Severe sickness and nausea following AVM

[Guest TB30]

Hi

My Mum suffered a brain haemmorhage from an AVM almost four weeks ago now. She seemed to be doing really well in the hospital - out of ICU within 3 days, out of High Dependency after another 3 and sent home after 2 and a half weeks. Since then, however, she's suffered constantly with nausea and sickness. She is almost unable to keep anything down - food or water - and there are whispers that she may be taken back into hospital to be drip fed. The Dr has prescribed various anti-sickness medicines without any success.

She's doing so well with every other part of her recovery that it would be a real blow to her confidence and morale to be readmitted but as things stand, she's getting almost no nutrition and we're beginning to think there is no other choice.

Has anybody else experienced similar symptoms or any advice/help on how to proceed?

Thank you!

[Karen]

Hi and welcome!

I haven't personally experienced the same, but I can remember a few posts in the past where people have, so it might be worth doing a "search" at the top of the page?

I can understand that it must be a big concern, re: nutrition and weight loss .... I think that there were many of us on here, that lost about a stone in the first 2 weeks

How old is your Mum?

[Guest TB30]

Thanks Karen

I did a quick search before posting and saw a couple of mentions of sickness but nothing that seemed similar to what my Mum is suffering from She's having most of the other experiences that people talk about - the extreme fatigue, speech difficulties, dizziness, etc - but I can find very little mention here, or anywhere else on the internet, of people experiencing the same sickness/nausea as she is. She's so determined to fight and get better but the sickness is getting in the way of her doing any sort of physio or even getting out of bed for longer than a few minutes at a time.

It was her 59th Birthday 4 days after her haemorrhage - we decorated her hospital bed in balloons and banners!

[Guest TB30]

Thanks Momo.

Can I ask, did it just clear up on it's own? Or did you/do you take any particular medicine to stop it?

Mum was a bit sick in the hospital but not as bad as she is now. We're fairly convinced it's motion sickness related but even the slightest motions seem to make her worse so it's difficult just to tell her to lie still!

[rod123]

Hi and welcome glad to hear your mum is doing well apart from the sickness Merrill my wife suffered nausea and sicknes when she came home, every time she ate anything she brought it striaght up,but the doctors did manage to control hers with anti sickness tabs, and they worked well, hope they soon manage to sort your mums out Best wishes Rod

[JayKay]

Hello. I'm sorry to hear your mum is still poorly. I had dreadful nausea and sickness in hospital, which is why I was in Queen Square for a month before spending another 2 weeks in my local hospital. They gave me regular anti-emetics, and bit by bit I got my appetite back... It's early days for your mum yet, and she needs to take baby steps. If she can make sure she drinks 3 litres of fluids a day and maybe the doctor gives her some anti-emetics, then hopefully she'll be able to avoid rehospitalisation... Fingers crossed for you all!

[paul99]

tb 30

sorry i cant help i know many suffer from the nausea and vomiting and i know many have been given anti emetics which seem to help the time frame you are talking about is still very early in recovery and things change on a daily basis all i can do is wish mum well and cross my fingers in hoping that this phase pass's quickly take care

[Vivien]

Hello TB30

I suffered from sickness and nausea in the hospital and so they stopped the medication they had given me to keep stools soft I think. It persisted and I was discharged with two lots of tablets for nausea ( sorry I can't remember what they were). It did pass over time and now I have put loads of weight on! I hope your mum feels better soon. I also sipped lemon and ginger tea and nibbled rich tea biscuits.

Vivien x

[Guest TB30]

Thanks to everyone for their kind messages of support and advice. Mum had a whole day yesterday without being sick so hopefully we have turned a corner.

Lots more to turn yet I expect.

[KelBel]

Apologies for not posting before. I have not experienced AVM so was not able to offer any help.

So glad to hear your mum has managed a whole day without sickness though! That is brilliant, and long may it continue. Hope she goes from strength to strength now.

Take care

Kel x

[Karen]

Hi,

Well, that's good news and let's hope that the nausea and sickness was just a blip and that your Mum picks up and regains some strength.

There are plenty of corners to turn and it can be baby steps, but even the smallest thing is a positive... and a start on the steps of recovery.

Wishing your Mum well and please let us know how she's getting on. xx

[rabbit]

Hi there

I had very bad nausea and spontaneous vomiting for the first few weeks after my SAH, and I still had it when I came home. I had to take a bowl everywhere we went, and often we couldn't go out. My doctor connected this with the extreme vision problems, saying that once I could see better, I would keep food down better. Actually the extreme vomiting stopped suddenly after a few weeks, to our intense relief. Since then I still have nausea occasionally. The following seem to help: I take an omeprazole (losec) daily now in the morning. I have plenty of fluid, and have some water with every meal. Not getting too hungry helps, too. I find if I bend over after eating, I tend to vomit. Initially I could only eat really slowly, a little at a time. I also had problems with my swallow being affected. It felt no different to me, but I had to do lots of swallowing exercises and it gradually improved. At first I could only have pureed food and thickened water! It is a big relief to have more control over the vomiting, now. My SLT put me onto a liqud Omega 3 formula, which is easier to swallow than large capsules. Your mum may also need to change her toothpaste.

So I think you may want to check for swallowing and vision problems. Hopefully it gets better soon!