Around 40-70% of fibromyalgia patients have complained about chronic nausea and vomiting. Nausea could vary in intensity. However, most patients have only experienced mild to moderate nausea. There are also patients who have to deal with persistent nausea that will sometimes last for several weeks. In fact, some has reported to have experienced nausea every single day. Such intense nausea can also exacerbate other symptoms, which prevent fibromyalgia patients from doing their day-to-day tasks.
Severe nausea should be diagnosed by a healthcare professional. This is to avoid any further complications that could lead to poor quality of life.
Symptoms that Comes With Nausea
Patients who experience nausea have also reported to suffer from accompanying symptoms and among these are:C
- Sweating
- Dizziness
- Faint
- Chills
- Difficulty of breathing
- Palpitations
- Possible Causes of NauseaNausea could happen due to a number of reasons. Among these are migraine, gastrointestinal ailments, motion sickness, airplane travel, etc. Nausea is basically your body’s response to the signals that it receives from the surrounding environment. Certain sounds, smells and even sight could send signals to the brain that could make one feel nauseated. Sometimes, extreme motion could lead to the feeling. Getting nauseated is how your body tells you to slow down.Why Do Fibromyalgia Patients Feel Nauseous?Medication and illness are sometimes the reason behind nausea. It can also happen if your body reject certain toxins in your body, such as high level of alcohol, medications etc. Fibromyalgia patients will experience nausea due to a number of reasons. In order to find relief, it’s important to know the factor that triggers the feeling of nausea. Among the possible factors are:
- Problem with disequilibrium – a lot of fibromyalgia patients have experienced imbalance on their equilibrium. Your body balances itself by maintaining certain equilibrium. If this falls out of place, then it is likely that you will feel nauseous.
- Weak eye muscles – fibromyalgia could make the muscles in your eyes weak. When this happens, you will feel nauseated, especially if you try to read a book.
- Migraines – almost half of fibromyalgia patients are suffering from migraines and other chronic headaches. As mentioned above, migraine could be the reason behind your nausea.
- Irritable Bowel syndrome (IBS) – IBS is a common condition associated with fibromyalgia. In fact it is theorized to be the cause of fibromyalgia in some patients. IBS causes gastrointestinal symptoms like diarrhea, abdominal cramping, and constipation. These symptoms can result in nausea.
- Neurally Mediated Hypotension – this condition is due to low blood pressure from faulty brain signals. It occurs when one stands up in a sudden usually after a prolonged period of sitting or lying down. The drop in blood pressure results in dizziness, perspiration, increased heart rate and nausea. Fibro patients are very susceptible to neutrally mediated hypotension.How to Treat and Prevent NauseaThere are a wide variety of treatments available to treat your nausea and keep it from coming back. It’s important that you discuss with your doctor what would be the best option for you. Among the medications that will be prescribed are:
- Antihistamines – this medicine works by blocking the histamine receptors of your body. They will specifically block your brain’s vomiting signals and will therefore prevent nausea.
- Emetrol – this can be obtained without doctor’s prescription. Aside from nausea, it is also used to treat upset stomach and vomiting.Aside from taking medications, making some changes in your diet could help prevent your symptoms of nausea. Increasing intake of starchy foods can help to absorb the excess acid in your stomach which can cause stomach upset and nausea. Avoid acidic food or drinks which includes citrus fruits and juices as they are known to increase nausea. If you’re vomiting or feeling nauseated, try to stay hydrated as much as possible.
