Your Stomach and You

I suffer from frequent nausea and have for at least 2 or 3 years now. I've tried various medications for it, but nothing seems to really work. On some days I'm nauseous ALL day. Is there a specific medical condition that causes chronic nausea (other than pregnancy, wise-guys)? And how can it be treated?

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Snarkberry
"It is better to follow even the shadow of the best than to remain content with the worst." Henry van Dyke

[Holly]

The first thing that comes to my mind is some problem with your inner ears. Do you feel dizzy, as well? Have you seen a doctor about this (you should)? Does anything in particular trigger it? Is it worse on a full or an empty stomach, or doesn't it matter? Is it worse at certain times of the day?

Holly wrote:

The first thing that comes to my mind is some problem with your inner ears. Do you feel dizzy, as well?

No, no dizziness.

Have you seen a doctor about this (you should)?

Yes, and he prescribed a medicine called Phenergan. This doesn't seem to have an effect, though.

Does anything in particular trigger it? Is it worse on a full or an empty stomach, or doesn't it matter? Is it worse at certain times of the day?

Feeling good seems to trigger it, for some reason. So does hard work--the harder I try to work, the worse it gets. I don't think it matters whether my stomach is full or empty. It's usually worse in the mornings. Got any ideas?

[Joey P]

Try Drammamine (or the less drowsy Drammamine II) or Benedryl. They both have dyphenhydramine or something like it. That medicine helps with allergys nausea, motion sickness, and it's what alot of sleeping pills are made out of. Just so you know if you take 50mg or more it'll probably knock you out, so you should proabably stick with 25mg.

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Formerly known as Nec3f on the AOL SDMB

Thanks, Joey, I'll try those. I have my doubts about whether benadryl will help, but I haven't tried dramamine yet. I'm willing to try anything if it will get rid of the nausea. :)

[TheIncredibleHolg]

If your doctor's prescription hasn't helped you, why don't you just go see him again? Or go get a second opinion?

Two of the best prescription medications for nausea are tigan and compozine. They may work short-term, but you have to find out what's causing the nausea if you want to get rid of it for good and all.

Oh, a good tip for all, if you feel too ill to keep anything down: a little Coca-Cola syrup (buy it at a pharmacy) over chipped ice. Works every time!

[Drain Bead]

Snark, are you on drugs for your schizophrenia? If so, has your doctor considered the fact that it might be a side effect of some sort? I'm a layman, so I'm pulling this out of my ass, but it might be possible.

Also, an upset stomach may be caused by stress, so you may want to try some relaxation techniques. I especially think it might be psychological considering what triggers it. Again, though, I have no medical training, so feel free to tell me I'm full of it.

Is that what happened when gentlemen stopped wearing hats? Now they pull suggestions out of their asses?

Flora: Thanks, I'll try to get ahold of those and see if they work. I suppose I'm gonna have to go see a doctor whether I want to or not, :::sigh:::.

Oh, also, Drain Bead is a lady, not a gentleman.

Drain Bead: Yes, my psychiatrist is aware of my nausea, and he says it's possible that my medication is causing it. He's been adjusting doses and switching meds a bit, but it doesn't seem to help. But I only see him once every 3 months.

My sister has a digestive disorder too, so it may be genetic. Damn, I don't want to go to a doctor....

I avoid going out in public as much as possible. I hate to leave the house, even if it's just to get the mail. I'm socially phobic to the extreme, and even though I can intellectually grasp this fact, emotionally I can't handle being around others. Trips to the doctor, dentist, or whoever are rare for me.

[Nickrz]

As always, the best advice for personal medical problems is "see your doctor."

Your reluctance to do so and your nausea both may be a part of the same agoraphobic syndrome; frequenting the Straight Dope marketplace for medical opinions is not likely to help with either. We all mean well, but we can only offer words of encouragement.

Please, find a doctor who can allay your fears and calm your stomach at the same time.

I thought an agoraphobic was someone who's afraid of Ed Wood movies . . .

