End of Life Concerns Pain & Symptom Control Managing Nausea and Vomiting in Palliative Care and Hospice By Angela Morrow, RN linkedin Angela Morrow, RN, BSN, CHPN, is a certified hospice and palliative care nurse. Learn about our editorial process Angela Morrow, RN Fact checked by Fact checked by James Lacy on October 27, 2020 linkedin James Lacy, MLS, is a fact checker and researcher. James received a Master of Library Science degree from Dominican University. Learn about our editorial process James Lacy on October 27, 2020 Print Table of Contents View All Prevalence of Nausea and VomitingToward the End of Life Causes Treatment Nausea and vomiting are common and distressing symptoms in many palliative care patients. Identifying the cause or causes and treating the symptoms promptly can increase comfort and quality of life. Fuse / Getty Images Prevalence of Nausea and VomitingToward the End of Life Nausea—an unpleasant feeling in the stomach that may or may not be followed by vomiting—is very common as a patient moves toward the end of life. It is most common in patients with terminal cancer. It is also common in patients with other diagnoses. It almost goes without saying that nausea and vomiting—which very often occur together but can also occur independently of each other—are distressing symptoms. More importantly, they can prevent a patient from taking in an adequate level of hydration and nutrition as well as important medications. Causes There are several causes of nausea and vomiting. Noxious odors, tastes, or sights can sometimes trigger this response. Certain medications such as opioid analgesics (narcotic pain medications), NSAIDs, antibiotics, and chemotherapeutic agents can cause nausea as well. Physical changes in the gastrointestinal tract such as constipation or bowel obstruction are yet other examples of causes. Because treatment of nausea and vomiting can largely depend on what's causing it, your health care provider will do a thorough assessment to try to determine the cause. Treatment Treatment will begin with identifying the cause, and reversing it if possible. This may include removing or avoiding noxious stimuli, discontinuing unnecessary medications, and treating constipation. Medications to treat nausea and vomiting may be used when the cause is irreversible or the symptoms persist despite treatment. Medications may include: Anti-emetics like Phenergan and CompazineAnti-anxiety drugs like lorazepamMetoclopramide(Reglan)Haloperidol (Haldol)Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) There are many different ways to administer most of the common medications to treat nausea and vomiting, which is especially important if pills are regurgitated before digestion. Some patients may be given a liquid form of the medicine if they can keep it down. Sometimes medication will be given as a suppository (in the rectum) or even as a topical gel on the skin. There are other treatments that can be given along with medication or used while you're waiting for a medication to arrive. Some things you can try include: Provide fresh air and loosen the patient's clothing.Apply a cool compress to the patient's forehead, neck, and wrists.Avoid odors that can trigger an episode; avoid cooking heavily-odored food and don’t wear perfume or after-shave when you will be close to the patient.Offer small meals and limit drinks served with each one. Offer liquids at other times during the day but drinking too much liquid with food can cause vomiting.Serve food cold, which can limit odors that can make a patient nauseated.As with any symptom, be sure to contact your healthcare provider immediately. Prompt treatment will help ensure that the patient gets comfortable as soon as possible. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Sign up for our Health Tip of the Day newsletter, and receive daily tips that will help you live your healthiest life. Sign Up You're in! Thank you, {{form.email}}, for signing up. There was an error. Please try again. What are your concerns? Other Inaccurate Hard to Understand Submit Article Sources Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy. Albert RH. End-of-life care: managing common symptoms. Am Fam Physician. 2017 Mar 15;95(6):356-361. Glare P, Miller J, Nikolova T, Tickoo R. Treating nausea and vomiting in palliative care: a review. Clin Interv Aging. 2011;6:243–259. doi:10.2147/CIA.S13109