Any Advice or Home Remedies You Can Suggest?

susiestar

Roll With It
I wrote about going to the ER 10 days ago. I haven't posted much since because I still feel horrible. I have not stopped throwing up almost everything I eat. I have been quite careful to eat foods that are easy on the stomach (crackers, chicken broth, rice, oatmeal etc...) and to take my regulalr medications plus nausea medications. This isn't withdrawal or related to withdrawal because I fight to keep my medications down for at least an hour after I take them.

I ended up at the ER again yesterday. On Tues we had to clear out to have the apartment fumigated (they have a bug issue but are being very good about clearing it up) so we went to my parents. I was really sick and spent the day, the night and most of the next day in the guest room. Wed night was really bad and yesterday just kept getting worse. So I finally called my mom to take me to the ER as hubby was 70 miles away at work.

The ER doctor gave me imitrex for the migraine part, fluids, reglan and benadryl. He had a CAT scan of my head done and of my abdomen done. Everything was normal so he said he couldn't do anything more.

I am incredibly frustrated. I have thrown up so much that my entire abdomen feels bruised and sore inside. I am HUNGRY but keeping anything down is very difficult. I am so dehydrated that they could barely get an IV in. I am taking medications for nausea, to keep my stomach from producing so much acid, to deal with the acid that it does produce, and my reg medications which include a medication to stop abdominal spasms.

I have not had shortness of breath or the chest pain, which is a blessing. I have been dizzy off and on and I sort of shake or vibrate like I am shivering even though I am not cold.

ANY advice or home remedies would be appreciated. I had husband pick up some fresh ginger and will try ginger tea to see if that helps the nausea, but I don't know what else to try.
 

pigless in VA

Well-Known Member
Wow, Susie. I am so sorry you feel so horrible. Have they tried you on Phenergan to help with the vomiting? Were you possibly exposed to chemicals in your apartment due to the bug problem? I think it's good that you went to your parents' house.

Is it possible that you are having a bad reaction to one of your normal medications?
 

InsaneCdn

Well-Known Member
I don't know what you are trying to eat - that can compound the problem.

Some things that are more likely to work in tiny amounts at first, then work up.
- broth - not soup, just the broth, and a fairly bland one at that (i.e. no spices or onion, garlic, tomato, dairy). This is both hydrating, and provides food value.
- plain white rice - absorbs acid, gives the stomach something to do
- after a day of being able to handle those, add a bit of applesauce.

Highly recommend ginger. Tea may not be strong enough. Maybe look for some ginger "travelers candy" - these are just ginger and sugar, really, but they come in various strengths and have a really strong jolt of ginger.
 

witzend

Well-Known Member
Did you get an antibiotic? This could be a bacterial problem in your gut. I literally nearly died of one about 10 years ago. Having migraines that make you violently ill doesn't prevent you from a stomach bacterial infection, so hopefully your doctor hasn't overlooked this. There is something similar going around this neck of the woods.

As to foods, start with plain white rice or plain baked potato. No butter, spice, soy sauce, salt, pepper, nothing. Only about 1/2 cup to start. If you can make it through that then try another half cup in an hour. The next day you might start more. And go with unflavored Pedialite rather than any other drink to start with. You can work your way up to regular foods over a period of about a week. You tummy is overwhelmed at this point.
 

New Leaf

Well-Known Member
Oh Susie, how horribly frustrating to be suffering with this for 10 days...you are still having migraines as well? Ouch, just ouch. I wonder about viral meningitis, which can last about 7-10 days and can be treated with anti viral medications but that has to be early on.
Have you seen your regular PCP?
Seems like you have been trying to eat very carefully. But, word of caution, oatmeal has lots of fiber and that can irritate your tummy. Cream of wheat is a bit more easily digested.
Mom always gave us ginger ale for upset tummies.
White rice is good, we cook it down with lots of water and broth to a gruel like consistency, so it is very moist, soupy and easy to digest.
It may be the pain of the migraines that is causing the upset stomach, too.
I would imagine it is incredibly hard to keep medications down, the pain medications can do a number on your stomach as well.
I hope this ends soon for you, how frustrating. Prayers for healing going up.
Take care dear and get well soon.
(((HUGS)))
leafy
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
If they haven't tried it yet, I recommend ondatseron (zofran) for the nausea and vomiting.

Also, try the ginger, especially the travelers' candy.

Have you been scoped? It may be time for them to get an actual look at your stomach for irritation and other such things that don't show up on a scan.

It also might be time to change your pain medications. Nausea and vomiting are a common side effect of opiates/opioids. A different formulation might help.

For things to eat, I'd suggest hitting the "ethnic" food section and getting some matzoh. It is a Jewish "cracker" that is nothing but flour and water. Literally the blandest thing you can eat provided you can tolerate wheat. It is my go-to when my stomach is upset. One caveat: it is very "binding", so be aware of that when mixing it with narcotics.

If you cannot get matzoh locally, you can get it from Amazon. I used to order it when I lived up North. Now I buy it locally. Hope you feel better.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I wondered about the bug spray, but I was gone for over 24 hrs after spraying and this started before that. I don't know about my medications causing it. None have changed for over a year though.

I have been using phenergan with little luck. They used reglan in the hospital because zofran didn't work well. I have an rx for compazine to be taken with benadryl to see if that helps. FYI, phenergan and benadryl are VERY similar and can be interchanged for both nausea and allergies.

The compazine is working far better than either phenergan or zofran did. Zofran hasn't ever done much for me, but phenergan usually does. I have no idea why phenergan isn't working right now with whatever this is. Compazine seems to keep me mostly asleep, but I have been able to eat a little. Very bland, boring food but it is a good thing. Jess was a sweetie and brought home a bunch of sandwiches left over from a competition she worked at (she and husband work as staff for events at the university here). She didn't want to have to cook if I was sick so when they wanted to get rid of 3 big sacks of sandwiches and snacks and no one else wanted them, she took them. Even thank you was well fed on them, and at age 16 that takes a LOT of food, lol!

