Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: Relieving Nausea at Home
• Part 2 of 2: Treating Nausea
• Tips
• Warnings

Nausea is one of the most common side effects of medication — almost all medications can cause stomach upset, especially pain relievers, antibiotics, antidepressants, chemotherapy drugs, and anesthetic drugs. Nausea can be both mild and severe, to the point that patients are forced to interrupt medication. Learn how to relieve medication-induced nausea so you can be successfully treated.

Attention:the information in this article is for informational purposes only. Before using any methods, consult your doctor.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: Relieving Nausea at Home

1. 1 Take medicine after meals. If the drug is not intended to be taken on an empty stomach (be sure to consult your doctor about this), you should take it during, and preferably immediately after a meal. Food absorbs and dilutes nausea-causing substances. This is important when taking antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and even multivitamins.
   • Do not overeat and make sure that the portions are not too large, as this can increase the nausea. It is best to eat a little throughout the day.
   • Don't skip meals. Eat regularly, even if it's a light snack like a slice of bread, a piece of fruit, or a few salted crackers.
   • Having a light snack a few hours before chemotherapy can also help relieve nausea.
2. 2 Refrain from fatty and fried foods. In addition to eating small meals regularly throughout the day, it is best to avoid oily, fried, or overly sugary foods when taking medication, as these can contribute to nausea and vomiting. Try to eat light, natural foods rich in protein, such as a turkey sandwich without mayonnaise.
   • It is best not to prepare meals at home that leave an unpleasant smell (for example, fatty foods, dishes with garlic and onions).
   • Consider preparing and drinking fresh smoothies before taking your medication. Add some vegetables that contain fiber, protein powder, and pure yogurt to your smoothies to reduce stomach acid.
   • If you are undergoing chemotherapy, prepare and freeze light meals before your procedure so that you do not have to cook after chemotherapy when you are not feeling well.
3. 3 Drink plenty of fluids between meals. Drinking plenty of fluids between meals can also help reduce medication-related nausea. Try cool drinks like filtered water, sugar-free fruit juices, herbal teas, or still ginger ale. Drink slowly, in small sips, so as not to swallow air, as excess air in the stomach causes bloating.
   • Avoid coffee and Coca-Cola - due to their high acid content, these drinks can cause stomach upset.
   • It is best to drink a little throughout the day rather than drinking a lot of fluids at one time.
   • Avoid drinking too much fluids with meals, as this dilutes the digestive enzymes and can make your stomach feel heavy.
4. 4 Rest, but do not lie down. Resting after moderate meals and medication aids digestion, helps to relax and relieve nausea. You must refrain from excessive physical activity for at least 30 minutes after eating. Do not lie down when resting, however, as it impairs digestion and can cause heartburn, which contributes to nausea.
   • Instead of lying on the couch, sit back in a comfortable chair and read or watch TV.
   • Weather permitting, take a leisurely stroll around the area and get some fresh air.
5. 5 Don't take too much medication. Exceeding the recommended dose is a common cause of nausea and vomiting, so follow the directions for use and your doctor's advice exactly. Some people believe that if a medicine works in small quantities, then with an increase in the dose, its beneficial effect will only increase, but this is not at all the case.
   • Exceeding the recommended dosage negatively affects health and often causes nausea and vomiting as the body tries to cope with the poisoning.
   • Consult your doctor if you have lost significant weight in a short period of time, as in this case it may be necessary to reduce the dosage, which will help prevent nausea and other side effects.
   • Significant drug overdose can cause serious symptoms such as blackout and even death, with nausea and vomiting often absent.
6. 6 Take some medications just before bed. To avoid nausea due to medication-related dizziness, sometimes the time of day should be considered when taking medication. For example, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (a type of antidepressant) are best taken at bedtime because dizziness during sleep does not activate the vomiting center in the brain.
   • Any medication can be taken before bed, but eating shortly before bed can cause indigestion and heartburn. In view of this, you can have a light snack about an hour before bed, and then take medication just before going to bed.
   • If you are taking pain relievers, you may want to use them to reduce pain throughout the day.
7. 7 Consider using herbal remedies. Some herbal remedies can help with nausea, but you need to be very careful not to interact with any medications you are taking. Ginger is widely used to combat nausea, which soothes indigestion, has anti-inflammatory properties and does not interact with most medications. Ginger is especially beneficial for those undergoing chemotherapy.
   • You can eat pickled ginger (it is often added to sushi), or take ginger tablets or capsules. Drinks made from natural ginger may also be beneficial.
   • Peppermint is another natural remedy for nausea, indigestion and indigestion. To get rid of medication-induced nausea, use both the leaves (from which you can brew tea) and oil (put it under the tongue) of peppermint.
   • Raspberry leaf tea is a traditional remedy for morning sickness and can be used to treat other types of nausea. For best results, steep the raspberry leaves in hot water for at least 15 minutes.

