Chronic Nausea: What solutions have you found?

It could be related to reflux

@clutch

Your symptoms can be many things.

Further diagnosis? Who have you seen? Have you seen your primary doctor? Have you seen a gastroenterologist in your area? Did you have an endoscopy.. any swallowing tests?

Did Mayo Clinic give you a reason for not accepting you? I was referred to Mayo Clinic after seeing my gastroenterologist and a local surgeon. I was told no one in my area could help me. Did Mayo Clinic feel you need to see someone in your area for a referral?

Do you have any other symptoms? Bloating, constipation, diarrhea, upper or lower abdominal pain? If so where? Coughing, throat burning, burping, instead of vomiting does food just come up (there is a difference)?

I still get nauseated and my local pain specialist suggested the Reliefband. I bought it on Amazon, but is from the company. My husband prefers to buy through Amazon. It is a device that looks like a wrist watch and works on the concept of a TENS machine. We bought the one with the replaceable battery. It works great! Beats taking Zofran.

My Advise is to eat small meals... instead of 3 meals a day eat 4-5. Eat moist, easy digestible foods. No raw fruits, no fibrous foods.. like greens, cabbage, broccoli. No carbonated drinks... the bubbles can force food back up. Avoid foods that are difficult to swallow... some breads, potatoes, rice, dry meats. Keep a journal of what you eat and any symptoms they cause.

Reach out to all your local resources and if they cannot help you then get them to refer you to Mayo Clinic.

ZeeGee

@fourof5zs ,
Thank you for the generous responses. I have seen numerous GI docs and even referred to Duke and still no causative diagnosis.
I would like to hear about your Mayo experience and the outcomes and treatment that you received there.
Many thanks!

@ clutch - I was already a Mayo GI patient when I developed chronic nausea. I had been diagnosed years before with GERD and later on also with a nonspecific autoimmune disease of most of my GI system.
When I came for my visit, my doctor prescribed Zofran. I remember filling the prescription and taking a tablet once I returned to my hotel. I fell asleep that afternoon and slept for hours! For the first time in an eternity.
I would then take it before I got out of bed in the morning.
I did not have to take it very long. Still don’t know why it worked so well- probably triggered by GERD.

@clutch I am sorry for the delay in answering you.

I have had the best care at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. My surgeons were great… First surgery was by Dr Smith who took a break and I had a different surgeon, Dr Bowers the next two surgeries… the last surgery Dr Thomas joined in.

The staff was great. I had nurses and nursing assistants and even housekeeping workers that I had contact with during my first surgery come and visit me after my second and third surgeries... even though they worked on different floors. There are many different nationalities working there. Nothing but kindness… that said I did have problems with one nurse during my last hospital visit. I only know she was reprimanded for not contacting my doctor. I did not see her the rest of my stay. There is nothing of this world that is prefect.

The Mayo Clinic … and hospital… I have never seen a clinic nor hospital run so efficiently. The workers are kind and helpful. Appointments are on time or near on time. My appointment with the surgeon one time was delayed an hour. It was because the patient before me had bad news and I understand that takes time. I was told my appointment would be delayed.. but they did not know how long. I could reschedule if I wanted.. I did not.

So far I am pleased with the gastroenterology portion of the hospital. Praying I do not have to have more surgeries. I see Dr Francis and her NP Lois. Dr Francis said she had seen me during my last two hospital stays.. I saw so many people I did not remember. She said I was the talk of the hospital for awhile. ummm… is that a good thing.

I will probably go back in the fall for another endoscopy and dilation. Last year I dealt with thumb surgery in my hometown.. which went well. This year is is my SI joint. I had a fusion Tues of last week by my pain doctor here. He is very good at his job. My appointment was at 9 am.. I was a few minutes early and they took me back .. went over my meds list, I partially undressed and put on a paper gown, had an IV put in.. took a Benadryl and Pepcid.. had the procedure (I was awake the whole time) got dressed and when the antibiotic finished, IV removed and I was out of there by 10:50 am. Worked almost as well as the Mayo Clinic😁. I am sore, but doing well. I think this is going to knock out a lot of my pain.

I hope you find the answer to as the why of your nausea. So much of the body can cause it. A puzzle to figure out.. sometimes it takes awhile.. be diligent… keep the journal. It will help. Honestly the Reliefband I told you about works better than any pill I have taken.. even helps with migraine type headaches I have. Costly, but might turn out to be cheaper than medications for nausea.

ZeeGee

I have been experiencing daily nausea, made worse after each meal or snack, for 6 months now. I lost about 10 pounds that I couldn't afford to lose at the onset and have only been able to regain 2 pounds since.
I have had blood work, abdominal CT scans, endoscopy and a gastric emptying study. All negative/no remarkable outcome.
It started around the time I had a major arthritic flare in my thumb which brought me to a rheumatologist, whose tests led to a diagnosis of Mixed Connective Tissue Disease (autoimmune).
Even though gastroparesis has been ruled out, I have been eating low fat, low fiber because otherwise the nausea is much worse.
I am hoping that somebody here can offer some "outside-the-box" thinking because all my doctors are pretty much stumped. They are compassionate but have effectively diagnosed this as "We don't know. Do your best" 🙂
I am not able to tolerate anti-nausea medications as they cause severe constipation and migraine attacks.
I am hoping more for some thoughts on possible causes.

Hi @shelahsegal. I moved your discussion and combined it with a discussion titled:

- Chronic Nausea: What solutions have you found?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/nausea-and-mayo-clinic/
I did this so you could read and meet @clutch who also talked about a lot of the same issues and experiences with nausea as you. Members @astaingegerdm also shared her brief experience as well.

@shelahsegal - You mentioned that you have not tolerated anti-nausea medications well, have any of your providers suggested any other things to try before meals? Are there certain food types that make it worse? Do you have any other symptoms besides nausea?

@shelahsegal, I too, have suffered from chronic nausea, so I have lots of experience, unfortunately! Tell me more and what you’ve tried so far, OTC and Rx. What triggers it? Is there a pattern, etc. Maybe I can help.

@shelahsegal, meant to ask specifically: Have you changed any of your recent medication? That is, types, dosages , etc.?

Justin,
Thanks for your interest and linking me to this discussion.
None of the doctors, nor the dietitian were able to suggest anything to relieve the symptoms. I did try digestive enzymes, but that actually seemed to create more discomfort.
Higher fat and fiber, rich foods definitely do worsen the symptoms, so I avoid them as much as possible. I have a little concern that my nutrition is lacking, since I am eating, almost no fruits and vegetables, and the situation is becoming a long-term affair.
I understand that it is not uncommon to have digestive issues with MCTD, but I am still hoping to find a solution or to discover a cause that may have been overlooked by the doctors I have seem to date.
Thanks again!