Nausea and vomiting

Nausea and vomiting are in most cases signs of a gastrointestinal infection, which is usually caused by certain viruses. The problem with taking medication for existing nausea in this case is that the preparations often cannot remain in the digestive tract long enough to have an effect. The affected person vomits them again after too short a time. Nausea and vomiting in the case of a gastrointestinal infection usually go away by themselves after a short time.However, nausea and vomiting can also have other causes, which is why these complaints should be clarified by a doctor if they have been present for a long time or show no tendency to improve. Externally applied home remedies, such as pressing an acupressure point to relieve nausea or a warm cherry pit pillow on the stomach to ease the cramps can be tried.

Medicines for nausea in pregnancy

Nausea in pregnancy is a very common problem that many pregnant women suffer from. Medicines should be avoided if possible and household remedies should be used first. However, not all household remedies are suitable for pregnant women.

Particularly important in pregnancy are many small meals that are distributed throughout the day. This prevents nausea and is much more digestible for the body than eating less copious meals per day. In addition, fatty, spicy and strongly seasoned foods should be avoided.

Since morning sickness is particularly common during pregnancy, it is advisable for the pregnant woman to eat easily digestible foods such as a piece of rusk, a cookie or a piece of crispbread in the morning after waking up. She can then lie down for a while before getting up. This can prevent nausea in many cases, as it raises the blood sugar level directly in the morning before the pregnant woman starts to feel stressed.

Furthermore, the pregnant woman should take sufficient exercise in the fresh air, drink enough and reduce stress factors. If nausea exists, smelling or sucking on a lemon can help. Teas, for example peppermint tea, also have a relaxing effect on the gastrointestinal tract due to their antispasmodic effect.

Finally, some pregnant women benefit from pressing a certain acupressure point on their wrist, which is supposed to help against nausea. Special wristbands are also available for this purpose, which can be put on and which, by means of an attached nub, lead to a permanent stimulation of the acupressure point. If all these measures do not improve the nausea, however, a drug therapy can also be used.

The H1 antihistamine Meclozin, for example, is considered safe during pregnancy. In the central nervous system it blocks certain docking sites of the messenger substance histamine, which can cause nausea. An alternative preparation from this group is doxylamine.

Furthermore, the prokinetic Metoclopramide (MCP) can be used for nausea during pregnancy. It promotes rapid gastrointestinal passage, but can also have serious side effects (Parkinson-like symptoms). If these drugs are not effective, other preparations can be given, such as promethazine, odansetron or glucocorticoids.

Medicines for nausea should only be used in children if absolutely necessary. Nausea and vomiting are most often due to relatively harmless gastrointestinal infections and therefore usually disappear on their own after a short time. However, if a medication is absolutely necessary, dimenhydrinate (Vomex®) is considered the drug of choice in childhood.

It is approved for children over 6 kg body weight and can also be administered as suppositories or juice. Dimenhydrinate acts in the central nervous system on docking sites of signal substances that promote nausea and vomiting and blocks them. This reduces the symptoms.

Also with children, however, household remedies can be tried first, for example teas. In the case of insatiable vomiting, however, a doctor should be consulted as soon as possible, as the loss of fluid through vomiting can quickly become dangerous in children. The fluid and electrolyte balance must be balanced.