There are a lot of uncomfortable symptoms (physical and mental) that hormones can cause. The severity level of them and number can all vary depending on the person. When they are experienced can be variable as well.
Nausea is just one of the symptoms a person can suffer from as they go through their menstrual cycle. This post is here to inform you why it happens and show you remedies that may be of help.
Why and when it happens
Nausea is found on lists of PMS/PMDD symptoms on various websites as well as in testimonials on forums. While not everyone experiences it, those that do probably find it to be an obnoxious thing to deal with.
The cause of hormonal nausea pretty much all boils down to estrogen and progesterone. These two hormones can be a bit pesky and some people are just more sensitive to their peskiness!
Here are some more specific ways that these ovarian hormones can cause nausea:
- Ovary location- Estrogen and progesterone are produced by the ovaries. Due to the ovaries being by the digestive organs, these two hormones can cause the emptying of them to go slower or faster. This can result in nausea.
- High estrogen levels in relation to progesterone- When estrogen levels are really high, the stomach lining can get irritated which in turn causes nausea.
- Decreasing estrogen levels- This can irritate the stomach lining just like the high levels can.
- Progesterone- This hormone can irritate the stomach lining during parts of the menstrual cycle when it is rising to high levels.
- Decreasing progesterone and estrogen levels- Both of these levels decreasing at the same time can be irritating to the stomach lining.
As you can see from the above list, one’ s stomach can get upset with pretty much any change of hormone level. This means that one may feel it around ovulation and various times in the luteal phase (especially the final few days).
It is important to note that not everyone is sensitive to the shifting levels of these hormones. If you don’t have any nausea during your cycle- you are completely normal, too!
Other GI issues that can occur due to hormones include the following:
- Constipation
- Diarrhea
- Bloating
- Gassiness
- Aches and cramps
- GERD
The remedies and their strengths
There are quite a few things that one can turn to relieve their hormonal nausea. These will be listed below along with the possible strength of their effects rated out of five (five is the highest strength).
The remedies:
- Peppermint– Smelling it (2.5/5), drinking the tea (4/5), sucking on the candy (3/5), applying the diluted essential oil to wrists/belly (2/5).
- Chamomile– Drinking the tea (3.5/5), swallowing capsules of it (3/5), and the liquid extract (3.5/5)
- Vitamin B6 (50 mg)- 1/5
- Unisom (25 mg)- 3.5/5 (can have some bad next-day side effects)
- Vitamin B6 (50 mg) + Unisom (25 mg)- 4.5/5 (this can have bad next-day side effects so watch out for that)
- Nauzene syrup (adult dosage)- 4/5 (might cause a little drowsiness)
- Meclizine (25 mg)- 4.5/5 (might have some next-day side effects but not as bad as Unisom)
- Fennel tea- 3.5/5 (interacts with some medication so make sure to do some research)
- Red raspberry leaf tea- 4/5
- Ginger- The tea (3/5), capsules (1/5), candy (3/5), pop (3/5)
- Lemon- Smelling it (2/5), drinking lemon water (3/5), nibbling on slices (2.5/5), sucking on the candy (2.5/5).
- Saltine crackers- 3/5
- Baking soda and water (1/2 tsp in four ounces of water)- 3/5
- Zofran (prescription medication)- 4/5
- Pink Stork Morning Sickness Spray– 3.5/5
- Motion sickness acupressure bands– 2/5
- Exposure to cold (face in front of a fan or walking outside when it is cold)- 3.5/5
- Daily, long term usage of Claritin (10 mg) and Pepcid (20-40 mg)- 3/5 (may help reduce instances of stomach issues during the menstrual cycle if there are any histamine related issues that are causing the PMS/PMDD symptoms).
These ratings were taken from 20 people (who tried ALL of them) and then averaged out. That is an extremely small amount of people for a “study” but it still provides some clues as to how these things may work for hormonal nausea.
Everyone is different, so don’t expect to get the exact same results from them. You might get better results or no results at all.
What I am using these days
Before treating my mast cell issues that I developed after recovering from COVID-19, I had so many stomach issues it was unbelievable. While the treatment (Claritin and Pepcid daily) has been great at lessening the severity- I still suffer monthly.
I used to use Vitamin B6, Unisom, Nauzene syrup, Pink Stork Morning Sickness Spray, ginger capsules and Zofran all together (that is a lot!) on many days during my menstrual cycle due to things being so bad. The side effects were not good however and they seemed to get worse over time.
After a while, I stopped using the Unisom and morning sickness spray. The things I was then using at that time in my life included Zofran, vitamin B6, Meclizine, red raspberry leaf tea, Nauzene syrup and ginger capsules. I wouldn’t use them all together, everyday but still on the frequent side.
For the past few months, I have honestly been able to breath through things a lot and do some pacing which has helped so much with the hormonal nausea. If I feel like the nausea is too strong for those two things, I will then start brewing up two cups of red raspberry leaf tea and suck on a piece of peppermint candy.
The tea and candy help enough now that nothing stronger is rarely needed and I can continue breathing/pacing through any remaining stomach upset. I do keep around Meclizine, Zofran and Nauzene syrup just in case though.
I hope this helps
If you deal with hormonal-related nausea- you are not alone. So many others have had to suffer through that feeling at various times in their menstrual cycles, too. Luckily enough, we can all conquer it together by providing each other tips and tricks.
Do you get nausea during certain parts of your menstrual cycle? How do you deal with it?
Thanks for reading!
Some sources-
https://mspmag.com/health-and-fitness/the-hormone-digestion-connection-from-postpartum-to-perimeno/
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3322543/
https://www.dulyhealthandcare.com/health-topic/women-and-gut-health
https://www.drugs.com/sfx/progesterone-side-effects.html
Medical disclaimer- I am not a medical professional and therefore am not a substitute for medical advice. I am simply just relaying information that I have learned over the years. If you are thinking of taking any of these things I have talked about, please talk to your doctor first. Your health is your own and I am not liable for any bad effects that occur due to your choices.
Affiliate disclaimer: I am part of an affiliate program so some of the links may be affiliate links. This means that I may receive a commission for anything you click on and purchase.
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