Chronic nausea for 15 years, still no answers!
Posted , 54 users are following.
Hi all.
I'm posting this in the hope that someone can relate and offer some sort of help or advice as this has gone on far too long!
I'm a 25 year old female and I've had spells of almost constant nausea since I was around 10 years old. When I was younger it got to the point where I would just not eat (not helpful!) for fear of being sick, as I've grown up I've almost accepted that feeling sick is a part of my life now and I try to carry on/eat as normal unless I have a particularly bad "flare up". However I really shouldn't have to live like this!
When I first complained of it my parents took me to the doctors numerous times and at a very young age, after complaining the nauseous feeling was at the back of my throat, I was told I had reflux and given lansaprozole. When it didn't work whatsoever my dose was doubled until my mother actually complained that I was being given such a high dosage at a young age!
After this I just tried to put up with it. My final year at high school I was mostly off school feeling unwell! I struggled through but by the time I got to university I was fed up. I went back to the docs and this time was diagnosed with IBS and prescribed mebeverine. The most this did for me was reduce the gas and bloating that came with my upset stomachs but after a month of taking it it actually gave me nausea EVERY single day til I stopped it!
In recent years after finally realising how much this has been ruling my life, along with realising how bad my symptoms can get - nausea, upset stomach, dizziness, fatigue, headaches etc and sometimes feeling sick to the point of thinking I'm going to be physically sick, only to burp! I've finally gone to the docs several more times.
I've tried domperidone which helped a little but I was eventually taken off it as I still felt unwell, I tried omeprazole (mostly to please docs as they still insist its reflux) and was recently given erythromycin which I never took after a consultant was horrified I'd been prescribed it in the first place.
I've had a endoscopy which revealed I have a hiatus hernia (my dad has one too so must be hereditary) however I very very rarely get heartburn or any kind of reflux and my symptoms are not related! It also revealed an inflamed stomach lining but nothing else. I've also had a stomach emptying test which came back normal, I've been tested for helicobacter pylori NUMEROUS times over the 15 years and most recently I've had an ultrasound scan of my liver and gallbladder. I was referred to a consultant in the past few months who believes my symptoms are not stomach related, hence liver etc tests! I'm still awaiting blood testsbut no word yet. Im meant to get referred to a G.I but again no word yet.
The most recent tests have been over a span of one year so it's a terribly slow process! I have infact just been told my next appointment with the consult is 7 months from now which is frankly ridiculous. Hence I've come here!
I would greatly appreciate any help with this as its starting to take over my life! I've had years with no nausea at all but this has been over a year now with almost constant nausea. I've also been tested for celiac disease which came back negative, I've bizarrely never had stools tested despite upset stomachs and I've tried a lacto-free diet for two weeks which made no difference! I additionally tried to eat 100% healthily/no processed foods etc for two weeks which equally made no difference, still chronic nausea and fatigue!
Any suggestions on what this could be would be massively appreciated!
6 likes, 109 replies
jenny98085 Halp
Posted
Hi. I've just found this after giving the exact same symptoms a google. It's strange how similar our issues are. I have also had chronic nausea since about the age of 12 ( I have just turned 24). I remember it more clearly once I got to college though. Most days, I would dread going anywhere, as I knew I would feel sick during the day.
I was also prescribed Lansoprazole after being on Omeprazole for a while. My doctors insisted that is was indigestion or acid reflux and that be keep increasing my dose, i would feel better. I have recently been taken off that as I did a trial of not taking it to see if my symptoms would get better or worse. My symptoms were the same whilst not taking it, so it seems that it wasn't doing any good. I had a endoscopy late last year which also found a hiatal hernia but they said that it shouldn't be causing me too many issues.
Now, the doctor feels like it may be IBS and have also be prescribed mebeverine, which hasn't had much effect either.
The only difference between you and me that I can see, is that I have been on Citalapram for a couple of years due to a traumatic event. I am also reluctant to mention my anxiety to the doctors as they love to blame every little symptom on that. I know it's not anxiety because I feel sick in any situation and it doesn't really get worse if I am anxious.
I keep telling the doctors that this is starting to really effect my life and effect my mental health. I can't go through a day without feeling sick.
I have been told to start ruling out certain food. I have stopped eating and drinking dairy, I've stopped drinking coffee, I don't eat any wheat. Nothing has improved my symptoms.
One symptom that I have is hard to explain and I wonder if you get it too. When it first starts, It's almost like gas coming up from my stomach but without me burping. It just comes up in my throat and I have no control over it.