Part 2 of 2: Treating Nausea

1. 1 Talk to your doctor about changing your medication regimen or switching to other medications. Tell your doctor how often and how severe your drug-induced nausea is. Your doctor may be able to change your dosage schedule and dosage, or prescribe another medicine with a similar effect. Do not change anything on your own without first consulting your doctor.
   • Replacing the tablets with a liquid solution can significantly reduce nausea, especially if the patient experiences a gag reflex when the tablets or capsules are swallowed.
   • In some cases, switching to similar products from another brand or manufacturer helps, since they may use different colors, binders and sweeteners.
   • The taste of the preparations plays an important role. Some people like the sweet taste, while others prefer sour or tasteless medicines.
2. 2 Ask your doctor about dopamine receptor antagonists. If changing your dosage and changing your drug doesn't help, your doctor may prescribe a cure for nausea. For example, dopamine receptor antagonists are especially effective at preventing nausea from powerful pain relievers (opioids), but they can be helpful when the nausea is caused by other drugs.
   • Dopamine receptor antagonists minimize the effects of dopamine on the nausea and vomiting center of the brain located in the medulla oblongata.
   • Dopamine receptor antagonists are good at relieving nausea with short-term medication such as antibiotics or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.
   • Conversely, using too long (or taking high doses) of dopamine receptor antagonists can cause nausea, loss of appetite, and vomiting.
3. 3 Try serotonin receptor antagonists for long-term results. These drugs (ondansetron, granisetron) help prevent nausea from long-term drug use. As a rule, serotonin receptor antagonists are safer and have fewer side effects than dopamine receptor antagonists, but they are more expensive, so sometimes their use is limited by the lack of funds in patients.
   • Selective antagonists of serotonin receptors interfere with the action of serotonin in the small intestine, vagus nerve and chemoreceptor trigger zone in the stomach, thereby not stimulating the center of vomiting in the medulla oblongata.
   • Due to diffuse blockade of serotonin receptors, these drugs are effective for a variety of causes of nausea.
   • Ondansetron (Zofran, Domegan, Setronon) is one of the most common drugs for nausea.

Tips

• Nausea is a side effect of many drugs.
• In addition to a small snack, you can drink a tablespoon (15 milliliters) of an antacid along with the medicine, which envelops the walls of the stomach.
• If you have nausea and heaviness in the abdomen, it is important to monitor the regularity of the stool.
• Antihistamines and antidepressants may also help some people with nausea.
• Nausea significantly affects the physical and psychological well-being of the patient.
• Usually, nausea after taking medication is not caused by an allergic reaction. An allergic reaction is accompanied by swelling of the lips, mouth and throat, as well as a skin rash.

Warnings

• Contact your doctor as soon as possible if you experience any of the following symptoms: nausea lasts longer than 24 hours; vomiting lasts longer than 4 hours; there is blood in the vomit; nausea and vomiting are accompanied by a high fever.