A dear friend called me the other night because her daughter was writhing in pain with nausea and vomiting. What could she do for her daughter, she wanted to know? There is nothing worse than standing by helplessly while our child suffers. I went through a very similar thing with my 20 year old recently and believe me, it doesn't get any easier the older they get.
It was easier for me to think since I wasn't in the room with this girl I have known since she was 6 weeks old. Here are a few things I recommended that evening and several more I have come upon since. The bottom line is that if you have kids, you will have need of these at some time and often it is at the most inopportune times. (Think: 2 a.m.- Who wants to go to the store then?) If you live by yourself- even more reason to "be prepared."
OK Scouts.....
1) Sip small frequent sips of water
- Mix in a couple of pinches of sea salt and a pinch of sugar. (Gatorade or Pedialyte if you have it) Helps prevent dehydration and electrolyte imbalance
-Don't make it too cold or too warm unless the patient wants it that way.
-This treatment resulted in one last rush to the bathroom for the sufferer and then she slept the rest of the night. Was it the treatment? Or had the illness played itself out? I don't know. I have reason to think it may have helped. It can help prevent dehydration.
2)Try hot, cold, warm or cool
-I offered my daughter a hot water bottle or heating pad. She found some comfort in the hot water bottle.
-The other daughter prefers a cooler approach since she used to say that her tummy "felt hot" before these events. She preferred a cool wash cloth, one on her forehead and one on her stomach.
-If your child doesn't want either heat or cold, do not force her to try it. Move on to something else.
3) Try Gripe Water
-Gripe Water is an herbal remedy used in Europe (and this country many years ago) It seems to be making a comeback, as I have seen it in several stores here.
-It contains sterile water combined with several herbs, usually ginger, fennel, dill, chamomile. It is good for colic, but would also be worth a try for nausea & vomiting.
4) No Gripe Water?
-You may have any of the herbs from Gripe Water(what an awful name!) in your kitchen cabinet and try making up a tea with those.
-Try 1 tsp herb to one cup near boiling water: steep, cool, strain, serve. It should be room temperature generally before serving.
5) Raspberry Leaf or Mint Tea- can be helpful in relieving nausea.
6) Coke or Cola Syrup- My mother used to give us Coke Syrup for both nausea and vomiting.
-Walgreen's still sells this, though they call it Cola Syrup. It runs $3.49 for 4 oz.
-Children can take 1-2 teaspoons/ hour. Adults take 1-2 tablespoons/hour.
-CVS pharmacy said they didn't have it (actually the person I spoke with didn't know what it was/or for) but then neither did Walgreen's at first.
-Have the clerk ask the pharmacists. He or she should know
-It lasts a long time so you can purchase a bottle and store it on the back shelf till you need it.
7) Try a flat soda-(soda-pop, pop, or cola- whatever your region calls it). Coke, or Pepsi, or Ginger Ale, I got through my 1st pregnancy with Mountain Dew and though it helped with the nausea I wonder what impact it had on my child who later developed ADHD- Don't do it
-Stir with a spoon till all the fizzy is gone.
-The gas from the soda will aggravate nausea and vomiting in most, so get rid of it.
-Again room temp is usually best
- Use decaf- especially if you are pregnant
8) Unisom mixed with Pepsi???
The Pharmcatalyst website explains how the vomiting center is controlled by the brain. That is partially correct. Your body has many triggers for nausea and vomiting. Some of those triggers are psychological,(seeing another person vomit can trigger the same response in you). But if you are vomiting because your have a gastro-bug or food poisoning, your body is vomiting as a defense mechanism. Just because modern pharmaceuticals may be able to stop the vomiting, doesn't mean it is good for your body to do so. In holistic health it is better for your body to rid itself of the poisoned food rather than to have it go through your system. When the body has emptied itself of the offending food, and continues to be stuck in a pattern of nonproductive vomiting, it is appropriate to intervene and stop the vomiting.
-I am not recommending this, but in case you saw it on either of the following two websites, I think it is worth some discussion:
-On Sethblog.com there is a discussion about whether it is ethical to be selling the information on Pharmcatalyst website. For $5 you can learn about an over the counter medication that eases nausea and vomiting.
-The active ingredients (according to Seth) are Unisom (doxylamine, the active ingredient, is an antihistamine) and Pepsi.
-If your kid is throwing up and miserable you are not worrying too much about the ethics, but you do need to be concerned about the safety!
-The use of this product is not recommended for those under the age of 6.
-Doxylamine has been in a number of Tylenol cold remedies because it helps you sleep.
-I won't pay the $5 because I won't use this, but if you do, make sure there are safety guidelines on how much Unisome to give your child. And be sure to read & heed all the safety warnings. There are a number of exceptions to using this remedy listed before you pay your money.
