What may increase your risk for a problem from nausea and vomiting?
Many conditions, lifestyle choices, medicines, and diseases interfere with your ability to heal or fight infection. You may be at risk for a more serious problem from your symptoms if you have any of the following. Be sure to tell your doctor.
Conditions
- Age older than 60
- Eating disorders, such as anorexia or bulimia
- History of gastrointestinal (GI) bleeding, including peptic ulcer disease
- Malnutrition
- Motion sickness
- Pregnancy
- Previous abdominal surgery
- High altitude
Lifestyle choices
- Alcohol abuse or withdrawal
- Drug abuse or withdrawal
- Tobacco products, such as chew or "spit" tobacco
Medicines
- Antibiotics, such as amoxicillin, ampicillin, tetracycline, cefuroxime (Ceftin), erythromycin, sulfa drugs, and metronidazole (Flagyl)
- Anticonvulsant medicine, such as phenytoin (Dilantin)
- Antidepressant medicines, such as fluoxetine (Prozac), lithium, and sertraline (Zoloft)
- Anti-inflammatory medicines, such as ASA and ibuprofen
- Asthma medicines, such as theophylline
- Birth control pills (oral contraceptives)
- Chemotherapy medicines, such as cisplatin or cyclophosphamide
- Corticosteroids, such as prednisone
- Heart medicines, such as verapamil (Isoptin), diltiazem (Cardizem), digoxin, quinidine, and Inderal
- Medicines that contain iron
- Medicines to prevent organ transplant rejection
- Medicines used to treat cancer (chemotherapy)
- Narcotics, such as morphine, codeine, or meperidine (Demerol)
- Radiation therapy
- Vitamins and mineral supplements, such as iron
Diseases
- Cancer
- Coronary artery disease
- Diabetes
- Food poisoning
- Gallbladder disease
- Heart failure
- Hepatitis A, hepatitis B, or hepatitis C
- Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection
- Inner ear problems, such as Ménière's disease or vertigo
- Intestinal parasites
- Kidney disease
- Kidney stones
- Liver disease
- Migraine headaches
- Mental health problems, such as depression or an anxiety disorder
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Pancreatitis
- Parkinson's disease
- Seizure disorders
- Vascular disease
| Author: | Jan Nissl, RN, BS | Last Updated: August 28, 2007 |
| Medical Review: | William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine | |
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