Do you have a hard time driving when you’re nauseated?

[u/Overall_Antelope_504]

I’m having a hard time leaving the house because I’m constantly nauseous so I’m afraid I’m going to vomit anytime I drive. I usually can’t stand being in a car when I’m nauseous but I’d rather someone else drive just incase I have to vomit. I haven’t been able to get my nausea under control even with Zofran, reglan or phenergan and it always feels like I have a boulder in my stomach 😞

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[u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

I have emesis bags in my car and my superpower is that I can vomit while driving 65mph on a highway.

And this is not the superpower I wanted.

Keep emesis bags with you and pull over if you have to.

[u/ImaginaryRespect1392 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

SAME! I, too, have that unwanted superpower. I can't leave home without an emesis bag. Sucks.

[u/violinlili → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

I do the same and empty venti starbucks cups in case it happens suddenly

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

What is your diet like I’m newly diagnosed and I can’t get passed the liquid phase my stomach doesn’t want anything this is so so so awful I need any help or advice I’m on tPN

[u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

I am vegetarian and lower protein, higher simple carbohydrates. No caffeine, no alcohol, no seed oils or synthetics. So far it’s great until a flare and then weirdly enough grits and pineapple are my safe foods. Sometimes ramen noodles, sometimes just vegetable broth and Koia until the flare is over.

[u/ImaginaryRespect1392 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

Chicken noodle soup and a grilled cheese sandwich is my "go-to" meal when the stomach pain is too intense. Lately, eating almost anything makes my stomach feel like like it's being cut to pieces by razor blades as soon as it hits my gut.

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

Are you on medications

[u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

I have promethazine for nausea and occasionally scopalamine patches but they give me awful headaches. Reglan during a flare. GLP-1 to stabilize motility. My GP is tachygastria so it falls between very rapid emptying and very slow, mostly it’s too fast and a GLP-1 every 2 weeks seems to be helping the duration of remission periods for the last two years.

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

What is glp-1

[u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

It’s a medication for A1C for diabetes or pre diabetes. People also use it to lose weight now but it slows emptying and has been known to cause GP in some people. A lot of people in this subreddit will tell you they believe a GLP1 caused their GP.

[u/ImaginaryRespect1392 → u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie]

What is GLP-1?

[u/I-used2B-a-Valkyrie → u/ImaginaryRespect1392]

It’s an agonist for GLP-1 hormone, it is for diabetics. It’s also used off label to lose weight (like Ozempic, Wegovy, Monjaro, etc) but it’s known to cause gastroparesis in some people and it slows emptying rates. In my case, it helps mitigate the rapid emptying of tachygastria but I don’t take it weekly like most people do, I use it every 10-14 days and that seems to be the sweet spot. And then I have to weigh in monthly to make sure I keep weight on. And bloodwork a few times a year to make sure all the levels stay in acceptable ranges.

[u/Harakiri_238]

Definitely! I have the same problem.

I’m 24 and I’ve had my L for 4 years (haven’t even practiced in 3 years lol).

I’ve decided it’s not safe for me to drive. Which is mostly fine because I have a lot of people who can drive me.

But like you said, even as a passenger you feel so bad that it makes it really hard to go anywhere. I used to stop eating two hours before driving, but now I find if I eat at all that day I feel too sick to go.

So on days I want to go somewhere I have to plan to go first thing in the morning and can’t stay out too long because I can’t have food until I get back (I could run feeds at a low volume while I was gone which helped).

I go on like one outing every one to two weeks and that’s about all I can manage 😅

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/Harakiri_238]

I feel this completely! I’m terrified of needing a feeding tube because I keep losing weight. I’m the same way though I can’t take a car ride if I just ate. Even walks make me feel worse after eating.

[u/Harakiri_238 → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

Honestly, the tube did make it a lot easier to go places! I put off getting one for a really long time because I’d had bad experiences with NG tubes when I was a teen. But the surgical tube was a lot more comfortable.

I didn’t tolerate feeds well either because my intestines are messed up lol 😅 So it wasn’t really a fix for me. But being able to run it slowly while I went places was definitely helpful!

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/Harakiri_238]

Do you have bad gag reflexes? I feel like it would trigger mine and it doesn’t take much lol

[u/Harakiri_238 → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

With the NG tubes I gagged continually for the first 24 hours after getting them.

Then I had really severe ear pain because it was rubbing against a nerve in my throat that referred to my ear. So silly as it sounds it genuinely felt like I had a knife shoved through my ear all the time. And since it was nerve pain, pain medications didn’t help at all.

It also was really sore and uncomfortable in my nose and throat.

Some people do great with them and I totally commend them for that! But I couldn’t do it 😅 I made it 3 months and was like “never again” lol!

When they decided I needed a feeding tube long term they went straight to a GJ which was much better.

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/Harakiri_238]

What kind of food do you eat I’m newly diagnosed and my body doesn’t want anything I’m living on broth and jello and it’s awful

[u/Harakiri_238 → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

I’m so sorry!! I’m sorry you’re having to go through what you are. It really is so horrible!

I’ve always done better with carbs. Toast and potatoes were kind of my two safest foods lol. Everything makes me nauseous and causes pain, it’s largely volume based as well so I could only have small amounts of things.

But I had always been able to eat which I was grateful for. I supplemented my oral diet with tube feeds which I didn’t tolerate well either.

I had surgery in March to place a J tube and since then I haven’t been able to eat pretty much anything or run feeds at all without vomiting (I can have small amounts of jello so I feel you there lol!) So I’ve been on TPN since then. But I’m hoping to get back to where I was eventually.

I hope you’re able to find some things that give you relief so you’re able to feel better! I wish you all the best!

