Anyone suffer severe nausea after no sleep?

[restlessstoz]

Hi, this may be a silly question as I've always associated no sleep with nausea. Now I've just spent an extended four days and counting with severe nausea and now stomach pain and wonder if that's par for the course or if I've been associating a different condition with my sleepless nights. It seems to be getting worse which is why I'm concerned. It certainly seemed related to my sleepless nights and each time I've experienced it, I've had a night with little or no sleep. Now, having been really unwell for four days, and still not good, I don't know if I should be looking elsewhere. Any ideas please?

[Hidden]

Its not something i have heard of, i would get yourself checked out. Having said that , my sleep less nights result in me having tummy upsets. Its my body reacting to no sleep or very little sleep in the night, so for me it a stress related problem, i have the most sensitive tummy ever and stress is a factor for me.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Hi Elisse, That's what I wanted to know... if you find you have an upset stomach after a sleepless night then that's reassuring. Thankyou. I've never had a delicate stomach but every time I'm sleepless, I get diarrhea and fierce nausea and now it's developing into stomach pain as well, with my whole gut feeling inflamed. I don't want to worry, but it is worrying when other bodily functions go awry, and then I'm not only up all night, but can't go to work because I feel so wretched!

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

Sorry to hear of your continuing struggles with your wretched RLS.

This is only a suggestion, but I think stress may be the key factor in what you're experiencing and it can be a contributing factor to gastritis producing symptoms of pain and nausea.

Sleep deprivation is stressful, hence your worse nights may cause any gastritis to worsen. If it is that.

I suggest you have this investigated perhaps a gastoscopy. In the meantime something to reduce stomach acid might help. Be careful though some antacids can make RLS worse.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Manerva! Yes, this is yet another chapter in the RL saga. Not only does it steal my sleep but it's roll on effect is stealing my days! I've seen my GP this morning. He had blood test results from the hospital that I had taken yesterday. He seemed pretty sure that it was a result of sleep deprivation and that each time I have a sleepless night, I get nausea. Now though it's just getting worse and more severely affecting my gut causing inflammation and pain, now for the last four days. He wants me to get some solid sleep and has prescribed pramipexole- JUST FOR THE MOMENT. He's well aware of the dangers of augmentation, as I've told him about it enough! His rationale is that if I don't sleep, I'll be too ill to keep going -so short term gain. In less than two weeks I see the sleep specialist with results from my sleep study, and maybe he can help with long term treatment.

I've just tried Targin again and even at 20 mg, I was still up all night so not a great help! I find that when I've used a rotigotine patch I sleep well sometimes for 12 hours following a no sleeper. Pramipexole will be easier to take and better tolerated for me but I'm very clear it will only be for the short term. Like two weeks... hopefully.

My ferritin levels are up to 465 so although no improvement in legs 4 months afterwards, at least a hope, if what I read from Lotte is correct, less chance of augmentation.

Now off Tramadol if I was augmenting on that then I may see an improvement and down to 100 mg of pregabalin so if that was a problem, another few days and I'll be off that. Meanwhile add anti nausea medication- which I stressed couldn't be any that exacerbated RL, and so far, it hasn't; Nexium which helps the stomach pain, and buscopan for relieving cramping etc. If it's not one thing it's another! This really is the cruelest disease!

I know I've said all this before, but it really does help to vent sometimes and do a bit of restating where I've been and were I'm going. I felt like I couldn't keep going over the weekend with the severity of the pain and nausea (hence the trip to the hospital) as well as sleep deprivation- I'm quite resilient but this is getting to be a marathon of endurance!

Thanks for your ever listening ears and support everyone. Knowing others understand is such a comfort.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Well, what an experience! I have just been told by an emergency room doctor that the pain I've been experiencing in my upper abdomen, just under my ribs, is due to restless legs! Not in the way that you described Manerva, but because RL is a muscular problem, and the pain I'm experiencing in my abdomen, is due to the 'muscular nature' of RL. I didn't quite follow the reasoning there but was so weary after 8 hours + in the emergency department that I gave up after one attempt to clarify what she meant.

The doctor admitted that I should arrange to have an endoscopy to check I didn't have an ulcer, which could be causing the severe nausea, and having had a CT scan to make sure there were no gall stones or anything to see - which there weren't; when I asked why my abdomen was painful to the touch and very uncomfortable, the doctor came out with the RL muscular gem!

