Nausea and feeling hungry.
November 19, 2012 | 25,00 EUR | answered by Dr. med. Frauke Gehring
Hello!
I have been experiencing persistent nausea for a week now. It came on suddenly. Stomach noises indicating hunger would occur, but when I ate something, the nausea would worsen. I have not vomited yet. Diarrhea was only brief.
I have since seen my primary care physician, been signed off sick, and been given MCP drops. I also use Vomacur to help me fall asleep, as sometimes the nausea worsens when lying down.
Today, I had a light meal in the form of vegetable broth. The nausea was manageable throughout the day, but it returned in the evening along with a slight feeling of hunger.
When I take the MCP drops, I feel somewhat better.
Due to eating very little in the past few days, I have lost about 5 kg.
What could this be? It cannot be a stomach virus or the flu, as I would have to vomit and have diarrhea, right?
I am 20 years old, a smoker, drink little alcohol, and have mild work-related stress, which has never been a problem for me.
How can I approach this issue to get rid of the nausea?
Good evening,
A stomach flu is really out of the question, as it would have already passed and also caused diarrhea. The most likely reason for your symptoms is gastritis. Due to the significant weight loss, I wouldn't recommend trying another therapy blindly, but rather look into the stomach. This can be done quickly and under sedation, and then we will have more information. If it takes a few more days until you can have an endoscopy, you can take 20 mg of Omeprazole (available over the counter) on an empty stomach in the mornings. This would block the stomach acid and promote healing of the stomach lining.
When the lining is irritated, it doesn't want the stretching from food, hence the nausea; everything wants to come out. Therefore, please only eat small amounts at a time and avoid overly sweet, fatty, hot, spicy, or sour foods. Smoking makes it worse; if you can't quit, at least try not to smoke on an empty stomach.
I wish you a speedy recovery!
Best regards, Dr. Frauke Höllering, Specialist in Internal and General Medicine
