Coping with chronic illness and nausea. Any advice?

Just an update/rant!! I have been trying to get to talk to my GP. Yesterday no available appointments, rang again this morning, all appointments had gone due to one of the doctors being off sick. I spoke to the hospital about changing back to warfarin due to this dreadful sickness caused by Apixaban, they agreed that but can’t fit me in until next Wednesday. My only option now is Urgent Care but I really am struggling to get out of bed let alone go and sit in UC for hours only to come away with antiemetics which may not even work. I can’t keep food down and am just getting so weak. Maybe 111 could help 🤷🏻‍♀️

I have similar health issues and it's awful, but what I've found is you do gradually find what helps you. I now eat an alkaline diet with lots of oats when I'm really bad, I don't eat the sauerkraut I used to love. I find anything with ginger in it helps nausea and green tea with mint, dry bread as long as its wholemeal helps too. I've also learnt to pace myself, not to get overtired so you're at your strongest when you want to do something. I hope that helps

Please go back to your GP He can look you over and will be able to offer both anti nausea tablets and something like omeprazole to protect your stomach lining. Good luck, and try all kinds of different foods, especially anything you think might help your awful feelings of sickness, little and often

Nausea is so grim - I am so sorry that you have this. I agree that a return to the doc for reassessment of your medication, both those that might be causing the nausea and those to treat it. Sending good wishes.

I honestly feel for you I suffer nausea due to two chronic illnesses nothing I have done has made much difference but here’s what I’ve tried, I’d like to help you if one of these things helps I’d be so happy for you as believe you I’ve had this ongoing for over 10 years, first thing I’d try is travel sickness wristbands you get a pair from chemist or amazon sell them. They go across the pressure points, airwaves chewing gum. Peppermint tea, extra strong mints. Peppermint tea, I also stepped up eating more veg and drinking 2 litres of water a day I hope this helps as I know how it feels you find you can’t concentrate can you when feeling nauseous

Wendy46

Grandyma my husband had problems with apixaban. Please talk to your GP or the hospital soon.

Does the insert included in the pack of apixaban speak of side effects? I'm sure they could find an alternative.

So sorry Grandyma - I have no advice but just to say, I am thinking of you xx

I'm so sorry @Grandyma. That sounds absolutely miserable. I'd agree with those suggesting counselling when you feel up to it. I have Long Covid and didn't think a support group would be at all helpful - but it's been amazing. When you are very ill, you don't want to discuss your symptoms and emotions with family and friends as you don't want to worry them (or bore them!). I've had 12 on line video sessions with a psychiatrist and an ME specialist leading them. There are lots of us LC people dialling in, and just being able to describe the strange symptoms, sadness at loss of 'normal' life etc has had a really beneficial effect on me (and probably on all of us). I do hope that the doctor can get your nausea under control soon.

My heart goes out to you.

I have had post operative nausea a few times and it is really difficult and affects every moment and of course food is a turn off. The nausea lasted for a very long time. My body is just really sensitive to drugs. Can you ask your GP to try different drugs and or give you different anti nausea tablets. Keep trying until you get some relief.

I know that acupuncture can be really helpful for nausea and illness generally. Its what helped me ultimately. Try to get out in the fresh air...even if it's a couple of minutes only to begin with. Try to see some nature.

Also see if there is any counselling available, as talking it through with someone can be very helpful. It's very easy to feel isolated or being a 'moan' when suffering. But you are not alone and you are not a 'moan' and well done for reaching out on here.

*Grandyma, I can empathize, I have almost constant nausea and at the moment I too am struggling to eat much a all, although I could do with losing weight! I take both Cyclizine and Metaclopramide, and yes Cyclizine is so much better hen given IM/IV. II went through a phase of only being able to eat blended soup (yes the ones in cans!) and yogurt - lost 4 stone in 7 months and felt just awful, but my GP would give me Intramuscular Cyclizine every 3 days, but I do have a very good GP!

May be worth DH or someone asking at a pharmacy to speak to the pharmacist to see if there are other over the counter anti0emetics which won't mess with your other medications?

The other way is for DH to call the surgery early and ask for a home visit as you are too weak to leave the house? I have tried to google what they are contracted to do nowadays but can't find much, so not sure about that - all I know is that my surgery do still do them ...