[C K Dexter Haven]

I second Nick's comments.

If you work through your psychiatrist, you might be able to find a GP who will make a house call, given your condition. You'll pay dearly for it, if you can even find one, but it's possible.

And, on the grammatical front: please note that you suffer nausea, and you are nauseated. You are not nauseous, which would mean that you caused the nausea rather than suffered from it.

[phouka]

Well, there's always marijuana. Even the medical establishment concedes that it has a strong palliative effect on nausea.

Of course, there's the whole federal law thing to worry about, too.

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"I'm surprised that you've never been told before, that you're lovely, that you're perfect, and that somebody wants you." - Semisonic, f.n.p

Thanks for the info, guys. I'm going to contact my doctor and make an appointment as soon as possible (probably tomorrow). Yeah, I know that the SDMB isn't the best place for medical advice, but I just wondered what medicines the general populace would recommend. :)

Bill, let me first echo the "see your doctor" sentiment previously expressed.

Actually, I strongly doubt that anti-psychotic meds used for the schizophrenia are major contributors here, since most anti-emetic/anti-nausea meds are in the same class (marked similarities to anti-histamines).

Common causes of nausea include ulcers, acid reflux, or something limiting the exit of gastric contents into the small intestine. If this has persisted, and not responded to simple interventions like not eating just before going to bed, raising the head of the bed a few inches off the floor, taking OTC meds like antacids, Pepto-bismol, and avoiding coffee, alcohol, and smokes (sorry if you're already there with LDS, but I don't remember how closely you adhere to all teachings), then it is definitely time to see a doc. Testing may include a scope down your throat (with some good sedating meds) to look and see if there is anything obviously wrong, or an X-Ray movie of you swallowing a nasty chalky liquid called barium that shows up well on X-rays to see if it gets stuck anywhere, leaks anywhere it shouldn't, or goes in the wrong direction (the reflux I mentioned earlier). Or it may just involve trying differnet treatments & finding one that works. Choices here include acid-reducing meds like Tagamet, Zantac, or Pepcid, or acid-blocking meds like Prilosec or lansoprazole. An additional class is the pro-motility (moves stomach contents forward into the intestines) drugs like Reglan or Cisapride, but I would be hesitant to use them them right off for a number of reasons. One, Reglan can cause psychosis in some patients; I would try several other choices before using it in a patient with a history of schizophrenia for fear of making that worse. The other, Cisapride, has several shared characteristics with Reglan. I don't know if it has the potential to cause/worsen pychoses, but would use it cautiously. The other reason for using these last is that since these improve the stomach's ability to push food forward, I would want to have ruled out a blockage in the stomach that the "pushing" would make worse.

Good luck - remember this info is to help you feel more confident about seeing a doc, not to substitute. Take care!

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Sue from El Paso
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Thank you, Sue. Tubes down my throat, eh? Sounds like the nightmare I went through in 1988 when I tried to commit suicide by pills. I would hope that they would knock me out before doing that, because it's VERY uncomfortable. But your post is very informative, and I thank you for taking the time to write it. :)

Snark, don't worry about the barium X Ray, which they'd try first, before any tubes. I had one, and it's not bad at all. The milkshake wasn't unpleasant (though everyone says I'm being kind!). Then they lie you on a table, which tilts and goes side to side--I kept giggling during this, and the nurse admonished me that this was NOT supposed to be fun!

If they DO want to put a flouroscope down your throat, loudly and stridently demand drugs, drugs, drugs! I've never had that test, but they're not getting within biting distance of me unless I'm sedated.

. . . Then again, I never found mammograms painful, either, so ya just never know.

Flora: I'm with you on that! If anyone tries to stick a tube down my throat without me being sedated is going to learn quickly how overweight I am, because I will sit on them. (j/k)

As for the barium "milkshake," it can't be worse than the tube of liquid charcoal I had to swallow back in '88. Nasty stuff, that charcoal, and it gives you the runs something awful. But I'm willing to swallow barium if it will help diagnose and cure the nausea. There's <small>discomfort</small> and there's DISCOMFORT, if you know what I mean!

