Medications for Nausea

Nausea is an unpleasant sensation of discomfort in the stomach, often accompanied by the urge to vomit, and is a symptom rather than a disease in itself — one of the most common complaints in medicine. It can arise from a vast range of causes including motion sickness, pregnancy (morning sickness), viral gastroenteritis, medication side effects (particularly chemotherapy, opioids, and antibiotics), surgery and anesthesia, inner ear disorders, migraines, anxiety, and gastrointestinal conditions such as gastroparesis. The severity ranges from mild, self-resolving queasiness to persistent, debilitating nausea and vomiting that requires medical treatment. Accompanying symptoms may include vomiting, sweating, pallor, dizziness, increased salivation, and a general feeling of being unwell. Identifying and treating the underlying cause is important because management differs significantly depending on the trigger.

Persistent nausea and vomiting can lead to dehydration, malnutrition, electrolyte imbalances, and significant weight loss — concerns that are particularly serious during chemotherapy, pregnancy, or in older adults. Antiemetic medications work through several different mechanisms to block the signals that trigger nausea and vomiting. Serotonin (5-HT3) receptor antagonists such as ondansetron are highly effective for chemotherapy-induced and post-surgical nausea; dopamine antagonists such as metoclopramide and prochlorperazine are commonly used for general nausea and gastroparesis; antihistamines such as meclizine and dimenhydrinate are effective for motion sickness; and neurokinin-1 (NK1) receptor antagonists are used for highly emetogenic chemotherapy regimens. The medications listed below are among the most commonly prescribed for treating nausea and vomiting.