Good luck, feeling sick is just dire, I know ...

Suggestion, try lemon and ginger tea, Twinnings do a good one, but if money's important, Sainsbury's do them much cheaper and in my opinion, better, it's not the lemon so much as the gingers as it helps with nausea and yes I've used it for a similar reaction.

Dear Grandyma,

The diagnosis and medical emergency in themselves are enough to shake you up emotionally, I found I was kept busy in hospital with tests, meals and tea and coffee being brought round, once I left I felt very vulnerable.

I think your GP should be able to help with the nausea, if they don’t hear from you, they’ll assume your meds aren’t causing any problems. I was given Metformin for diabetes, and the side effects were AWFUL - as soon as I told the GP, the prescription was changed to a different form of the drug, which didn’t give me the same problems.

I lost my appetite after my second dose of Covid, as someone above says, bland food can help - mashed potatoes, toast, pasta etc. All stuff I should be avoiding to keep my blood sugar under control, but being unable to eat can’t be good for you. You can get nutritious drinks, but I think they cost quite a lot. Your GP might be able to help with that, too.

Hope you feel better soon xxx

Poor you. Can the GP help you? Ginger helps my nausea. Either a ginger tea or I nibble ginger biscuits. Don't know if you can do that. Also there are meds for nausea too if they are ok for you. Food helps me too. Teeny snacks rather tham having to face big meals. Good luck.

Sorry to hear you are suffering so bad, not got any experience of this medication, but you definitely need a solution to all this quickly. You could just be sensitive as you say, i do have IBS, totally different thing i know but it effects my stomach and gut terribly, i take a probiotic, it does help with my sensitive stomach, but of course ask your gp first as to whether they would help. Best wishes.

Grangyma. Yes phone 111 tell them you can’t eat at all and feel dreadful. They should arrange a home visit as you’re too weak to attend anywhere. They may give you an anti sickness injection. Hope you feel better very soon .

I take anti nausea drugs

Have you been or are you taking Omeprazol? If not ask for it - if you ate taking it, point out that it is ineffective and ask for a stronger sole purpose anti sickness

I have been taking Apixaban for two years with no side effects.

Everyone’s suggestions are so helpful. I’ve been trying to speak to my GP since yesterday but no appointments available. I’ll need to call again at 8am on Monday but that seems so far off.

If you ring NHS 111 they should be able to make an appointment with an out of hours GP for you. That’s if you are able to travel.

Obviously, with nausea all the time you don't feel like eating, bu are you sure you are taking enough fluids? If you are not, then the nausea may well be worse than it would be if your fluid levels were all right.

Contact your dietician and ask her how much water you should be drinking in the course of the day over and above what else you drink. It can do no harm to mention the constant nausea to her, she may well have helpful advice.

Ask her too whether dissolving a half teaspoon of sugar and a teaspoon salt in a litre of water and drinking it in small sips when it is cold again is all right with your condition.

This mixture does help both nausea and vomiting, but I cannot know whether there are restrictions on your salt intake, so check it with her, please.

I hope your GP soon manages to find something that gets rid of the nausea.

Sounds awful, often takes a while for our body to get used to medication and often the sickness gets less. Hope this is the case for you, another thing is ask the doctor or chemist for high Calorie drinks. I can’t remember the name of them but I know a few people who have had them during cancer treatment and other illnesses. Best of luck to you

Just managed to speak to someone at the anti coagulation clinic. They can see me on Monday to switch me back to warfarin. It’s not ideal but better than this. I’m struggling to stay positive while I’m feeling so bad. I really do appreciate all of your helpful suggestions and advice.

Grandymar - the questions I would be asking my GP or consultant is this: "What is likely happen if I didn't take this drug?(e.g. thrombotic stroke) How likely is it? If I continue to take this drug, and the others you are giving me to deal with the adverse effects, what is the likelihood of significant harm (eg. haemorrhagic stroke) from it?" Then I would make my mind up whether to take the drug with all of its unpleasant side-effects, or not take it and risk the consequences. Don't feel pressurised to take something which is making your life a misery unless you feel there are very strong reasons for doing so. Good luck!

I don`t know if this will help but it did help me - I was advised by a nurse to take anti- travel sickness medication that you can buy from the chemist.