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Original poster

Teen nausea - Any idea?

85 replies

ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 20:05

My daughter, 15, feels nauseous pretty much every morning and then every few weeks gets to school vomits and comes home, often vomits again.

This happened again today - I've rung the doctor and will get "a call" in a weeks time. I assume I should ask for her to be seen and bloods done? (BTW is all doctoring done by phone now?!)

She can't keep missing school. She does lean towards anxiety but she really didn't want to miss school and kept messaging me saying she'd not ask to come home and see if she can manage. She left the sick room to go to her class and then had to run back to be sick again... Similarly last time was a school trip and she wants to go.

We have noticed lack of sleep seems tk be a trigger. When she tried a scout camp and hardly slept she was sick in the morning and had to come home. Similarly with a sleepover.

However she's slept the last few nights so it isn’t that.

Does anyone have any ideas?! Or anything I should say to the Dr.

We'd been letting it rumble in as it would be several weeks between and we assumed it was sleep/anxiety etc but I hadn't realised she always feels nauseous in the morning. (Not possible to be pregnant !)

Any ideas?! Thankyou.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 21:37

Thanks for all the responses.

I had wondered about abdominal migraines but she does say she feels nauseous every morning , not just on the days she is vomit-y.

She isn't an overly happy child at times (autistic/overwhelmed) but it doesn't seem to coincide with the vomitting. Ie she wanted to go back to school today, wanted to do music, see friends and has felt really frustrated at having to catch up and at being sick.

I'm a bit worried they'll say "oh it's anxiety" without looking at physical causes. And if it is anxiety she's going to need some medication or soemthing as she can't keep on like this!

She is vegetarian (iron?) And usually yeats a wide range of foods but hates eating in the morning as she's nauseous and says she usually tries to wait for the nausea to go...

OP posts:
BritneyBookClubPresident · 04/01/2024 21:40

I has this and it was acid reflux. Though I also suspected migraines

Rainyblue · 04/01/2024 21:50

DD 17 has had similar issues. She often feels sick in the mornings before school and can’t eat breakfast. It’s been on and off for about a year now. I think it’s linked to tiredness, as she can eat breakfast on days when she gets up later.

She also got it on a day when it was a school trip that she was looking forward to, so I don’t think it’s straight forward. It’s also worse around the time of her period.

The GP thinks it could be anxiety. They did offer to do blood tests but she won’t go due to a fear of needles so we are a bit stuck.

I’ve been getting her breakfast / cereal bars so she nibbles on these these later in the morning once the nausea has died down.

deMondford · 04/01/2024 21:52

She needs amitriptyline. It interferes with signals in vagus nerve. It works.

idontlikealdi · 04/01/2024 22:08

I would also query pregnancy

Original poster
ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:08

Rainy blue that sounds so similar!

Also the cyclical vomitting link above.

She's really worried about missing more gcse classes with it. And hates being sick.

What can I do to help?

OP posts:
Original poster
ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:09

She isn't pregnant. This isn't a "new this month" thing.

OP posts:
Girliefriendlikespuppies · 04/01/2024 22:12

I was like this as a teenager, for me it was definitely anxiety based but also seemed to coincide with going vegetarian and disappeared completely when I went back to eating chicken and fish.

Eating regularly definitely helped and finding ways to calm myself when I felt stressed.

Will she take a decent multivitamin?

MissHoollie · 04/01/2024 22:13

May be eosinophilic gastro issues

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:16

My DS had similar to this when he was in primary school

The GP diagnosed it as being overly excitable

The GP was correct

It was really annoying having to go in all the time to collect him due to school rules re vomiting

In the case of your DD I'd say it was stress related not medical

I could obviously be wrong

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:18

I've just remembered actually that DD age 14 was constantly in Matrons office feeling sick

Hers was definitely stress related

I moved her to a different school

All symptoms of nausea etc magically disappeared

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:19

DD did suffer very badly from period pain so she was out in the pill which also helped alleviate symptoms so there was actual medical issues to pain and nausea too

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:20

ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:08

Rainy blue that sounds so similar!

Also the cyclical vomitting link above.

She's really worried about missing more gcse classes with it. And hates being sick.

What can I do to help?

Try travel sickness tablets

SleepPrettyDarling · 04/01/2024 22:21

MissHoollie · 04/01/2024 22:13

May be eosinophilic gastro issues

Yes, DD has elevated levels for white blood cell eosinophils; apparently this is strongly associated with allergies (pet/food/dust/damp/mould).

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:23

Travel sickness

Or ginger tea

Cut up an inch of ginger 🫚 and stick it in a pan of water maybe 2 pints with sugar

Bring to the boil and then let simmer for 15 mins

I like to leave it to cool and steep overnight and it tastes delicious in the morning cold or reheated

Add more sugar or honey to taste

Original poster
ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:24

Thanks. I assume as under 16 the Dr can't prescribed amitryptaline? She is waiting for a camhs assessment...

She has mentioned antidepressants before but us scared to put on weight...

OP posts:
Original poster
ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:24

Ideally we'd have it under control so she could take something as and when it happens?!

OP posts:
Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:25

Travel sickness TABLETS (GP can prescribe specific anti sickness meds)

Or ginger tea

Hopefully it's nothing too serious

SleepPrettyDarling · 04/01/2024 22:25

Vertigo??

BleakGarden · 04/01/2024 22:26

We are going through this right now with 15 year old DS. He suffers from anxiety, and also has ADHD plus a few other things. He's not on stimulants though. In the last 6 weeks he's been saying he feels sick and is having difficulty swallowing. He can eat in the evenings though so I've been feeding him up at dinner and giving him protein shakes at other times. It definitely got worse during the mock GCSEs, he's also mostly nocturnal so he's sleep deprived at school.
My gut feeling is it's anxiety, but I was wondering about silent reflux given it's worse in the morning and he's complained of heartburn in the past. I'll make him a GP appointment now that we've got through school holidays and it's no better. I hope you can get to the bottom of it OP

SleepPrettyDarling · 04/01/2024 22:26

ThreeBeanChilli · 04/01/2024 22:24

Ideally we'd have it under control so she could take something as and when it happens?!

Amitryptiline builds up over time to reduce migraine.

frazzled22 · 04/01/2024 22:26

My dd16 had this. Two months later I was a grandma.......

stayathomer · 04/01/2024 22:27

Is it only this school year op? 13yo ds was similar- no vomiting but sick feeling to the point where he’d run out at dinner to try to get sick. Turned out to be viral and he went on stomach tablets for two weeks and fine since. Not as easy as it sounds though, the tablets are adult stomach tablets and the doctor rang someone to see could he go on them then pharmacist rang her and had a discussion with someone as to whether he should go on them. We were watching him like a hawk for side effects and had to ring the school to get him to watch him too but luckily he was fine and they worked

Mirrormeback · 04/01/2024 22:28

It might be acid reflux you could try the relevant medication to test out the theory as it's not harmful

Gaviscon liquid is best or a cheaper generic version as opposed to OTC chalky tablets

Newname2308 · 04/01/2024 22:29

My autistic 15 yr old DD has lots of nausea, and fairly regular vomiting, as well. Sounds very similar. In her case it’s definitely anxiety/stress. The most important thing is for the school to understand this isn’t a bug, she shouldn’t be required to go home. If she feels well enough to stay, that is.

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