How do I get through a stomach bug when I am scared of vomiting?
Getting through a stomach bug with a fear of vomiting comes down to two jobs: small sips of fluid, and keeping panic from adding nausea of its own.
Not every stomach bug brings vomiting. Many run mostly as cramps and diarrhea, and most food poisoning and norovirus settle within one to three days. Fear also churns the stomach, so a wave of queasiness during panic is often the fear, not the illness getting worse.
Sip oral rehydration solution, a mouthful every few minutes, rather than a full glass at once. Sit upright, keep the room cool, and breathe slowly with the out-breath longer than the in-breath. Eat something bland when you want to, not before.
Get medical help the same day for blood in vomit or stool, a fever over 102F, very little urine with dizziness, severe belly pain, or not keeping any fluid down for a day.
Fear of vomiting, called emetophobia, is a recognized phobia and it is treatable. Talking therapy, especially CBT, helps. If the fear shapes what you eat, where you go or how you sleep, ask a doctor about it.
Source: NHS, treatment for phobias
See a doctor promptly if
- Blood in the stool, or stool that looks black and tarry
- No urine passed for eight hours, or standing up causes near fainting
- Vomiting so constant that no fluid stays down for a whole day
- Fever above 102 F (39 C), or shaking chills
- Severe or constant belly pain, or a hard swollen belly
- New confusion or unusual drowsiness, especially in an older adult
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Answered by the AskDoc Medical Team · Medically reviewed under our Medical Director, MBBS · How we review
For vomiting or diarrhea
Rehydration salts replace fluid better than water or sports drinks. Keep a few sachets at home; nobody wants to shop for them while sick.
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