Nausea and I have a very long and complicated relationship.
My first memory of nausea goes back to my 4th grade year. We had an amazing field trip called “The Rendezvous.” We spent time in the classroom learning about mountain men and trading posts. The field trip involved dressing up like mountain men and bringing items to trade at the “trading posts.”
I was so excited the day before. I invited a friend over and we made some things to trade and I made myself duct tape moccasins to wear.
Soon after my friend left I started to feel nauseous. I was able to sleep, but woke up early to throw up. This was the sickest I could remember being.
I was devastated.
And even now, 20 years later, I am still disappointed that I missed the Rendezvous.
I have had many other moments with nausea, but it became a new creature in 2015. Within the 6 months between being diagnosed with MS and prescribed Tysabri (the intravenous medication that I’m still taking), I experienced the nausea that comes from vertigo. It was constant, and closing my eyes brought me the closest to a feeling of relief.
Since that experience I have had nausea off and on. Mostly due to unknown MS causes.
Causes
With that being said, there are a few common causes of nausea for me.
- Food I eat
- Vertigo
- Lack of sleep: Including late nights or early mornings
- Unknown MS stuff: pretty generic, but true
Helps
Here are the things I’ve learned that help me manage when I am nauseous.
- Dry salty foods (white corn tortilla chips are my favorite)
- Sipping beverages (water or sprite)
- Breath work (sipping air, just like the beverages)
- Stillness (being horizontal is helpful for me)
- Distraction (I like movies, books, and phone solitaire)
Here are some additional do’s and don’ts for nausea.
Poem: Nausea, written by me.
Nasty
Abdominal
Uncomfortable
Sick
Extreme
Awful
