causes of my nausea and sudden vomiting

Hi I'm sure this is a common question, but each case is unique so I wonder if you could help me figure out the cause of my nausea. I'm twenty-four years old and currently living abroad in China. Until now I have had no health problems and have recently had a health check a few months back. About two weeks ago I was eating and suddenly felt really sick and started gagging but wasn't actually sick. I thought I could sleep it off so went to bed immediately but about twenty minutes later I started shaking and still felt rough. I assumed food poisoning so kept to a diet of porridge and plain bread for about a week. However, it didn't get better and the nausea feeling didn't properly stop, just would come on strong and then die down for a bit. The doctor in china said food poisoning and gave me some fluids as I'd got dehydrated as barely able to eat/drink. He said I’d be fine in two days but my feeling didnt change so I went back for a second visit. Now, its been 2 weeks. I am taking medicine to stop me vomiting but it feels like a temporary solution and today I started gagging even after taking the medicine again after feeling a little bit better for the past two days, able to eat small portions of normal food. My nausea seems worst when I've just woken up. I’m a guy so not pregnant. I usually feel rough for most of the morning and can't do too much. By the afternoon I feel so-so but haven't felt really well and healthy during the 2 week period. Please can you suggest what is causing this and how to make it stop. I'm not sure if serious food poisoning, stomach infection, stomach flu or if it is something else and neither is my doctor. I don't have any stomach pains just quick onset of nausea and then usually gagging without any vomiting. Many thanks for your help.

Nausea and vomiting

There are so many causes for nausea and vomiting ranging from psychological causes through to brain causes, hormonal causes, problems with the GI tract, problems with the kidneys, poisoning, drugs and so on. To answer your question from your description is really difficult to be honest. It does sound as if it has been going on for far too long and should be investigated further. You should be examined by your doctor. You don’t mention if you have had any specific tests, but investigations such as blood tests and endoscopy tests may be needed. Avoiding alcohol, to refrain from smoking and not use recreational drugs would be an absolute minimum in this situation to start. As your symptoms are worse in the morning, excluding Addisons disease may be appropriate too. This is a lack of steroid hormone which is normally at a maximum in the mornings. Good luck.


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