Tips to improve nausea from antibiotics

[Cakedoesntjudge]

I've been put on a 12 week course of a combination of two strong antibiotics. I was warned these particular antibiotics were likely to cause stomach discomfort but I have been quite surprised just how awful I've felt only one day in. I am pretty determined to complete the course if at all possible and it does have to be these specific ones.

I'm taking a probiotic and drinking a lot of squash (they're also making me feel very thirsty).

One has to be taken with a full glass of water but can theoretically be with or without food. The other one has to be taken either one hour before or two hours after food.

As my username suggests, my issue is normally trying to prevent myself from inhaling the nearest calorific source but today I have had a cereal bar (someone told me fibre might help and it was a high fibre one) and that took me quite some time and effort to get through and I can't face anything else. I also tried a mint to see if that helped (it didn't).

I don't drink hot drinks and I'm intolerant to dairy.

Do any Mumsnet gurus have any tried and tested methods of reducing nausea? 12 weeks feels like a very long time to feel this awful (although it is necessary) and I am willing to try pretty much anything!

Thanks in advance.

I was recently put on some antibiotics that made me feel really nauseous and found that Cawston Ginger Beer made a real difference. I have no idea how or why anyone drinks that stuff when they’re not ill (it’s really strong!) but it made a massive difference to how sick I felt.

which antibiotics are you on? Sound like flucloxacillin and doxycycline.

I have had a lot of antibiotics and am currently on one long term, I always take it after food with a full glass of water which helps. Though I have also got anti sickness tablets from the GP as they can make me quite nauseated.

If I was you I would honestly ask your GP for ant sickness tablets if you feel sick, 12 weeks is a long time to feel nauseous.

Synerchi Kombucha, have a can a day. It's unpasteurised and has good bacteria. Plus, un pasteurised saerkraut from the fridge section not aisle. Don't accidently buy pasteurised like i did! And, although they don't do much, no harm in adding a live yoghurt to that.

Can you take one with food and the other two hours after food. The nausea should lessen. Ginger beer is good. Digestive biscuits. They played hell with my gut. Buy extra loo roll.

Thank you so much for the tips everyone. Will give everything a go and if it persists will see if my GP will prescribe anti nausea tablets.

The antibiotics are clindamycin and rifampicin. But to be honest I very often struggle with feeling sick when on antibiotics no matter what they are - I usually avoid them as far as possible because I'm a wimp 🤣

I’ve heard those are evil ones. If they give me doxycycline or Clarithromycin I have to have anti sickness. I hate taking them too and I’ve had a least one course a month for the last two years, dread to think what state my guts are in.

I hope you feel better soon.

White bread

This brings back awful memories when I was on a similar cocktail daily for cellulitis. I'm not a vomit-er at all but it got to the point where I kept being sick.

I eventually called up to ask if I could be swapped to another AB and was told to just stop taking them. Which made me very stressed as they always say you must finish the course, but I was happy to get some relief!

I would definitely ask for anti nausea/sickness medication to get you through the 12 weeks. Note I was also told NOT to take probiotics as it defeats the point and can reduce the efficacy of the AB, unless you take them a certain number of hours apart IIRC?