# Why do I feel sick in the morning? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 11, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674 "2011-07-11T21:56:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Hubertus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ee7513/32.png) [@Hubertus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hubertus)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/1 "2011-07-11T21:56:59Z")
I’m not talking about [morning sickness](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_sickness), as I am a very nonpregnant male. I have no real health issues. My only issue is that I never really wake up hungry and at least to some degree I feel sick to my stomach every morning (from when I wake up till about noon). I find that it helps immensely if I eat a hearty breakfast, but as a college student who can barely cook I rarely get that, so my breakfasts are usually pretty light. There are particular foods that cause more of an issue for me if I consume them first thing in the morning. For example, I had a pretty bad experience with some barbecue-chicken pizza. Also, drinking water in the mornings on an empty stomach makes me feel quite nauseous, and I can’t drink coffee unless I’ve eaten quite a bit, as it once caused me to vomit. I tried a Google search for the answer to this question, and all I could find were remedies for the problem… That’s not totally what I’m after, I’m mainly just wondering _why._ My (computer) teacher in high school said it was because, over night, our stomachs produce excessive amounts of acids and thus become sensitive in the morning as to what we put in them. What do you guys think? ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/2 "2011-07-11T23:03:47Z")
Welcome to the SDMB, **Hubertus**! Your question, and anything other than the most generic response to it, comes perilously close to ‘medical advice’, something _verboten_ around here. So, in a generic sense, without specific reference to you or your ‘issue’, I will note that lying flat all night and without food to neutralize stomach acid, are together, a set-up for [gastroesophageal reflux](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroesophageal_reflux_disease). See a doc, eh? ---
**Author:** ![Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/57b2e6/32.png) [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Marconi_N.Cheese)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 2:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/3 "2011-07-12T02:50:02Z")
BBQ chicken pizza should be fine for breakfast, settle the old gut right down. How are your sinuses? I am not a doctor or a food critic, just throwing something out there. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/4 "2011-07-12T03:27:52Z")
> [@KarlGauss](#): > > Your question, and anything other than the most generic response to it, comes perilously close to ‘medical advice’, something _verboten_ around here. [Moderating] We relaxed the rule against medical and legal advice some time ago. However, threads about specific cases are usually best handled in IMHO rather than GQ. Although the OP is asking for general factual information about the cause of his problem, since it does involve a specific case I’m going to move it to IMHO. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 3:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/5 "2011-07-12T03:32:53Z")
Snce this is a real-life medical question, it goes in IMHO, rather than GQ. Even in IMHO, you can get opinions by some of our real-life medicos, such as **KarlGauss**. Thanks, doc. **samclem** , MOderator ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/6 "2011-07-12T04:35:57Z")
I wish I knew - I have the same problem at the opposite end of the day. If I stay up too late, I get nauseated. One thing I’ve found surprisingly well-tolerated in the morning is peanut butter on toast - could you try that? ---
**Author:** ![RandMcnally](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b782af/32.png) [@RandMcnally](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RandMcnally)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/7 "2011-07-12T04:58:43Z")
Despite what you said in the OP I still say you’re pregnant. I am not a doctor. ---
**Author:** ![CanvasShoes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/74df32/32.png) [@CanvasShoes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CanvasShoes)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/8 "2011-07-12T05:06:40Z")
I’m 52 and I’ve felt the exact same way since I was a little kid. I think that some of us just don’t recover very well from that horridly cruel jerk from dreamland into real life. ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/9 "2011-07-12T05:13:01Z")
> [@Marconi\_N.Cheese](#): > > How are your sinuses? Yes, how _are_ your sinuses? If you have allergies and experience post-nasal dripping, a [belly full of snot](http://www.livestrong.com/article/72706-symptoms-associated-post-nasal-drip/) doesn’t lend itself to feeling very well in the morning. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/10 "2011-07-12T05:25:03Z")