I plan to see a gastro doctor as soon as I can get my doctor to refer me. This has been nuts and I don't want it to happen again. Thanks for all the advice.
 

AnnieO

Shooting from the Hip
Susie, it's been a few days and I hope you're feeling better already.

Ginger never helped me much, so I got used to peppermint tea when I was pregnant... Have you tried that at all??
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
The problem with peppermint is that it relaxes the upper sphincter of the stomach: the one between the esophagus and the stomach.

As a result, it can make reflux quite a bit worse. Something to try is catnip tea. Buy catnip herb for tea at a health food store, do NOT make tea out of cat nip for cats as the stuff for cat is often sprayed with add'l catnip oil, and unless you buy certified organic, may have other contaminants in it.

Fennel tea can also help the stomach and intestines, assuming you can get past the licorice taste.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
Catnip tea is awesome. It was the ONLY thing that helped back when thank you had colic. I always have some around, and not the stuff for cats. I wouldn't give that to Morgan - he gets organic catnip just like the rest of us, lol. it didn't help with this though, which bugged me too. I cannot stand fennel though. My gma used to put it in sauerkraut and it always made me sick. Even th smell is a problem even now.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
FENNEL is sauerkraut? Ick! The Germans put caraway seed in it, which I also don't like much.

Ashkenazi Jewish sauerkraut often has celery seed in it, which is nice, though I suspect one has to get used to that as well.

Of course, unless one grew up eating a lot of pickled and fermented foods, sauerkraut probably takes a bit of getting used to as well.
 

GoingNorth

Crazy Cat Lady
A hot dog with Kraut on it is a "Berliner". A hot dog that isn't all-beef Kosher style with at least onion, strong mustard, pickle, and celery salt, served on a steamed poppy seed bun, isn't a hot dog...at least not if you are from Chicago originally.

Real Chicagoans like tomatoes. picalilly relish, hot peppers, and other dreck in addition to the stuff I mentioned above.

And then there's Chicago-style Polish sausage. Which tastes like no sausage a self respecting Polish butcher would make...unless s/he were trying to drum up business in Chicago. Basically a larger, garlicky, more coarsely ground version of a hotdog. Delightful grilled, but you will taste it for the rest of the days.

Of course, you won't find an American Bratwurst anywhere in Germany, either.
 

runawaybunny

Administrator
Staff member
Probiotics and prebiotics. Search it. I take the probiotics that are shipped chilled. I have links but not posting them since that seems spammy.
 

Nomad

Well-Known Member
Staff member
I use Floristor probiotic. I like it. But I'm curious about the chilled one and might pm you, RB.

Yogi teas makes a tea bag called Stomach Ease that I love. It makes hot tea. It eases most of my stomach woes. Very helpful. You can get it at Whole Foods. Recently my regular food store started carrying it.

I like the prescription Zofran for nausea.
 

susiestar

Roll With It
I am better but not totally over this. I can eat but my stomach is still really grumpy about food. I am eating small amounts because if I eat a regular portion it sits like lead and I fight throwing up for an hour or two. So maybe that stomach tea would help. Catnip tea is helpful so maybe the tea you suggested would also help. I keep a kettle and small coffee maker in our bathroom sink area (separate from toilet and shower in our oddly arranged apartment) to make more room in our teeny kitchen. It makes fixing tea much easier for me on bad days.

I haven't been helped by zofran much but thank you and Jess say it works for them so I usually have a few on hand in case they get sick. Phenergan helps me normally and I also have it on hand but even that didn't work this time. The hospital used reglan and then compazine and gave me an rx for some compazine and thankfully it worked. I generally have these medications because I get so many migraines and the migraine medications also upset my stomach. I cannot take the anti-migraine medications unless I take the anti barf medications too. Also any food with Vit D in high amounts makes me sick so if I plan on eating anything with Vit D I need anti barf medications first. My body reacts to Vit D like it is allergic to it (bizarre I know, but docs ignored my Vit D deficiency issues for decades and now my idiotic body doesn't know how to process it. The docs just say not to eat it but that is tough and my bones are weakening rapidly. No doctor wants to touch that issue with a ten foot stethoscope so they ignore it like I am making it up. Don't you just LOVE that "I can't even begin to comprehend this so I am not even going to THINK about that problem" look from doctors? The one that implies that you are crazy to even suggest such a stupid thing to the doctor? I get that at almost every doctor appointment now..

I will look for the tea at the store tomorrow. Wiz is in charge of the specialty/organic food at the grocery, so he can order it if they don't have it. He got a promotion last week to be in charge of that and the health/beauty part of his store! His grocery store got closed due to a lease issue and the employees were all hired at another store in our area. Wiz really likes the new store and he is doing super well. Given that there will always be grocery stores, it is a pretty good line of work for him. He has become a wonderful young man and I could not be happier for him.

As for the sauerkraut, my Gma loathed cooking and did some very strange things with food.. We NEVER used the butter in her butter dish because it sat on the table with the lid off all the time. Her cats would lick it (she usually had 3-5 cats which is why we called her "Kitty Cat Grandma" because her mother in law was still alive and was also "Gma K" and I got confused all the time as a little kid. My Gma K (Great Gma) made sauerkraut from scratch and also something she called 'seeskraut' that was amazing. I hated sauerkraut as a kid until I had some of Great Gma's. I then refused to eat it for years unless Great Gma made it. I esp refused to eat my Gma's sauerkraut, but so did my dad, lol.
 
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