I'm very relieved that there is nothing obvious that's shown up on the CT scan and still concerned that there may be an ulcer, and will follow that up with my GP, but was just blown away by the comment of the doctor! Have I missed something???

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

The doctor was using Cognitive Reasoning Applying Psychology, commonly known as CRAP.

As well as nausea, abdominal pain tenderness are signs of gastritis, which isn't necessarily an ulcer.

I can't imagine any direct causative connection between sleep deprivation and gastritis, or IBS as Elisse suggests.

A physiological stress response is a possible link.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Let's hope that with another week or so of Nexium, anti nausea meds and endone, I will be more comfortable and get over whatever it is and arrange more tests as suggested. Meanwhile, I'm taking a short course of pramipexole and zopiclone to get some solid sleep before seeing the sleep doctor next week. I do hate this feeling of being an invalid... I'm used to having a very resilient gut and never get gastro and such. I also hated being in the hospital and coming out with 'nothing wrong' and feeling as if I it appeared I was malingering or a hypochondriac!

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

You didn't come out of the hospital with "nothing wrong" you came out of with "nothing found to be wrong". They've not looked at the right things!

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Ahh! Yes you're right there. Funny how simply re-phrasing a sentence can change the whole meaning. Let's hope something happens soon, either the RL muscle soreness ( )clears up or an investigation finds something else.

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

Pain's a funny word, it means so many different things! Sometimes we use it to describe a physical sensation, but it's never just physical because it's also unpleasant - an emotion. Sometimes we use it to describe a feeling, it's a pain to have to do something we don't want to do. Sometimes we use "pain" words to describe thoughts, e.g. when we "agonise" over making a decision.

We usually understand what someone means by the word pain, from.all the possible meanings, depending on the context in which the word's used.

However, you have to understand the context. Different texts say different things about the sensations associated with RLS, some say, "unpleasant", some say "creepy", some say "painful."

I've never really associated pain with my RLS, so I find it a bit difficult to understand what people mean by the pain they suffer due to RLS. i.e. to what extent is it an unpleasant sensation, say like, cutting yourself, or is it an "emotional" pain.

Pain , the sensation, is associated with pain receptors or "nociceptors", special sensory cells scattered throughout the body in skin, muscles, organs and even bone. Different parts of the body have different numbers and densities of these cells in them. The parts with the most number and density are the most "sensitive" parts. The two most sensitive parts if our bodies are the lips the thumbs.

Noxious stimuli, trauma, chemicals or inflammation or mechanical stress cause the receptors to respond. They send messages by nerves to the spinal.chord entering it at a particular level depending on where they came from. They then travel up the chord to the brain and eventually to the cortex. When the signal gets to.the cortex, we experience pain. We feel the pain in the part of the body the nerves come from.

Funnily, there doesn't necessarily have to be anything wrong with the part of the body that the nerves come from, it could be a problem with the nerves themselves at any point along the path.

I sometimes experience pain in my thigh, (amongst other places), and I can press on certain spots in my thigh muscles and it feels "sore" or tender. However there's nothing wrong with my thigh muscles, the problem's really in my lumbar spine. Because of the spinal problem a particular nerve is oversensitive and triggers a pain signal when I press the spot on my thigh. I experience the pain as being in my thigh muscle because that's where the nerve originates. This is nerve pain.

I sometimes get what's probably "real" muscle pain from my RLS when a muscle actually goes into spasm, hence mechanical stress.

Otherwise, RLS is not a muscular problem at all, it's a nerve problem.

So to cut a long story short, if doctor says you have muscle pain due to RLS. OR that a (genuine) muscle pain (or organ pain) is due to RLS, it does suggest that they are possibly ignorant.

Furthermore, in places where there aren't many receptors and they're spread more widely apart (less dense), then it's harder to say exactly where the pain's coming from. We can confuse the origin, so for example it's not always easy to say whether an abdominal pain is coming from an abdominal muscle or an underlying organ.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Wow! What an interesting read Manerva. I wish I could say that the doctor had filled me with confidence with their diagnosis but I think she was grasping at straws!

I will say that the pain I'm experiencing is definitely not as a result of a muscle spasming through RLS. It doesn't feel like muscle pain at all.