I think it would be a good idea for us to talk further and see if we can both get an answer. I definitely feel your pain and want to start to feel normal again. I haven't come across anyone who is experiencing stuff like this, so it would be great to talk.
Halp jenny98085
Posted
hello!
i wrote a reply above with a little more update but it's honestly so bizarre how similar we are! I 1000000% understand what you mean about the gas coming up but no burp, I get that all the time and its awful, its like a big bubble! I told my doctor this and they put it down to anxiety!
I hope you're feeling a bit better since but if you still want to talk let me know!
ryan94253 jenny98085
Posted
i feel the exact same as you as well. im a 29 year old male, given i have only been feeling this way for 3 years. but yes the doctors keep wanting to say it depression and anxiety which its not. i tried omperazole as well with no help. ive had tests done so many times and no results yet.
j34254 Halp
Edited
i think someone else mentioned this - MALS Compression of an artery that feeds to the stomach. They can do an ultrasound and check the pressure in the artery when you’re breathing and see how much it changes. My daughter had the test but it was negative.
Halp j34254
Posted
I'll look into this, thank you!
j34254 Halp
Posted
i think someone else mentioned this - MALS Compression of an artery that feeds to the stomach. They can do an ultrasound and check the pressure in the artery when you’re breathing and see how much it changes. My daughter had the test but it was negative.
jose05886 Halp
Edited
i don't have chronic nausea no more . when I did had the chronic nausea i had it for like 8 to 9 months ,what help for me was I use a lot of medications like a bottle of zofran and dramamine pills or also a little bit of Pepto bismol also one last thing I used was a tea called star anise which helped a lot too .in the beginning when I got sick i haven't used not of the medications because I thought it was just a stomach flu ,i started using it like in the 6 or7 month of my chronic nausea so I got cured like in two months. well I hope this works out good for you as it did for me thanks bye and take care.
wynter88828 Halp
Posted
Not sure if you're still on, but I've been suffering with "functional dyspepsia" for the last 10 years, which is basically stomach pain, nausea, burning, ibs, or things of that nature with no known cause. For me it's burning pain, and every test says I'm healthy and normal, when really the pain gets to be unbearable. Hopefully by now you've gotten some answers. My GI wanted to prescribe Nortriptyline, which is a low dose anti depressant that is supposed to block certain signals from our brain to stomach and vice versa. I haven't tried mine yet, but thought you should look into "Functional Dyspepsia" if you haven't heard the term already. Hope you are feeling better after all this time.
Halp wynter88828
Posted
I was told I basically have functional nausea so similar! Another term I was told is "chronic idiopathic nausea" which is a doctors way of saying it's in my head, not cool!
I'll have a look into what you've said, I definitely have triggers and I am convinced it's not something in my head as otherwise I'd be unwell everyday not just out of the blue!
I hope you are feeling better!
nolan5555 Halp
Posted
hello i was recently involved in terrible motorcycle accident after all of the opioids given to me some how have had terrible nausea for about 5 months now. I have been put on mirtazapine which is helping but I'm worried about my body getting a tolerance to it. Has anybody tried mirtazapine yet? If so has it been working long term
Halp nolan5555
Posted
Unfortunately I've not tried it, the best for me was ondansetron which was a miracle worker but only for short term flare ups!
joshuapryce1987 Halp
Posted
Get plenty of rest and sleep well. Try taking vitamins and it seems you need antibiotics.
anne53212 Halp
Posted
an inflamed stomach lining can cause your symptoms. has the gastritis not improved at all since this started? have doctors been checking via endoscopy to see any changes? the PPI if used for a longer time can help the lining heal, maybe you didnt use it long enough?
ryan94253 Halp
Posted
omg! I am expericing the exact same problem, ive gone to the doctor countless times. same meds omperazole had stomach emptying study done, ive been told a million times its depression which ive tried 3 differnt meds which dont help at all. ive had blood work endoscopy, colonoscpy. zofran doesnt even touch it. i go back and forth talking myself into thinking its depression because i am so desperate for help. it has been three years of this pain. i also tried tried to get into the mayo clinic with no luck (twice) so if you hear anything let me know please.
zoriana98379 Halp
Posted
Hello! Feeling the same, over a month feeling nausea, sometime dizzy, can't live like normal person. Do you have any updates, improvements, maybe you got rid off this terrible constant feeling??? Any respond will help me!
anne53212 zoriana98379
Posted
if you feel dizziness with your nausea it could be a brain or ear disease like menieres.