Nausea

Nausea can be a side effect of pain medication. You also may be nauseated by chemotherapy. Constipation may also cause nausea.

If you have very mild nausea, loss of appetite or queasiness may be your only symptoms.

Mild to severe nausea is usually associated with some degree of vomiting. If vomiting interferes with your ability to hold down medications by mouth, you can take most anti-nausea medications in suppository form (inserted through the rectum).

Nausea may go away on its own as your body gets used to the pain medication. Or it may be a reason to stop that particular pain medication and try something new. If your pain medication is working really well in all other respects, it's worth staying with it and adding an anti-nausea medication. Discuss the problem with your doctor and nurse.

Nausea from radiation can usually be prevented by taking an anti-nausea medication (for example, Torecan [chemical name: thiethylperazine] or Compazine [chemical name: prochlorperazine]) 45 to 60 minutes before treatment. Newer medications such as Zofran (chemical name: ondansetron) or Kytril (chemical name: granisetron) might also be needed.

Alternative therapies, such as acupuncture, visualization, and herbal combinations, may be quite effective. Ginger-based foods can also ease nausea. These include ginger ale, ginger tea brewed from fresh ginger root, or crystallized ginger eaten as a snack.