Nausea And Vomiting, Age 4 And Older: Preparing For Your Appointment

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Preparing For Your Appointment

To prepare for your appointment, see the topic Making the Most of Your Appointment.

You can help your doctor diagnose and treat your condition by being prepared to answer the following questions:

• Describe your nausea and vomiting:
  • When did it start?
  • How many times have you vomited?
  • When did you last vomit?
  • What does the vomit look like (blood, coffee grounds, bile, mucus, undigested food)?
• What prescription and nonprescription medicines are you taking?
  • Are you taking any new prescription or nonprescription medicines?
  • Have you recently increased the dose of a medicine?
  • Are you taking a medicine more frequently?
• Have you been under an unusual amount of stress at home, work, or both?
• Have you recently been exposed to someone with a similar illness?
• Did your symptoms start after eating at a restaurant? Has anyone else who ate there with you become ill?
• Have you recently eaten raw or undercooked seafood?
• Do you think you have eaten any contaminated food?
• Have you recently drunk any untreated lake, stream, or well water?
• Have you recently gone on a cruise or traveled outside the country?
• Have you had any known exposure to toxic materials, chemicals, or fumes?
• Do you think that your vomiting is caused by alcohol or drug use?
• What home treatment measures have you tried? How well have they worked?
• Do you have any other symptoms, such as diarrhea, fever, headache, urinary problems, or abdominal pain?
• Do you ever force yourself to vomit?
• Have you ever been diagnosed with an eating disorder, such as anorexia or bulimia?
• Does anyone else in your family have problems with vomiting?
• Have you or anyone else in your family been diagnosed with a mental health problem, such as depression or an anxiety disorder?
• Do you have any health risks?

Last updated:	July 06, 2007
Author:	Jan Nissl, RN, BS
Reviewed By:	William M. Green, MD - Emergency Medicine, H. Michael O'Connor, MD - Emergency Medicine
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer