Nausea is miserable, isn’t it?

We are fortunate to have many anti-nausea medications to choose from these days. But what are you supposed to do when you have nausea that’s so bad that you can’t keep down the pills that are supposed to make your nausea better? 

Here are 3 medications that you can use relieve nausea at home that you don’t have to swallow – plus a bonus home remedy for nausea you can try out too!

Disclaimer: I want to be explicit that these are prescription medications, and this post is simply intended to help you have a more informed discussion with your doctor. Your doctor who knows your whole medical situation should make the final call if any of these options make sense for you specifically.

• Zofran (ondansetron). If you’ve even been prescribed a medication for nausea there’s a good chance it was Zofran. It’s a fairly common one. But what you might not know is that zofran also comes in ODTs – oral dissolving tablets. Handy when you can’t keep the regular tablets down.

• Olanzapine. There is another anti-nausea pill that comes in oral dissolving tabs, and that’s olanzapine, also known as Zyprexa. It has a completely different mechanism of action, so it’s a good option to pivot to if ondansetron isn’t working for you. But remember you will need be clear you are getting the oral dissolving tabs specifically otherwise there’s a good chance the pharmacy will dispense the regular tabs you have to swallow.

An important aside about olanzapine. If you look up olanzapine, you will find that it is often used to treat psychiatric illnesses like schizophrenia. Many folks are alarmed when they learn this, but the reason for this overlap is that the neurotransmitter dopamine is involved with A LOT. Too much or too little dopamine is responsible for a host of neuropsychiatric illnesses, and dopamine is also one of the main neurotransmitters involved in making you feel nauseated. Rest assured, being prescribed olanzapine for nausea does not mean your doctor has diagnosed you with mental illness!

• Scopolamine. Scopolamine comes in a patch that you place behind the ear and change once every 3 days. No swallowing required. Scopolamine can be especially useful if you’re having nausea that gets worse when you move your head. 

Now here’s a home remedy you can try for nausea that has some decent evidence behind it: alcohol pads! Yes, isopropyl alcohol, the main ingredient on those alcohol pads you buy over the counter can significantly relieve nausea within just a few minutes. You just put the wipe a bit below your nose, and inhale deeply. It doesn’t work for everyone, but plenty of people swear by this trick.

Hope this helps!