You're right, Bill!

Discomfort is when I'm decribing it to a patient; DISCOMFORT is when it's happening to me.

Neat trick with the fonts! :)



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Sue from El Paso
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[Zyada]

A couple of things that haven't been mentioned yet:

Ginger is great for nausea. Try it candied, in tea, or in ginger snaps. Unfortunately, most of the ginger ales on the market don't have enough ginger to help.

Also, I have this same basic problem and allergies were suggested as the culprit. I have had fewer problems since I switched to better quality AC filters & dust-mite proof pillows. Note: my nausea is always in the morning.

[Neil]

I've often felt sick to the stomach when I get up, especially if I get up early for school, band practice, or whatever. Usually it goes away within 2 hours. I've never thought of any reason why this may occur. I thought it was just me. Drinking a little of some carbonated beverage seems to help a bit. Man, I'll get to deal with this when school starts again...

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Neil

". . .they could as easily have been carrying euphoniums and wearing war paint for all the notice their quarry would have taken of them."
-Douglas Adams, "Life, the Universe, and Everything"

[copycop]

What makes y'all think Snark's nausea comes from psychological problems?

Snark, see an ENT. Does it also feel like sometimes things around you are spinning? You might have vertigo. I was diagnosed with it about 10 years ago, and I take Antivert (Rx-strength Bonine) to control the sypmtoms. Plain soda water on ice helps, too.

By the way, thank you, CKDextHavn, for catching that nauseous/nauseated thing.

Copycop: Well, I am schizophrenic, by several doctors' opinions. Whether you believe that I actually am schizophrenic or not (I don't, but leave the possibility open that I'm wrong), I really do have psychological problems, which I have discussed many times on the AOL SDMB.

And no, I don't have the spinning sensation. Since I get nauseated only when I'm happy or trying to work/study hard, I suspect it may be at least partly psychological. But thanks for the recommendation. I saw my doctor today and he is going to run some tests. :)

Gee, that makes sense: "I am schizophrenic" but "I don't believe I'm schizophrenic." Where did I get such a logical mind? (g)

Let's just say that I believe myself to have the condition that people call schizophrenia, and I choose to identify myself as such, even though I don't believe my problems are caused by a chemical imbalance in my brain.

[Maurique]

Hey Snarkberry, I've suffered from the same problems, but not as severe. My stomach problems were more like Neil's. When I had to wake up early for school, I would feel really nauseated sometimes (I've heard my share of morning sickness jokes too). I'm 18 now and this started when I was 11. My parents first thought it was psychological and took me to a shrink, but that didn't change anything. I didn't have it constant, just mainly at the beginning of the school year. Some years it was really bad to the point of vomiting in class, and some years I didn't feel it at all. It was only a couple of years ago that I went see a doctor that prescribed me some propulsid and it has been easier since then. Last summer I took a gastric emptying study which showed nothing wrong. By the way, I didn't have to drink that nasty chalk stuff I have always heard about. The woman just asked me what I wanted for breakfast and injected it in my food. I couldn't even taste it. Then I had an endoscopy which is when they stick the camera down your throat to look at your stomach. Don't worry about being awake. They sedate you and it's no big deal. They might even print out some pictures of your stomach for you to keep!!! From that endoscopy they found that I had a lot of ulcers in my stomach. The doc prescribed some prilosec and a few months later when I went for another endoscopy, they were all healed. At the present, I rarely suffer from nausea and I think it's due to the medication. These are some of the medicines I have tried in the past:

Ant-acids: I don't think they helped much.

Propulsid: This is the medicine I first took and I think it helped a little.

Ginger capsules: These helped out for awhile and I would reccommend trying them.

Prilosec: This is the medication I am currently taking. I'm slowly weening off of it and I should not be taking any medication soon.

Thank you, Maurique. I see my doctor this week and I'll ask him if it could be ulcers. Funny, I haven't been nauseated this past couple of days, but this morning I am, darn it. Just when you think it's safe to go back in the water....

