Nausea

[Bongi 19]

4 months ago on Aug 7th I ate a piece of pizza from a small Italian retaurant, before I finished my meal I began to feel very nauseated and dizzy without ever actually vomitting. The date is December 15th and I am still dealing with the nausea and dry heaving, after many different tests including EGD, Barium X-ray, Abdominal CT, Nuclear emptying study, Stool and Blood work, the doctors have come up with basically nothing. Any drugs they give me do next to nothing. At this point I am completely lost my life has been completely put on hold. I was a a full-time student in pre-med and worked 35 hours a week but all of that has been given up because the symptoms only seem to get worse. It is also cyclical I might feel good for a few days and then slip into a severe episode that lasts for weeks at a time. There is some pain involved but rarely, the discomfort is isolated in the upper stomach near the epigastric region. Also, it wakes me up almost everynight because it is so severe I am unable to lay on my stomach or side because that makes it even worse. Reading also makes me very sick which would suggest that I need glasses. I have glasses and they dont help. If there is anyone who can recommend a cure or some type of drugs that could help manage this situation since most anti-nauseants do nothing I would appreciate it.
       I should also mention that I am 20 years old and in perfect health, I dont smoke I no longer drink and eat fairly healthy. Prior to this I was very active excercising and lifting weights 4-5 times a week.

[Kevin Pho, MD]

You have had a pretty comprehensive evaluation for the nausea which would rule out many of the major causes.  

I would also add a 24-hr pH study to definitively rule out GERD as well as esophageal motility studies to look for motility disorders.

If those are negative, I would consider a referral to a GI specialist at a major academic medical center.  

If GI causes have been ruled out you can also consider a referral to a neurologist to look for possible CNS causes.  

These options can be discussed with your personal physician.

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.
kevinmd_b

[Nise]

I feel your pain with the nausea. I've had it for about 4 months now. I don't think there is a day that doesn't go by I haven't cried. I wake up every morning hoping for relief, but never happens. I just want to know what's causing it so that I can get rid of it. Some people tell me it might be stress related, but if they felt my symptoms they would'nt think so. I just feel so sick but the wierd thing is that I have no pain or other symptoms. And none of the meds work for me either. I pretty much have to do the whole mind over matter thing which is sometimes impossible. It has debilatated me in so many ways. I haven't been to school or work in months. I can't hang out with my friends or go anywhere public because of this. I just want my life back. As I know you do too. Hope you find an answer soon.Hang in there I KNOW it's hard.

[Di5t0rted]

Hello.
I myself suffer from nausea almost continuously, and similarly no cure has been found for myself either.

However, I found that cutting wheat and dairy completely out of my diet, although doesnt completely solve the problem it helps a lot.
Also ginger is good for the stomach and digestive system so boiling that in water might help sooth you and calm you down during the outbursts, because often panic makes it worse.

I hope this was of help to you.

[Nise]

Have you done any test to see what might causing it and what test are they? How long have you've been suffering? I've tried the ginger thing and it didn't work it only made it worse. Is your nausea an all day event like mine?

[Joann091]

I can completely relate to this. I am ready to give up on medical Doctors and call a Doctor of Naturopathy.  I started going to a chiropractor and he thinks he will be able to help me out. At this point since none of my meds seem to help and all of my blood work, MRI, MRA,s, ultrasounds,all come back normal, I'm lost. I'm a newlywed and they thought the symptoms were stress from planning a wedding.  That was in May and now it's December. I highly doubt it is stress. Some people tell me I may be allergic to yeast, or aspartame. There are just so many things out there. I wish I could chat with you more because I can really relate to you.  I'm 30 years old and I don't want to live the rest of my life this way.  If the chirpractor and Alternative medicine work for me. I will let you know. I wish you all the best for good health in the near future!

[Nise]

Have you had any lab work done on your digestive system? Like your gallbladder or stomach?

[gotebo]

I had nausea and vomiting for months.  I lost weight and was dangerously malnutritioned.  The doctors could not find out what was wrong.  It was a horrible time.  Finally, a doctor ordered a stomach emptying test and found that I had Gastroparesis (delayed gastric emptying).  I now take a medication called dom peridome.  It has really helped.  I still have nausea and vomiting sometimes, but not constant.

[revamp]

I suffered from constant nausea that lasted a couple years.  I missed lots of school and never wanted to stray far from the house.  My symptoms mirrored what everyone has been describing here.  Debilitating nausea, faintness or dizziness, sweats or clamminess, etc.

The reason I am bothering to write, though, is to share that my symptoms were entirely stress-induced.  I didn't even know that I was particularly stressed at the time (nothing overtly stressful going on in my life at the time) but I learned that my subconcious and body were dealing with stress from my past that I hadn't dealt with.  So, after some counseling I have been able to conquor my nausea through being able to identify what's causing it and through relaxation techniques.

The hardest part is allowing yourself to admit you're not "really" sick, even though the actual physical symptoms are there.  (and trust me, I know more than anyone that they are not make-believe)  Once you can convince yourself of that, and can calm yourself down, you'll be set.

I would suggest seeking the help of a therapist if all other medical avenues are exhausted.  Don't give up hope!

[mikapb]

I hope this may help: I have my own experience with a health problem similar to yours. In august ’05 my daughter had really bad stomach pain, nausea and vomiting. We went to the ER several times. Each time she received strong narcotics. She was sick about a month. Nothing helped. After a lot of tests: CT scans- abdominal and on the brain, X-Rays, Ultrasounds, endoscopies the doctors could not diagnose her. She had few more episodes and was transferred to different clinics in different states but nothing made a difference. Finally they said that it is abdominal migraine and Depacote may help but this medicine has really bad side effects, so we did not agree to let her take it. Then I found from my friends about a popular homeopath, who has almost 100% success in currying all kinds of migraines. He uses only natural and harmless products and techniques as homeopathic medicine, herbal products, and massage with herbal oils, diet, and acupressure. He makes personalized prescriptions according to the patient’s needs.
She’s been following his instructions and she is feeling great.
I am really hopeful that that he will help her because I met with patients he already helped and I have my own success: for three days I got rid of my insomnia just by getting massages with natural oils.