Cyclic vomiting syndrome facts

Cyclic vomiting syndrome facts - medical author: Charles Patrick Davis, MD, PhD

• Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a disorder that causes recurrent episodes of nausea, vomiting, and tiredness (lethargy) most often in children but may occur in all age groups.
• Symptoms of cyclic vomiting syndrome are repeated attacks of intense nausea, vomiting, and lethargy that last anywhere from an hour to 10 days; other symptoms may include pale skin,abdominal pain, diarrhoea,headache, and an increased sensitivity to light or to sound.
• The most common situations that cause cyclic vomiting syndrome are emotional excitement and infections; other triggers can include periods without eating, temperature extremes, lack of sleep, overexertion,allergies, ingesting certain foods or alcohol, and menstruation.
• Cyclic vomiting syndrome has four phases: symptom-free, prodrome, vomiting, and recovery.
• Cyclic vomiting syndrome is diagnosed by the patient's history and symptoms.
• Treatment is done by the patient learning to avoid the causes or triggers of the disorder; however, during the prodrome, vomiting and recovery phases, medications are often used to treat the symptoms (for example, anti-nausea medications, NSAIDs, anti-migraine medications, fluid replenishment and others).
• Complications may include pain, reflux, fainting, depression, panic disorder, and irritable bowel syndrome.
• Cyclic vomiting syndrome is generally considered to be a variant of migraines by researchers.
• "Cyclic vomiting syndrome plus" is considered a diagnosis when a patients also exhibit symptoms of developmental delay or intellectual disability, muscle weakness (myopathy), and/or seizures.
• The disorder has a wide range of reported prevalence, about 4 to 2000 per 100,000 children; but seems to occur less frequently in adults although the data is not clear.
• Researchers suggest several factors may contribute to the disorder: brain function disorder, hormonal abnormalities, GI problems,migraine-like conditions, and changes in mitochondrial DNA.
• Some people may inherit the changes in mitochondrial DNA that may cause the disorder.