Hi Maurique. I don't work with kids a lot, but I'm pretty sure that multiple ulcers in a teenager is pretty uncommon.

Once you've been off of the Prilosec for a while, ask your docs if you could have a tumor (probably benign) producing something called gastrin. They may want to draw your blood to check a gastrin level. They can't do this now because the Prilosec would falsely elevate the Gastrin level.

Unless you smoke, drink alcohol, or were taking Motrin or similar drugs on a chronic basis, the cause of your ulcers should be investigated. Good luck!

P'd & M'd




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Sue from El Paso
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[moriah]

The most important thing is to find out the cause of this chronic condition. Unlike an occaisional bout with nausea, this is long lasting and has to have some cause. It's not going to help to keep trying the wrong remedies that only mask a symptom when there still might be a disease lurking about.

So, get tested. All the tests. A thorough physical examination which not only 'looks at' the stomach, but checks up on the blood chemistry -- especially the hormone balance. A reproductive endocrinoligist (and I do recommend the reproductive kind for women to see) might find that your estrogen, serotonin, and/or thyroid levels are out of whack -- which might also be a contributing factor to affective disorders. (The inner ear link should also be followed-up, as well as an allergy evaluation.) If the end result is finding out that you have ulcers -- well then, problem (mostly) solved.

If this doesn't reveal anything, move on to the meds. Try a different class of meds to see if the nausea stops.

Once the search for a physical cause is exhausted, look for a psychological cause. A psychiatrist just might not be the best type of counselor to examine psychosomatic symptoms. A psych will be more inclined to do either psychoanalysis or medication. A counselor that approaches it from a more behavioral point of view can help you keep a 'nausea diary' and go through relaxation and biofeedback techniques to control it.

Once a psychological cause has been exhausted, try looking for a spiritual cause. No, I'm not talking evil spirits. I'm talking about concerns about death and the meaning of life and self-love and healing of anger or guilt. Even an atheist should be able to see that worries in these areas can be unsettling. So, talk to the clergyperson of your choice about the big picture -- it's worth a try.

Peace.

[Narile]

I had/have the same problem, mornings feeling rather nauseated, dry heaves and similar. After some hunting, we figured out it was linked to stress. What made it difficult to determine was that it wasn't linked to high stress levels, but to low stress. Basically, I'd over produce stomach acid when I was under a constant state of minor stresses. Getting up early for work/school, Doing only soso in school, etc. Only real way to fight it is avoid such stresses, or take stuff to lower acid production. Currently, I'm avoiding minor stresses, the stuff my doctor had me try helped, but I'd wake up feeling wierd in the morning, not bad, just wierd.


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&gt;&gt;Being Chaotic Evil means never having to say your sorry....unless the other guy is bigger than you.&lt;&lt;

---The dragon observes

[VegForLife]

an X-Ray movie of you swallowing a nasty chalky liquid called barium that shows up well on X-rays to see if it gets stuck anywhere

I wish they would've let me swallow the stuff. . .

Rich

hi snark!
I'm a little reclusive, too {i'm guessing you may be more than a little}, but trust me, the doctor thing is the way to go.
I've got gastroenterological reflux disorder--stomach acid gets into my throat. makes me cough when i'm under stress. how about you?
you're not alone. the SD gang is all behind you 100%.
see the doc. It's all for the best

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We have met the enemy, and He is Us.--Walt Kelly

[Satan]

You could always succumb to the nausea and hurl... I know I always feel better after blowing chunks!

<h1> ;)</h1>

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Brian O'Neill
CMC International Records
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ICQ 35294890
AIM Scrabble1
Yahoo Messenger Brian_ONeill

Daniel: yes, I have acid reflux sometimes, usually in the middle of the night. I wake up coughing, and it's a while before I can get to sleep again. I find that Tums really helps and is cheap.

Satan: That's a novel idea. If all else fails, that's what I'll do. I do keep a bowl near my bedside, just in case.