Can Chronic Nausea Be A Symptom?

[Jenbrookify]

I can go weeks feeling sick to my stomach feeling nauseous but at the same time knowing that I won't throw up. It doesn't matter what I eat, and I many times have to force myself to eat. Hunger makes it worse, and sometimes when the nausea is light it just feels like a constant hunger that isn't satiated by eating. There are no other physical symptoms except for occasional indigestion, which is probably caused by poor nutrition from not wanting to eat.

 

[DogMom731]

I can relate, unfortunately, all too well to this symptom/experience. I've gone for 3 months at a time where everything that I ate..uh..came up. I know, firsthand, how grueling it can be to deal with the related exhaustion, etc. (at least in my case). Bravo to you for dealing with it as well and being stronger because of it!

To get to your question; I think nausea and/or vomiting CAN be a symptom. It's commonly listed for abuse or trauma survivors. I think they call it a "somatic" symptom. That said; individually speaking, I think for me it's NOT necessarily a symptom of my trauma or abuse. I only say this because I have endometriosis and other physically-identifiable maladies of the gastrointestinal area.

I know that, physiologically, it's all interconnected.

No pun intended; I say "go with your gut." Where do YOU think it's coming from? What do your treatment providers (if any?) have to say?

I like to rule out physical/medical maladies, illnesses, and whatnot prior to assuming it's in my head/psychological in nature. I also question my meds, recent diet changes, basically *any* variable in my life. Increased stress, you name it!

Just my two cents in response to your question. I hope it resolves for you soon. I know its far from fun to deal with this particular symptom.

May I ask if you have found anything that works for you so far? If not maybe I can lend a few suggestions to you. :)

 

[franciemarnie]

I had nausea most of my life but it began in the bad years in childhood.

I don't get it so often anymore after so much processing of trauma energy and also doing mindful meditation.

But when I do get it, it means overwhelming sadness and it usually precedes crying. It goes away then. It is emotion I am holding in and usually relates to family or a significant other.

Maybe note when it goes away or what has happened or is going on with you when it returns to get a fix on it - after ruling out organic cause.

 

[Jenbrookify]

For me there is no physical reason why I would be nauseous, and I actually almost never throw up. I've read it could be physically manifested stress, and that's what I think it is. Usually when I get nauseous it's for a long time and there's not much that can make it go away. Sometimes deep breathing helps a bit, sometimes laying down on my back helps. Other than that, there's not much I can do but drink water and make sure it's not because I'm hungry or dehydrated.

 

[Deleted member 1860]

In a word, yes. I've been nauseous for months on end. I have a prescription for an antispasmodic as my pain feels like my stomach is very tight. It helps somewhat.

 

[fly away home]

Yes, I have the same problem. Constant mild nausea. The thought of eating food makes me feel sick. The thought of making decisions makes me feel sick. I'm sure it's related to anxiety and the body saying 'no time to eat must prepare to run'. Ingrained response from trauma. So we are in constant shut down. Oh the joys.

 

[greenleaf]

Is there a chance that the nausea is related to neck muscle tension? Apparently certain muscles can pull on something connected to the inner ear. If you press on the muscles near the base of your skull, or under your ears, or jaws, temples, do you feel like any of those areas is connected to the nausea feeling? That's a problem I've been having some recently, though it alternates with plain painful muscle tension.

 

[Powder]

I think it is a stress response. People who do not have a diagnosis like PTSD also get this, sometimes with daily vomitting and other problems, from living a high stress, no relaxation lifestyle.

I had a young, healthy student two years ago. She was juggling two small toddlers, a demanding job as a special ed paraprofessional, full time night classes at college (where I teach) a husband, and matching her shoes to her shirt in the latest fashion. She had set a goal for herself and refused to slow her progress, even though she could not eat and had constant migraines. I asked her why she didn't drop her course load, indicating that she might have a totally different (more positive) college learning experience if she felt better and could go at a more usual pace. She agreed that would be best, but was undeterred because she had a sense of shame and to mitigate it, promised herself that she would complete college by a certain date, indicating that she was already "late" being a mom and older than some of her peers.

