I
didn't give much thought (OK, any thought) to anti-nausea medications
before taking some off-grid medicine classes. After the children ceased
to be bothered by motion sickness on our windy mountain passes, those
bottles of Dramamine were pushed to the back and got really old. And
then, after packing them around in a few moves, I finally threw them
away, because we very rarely are afflicted by nausea here.
When
we do have upset stomachs around here, I really prefer to use herbal
tea, generally peppermint. However, it might be a good idea to stock
some anti-nausea pharmaceuticals. That's because anti-nausea remedies
are also employed to keep from vomiting (and wasting a precious)
medicine that itself makes us nauseous. The Percocet I took after having
my wisdom teeth removed made me nauseous, so since then, when I've been
prescribed Percocet, doctors have also given a script for Zofran.
Anti-nausea medications are cheap, cheap, cheap. Antibiotics and
prescription pain relievers aren't necessarily expensive now, but when
they become very precious, the supply will need to be wisely used.
Pepto-Bismol,
the pink stuff, was initially sold over 100 years ago in the US as a
remedy for diarrhea in infants. Most of us have had it at some point in
our lives, usually as the liquid. It's probably not the best choice for
stockpiling, at least in the liquid form. All "use-by" dates on liquid
medications should be taken seriously. And it can cause constipation,
never fun in any situation, but particularly not fun in a bad situation.
Ondansetron (Zofran)
is commonly prescribed for nausea, especially when needed to help a
patient keep other medicines from causing nausea or being vomited.
Bonine/Meclizine (Antivert--prescription
strength) comes in 12.5, 25, and 50 mg tablets and is used to prevent
nausea, vomiting, and motion sickness. If OTC pain medications cause
nausea, a dose of meclizine may be taken one hour before taking the pain
medications. It may also help with dizziness and is a mild sedative as
well. For these reasons, it is also used as a sleep aid and an
anti-anxiety remedy. Doctors generally advise adults to take one 25-mg
tablet an hour before traveling, or up to 50-100mg per day in divided
doses for anxiety, dizziness, or sleeping. While a licensed physician
should be consulted before anyone takes any medication, meclizine really
should not be taken by anyone under the age of 12 or over the age of 65
without a doctor's recommendation.
Meclizine
is very inexpensive, about $6.00 for 100 pills through Amazon. While it
is well worth stockpiling just to prevent a single bout of nausea down
the road, it will be invaluable in treating anxiety or preventing a
person from vomiting precious medications.
Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) comes
in 12.5, 25, and 50 mg tablets and is used to prevent nausea, vomiting,
and dizziness in children over the age of 2 and adults. It is also a
mild sedative. And it is very inexpensive through Amazon.
Rubbing alcohol. This is, hands down, my most favorite nausea treatment option. Simply inhaling rubbing alcohol vapors can reduce and even completely eliminate nausea. It is very inexpensive, unlike Zofran, and isn't a sedative, unlike Dramamine and meclizine. It isn't chalky tasting and won't cause constipation, unlike Pepto-Bismol. It's easy to use and stores forever. All you do is open an alcohol wipe and hold it under your nose to inhale the vapors. Use as necessary, which usually involves opening a new wipe in 10 minutes. And it's even safe for children and there is no risk of interactions with other drugs.
Links to related posts:
Peppermint
Benadryl
Boo-Boo Kit
OTC Pain Relievers
Spearmint
Rubbing Alcohol Aromatherapy as Nausea Treatment
02.26.19 11.03.19
Grow Ginger in your window sill. A 2+ year crop but is renewable and expandable. Buy ginger root from grocery store, look for growth nubs. Like to be damp NOT Wet as it rots. A bit ground up for tea settles my belly. A little sliced and dried with sugar makes a wonderful anti-acid snack when I over indulge in tomato sauce and pasta. Sugar can be tapped from Maples and Beeches making that also renewable with some work.
ReplyDeleteBoth ginger and sugar have other useful medical uses.
Pepto bismal comes in tablets as well!
ReplyDeleteAlso, if using zofran or other prescription anti-nausea, remember that heavy use can alter the heart rhythm, sometimes in bad ways, especially with other medications.
There are many brands of individually wrapped ginger chews on the market. These work very well for nausea in general as well as nausea associated with pregnancy and motion sickness.
ReplyDeleteGinger tea can be helpful. Peel a 1" section of ginger by scraping off the skin with a spoon. Slice ginger thinly (about 1/8" thick), 5-6 slices per cup; or grate ginger, 1 tablespoon per cup. Steep in 1 cup boiling water for 10-20 minutes. Add lemon or honey to taste.