> [@RandMcnally](#): > > Despite what you said in the OP I still say you’re pregnant. > > I am not a doctor. I agree, you’re pregnant. Perhaps you’re the subject of a secret experiment…so secret that you don’t even know about it. I am also not a doctor. However, if you do better with a good breakfast, but you’re not much of a cook, then try some cold cereal. Eat the boring, healthy stuff, like shredded wheat or Cheerios. Frozen berries keep very well in a fridge, if you have access to a freezer compartment. I am particularly fond of blueberries. No need to defrost them, just put them on the cereal and pour on milk. This will give you a healthy, hearty, non-spicy breakfast that probably won’t aggravate your innards. ---
**Author:** ![phantom\_lamb](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@phantom\_lamb](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/phantom_lamb)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 10:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/11 "2011-07-12T10:27:03Z")
I have the same problem and a know at least a few other people who do. It’s not scary or uncommon, but I don’t know the cause of it either. I find a small slice of strawberry cheesecake OR a can of tuna salad; combined with a cold glass of coke settles the stomach very well. Water, tea, coffee, etc… on an empty stomach in the morning brings HELL. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/12 "2011-07-12T12:13:32Z")
Total layman’s guess is that your blood sugar has dropped to an unsafe level. Eat a good breakfast, and get ye to a doctor to rule out things such as diabetes. ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/13 "2011-07-12T12:28:49Z")
Do you take a multi-vitamin? They make me really sick if I have one on an empty stomach. ---
**Author:** ![Pyper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Pyper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pyper)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/14 "2011-07-12T16:08:07Z")
Well, I wake up nauseous if I don’t get enough sleep. Seeing as how you are a college student, maybe this is a factor? ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/15 "2011-07-12T16:10:25Z")
I can’t tolerate anything too acidic, like orange juice, in the morning. What exactly do you manage to get for breakfast? ---
**Author:** ![Lare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/53a042/32.png) [@Lare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lare)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/16 "2011-07-12T16:20:16Z")
My first thought was that you were pregnant too. Quite obviously an ectopic pregnancy. And I’m not a doctor either (although I have seen one on TV.) Still, I’ve had these symptoms too and find that (as Lynn suggested) some healthy cereal helps almost immediately. This is true even when I’m not hungry as, like you, I usually don’t wake up that way. But… > [@phantom\_lamb](#): > > I find a small slice of strawberry cheesecake OR a can of tuna salad; combined with a cold glass of coke settles the stomach very well. Let’s see: Strawberry cheesecake or tuna salad. Cheesecake or tuna. Cheesecake or tuna. Sweet, creamy dessert of the gods or some dead fish. This seems like a no-brainer to me! ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/17 "2011-07-12T17:13:05Z")
> [@Lare](#): > > Let’s see: Strawberry cheesecake or tuna salad. Cheesecake or tuna. Cheesecake or tuna. Sweet, creamy dessert of the gods or some dead fish. This seems like a no-brainer to me! Tuna? ---
**Author:** ![Elysian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c77e96/32.png) [@Elysian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elysian)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/18 "2011-07-12T17:17:34Z")
I used to wake up like that in high school. I used to tell my mom that I felt sick and she would say, “It doesn’t matter, you’re going to school!” It always was a lot worse with post-nasal drip involved, or when I was at all anxious about something, like a test. Something dry, like a piece of toast, would sort me right out. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/19 "2011-07-12T19:44:11Z")
A few years back, I had the same problem, only it eventually got so bad that most mornings I’d wake up dry heaving. Turned out, I had acid reflux. The doc suggested taking a Tagamet before I went to bed, and the problem cleared itself up over night. Now, I’m not a doctor myself, and all that, but Tagamet is a pretty common OTC medication. Might be worth giving it a shot, see if it helps anything. ---
**Author:** ![PandaBear77](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@PandaBear77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PandaBear77)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2011, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674/20 "2011-07-12T23:56:18Z")
[Obligatory House reference] Could be lupus. [/Obligatory House reference] [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-i-feel-sick-in-the-morning/588674.md?page=2)