Side effects are making things hard...

CuriousCarrotTop
CuriousCarrotTop Posts: 3 Member
edited November 2024 in Motivation and Support
I have a chronic condition that requires medication, and some of the meds make me VERY sick. Originally, this could be combated with a small to moderate amount of a filling food eaten just before or after I take them. But recently food hasn't helped enough. On good days, I'm just nauseated for an hour or so. On bad days, it lasts hours and makes even basic tasks (like taking notes in class) difficult because all I'm thinking about is not throwing up.

This causes a nasty cycle of issues with eating too much (as an attempt to get relief), or too little (if I'm having a bad day and I just can't stomach anything anymore). There have been times when I just didn't take my meds. Obviously, all of these things are bad, and they all make maintaining a diet difficult.

So I was wondering, do any of you have experience with this problem or a similar one? What are some things you have done to deal?

(please keep in mind that dosage and the exact type of medication is basically irrelevant, and I cannot change it. I've talked to my doc already, trust me.)

Replies

  • tryclyn
    tryclyn Posts: 2,414 Member
    I know that ginger can help with nausea, maybe try some ginger snap cookies.
    Have you asked your doc about an anti-nausea med? My cousin had to take one regularly for over three months when pregnant.

  • Liftng4Lis
    Liftng4Lis Posts: 15,151 Member
    Did you talk to your doctor about anti-nausea medication?
  • MalNicoleParker
    MalNicoleParker Posts: 2 Member
    I get nauseated frequently due to an undiagnosable medical condition, not due to medications I take.

    I find eating a low GI carb-heavy diet really helps. Good quality, low GI certified bread, oats, lentils and full-fat dairy (fat lowers the GI of foods by coating the stomach).
    I used to find that foods high fat/sugar helped, but switching to a low GI diet has helped preventatively.

    However, I'm also having trouble maintaining a diet. Under-eating makes me feel horrible and I end up going way over my calorie limit to get relief, or just not getting my work done (I'm a student too).

    I also find going for walks helpful, if I can manage it. Having a sore neck from sitting down too long can increase nausea. Going for a slow work and stretching my back can sometimes give me relief. If you can identify what the triggers for the nausea are (i.e. not enough food, heat, smells, back pain, eye strain, etc) then that will help work out what to do. In my experience, and according to my doctor, there's rarely one trigger but a mixture of factors.

    Anti-nausea medications are probably a good solution for you, but they can be really expensive. The one I'm on is ondancetron (I'm in Australia). The cheaper ones tend to have horrible side-effects for some people (like anxiety), so proceed with caution if you try those.
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