Helen Doering

Have you ever woken up vomiting for hours, which continued day after day, week after week for years and no-one seemed to be able to stop it.

This is Christine’s story.

It all started about 16 yrs. ago.  At first, she thought it was the flu but it went on and on.  She was seeing doctors and some thought she was pregnant or either anorexic or bulimic. This was an everyday happening from 2a.m. to 2p.m. nauseated and dizzy.  She was on different medications, had a shot in her hip and had several short stays in hospital, not only with nausea but also extreme abdominal pain. A hot shower was one way she would get a little relief also drinking Powerade helped.

Six years ago, after being extremely dehydrated she was hospitalized again, only this time for over a week and her Calgary doctor was determined to get to the bottom of her suffering.

Finally, after many tests it was determined she had CVS cyclic vomiting syndrome.  This is a brain gut disorder almost like a migraine in her stomach. CVS is an increasingly recognized disorder of sudden repeated attacks with episodes of severe nausea, vomiting and physical exhaustion that occur with no apparent cause.

The episodes can last from hrs. into days and be so severe they have to stay in bed, unable to go to work, need treatment in emergency rooms or hospital. To people who have the disorder as well as family and friends CVS can be disruptive and frightening.  The cause is unknown but experts believe problems with gastrointestinal motility- way food moves through digestive system, central nervous system function, autonomic nervous system function – nerves that control internal organs such as heart and hormone imbalances.

The events that trigger an episode could be emotional stress or panic attacks, infections such as sinus and respiratory, certain foods like cheese, chocolate, nitrites and MSG, hot weather, motion sickness, overeating, fasting or eating right before bedtime, physical exhaustion or too much exercise. .

Complications of CVS include dehydration, esophagitis; inflammation can result from stomach acid that exists through esophagus while vomiting.

Christine went to her doctor before Christmas and they discovered her vomiting has torn a hole in her stomach, she has gerd, gastrical esophageal reflux disease, has a hiatus hernia and high cholesterol. Her diagnosis, all this could make her liver fatty making it fail, have a heart attack or choke if she lays down.

She is to lose weight, blend some of her food, eat smaller portions oftener, don’t eat much after 5:00 and don’t lay down for at least 2 hrs. after eating.

CVS was first founded in 1861 in France. In adults 1.6 % of world population has it and it occurs mostly between ages of 35 – 73.

Christine’s journey through hell continues, she has a lot to deal with.  I am very concerned about her and she knows her future health is very dependent on how she handles her diagnosis