Weird occasional vomiting thing - trying to figure out the cause

[muffinmonster]

My DS is eight, and for a long time now (4 years, maybe 5? can't remember) we have noticed that when we go out to a big social event, he often vomits in the night afterwards. Typical scenarios would be a barbecue at a friend's house, or a big day out with friends. At first I put it down to the fact that he was probably overeating horribly at parties while we weren't looking. Then I thought it might be the travel or overexcitement. However, it happens even when (as yesterday!) he hasn't really eaten a great deal, and yet it doesn't happen when he goes to his grandma's house and has a big lunch plus two puddings. Also it doesn't happen when he's been to friend's birthday parties. As for the travel, he's never actually travelsick, and it doesn't happen only when he's travelled long distances. That leaves overexcitement - but he doesn't throw up at the time, only during the night afterwards, usually several hours after we've got home. Has anyone else experienced anything like this? I've no reason to suppose that it's food poisoning, as neither DH nor DD nor I get sick when he does. Is it possible that it happens because he's overtired and sleeps very deeply and ... ???? Usually it happens once in the night, but sometimes twice. Would be grateful for any enlightenment so we could try to prevent it.

Afterthouht: DD has occasionally had the same thing, though in her case it seems definitely to be a case of combined overeating and overexcitement. She usually manages to do it at someone else's house during a sleepover.

DS1 (9, severely autistic so I can't ask him about it) has bouts of vomiting following either overexcitement or not eating enough. In his case I think it's a variation of a migraine and/or cyclic vomiting syndrome triggered by not having enough sugar (he always smells of pear drops when he does it). It starts in the morning and usually lasts 2 or 3 days. He can't keep down anything and has to have sugared water before moving onto food.

I find that making sure he eats can help. But sometimes it just happens anyway.

My friends ds gets this but he also has ended up in hospital as his body sometimes shuts down too.He was diagnosed with cyclic vomiting syndrome and yes overexcitement is a trigger i believe.

My ds has this. He has Aspergers. He asked me last night 'mummy, why am I being sick?' and I said, 'I don't know'. I am sure overexcitement has something to do with it. The girls are never sick! It usually lasts one night, and after he's been sick, he is barely awake.

My DS was sick last night and over the past few months has had a spell or two of vomming at night but no further problems. He has been fine all day today but at bedtime started saying he had a 'poorly tummy' though with no evidence of anything being wrong ie he ate his tea, has no diarrhoea and no fever. So I am hoping fervently that he will not boak in bed again tonight (have no more farking clean dry sheets after having to wash two lots of bedding and pjs at 6am this morning...)
I was beginning to wonder if it was some sort of 4-year-old phase. He was a very possety baby but since then has had a pretty good digestion.

Thanks for the answers - interesting to hear that overexcitement can be a cause. Luckily for us DS usually only has one or two episodes of vomiting and then recovers completely.

jimjamshaslefttheyurt: Isn't the smell of pear drops a sign of ketosis (not sure if htat's the right term), and quite serious? I think I've heard of this in connection with diabetes (presumably in hypoglycaemia, or lows). Is your DS diabetic?

No he's not diabetic, but it's certainly a sign of ketosis (which causes extreme nausea etc). I don't think it's serious in his case (he seems to go several days on it) but apparently it can trigger cyclic vomiting.