Question:
When Nauseated do you eat or not eat?

I was pondering this question - pre-op when I am nauseated I usually eat something. This was the advise that I got and used when I was pregnant and it helped. Come to think of it, it has always been my reaction to nausea - eat something, like a starch - to settle my stomach. I'm pre-op and of course worrying about EVERYTHING, and my current fear/thought is what will I do when I am nauseated post op? And if I eat when nauseated, will I just defeat the purpose of the operation and end up eating too much? Is the post op nausea somehow different? Right now I had a protein shake and feel nauseated and thought - I should eat some crackers. However, sometimes when I'm sick, but maybe not nauseated, I don't have an appetite - that is very different than what I'm feeling now. What made me think about this and become concerened it that I remembered a co-worker (thin, in shape male) made a comment about me eating when nauseated. He said that he didn't eat when nauseated, but his wife did. He wasn't being judgemental - just noting this. Maybe that's part of my problem - my whole life I've been eating when my body is telling me NOT to eat, and I didn't pick up on the signal? Any thoughts are welcome....    — w8free (posted on July 10, 2003)

July 10, 2003
Drink... I drank a bit of milk, very slowly. I still do that! LOL!! I also, if milk alone didn't help, crumbled a cracker into a spoonful of milk and sucked on that for a while. It really did help. Don't go beyond one cracker, though... If the cracker doesn't help, get a chewable tums. If THAT doesn't help, try maalox! :~) Good Luck!
   — Sharon M. B.

July 10, 2003
Hi Elizabeth, When I'm nauseous I just can't stand eatting. The only thing that helps me is peppermint tea. I keep some with me all the time just in case. My friend that had surgery the same day as me has a piece of sugar free peppermint candy. I guess you just have to try out and see what works best for you. Good Luck.
   — SomerGarza

July 10, 2003
I am having surgery on August 11, but my doctor put in the literature that he gave me earlier that if we experience nausea try some peppermint extract, perhaps put on some chopped ice such as on a snow cone. He says peppermint is known to help with nausea.
   — Checker B.

July 10, 2003
My personal experience has been that eating on top of nausea or stomach pains nmakes things worse. I have actually ended up vomiting from trying to swallow something n hopes of settling my stomach. However, if thye nausea is not due to eating somethin, eating too fast, or eating too much; then I would try the peppermint tea or peppermint extract on crushed ice. Good luck. Im am 3 months out and still don't always correctly interpret my body's signals--but I would have to say that I am learning.
   — Margaret S.

July 11, 2003
If your not taking in enough calories, that's what would cause nausea. Then the only thing to cure it is to eat.
   — Patty H.

July 11, 2003
Thank you for all of the answers everyone! I will have to try the peppermint tea. I had never thought of that - although I had heard of it. I wasn't a big fan of herbal teas, because when I was sick as a child I got chamomile tea - BLECH, now when I drink it I associate it with that. I appreciate everyone's advise.
   — w8free