I'm taking an anti-nausea drug -ondansetron, Nexium (esomeprazole) and endone for the pain. as well as buscopan (Hyoscine butylbromide) to sooth the stomach. The cocktail works sometimes but not all the time and it doesn't seem to be helping stop/heal whatever is the problem. If it is, it's very, very slow! (Not having a lot of fun at the moment!) What amazes me is that they've given me all these meds without knowing what's wrong and sent me on my way. I will return to my GP on Monday and go from there, hopefully he can organise more tests; unless of course I recover by then... which I'd be very happy to do! Over a week off work already....

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

If you've not had a gastroscopy, then I'm surprised. Abdominal tenderness over the stomach area and nausea does suggest a stomach problem. A gastroscopy would confirm that and a problem such as gastritis would be visible.

The treatment might then be different. The gastritis may also be due to an infection, Helicobacter pylori. This can be detected by a breath test.

This is not a diagnosis, it's just a possibility.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

I know! I was surprised they didn't do one. However, I think they're making sure they don't spend too much money!!! They said to get my GP to arrange a gastroscopy/endoscopy. Which of course will mean a referral to a gastroenterologist I expect before they will suggest one. I don't think my GP can order one straight off. That means more enduring this until I can get an appointment! Unless the GP can arrange the breath test which will give an idea if there may be some bacterial involvement!!! Oh dear! I see the next steps stretching ahead indefinitely.

As far as your 'diagnosis' goes... it's what I've been thinking as there seems to be similarities in symptoms.

Thanks Manerva for taking the time to write. I feel quite isolated in my situation and at the whim of the government health system which is struggling. At the hospital the patients are seen and treated in the waiting room for the most part, only 'allowed' into the department for an ECG or for bloods to be taken. I even was on a drip and sent back to the waiting room with it! The nurses bring out meds as required and do obs... and the doctors even come out to discuss the treatment etc. In the waiting room, with patients sitting all around! Quite bizarre and symptomatic of a system which is struggling to cope.

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

If you want struggling health care, go to Russia. Take your own syringes, needles, dressings, surgical gloves and private nurse with you!

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Oh my goodness! Well, I'll stick with the system we've got then thank you! at least they provide syringes and nurses!

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

For me its the symptoms of having IBS-D , which is stressed related, bloated tummy, i do feel nausea's but never sick, and of course the needing the loo more than normal. I have suffered stressed related IBS for years, so much so getting to work made my stress level worse, so i retired 4 months before my retirement age as i couldnt cope any longer, Having time of work from it and you get called into the office and that just causes more stress, Once i left work forever, my IBS calmed down and stopped, Now i only get IBS-D sometimes, and having a rubbish night is one of the times i get it. Or when going to the doctor's or the dentist thats my brain working overtime, as i am not afraid of doctor's or the dentist. Your symptoms sounds horrible and having stomach pains, you must feel really rubbish. Take care.

[restlessstoz in reply to Hidden]

Thank you Elisse, yes I do feel rubbish and am so fed up with this. Still, we just keep on going don't we- I think what Manerva suggested is right that it's partly stress related and due to no sleep. No work for me at least till I feel better! Now all I need is to sleep. don't we all!

[Hidden in reply to restlessstoz]

I am thankful i dont have to work now. I dont know how i would cope, the meds i am also sensitive to them, can only take tiny doses, as the side effects i get is another thing to cope with for me, and the tiny doses means i dont sleep all night, cant remember when i slept ALL night, i am up and down in and out of bed every night. Hope you can get some sleep , its what we all want, need. x

[Mum007]

I suffer from RSL and I also have a hiatal hernia and gastritis and silent reflux. I didn’t realise I had it for years until I started getting chest pains and burning stomach and I had an endoscopy. My initial symptoms were a croaky voice and nausea for years which just became part of my life. Unfortunately I have not yet found an acid blocker that doesn’t affect RSL after taking it for a couple of days. I think I’ve tried them all!

[Jumpey]

Yes after severe sleep deprivation I can feel sick. Goes away when sleep resumes.Good luck.x

[restlessstoz in reply to Jumpey]

Thank you Jumpey! Nice to know it's not just me.

[Shumbah]

Hi restlesstoz,

Unfortunately I do have these symptoms at times including today , it can feel quite tender and yes the runs , sometimes it feels as if my tummy is moving or nervous. I’m in Australia where they have legalised Cannabis spray. This helps me

[restlessstoz]

Thanks Shumbah. I don't think I can get it in Tasmania! State law hasn't accepted national laws with cannabis! However, I'll look into it.