-And keep in mind that children are not small adults. You can't necessarily give "half the dose" or a "third of the dose" and be sure it is safe for a child even though this is done by the medical community at times.
-The pharmacist who writes this site claims the medication causes drowsiness,but won't keep your child from getting up to vomit...but I am not so sure....
-The last thing you want is for your child to aspirate (breath in) some of the vomit. !!! I don't know if he is a parent, but I don't trust his statement for all children. You know your child and how easy or hard he/she is to wake up.
-Use your judgment and don't assume that the pharmacist is right on this score.
That being said:
9)Unisom During Pregnancy
-The active ingredient in Unisom, doxylamine is used in the treatment of hyperemesis gravidarum (severe vomiting in pregnancy)
-It is used in conjunction with Vitamin B6, which is also used as a stand alone treatment for the same condition by more holistic practitioners.
-Talk to your doctor before using any medications during pregnancy.
-There are risks and side effects in using any & all medication.
-An unborn child is at particularly high risk.
Interesting that both uses of Unisom are mixed with other treatments that are also used as stand alone treatments .... makes me wonder if Unison would even work by itself.... But perhaps the added ingredients potentiate the effects.
9) Raspberry leaf tea or mint tea can help to sooth nausea.
10) Ginger Tea- My favorite for relieving nausea- I know I mentioned ginger under "gripe water". But I feel it deserves its own paragraph. I used this recently when I experienced severe nausea as a side effect of a medication for 10 solid days-
-Yes, all medications have side effects. I can't emphasize that enough. I made ginger tea every morning & afternoon and that is what got me through the day.
-The latest studies show that ginger tea is as good as many of the drugs given for nausea, and unlike the drugs, there is not a long list of side effects associated with ginger.
-So the next time you are at the grocery store grab some ginger root from the produce section.
-When you get home put it in a freezer baggy and toss it in the freezer.
-When you need it take it out and carefully scrape off about 1-2 teaspoons of ginger. Place in a cup and pour boiling water over it. Let it steep and cool before drinking. Add sugar if desired. The sugar can be helpful for the nausea too.
-I love ginger so I also ate the ginger remains in the cup. The tea eliminated my nausea for a minimum of 4 hours. Impressive!
11) Try some Essential Oils This is something you have to pick up at the store unless you happen to have some real essential oils around the home.
-Do not use substances that contain fragrances that mimic essential oil. They are not the same thing, and do not work like essential oils.
-Lavender oil works well at relaxing people and helping them to sleep. The active molecules work on the brain through the olfactory system and it doesn't take much to work- a drop or two. Based on this theory and that of how the Unisom works, it makes sense that the essential oils might also act on the centers that control vomiting.
-Here is a recipe from Aromatherapy, by Valerie Gennari Cooksley:
"1 drop basil, 1 drop of peppermint,1 drop of lavender 2 tsp of vegetable oil. Rub in hands to warm and inhale deeply over the nose and mouth area ( 3 slow relaxed inhalations) then massage gently over the abdomen in a circular motion. Other helpful oils include lemon, anise, and fennel. You can place them on a tissue and breathe."
-If the odor aggravates the nausea be sure to wash hands thoroughly.
12) Homeopathics can be very helpful
-The one I keep on hand is Nux Vomica and that is easy to remember because the name is so similar to that which it treats.
-There are numerous homeopathic preparations that help nausea and vomiting that are accompanied by different specific symptoms. This can make it difficult for the parent to know which is the appropriate remedy for the child.
-The easiest thing to do is buy a homeopathic remedy that contains a combination of individual remedies. It is the shot gun approach and purists ( homeopaths) don't like it. But as parents we learn to be flexible.Look for one that includes "nausea/vomiting" on the list of symptoms.
-It will probably be labled Indigestion" or "Stomach" or "Gastro"- something that will indicate for stomach problems
13) Reflexology from Body Reflexology: Healing at your fingertips, by Mildred Carter & Tammy Weber.
-The authors recommend a point to press between the two large tendons of the wrist and 3 finger widths down from the wrist (towards the elbow).
-They suggest that you press this "button" until the patient experiences an aching sensation.
-It can take 25 minutes of more for severe nausea. It seems this technique was very helpful for two young men who suffered from sea sickness long after they had gone on land.
-It's free, harmless, and requires no drive to the store... definitely worth a try.
Lastly,
You may have your own method that works well for you and your family. We would be glad if you shared it. Or if you try one of these and it works well, please let us know. Likewise, if it is a dismal failure... that's good to know too. But remember no treatment is successful 100% of the time on 100% of people.. not even medications.
Hope this helps, Barb