Contents:
- Medical Video: Motion Sickness Treatment | How To Stop Motion Sickness
- Various choices of nausea and vomiting drugs, based on the cause
- Travel sickness medication
- Medication for nausea and vomiting effects after surgery
- Medication for nausea for chemotherapy
- Medication for nausea for vomiting
- Medication for nausea during pregnancy
- Side effects of medication for nausea and vomiting
Medical Video: Motion Sickness Treatment | How To Stop Motion Sickness
Nausea and vomiting are among the most common health complaints. Nausea and vomiting can be caused by many things, so the choice of medication also varies. Medication for nausea and vomiting can even be used to treat nausea or vomiting caused by other drugs, such as anesthesia for surgery or chemotherapy drugs).
Whichever medication you choose is nausea and vomiting, this drug works to block the work of nerves in the brain and digestive system involved in the gag reflex.
Various choices of nausea and vomiting drugs, based on the cause
Below is the most common choice of nausea and vomiting drugs, grouped by cause.
Travel sickness medication
Nausea drugs used to treat motion sickness include dimenhydrinate (Dramamine, Gravol), diphenhydramine (Benadryl), meclizine (Bonine), and promethazine (Phenergan). These anti-nausea and vomiting drugs are available through a doctor's prescription or over the counter at a pharmacy.
The dizziness, nausea, and vomiting typical of car sickness is caused by a balance disorder in the ear that mistakenly responds to changes in body movements towards the surrounding environment. You sit quietly in a car or on a moving boat, while your eyes look around and your ears catch many moving sounds during the trip. Now, these antimual drugs work to reduce the sensitivity of the inner ear to head movements, thus preventing the effects of nausea and vomiting.
These drugs can also be used to treat nausea and vomiting due to vertigo.
Medication for nausea and vomiting effects after surgery
Postoperative nausea or vomiting can be caused by anesthesia used during surgery. Medicines for vomiting used for this condition include:
- Serotonin receptor inhibitors such as dolasetron, granisetron, ondansetron (Zofran).
- Dopamine receptor inhibitors such as metoclopramide (Reglan), droperidol (Inapsine), domperidone.
- Corticosteroids like dexamethasone.
Medication for nausea for chemotherapy
Nausea or vomiting is a common side effect of chemotherapy. Your doctor may prescribe medication for nausea and vomiting used before and after chemotherapy to avoid or relieve symptoms.
The usual types of nausea prescribed for chemotherapy patients are:
- Serotonin receptor inhibitors, such as dolasetron (Anzemet), granisetron (Kytril, Sancuso), ondansetron (Zofran, Zuplenz), palonosetron (Aloxi).
- Dopamine receptor inhibitors, such as prochlorperazine (Compazine), olanzapine (Zyprexa)
- NK1 receptor inhibitors, such as aprepitant (Emend), rolapitant (Varubi).
- Corticosteroids, such as dexamethasone (DexPak).
Medication for nausea for vomiting
Some cases of vomiting (gastroenteritis aka stomach flu) may require nausea medication to eliminate symptoms. You can buy medicines for vomiting at pharmacies, such as sodium citrate or dextrose (Nauzene), phosphoric acid (Emitrol), or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) to help relieve abdominal pain when the body struggles to fight infection.
Medication for nausea during pregnancy
Nausea due to vomitingmorning sickness or hyperemesis gravidarum, a more severe version of morning sickness, can be treated with nausea medications such as dimenhydrinate (Dramamine), prochlorperazine (Compazine), promethazine (Pentazine), and vitamin B-6.
Doctors can also prescribe metoclopramide (Reglan) for pregnant women who do not respond well to other drugs.
Side effects of medication for nausea and vomiting
Just like other drugs, drugs for nausea and vomiting also have their own side effects. Side effects of nausea drugs can differ from one type to another. So before taking this medicine, you should consult with your doctor or read carefully the label of drug information printed on the packaging. If it's not clear, you can ask the pharmacist directly to explain the side effects.
Common side effects include:
- Sleepiness, dry mouth, and dry nasal passages.
- Dark or blackish stool color, and discoloration of the tongue (bismuth-subsalicylate medicine)
- Indigestion, appetite or increased thirst, acne (corticosteroid drugs)
- Fatigue, constipation, ringing in the ears, dry mouth, anxiety, and muscle spasms (dopamine receptor blocking drugs)
- Dry mouth, small urine, and stomach heartburn (NK1 receptor blocking drug)
- Fatigue, dry mouth, and constipation (serotonin receptor blocking drugs)
If you experience the following things, immediately consult your doctor:
- Nausea or vomiting is getting worse
- Severe constipation
- Muscle weakness
- Seizures
- Hearing loss
- Fast heartbeat
- Severe sleepiness
- Talk haltingly or the meaning is not clear
- Psychological symptoms, such as hallucinations or confusion
Understanding which side effects are the most sensitive for you can help doctors choose the best recipe for treating symptoms.
