constant nausea, weight loss (underweight), and loss of appetite (due to nausea)

Digestive health
1

Hello,

This is the first time i have ever posted on a forum especially a health one.

I just currently feel at a loss. I'm a 17 year old female and as far as I can remember, for the past 4 years, I have suffered from daily nausea, on and off but it has progressively gotten worse. At this point, I can barely eat and I am underweight (82-83 pounds and I'm 5 feet tall). This really affects my daily life and I honestly feel depressed and anxious. Preparing for college and such is a stress to most by itself but I'm struggling to juggle that and also my health. 

I have gone to the doctor since I started feeling the nausea which was summer 2015 (after my first year of high school) (i'll also note that at the time my weight was 98-96 pounds) Nothing was found out of the ordinary except for anemia which i still have. I'll be truthful in saying that I never took the anemia so seriously so i did not take iron pills on the daily. Needless to say, when i went back to the doc in 2016, my hemoglobin levels rose from 8.7 to 10.7 or so taking the pills on and off. But now they are back to an 8.9. I was referred to a gastro when I first went and the gastro sent me for an ultrasound in which nothing was found. I personally thought maybe my nausea was due to constant constipation I have struggled with since I was little so the gastro prescribed me Miralax (I took the generic one though). Once again, I took it and it worked for a while but my stomach started to hurt so I stopped taking it. I honestly preferred being constipated over having bad stomach pains. When we went back to the gastro for a check up, my mom told me that because I wasn't taking the medicine as I was told to that she didn't want to waste time continuing with the gastro for further treatment so I told the gastro that the Miralax worked and he sent me off. The Miralax did work for my constipation but my nausea wasn't really gone. At this point, I thought that maybe my nausea wasn't anything that bad since it wasn't as bad as it is now so I let it go. I began a new year of school and my nausea was on and off but I felt it was getting worse. By the end of my second year of high school, I was sick again and went to the doctor again. This time it was a new doc and they just prescribed me omeprazole and miralax again. I didn't take the omeprazole because I honestly fear taking new medicine. And i took the miralax only before i got my periods because I felt my constipation was worse at those times. Time passes, I still feel waves of nausea when eating sometimes but i manage to push through. My third year of high school ends and I still struggle and the waves have gotten more frequent. During these times, I tried to just ignore my feelings and see if it will suddenly get better (really stupid thinking I know now). My last year of high school begins, Nausea is still there but suddenly it has gotten completely worse. During winter break, the new year began and my nausea was unbearable. Even smells make me feel nauseous now. I can barely eat now. I started crying everyday and I didnt eat for a day or two. I thought it was constipation again so i took fiber gummies but even after pooping my nausea was there. Usually before I would feel slightly less nauseous when I pooped or let out gas but now it stayed the same. Eventually I felt so desperate so I was begging my parents to take me to the urgent care or the hospital because I couldn't take the feeling of being so sick and not knowing a cure. My parents made an appt for the pediatrician and I got blood tests taken and got prescribed omeprazole again and anti-nausea medicine and also told me to drink ensure. My blood tests came back showing I had anemia and elevated bilirubin (1.4), low alkaline phosphatase (44), and low carbon dioxide (15). I was referred to the nephrologist due to the results. I had another follow up appt like two weeks later (it was as an annual appt tho) and they took my blood tests again which came back with elevated bilirubin again (1.3) and low alkaline phosphatase again (40). This time I was referred to a gastro again. I did start taking the omeprazole and anti-nausea medicines this time. The omeprazole worked in calming my random acid reflux and constant burping but it made me very constipated and the fiber gummies werent working so I stopped taking it and continued the anti-nausea which barely works. I still feel nauseous taking it but I guess i know it stops vomiting and that reassures me somehow cause I am afraid to vomit. I only have one left though.

Now i am due for another appt later this month to check how i am doing. I can't say im doing particularly better. We made a gastro appt but its in march. I was also referred to a psychologist for anxiety. But I can't really say this nausea is purely only due to anxiety cause what causes me anxiety and stress is this sickness. I am also taking iron now but in liquid form as it is hard for me to pass pills. I honestly don't know what this could be. I feel so sad everyday because it is always there. I know i have to eat or else ill be malnutrition even worse. But it is such a task with this nausea. Over the years, I havent been able to enjoy any food I ate, I struggled a lot even swallowing sometimes. I would have to spit out my food on occasion because a really bad wave would just take over me. 

I'm scared. I have so much to do now and this is just an obstacle in my life. I just want to feel better and live my life well. 