PTSD or not, it is far simpler to view the "stress creep" from the position of listener. And advice is easy to give. But it is hard to accept our lives, hard to listen to advice, and hard to know what will really work out for the best long-term.

I am going through the tummy stuff again. It all relates to making big decisions for me. I like that Fly Away Home also mentioned decisions.
I don't feel a sense of "trust" in this world, and feel that no matter what I decide, I am still living in the land of my trauma. Every decision I make is an attempt to distance myself and my immediate family from anything negative or traumatic. Obviously, like my student, I think when there is a deep underlying negative belief, it propagates further stress.

It would be nice if a big, life-altering decision could be made on simpler terms, such that a huge knot would not form in my being and stay tied there for months on end. I'm going to try walking when the weather cooperates. It helps me cope.

 

[Barconian]

I think it is a stress response.

I agree

 

[Justmehere]

I get gastritis at times that feels a lot like you describe. It gets worse with hunger and when I eat I have weird lack of feeling satiated. I get indigestion with it too. It makes me puke. Gastritis is a real medical condition but in my case is completely caused by stress. It can get harmful to my body (like with reflux that comes with it that can lead to scarring and increased GI cancer risk) become something that needs medical intervention (taking Prilosec and protonix) while I also get the stress under control too.

There is also a kind of nausea I will get because I clench my teeth a lot and another kind where it's in the middle of panic or anger and it's like my whole body is just rejecting everything and is more like all the muscles contracting to get everything out.

It is miserable! I hope you figure out what works best for you to work through it.

 

[Forgetful]

I too deal with nausea on a daily basis. My family calls it a "nervous stomach". It gets worse during periods of high Stress and anxiety. Along with the nausea I get bouts of constipation and diarrhea I can usually tell within an hour of getting up in the morning if I will vomit sometime that day.

I have tried ginger, warm flat ginger ale, cola syrup, warm flat coke, dry toast, bland foods as well as most over the counter remedies. None of them helped. For awhile I was using a medication that my Dr. prescribed called compazine suppositories. That worked well but he won't prescribe more.

I finally asked my pharmacist if any over the counter remedies actually work. He told me of a product called Emetrol. It works (most of the time). Its a thick cherry flavor liquid about the consistency of castor oil. Once I waited to take it but it was too late. The oil like consistency actually made me vomit.

I'm not sure where you live but here in the USA I buy it at the pharmacy. No need for a Prescription. Downside, it costs about $9 (generic about $6) and only comes in a 4 oz bottle. I go thru a bottle every 2-3 days.

I hope you find something that works for you.

I would much rather be in pain than deal with the nausea everyday.

 

[Jini]

I am so sorry to hear you are experiencing this frustrating symptom. I would love to know if you have found anything that helps relieve your nausea!

I experiencing what I call head-nausea (aka big N Nausea) which sounds like what you and others have described above -- nausea but not necessarily throwing up. Mine feels like I have a very thick head, my vision gets blurry, my mouth goes dry and my digestion stops and my appetite runs for the hills. My mental clarity plummets and I have trouble thinking or focusing. Worst case I can't function as my body is frozen.

One coping technique my brain uses (I say my brain vs me, because it's an automatic response) is repeating a word, phrase or sound over and over again in my head. I'm usually staring hard at nothing but this somehow slowly helps relieve the Nausea and pulls me out of this traumatized state. If it lasts for more than a few hours and I need to eat, I have a box of instant baby rice cereal on hand. I make a tiny amount (about a quarter cup total),with water and take itty-bitty bites. If I can make it through that, I go back for more only using milk so my body can have some fat and protein to help my poor brain function better.

Even though it's a struggle to eat, I find that moving my focus onto something mind-numbing (take the box out of the panty, open the cupboard and grab a cup, open drawer and grab a small spoon...) can be a relief in and of itself.

Depending on when the Nausea hits I sometimes have to grit my teeth (literally) and push through it so I can continue to function. When this is the case I try to clear my mind as much as possible and once again focus on the step-by-step tasks at hand.

After working with my therapist we have discovered that my Nausea is my brain telling me to "back off" of something, consciously or unconsciously. As mentioned in some of the above replies it is a fight, flight or freeze response.

I sincerely hope you find something that works well for you and that you'll share it when you do!