What may help

Talk to your Doctor

Your doctor or nurse should be able to work out what is causing the nausea and vomiting and suggest treatments (eg. adjusting your diet or medications).

Write down what you want to tell your doctor:

  • When does the nausea or vomiting occur? How long does it last for? It might be useful to keep a diary to record this information.
  • What are some of the things that seem to bring on nausea or vomiting?
  • What seems to make the nausea or vomiting worse?
  • What have you tried to relieve nausea or vomiting?
  • Have you experienced nausea or vomiting before?

Write down what you want to ask your doctor:

  • What can be done to relieve nausea or vomiting?
  • Ask your doctor what he or she will be prescribing to prevent or control nausea and vomiting.
  • Find out if the chemotherapy drug you are receiving is likely to cause nausea and vomiting. If so, ask when these are most likely to occur and how long they typically last.

If you are prescribed medicine to help you with nausea or vomiting ask:

  • How long will it take to work?
  • How often should I take it?
  • What should I do if I continue to experience nausea or vomiting?
  • Are there other options if the medication doesn’t work?
  • What are the possible side-effects of the medication? How can these be managed?
  • Who will I keep seeing about my bowel problems? 

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Life, Hope & Reality was developed and written by Afaf Girgis, Claire Johnson, and Sylvie Lambert with funding from the NHMRC and Cancer Council NSW.

Last updated 30 August 2015