If you read all of this, Thank you. If you have similar symptoms, I hope we can get a diagnosis and push through to get better and continue our lives properly. 

2

I have no idea what could be wrong but keep taking the medications prescribed for you.  If they don’t work or you can’t tolerate them, tell your doctor who may be able to give you something else.  If you get constipated, take lots of fruit particularly oranges or prune juice or take your laxative.  Constipation can cause nausea.

3

Hi, Poor you

i have had those symptoms on and off for several years so really sympathise particularly as you are so,young, there are a few simple things I try to do that help.

Always eat  at a table, never on your lap..and if you eat little and more often this helps,, ive been doing this for,a,while, thus not overloading my digestion..when I feel nauseous I chew a little crystallised ginger, this does help, tho I don’t like it that much.

Try to eat a quantity of vegetables, but read up which ones will help the best to help you most.

I

try not to,eat late into the evening,..I always ha e a large apple early evening, even though it is not one of favourite fruits..that helps...before,breakfast,I,drink a glass of warm water with a little juice or honey..then wait a few minutes before my breakfast.

i do a few simple exercises after breakfast that you may feel something happening..I sometimes need to massage my back and tummy when on the loo, once again to feel something happening and I put the radio on with pop music..I know silly for an old lady but anything to help me relax.  I,drink loads,of,water,throughout the day but this does not really cure my slow lazy bowel..but as you are so,young I think you need to try and work out if you can some simple things as well as the medication,..I wish I had tried this when I was younger..

I know it must. Be so distressing for you, as it is for me, but you will have more things to do each day.

I don’t know the answer but am sure you will get there in the end...not easy when the worry and discomfort is continuously there.

I also have trouble swallowing the Senna tablets which are dry sometimes end up across the room and I am getting a hoarse in my throat so am having a X-ray tomorrow and blood tests because o my weight loss..I have been on Omaprazole for a long time, which has helped but I think can also,cause constipation, tho did help the issue, come off,the, at the moment tho..but they cured an enflamation somthat was goog

take care

 

4

Hi poopsykat

Are you eating a fibre filled diet and plenty roughage in your diet?...also doing daily exercise and daily walking or running. Exercise will help get your bowel moving. Doing plenty of hip movements and bending also swimming. You may have a lazy bowel you need to get it moving with the right foods and exercise. Buy an exercise video or join an exercise class and eat a good healthy diet and drink plenty of water...

5

I have been dealing with this exact same issue for years now. At first the nausea was only sometimes and it wasn’t always too bad. My pregnancy with my daughter was pure nausea the whole time. And even though I was eating as much protein as I could, I was still losing weight. (pre baby I was 145lbs, about halfway through the pregnancy I was 130lbs) After having her I just joked around saying that the morning sickness just never went away.. I went to the ER a couple times in 2017 and once in 2018 just to come up with nothing. They did an endoscopy, blood tests, everything. They wanted to do a deeper endoscopy but the pain went away. Life got crazy so I let it go. But then it started to come back with fire in 2019. I still don’t know why but that June I got SO sick that even the thought of food made me sick, while driving, going to sleep, taking a shower, anything. I stopped eating. Entirely. I was 138-140lbs after pregnancy and stepped on the scale July 1st and was 115lbs. This is when I started to panic. I have been begging doctors to take me seriously ever since as I still cannot eat a lot. Ive ended up on the floor in horrible sharp/twisting pains.. Left side of the mid abdomen, near a scar ill explain at the end. Ive just learned to manage. I found that Marijuana allows me to eat in a moment. but I still regret it later. I’ve tried so many diets it’s ridiculous. Blood tests left and right and the only thing they’ve found are slightly elevated protein and a high bilirubin and so they say I’m fine. prescribe me anti nausea that never works. and tell me to take my Miralax. Which may ‘cure’ my constipation that I’ve had since birth. But it makes me sick on its own! And I could poop out everything and still feel sick, I swear.
That gets me to the complicated part. I had a surgery for a jeujunal atresia type 3 as a newborn. Growing up I had to wear a bracelet that says Do Not Operate because they found, during that surgery, that I only have 1 blood source (or whatever you call it) wrapped with intestines. Now, finding a doctor that understands what that is-is HARD. When I google specialists it comes up with research groups. I feel like a miserable enigma. I’m sick because I haven’t eaten but eating makes it worse so it feels better to go without. I don’t even think of food anymore. and I feed people! For a living and for my daughter. I was on anxiety meds, but couldn’t ever find one that helped.. I hope you find an answer! If you do, shoot your gal a reply! Every doctor rolls their eyes and says I have a mental issue.