Various types of nausea relievers that you can choose, according to the cause: function, dosage, side effects, how to use

The causes of nausea and wanting to vomit are many, but they generally appear as symptoms of an illness that you have already had. For example, infection, food poisoning, or vomiting (gastroenteritis). Nausea can also indicate certain health conditions such as morning sickness during pregnancy and motion sickness, to side effects of certain medications or medical procedures (such as anesthesia or chemotherapy effects). That's why there are so many choices of drugs for nausea, and must be adjusted according to the cause.

The choice of medication for nausea is based on the cause

Nausea may seem like a simple reaction, but it is a complicated process. Nausea is actually the body's natural reflex to expel foreign objects, such as germs that cause disease.

The class of drugs used to treat nausea are generally called antiemetics. Antiemetic drugs work to interfere with nerve receptors in the brain to stop triggering the response to nausea and vomiting. Each type of antiemetic drug is specifically designed to work in different conditions.

What are the options?

1. Medicine for nausea due to motion sickness

Nausea often occurs when you are traveling by car, plane, or even ship. The choice of drugs that you can take while motion sickness, or even before starting to leave to prevent nausea before it occurs, is the antihistamine class such as meclizine and scopolamine.

Meclizine and scopolamine are effective in preventing and overcoming the symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and dizziness due to motion sickness. Both work to block signals sent from the neurotransmitter acetylcholine in the brain to the digestive system to trigger nausea.

However, meclizine has one other advantage that scopolamine does not. Meclizine can relieve symptoms of vertigo that causes nausea. This medication can decrease the sensitivity of the inner ear to changes in head movement that often occur when a car or boat is moving unsteadily.

Both of these drugs can cause drowsiness, so don't take them if you are driving a vehicle. Other common side effects of scopolamine are dry mouth and blurred vision.

Take anti-motion sickness medication at least 2-3 hours before departure. These drugs should not be taken with alcohol, sedatives, or sleeping pills. Meclizine is not recommended for consumption by children under 12 years of age or for pregnant and lactating women, unless recommended by a doctor.

2. Medicine for nausea after surgery or after chemotherapy

Nausea or vomiting after surgery can be caused by the anesthetics used during the surgery. Nausea medications that can be used include serotonin blockers such as ondansetron, or dopamine blockers likemetoclopramide.

Serotonin-blocking nausea drugs like ondansetron work to block signals from one of the nerves in the brain that is responsible for regulating nausea and vomiting. The drug ondasetron is effective in treating nausea that is triggered by the side effects of anesthesia and some cancer chemotherapy drugs. Common side effects of this drug include headache, drowsiness, dizziness and constipation.

Meanwhile, dopamine receptor blocking drugs such as metoclopramide work to treat nausea by facilitating movement of the stomach muscles to speed up the emptying process. This drug also works to reduce nervous system stimulation that regulates nausea.

The drug metoclopramide has side effects that slow down movement, cause tremors, drowsiness, and restlessness.

Medicines used for nausea due to the effects of anesthetics and chemotherapy are usually not sold freely, or need a doctor's prescription.

3. Medicine for nausea due to digestive problems

Digestive diseases such as food poisoning and vomiting can cause symptoms of nausea and vomiting. To treat these symptoms, your doctor may prescribe the following anti-nausea medications:

Emetrol

Emetrol (phosphoric acid) is commonly used as a medicine to treat nausea due to gastrointestinal infections, such as poisoning and vomiting, or due to overeating.

However, emetrol should not be used by people with diabetes without close supervision from a doctor because it contains sugar.

Emetrol should not be taken more than five doses in one hour without consulting a doctor. Also consult your doctor before using this medicine if you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and if you want to use it for young children.

Bismuth subsalicylate

Bismuth subsalicylate is a medication that can relieve nausea and stomach pain.

Pregnant or nursing women should consult their doctor before using this nausea medicine. The reason is, the properties of the salicylate contained in this drug are similar to aspirin, which is known to harm fetuses and babies. People who are allergic to aspirin or related drugs should also not use bismuth subsalicylate.

Only take medication with your doctor's permission if you are being prescribed anticoagulants (blood thinners), or have diabetes or gout.

4. Medication for nausea as a result morning sickness while pregnant

Generally due to nausea morning sickness does not need to be treated. This is a normal phase that occurs in early pregnancy and will get better on its own.

However, if the symptoms are so severe that they interrupt the days, the nausea you are experiencing may be a sign of hyperemesis gravidarum. Hyperemesis gravidarum is a special medical condition that can be treated by:

Prometazine

Promethazine is an antihistamine type of nausea medication that works to block certain natural substances produced by the body to cause nausea.

Drowsiness, dizziness, constipation, blurred vision, or dry mouth may occur as a side effect of this medication. To relieve the side effects of dry mouth, suck on candy, ice, chew gum, or drink lots of water.

If any of these effects persist or get worse, tell your doctor.

Vitamin B6

Vitamin B6 supplements can also treat nausea due to morning sickness, and are reportedly safe for consumption by pregnant women. There is no evidence that shows the potential harm to the fetus when the mother takes vitamin B6 as a medicine for nausea during pregnancy.

The usual dose of vitamin B6 for morning sickness relief is 10 mg to 25 mg, taken by mouth 3 times a day. However, talk to your obstetrician before taking vitamin B6 while pregnant to get the right dosage.

5. Medicine for nausea due to excessive anxiety

Anxiety can also cause you to feel nauseous and end up vomiting. This is the body's way of reacting to stress and the resulting panic.

To treat nausea due to excessive anxiety, doctors will generally prescribe antiemetic drugs such as prochlorperazine. This nausea drug works to control abnormal stimuli in the brain.

Prochlorperazine is an anti-vomiting drug as well as an antipsychotic, which is commonly prescribed to treat schizophrenia. However, this is not a cure for illness, but only helps relieve the symptoms of nausea that often results from it.

You should not use prochlorperazine if you have recently taken alcohol, sedatives, or narcotic drugs. Prochlorperazine is also not recommended for drinking by children.