Version July 2025
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What is nausea? —
Nausea is the feeling you might throw up. Vomiting is when you actually throw up. They can happen together. But you can feel nauseous without vomiting, and you can vomit without feeling nauseous first.
Which medicines can cause nausea? —
Nausea is one of the most common side effects of medicines. Some medicines cause nausea or vomiting because they affect the chemicals in the brain. Others can affect how the body digests food.
Vitamins and birth control pills can cause nausea. You might also have problems with nausea if you take medicines to treat conditions like:
●Depression
●Infection
●Pain
●Cancer
●Arthritis
●Diabetes
●High blood pressure
●Obesity
Tell your doctor or nurse about your nausea and any other side effects. Do not stop taking any medicine without talking to them first. In many cases, the nausea might go away once your body gets used to the medicine.
You can ask your doctor if there is another medicine that is less likely to cause nausea. Your doctor might also have you start with a smaller dose and increase your dose slowly.
What can I do on my own to help with nausea? —
You can try these things:
●Take your medicines with meals or a small snack if possible. But check the bottle first or talk to your pharmacist. Some medicines must be taken on an empty stomach.
●Sit up after you take your medicines or eat. You can also rest with your head and shoulders raised on pillows.
●Your doctor or nurse might be able to prescribe you medicine to help with nausea:
•If you are taking medicines to treat cancer, take the medicines to help with nausea even if you feel fine. The best way to manage nausea and vomiting is to prevent it from happening.
•If you are taking other types of medicines, take the medicine to help with nausea if you start to feel sick.
●Drink fluids when you can. Ginger ale might help settle your stomach. It might help to take small sips every 15 to 30 minutes. Try to drink more as you start to feel better.
●Avoid foods that are spicy, greasy, or "heavy."
●Try eating, but start with foods that have a lot of fluid in them. Good examples are soup, gelatin, and ice pops. If this goes well, you can try bland foods, like bread or saltine crackers. You can also eat bananas, chicken (broiled or baked, not fried), oatmeal, yogurt (plain or vanilla), and plain pasta.
●Eat 5 or 6 small meals during the day instead of 3 big ones.
●Avoid strong smells, such as perfume.
When should I call the doctor? —
Call for advice if you:
●Have symptoms that last longer than a day or 2, or are severe
Patient education: Side effects from medicines (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting in adults (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting in babies and children (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting with cancer treatment (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting after surgery (The Basics)
Patient education: Bland diet (The Basics)
Patient education: Nausea and vomiting in infants and children (Beyond the Basics)
