You May Get Nauseous Reading This One

My experience with nausea is pretty extensive, so I figured I could dedicate an entire conversation to this topic alone. Nausea, to me, is the in-between space.

You're sick, you obviously feel like trash. But for some reason, your body just won't allow you to heal yourself by vomiting. Trust me, I've been there on many occasions. I get it. The hard part about being in any in-between space is this: Where are you to go? I mean really. You can't completely heal yourself by simply choosing to feel better.

If that was a thing, none of us would be faced with a chronic illness like ulcerative colitis. Ever. But you're also forced into this torn position on whether or not you should even attempt to self-soothe. I know.

Nausea and UC

I've dealt with nausea long before I was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. Honestly, it makes me nauseous just thinking about it.

I remember being so uncomfortable as a child, but I didn't want to bring down the mood of my friends or family, so I attempted to cope. By coping, I mean breathing. I didn't really have many options back then.

The "go-to" nausea medication didn't help

Without mentioning medications, when I got older, I was prescribed a drug that is often administered at the hospital through the IV for nausea as well. This drug never worked for me.

Please put a strong emphasis on it never working as you read this – because for me, it has not. I've always hated the med, but before I learned to advocate for myself, I was constantly given it as a failed attempt to relieve my discomfort.

Nausea meds actually made me vomit

Not to go too deep into this portion, but this medication was so bad, it would make me vomit. I don't know if that was the goal, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't.

Once I learned to advocate for myself, I refused the med. At all costs. I didn't want to be seen as the "problem patient," but after taking it for so long, my body wouldn't allow me to receive it anymore.

So we tried the medication as a patch instead. And honestly, the patch wasn't so bad. For me, personally, I was still nauseous. But it at least lessened the feeling.

Learning how to cope with nausea and UC

Through my years living with UC, the main lesson I've learned is just how individualized and unique our condition hits each one of us. I can't tell you what will work for you. But I can assure you, we've all been there. We all hate it.

While I can drop some tips and tricks I occasionally use, one of the ones I use most often – that's also been most helpful – is simply allowing my body to do what it's craving to do. This does not always mean vomiting.

Nausea in the morning, nausea in the evening...

Sometimes, I'm nauseous when I haven't eaten after a long day. Or sometimes, I'm nauseous in the early mornings. If it's after a long day, my body usually needs sleep. Early mornings? I need food. I've learned this.

And with time, I'm sure you'll learn your body, too! After so many years of living with this UC, you honestly have no other choice.