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This PDQ cancer information summary has current information about the causes and treatment of nausea and vomiting (emesis) (N&V). It is meant to inform and help patients, families, and caregivers. It does not give formal guidelines or recommendations for making decisions about health care.
Editorial Boards write the PDQ cancer information summaries and keep them up to date. These Boards are made up of experts in cancer treatment and other specialties related to cancer. The summaries are reviewed regularly and changes are made when there is new information. The date on each summary ("Date Last Modified") is the date of the most recent change. The information in this patient summary was taken from the health professional version, which is reviewed regularly and updated as needed, by the PDQ Supportive and Palliative Care Editorial Board.
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- What are nausea and vomiting?
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Nausea is when you feel sick to your stomach, as if you have the urge to throw up. Vomiting is when you throw up. Nausea and vomiting are common side effects of cancer treatments, including chemotherapy (chemo) and radiation therapy, but antinausea medicines often prevent or relieve nausea and vomiting before they start or become a problem.
If uncontrolled, vomiting can lead to serious health problems such as dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and weight loss. Before you begin treatment, your doctor may suggest medications and tips to prevent and control these side effects.
Nausea and vomiting can occur at different times during cancer treatment:
Nausea and vomiting may also be described based on how well antinausea medicines work against them:
What causes nausea and vomiting in people with cancer?
Cancer and cancer treatments can cause nausea and vomiting. Other causes include anxiety, pain medicines, taking certain medications on an empty stomach, and other medical conditions.
Nausea and vomiting from cancer
Nausea and vomiting may be a sign or symptom of some types and stages of cancer:
Nausea and vomiting from cancer treatments
Many cancer treatments cause nausea and vomiting, but antinausea medicines (also known as antiemetics) given before treatment sessions work well to prevent or reduce these side effects.
How to prevent and stop nausea and vomiting
Medicines for nausea and vomiting
Medicines called antiemetics (or antinausea drugs) work well to prevent and relieve nausea and vomiting in people with cancer. Your doctor may prescribe multiple types of antiemetics you can take depending on the severity of your nausea and vomiting. Your doctor will also tell you when to take the antiemetics, such as before or after chemotherapy treatments or a certain amount of time before eating.
Many types of antiemetics can prevent or help you get relief from nausea and vomiting, and you may be prescribed these or others that are not listed:
Tips for managing nausea and vomiting
In addition to prescribing antinausea medicines, your doctor may suggest tips for managing nausea and vomiting. These tips may sometimes be called natural nausea relief.
If you want to try supplements or complementary and alternative medicines to ease nausea and vomiting, always check with your doctor first. Some supplements and alternative therapies may cause cancer treatments to work less well.
How a caregiver can help
Nausea and vomiting in children being treated for cancer
Nausea and vomiting are serious side effects of cancer treatment for children. You can learn about how to help your child avoid nausea and vomiting during cancer treatment in our booklet Children with Cancer: A Guide for Parents in the section Common Health Problems.
Nausea and vomiting in children can be treated with many of the same medicines and techniques used in adults. But not all medicines for adults are safe for children to take, and children are often given lower doses.
Doctors have also found that several integrative therapies may be especially effective for treating nausea and vomiting in children:
Be aware of delayed nausea and vomiting in children being treated for cancer
Delayed nausea, or nausea and vomiting that happens more than 24 hours after a cancer treatment, may be more difficult to notice in children than in adults. A change in the child’s eating pattern may be the only sign of a problem. In addition, most chemotherapy treatments for children are scheduled over several days. This makes the timing and risk of delayed nausea difficult to predict.
Talk with your child’s health care team if your child has nausea or vomiting or if you notice a sudden change in their eating habits. Your child’s doctors can help you determine if these changes are related to the cancer treatment and identify strategies to help manage them.
Talking with your doctor about nausea and vomiting
If you are experiencing nausea and vomiting or are worried about having these side effects, tell your health care team. They can help you find ways to get relief or prevent nausea and vomiting before it starts.
Questions to ask your provider about nausea and vomiting:
Getting support if you have nausea and vomiting
Side effects like nausea and vomiting can be hard to deal with, both physically and emotionally. It’s important to ask for support from your health care team. They can help you prepare for and make it through difficult times. Learn more about ways to cope with cancer.
For family members and friends who are caring for someone with cancer, you may find these suggestions for caregivers to be helpful.
Listen to tips on how to manage nausea and vomiting caused by cancer treatments such as radiation therapy. (Type: MP3 | Time: 2:18 | Size: 2.2MB)
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