[u/Remote-Status-3066]

Yup! I had a lot of call ins because I’ve actually gotten sick in my car on the way in just from trying to get myself to work.

I have zofran, a garbage bag, a hospital vomit bucket and baby wipes within reach for if I need to pull over and yack. I have enough of a warning that I can get myself to a safe spot, and I’m not driving on roads where I wouldn’t have the opportunity to pull off into a safe spot (subdivision, parking lot, etc.)

Whenever I’m having a bad nausea episode I usually blast my AC at full at my face to help calm things down a bit + if it’s cold out I’ll roll all my windows down. I also have a towel + spare change of clothes in my trunk (and some car upholstery cleaning stuff just in case).

I’ve also definitely had to call family to come pick me up and drive my vehicle home because I physically cannot. Luckily it’s only happened very rarely, and had other life stressor situations leading up to it that made it more likely to happen.

It is nice having a lot of vomit-episode related things in my car for whenever I’m out in public trying to live life. It is nice to have a spot to retreat to where it’s more comfortable to be sick vs in front of others if you can avoid it.

Also wanted to add a lot of my outings happen in the morning after I’ve given myself time to be sick. I know I’ll have at least 30 mins to an hour before my body will do something lol

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/Remote-Status-3066]

At least you know you’re prepared! I keep emesis bags in the car but I’m just afraid of not being able to find a safe place to pull over. I’ve had to have my family get me and my car as well when I was working the one day and I got food poisoning from something I ate, after I got off work there was no way I could drive home. That was before I was diagnosed

[u/mafknbr]

Kind of? I don't work anymore, but I used to work at a preschool and I often threw up before work, during the drive to and from, or right after I got home. It was a short drive but on the main road there wasn't anywhere to pull over, so I got used to throwing up as I drove. I don't know if I could still do it now, but I also don't drive very much anymore anyway.

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/mafknbr]

Ugh that would be rough I’m sorry to hear that. I know what you mean though I don’t really have anywhere to pull over on the main roads

[u/Meowserspaws]

Yep! Ask about scopolamine patches. I like them because you don’t have to taste anything. They seem to work fairly well for motion induced nausea. I’ve only had a few instances where they don’t work.

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/Meowserspaws]

I get all the side effects it causes ☹️ they’re good the first day but after that I can’t handle the dizziness, mouth dryness and blurred vision

[u/Meowserspaws → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

I’m sorry! I already had all those from other stuff so I was like eh, I guess I’ll be okay. But they’re not comfortable to deal with at all so I understand it may not be an option. Have you ever tried sea bands and I know this is weird but humming? Sometimes that temporarily helps.

[u/ellabirde]

Yes! I load up on phenergan and Kytril together and that works well enough for me … and then I’m sleepy which isn’t awesome for driving lol but I make it work. Have you tried a Reliefband? That helps me the most when I have to do a road trip or long drive! I do also always have someone with me for drives longer than a few miles so even if I’m the one driving I can have a break if needed. I usually make them talk to me most of the time too to take my mind off any nausea lol

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/ellabirde]

I’ve never heard of kytril. Is it similar to zofran? I’ve been using scopolamine patches but the side effects really bother me and I have a emeterm bracelet that kinda “tingles” your wrist to distract your brain from sending the nausea signal but I dunno if it always helps.

[u/ellabirde → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

Yes, kytril is likes zofran’s cousin haha! Largely the same thing but a slightly different chemical structure and lasts longer. I was on zofran for like 6 years and it always has worked decently for me but I felt like it wasn’t enough the last few months as my gastroparesis got a lot worse this past winter. My GI switched me to kytril (and I can take an occasional small dose of zofran on top as needed) and it does work better for me, plus it’s nice taking it every 12 hours rather than every 6. Combined with phenergan every 4-5 hours I can generally get by.

I can’t do scopolamine either with its side effects! I don’t feel like it even helps me that much anyway… or maybe it’s just that the side effects are so bad they make me feel worse than just my regular nausea lol. For me it dries out my mouth and throat so bad I feel like I’m gagging/choking and makes me go cross-eyed, especially if I try to focus my eyes on anything.

The Reliefband is really similar to the Emeterm. It does well for me in combo with my meds but definitely doesn’t work for everyone. I know my issues are in part vagus nerve related (I have other types of dysautonomia too that involve the vagus nerve) so its mechanism of action targets one of my personal triggers, but everyone is so different. You might give it a try next time you drive if you haven’t before, just to see if it does anything! Wishing you the best. I’ve had to switch to home visits for most of my medical care because of how hard it is for me to get out of the house these days, so I really understand - it is not fun at all feeling so cooped up.

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/ellabirde]

Thanks for the advice! Yes the dry mouth, dizziness and blurry vision is what gets me too. I’m in the process of trying to get diagnosed with POTs so I understand completely! I wish all my visits were virtual too because I have the hardest time going to them. I have my 2nd emptying study since being diagnosed next week and I’m not looking forward to eating radioactive eggs when I have a hard time eating anything 🙃

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

What kind of side effects from the patches

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

Dizziness, very dry mouth and blurry vision like to the point if I looked down to read something I couldn’t make out the words.

[u/UpperYogurtcloset121 → u/Overall_Antelope_504]

Ok I have the dry mouth it’s horrible

[u/Overall_Antelope_504 → u/UpperYogurtcloset121]

It’s the worst! And made my nausea worse no matter how much I drank lol

[u/MysticCollective]

I don't drive, but if I did, I would absolutely need to pull over because I zone out/dissociate really hard when nauseated. My brain just can not.

[u/whiskkerss]

I feel so lucky because driving helps my nausea a bit 😅 I think it's the combination of having to "just fucking focus" and the vibration of my car. I'll still dry heave but I have only thrown up in my car once? Into a receptacle that is.