Treating Nausea and Vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are common side effects for people undergoing cancer treatment.

Nausea is when you feel sick to your stomach and vomiting or emisis is when you empty the contents of your stomach. Both are frequently associated with chemotherapy and radiation therapy.

Your Symptoms

Vomiting can either be acute (within the first 24 hours after treatment), delayed (when it occurs after 24 hours) or anticipatory. Anticipatory is when vomiting occurs in response to a stimulus like chemotherapy. With anticipatory response, the symptoms will normally appear after initial exposure to chemotherapy drugs but before successive treatments. This can also be described as more of a psychological response.

How it Happens

The brain has a special receptor area that controls vomiting. When that area receives a signal from the heart, inner ear, gastronintestinal tract, or brain, emisis (vomiting) occurs. Part of the reason chemotherapy is likely to induce vomiting is because it causes the release of various neurotransmitters that tell your brain all is not well.

Medical Advances

Recently new drugs have been developed that can reduce or eliminate these side effects altogether. These drugs are known as antiemitics as they work to block the impulse your brain receives that causes the feeling of nausea.

Managing Symptoms

In addition to taking antiemetics, we offer some other tips to help patients control their symptoms.

• Try eating foods and drinking beverages that have been easy for you to digest when you were sick with the flu or other conditions that would cause nausea.
• Try to avoid fatty or fried foods, very spicy foods or very sweet foods.
• Have a friend or family member make your meals for you
• Try nutritional shakes and supplements. They are packed with nutrients and are easy on your body.
• Being relaxed is an easy way to help control your symptoms. Ask your doctor about learning some simple relaxation exercises.
• Brush at least twice a day and use mouthwash to keep your mouth clean.

Related: cancer cachexia