also has a long list of possible side effects - yes I had those side effects. One side effect is nausea, depression and difficulty breathing. So when I went to the medical doctor complaining of these symptoms he wanted to put me on psychiatric pharmaceuticals. Yep. My high blood pressure medicine also has the same side effects of nausea and also has a side effect of depression. One blood pressure medication I refused because it keep causing me to throw up in my sleep was Losartan. I discovered that even the pharmacy knew of that side effect. I had outpatient surgery to investigate GERD when the problem was the pharmaceutical. Yep.

 In the process of controlling my blood pressure - my digestion was slowed down even more. No test for nausea was given. I also have fibromyalgia and he hates fibromyalgia complains. He goes straight to pschiatric medicine. So I looked up the psychiatric medicine side effects. Yep, the antidepressant also has side effects of liver problems, nausea, and thoughts of suicide. Hum. Nope - not gonna take that pill either. So I began a journey into homeopathic medicine to find what works for me. 

I now drink smoothies which are really just predigested foods. I make them at home and add athe recommended amount of Iiquid vitamins.

When the smoothie arrives to my stomach, the digestion starts right away. I eat smaller meals through the day instead of one big meal. I drink fluids without ice. Ice slows digestion just like when it's cold outside your hands become numb. It is best to drink water before the meal. I also take sips during the meal. By the time a person feels nauseated every day from a slow to empty stomach, you are right - the stomach is not used to being empty. Retraining the stomach takes about four to six months. 

Homeopathic option help your body heal. Pharmaceuticals made by drug companies rarely help the body heal. Pharmaceuticals are symptom specific. Pharmaceuticals work fast. Modern medicine is wonderful. A slow to empty stomach does not stop. It stays with you for life. Don't just take a pill. Research the side effects. Even homeopathic methods have side effects. Get to know your body. The original poster was fortunate to have a doctor who ordered the stomach emptying test. Mine will not order any more tests because I refuse to take psychiatric medicine for fibromyalgia pain. Beware - Nausea is viewed as a psychiatric condition which is so unfair. My son had the same test as the original poster. He was found to have a slow to empty stomach. I suspect I have the same situation. Females are viewed as "less than" by some doctors.

After researching metaclopramide I saw that it fits the situation my original poster described and my own as well - but my doctor will not prescribe it because I won't take the psychiatric medicine for fibromyalgia. Celexa is the new penicillin. It is marketed as a magic bullet. Time will tell the side effects. I refuse to keep taking pills to fix side effects caused by other pills - because To me - that's insane. We are living in a time of pills.

A lot of doctors are using Celexa to silence their patients. They don't intend harm but they harm just the same. I know someone who took Celexa and became suicidal. People will find this webpage and need to know the truth abouth what is happening to people who complain about nausea without being pregnant. Some won't be able to afford diagnostic testing. 

 I have suffered with morning nausea for decades and because of the Internet, I can finally stop pill hopping and start being part of my healthcare. I focus on wellness. Who wants to wake up to early morning nausea for years without any known cause? In the old days- people talked among one another in communities to find out what other people found as solutions. I am glad that the Internet age found a way to recreate those communities. Thank you orinial poster for returning to share your solution. It will help a lot of people whose good doctors have given up on them. 

I hope my reply will encourage those whose doctors have discouraged them. Oh - and yes - I have good medical insurance so there is no excuse for not ordering a test. Some doctors have Narcissistic Personality Disorder that is running out of control. I wonder what kind of pills they take? Find a doctor who will work with you and not against you. People in this day and time should not have to hide their homeopathic medicines from their professional healthcare providers. You have been warned about complaining of nausea and what eill happen if you do. Metclopramide works quickly compared to homeopathic methods. You now know about a slow to empty stock thanks to the original poster. Most of all you know this - Don't give up. Don't let anyone push a pill onto you that you are not comfortable taking. You have the right to say "no."

REL85 · Answer

Thank you so much for coming back and posting. A lot of times you go to these websites only to find people just like you and no answers. I am and have been experiencing this exact thing, so frustrating and extremely difficult to deal with. I am contacting my doctor on Monday to hopefully get some answers. Thank you again and I am so glad that you are feeling better!

petratora · Answer

Hello, Bibber, original poster here.

First off, I wrote a long reply in a separate comment that you might be interested. Basically, I was diagnosed and treated for gastroparesis which, over time, all but cleared up my problems. If you want to read more about that, please check out the bottom post.

Secondly, I sincerely hope that you don't take this the wrong way, but in the future it would behoove you to check and see when the original post was made and when the last person commented. Most people, four years down the line, are not going to reply to this and so any chance of you getting help will be slim to none. I know that this is ironic considering that here I am, four years later, replying, but it's just something to keep in my mind. I'd like you to hopefully get some help and the best way to do that is to try to find a question with active people who might be able to help you. Of course, it's not bad to go through the old posts that might give you an idea, but it's usually not worth it to comment.

That being said, I want to actually say thank you for commenting. I had completely forgotten about this post (and, hell, even about this website) and am glad to have it brought to my attention because I should have posted what helped me years ago, on the off chance that it might help someone else. 

No matter what, I hope that you figure out what's wrong and can get it effectively treated. Good luck and may your light shine bright.

petratora · Answer

Hello! Original poster hear. It's four years later and I'm suddenly posting which is insane, I know, but I realize that I never posted here when I figured out what was wrong with me; thank you, Bibber113 for reminding me.

I had (have?) gastroparesis. Basically what this means is that, for some unknown reason, my stomach muscles are partially paralyzed and I digest food at half the rate that normal people do. This, from what I understand, causes the food to actually begin to go bad in my stomach and/or for my stomach to get so used to not being empty that I have severe nausea when it is (never been 100% sure which). This is the reason that my idiot doctor giving me acid reflux medication was the absolute last thing that she should have done, as it slowed my digestion down ever more. The way that this was discovered, for those of you who might want to be tested for it, was by me eating a radioative egg sandwich (yes, really, I'm not kidding) and then they took scans of some sort (I can't remember what type) over two hours to see how fast my stomach digested the food. This is how they discovered that it takes me almost double the amount of time to digest food (so, if it would normally take someone an hour to digest a sandwich, it would have taken me two). This was actually shockingly easy to fix, although it did mean having to be careful for a while: I had to take metoclopramide a half hour before every meal for a while (it's been so long I can't remember how long I took it; at least six months I think). After that, I began to slowly take myself off it and now have barely, if any, nausea in the mornings. If you want more in-depth information, I would suggest googling it. 

I really hope that this helps someone else. Either way, I hope that you eventually figure out what is wrong and hope that you get better.

Bibber113 · Answer

I have been dealing with those same exact feelings I have had blood drawn, ultrasound, hida scan, upper gi biopsy, And all came back clean, which is good but at the same time, it ***** because I still have no answers. Next step, I'm having a CT scan of my brain to make sure nothing in there is making my stomach upset. I haven't found any success story's just more of the same stories like mine... Nauseous in the morning mostly, barely eating anything to the point of shakyness, NO Im not pregnant and if one more person asks me!...  No fever sometimes so nauseous to the point of vomiting.

GoldFishy222 · Answer

Your probably right.  I would ask the doc's just to make sure that that's something they did check out.  I know what you mean about not caring what you have as long as its something.  I've been so, so sick for the past 2 years without any answers.  Most of the anxiety and depression I have stems from the not know whats wrong with me.  And like you said, if it had a name that means there is a plan of attack to help make it better, and it also means your not alone in what you have.  I hope they find something in your ultrasound tomorrow (if your anything like me you would be thrilled for them to find anything wrong instead of nothing.  Good luck.

petratora · Answer

I'm assuming that if I had diabetes they would have found it in the three blood tests that they've run in the past two weeks. It's a good thought, though, and it's almost gotten to the point where I wouldn't care what I had, as long as I could at least put a name to it and have a chance at, if not curing it, making it better.  I have been tested for being hypoglycemic before, but it always comes back negative.  No thanks to my soon-to-be ex-doctor but thanks to internet research that I did myself, it may be caused by something going wrong with the gallbladder.  So, hopefully tomorrow I'm going in to get an ultrasound done and we'll go from there.

GoldFishy222 · Answer

I've experianced something similar... but it only used to happen if I wake up too early.  Now I'm nasouse all the time as well as having diarrhea often.  I haven't found any help yet from my doctors, still searching for answers since its basicaly destroyed my life... Anyway, what I'm wondering about with you is if you have been tested for diabetes?  Maybe you have really low blood suger when you wake up (not that that would explain anything about you not waking up on your own) but it would explain why you start to feel better after you eat and why you like sweet stuff.  I'm not sure, just a thought.  Good luck!

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