The CVS Bucket Photo Challenge

In the run up to Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Awareness day we're doing a challenge.

The challenge will be to get as many people as you can to be pictured with a bucket. They can do anything with their bucket. They could do something funny with it, wear it, decorate it, snap a friend, Nurse, Dr or school teacher with it, anything they like. So long as they picture it.

Awareness Day 5th March

We're asking people to make a small donation to the Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Association too if possible to assist with awareness and research funding.

Our New CVS Pinterest Account

The CVS Network Pinterest Account can be found HERE

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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.

CVSA - UK Family Day

CVSA - UK Family Day

 November 21st 2015 

Birmingham Children's Hospital

What happens at a Family Day?

First, the name. We call it a Family Day as it is "family friendly" and children are welcome, but it is open to everyone.

We normally start the day with two, or three, formal presentations by medical experts, both from the UK and abroad, or occasionally sufferers. We have had speakers from the USA, Italy and Spain. If time allows we hold a panel discussion where all the doctors can be questioned about issues affecting all CVS sufferers.

After a break for lunch, we hold a short annual general meeting of the charity. We then hold one-to-one sessions between the doctors and the attendees. We offer 10 or 15 minute personal consultations with each of the speakers and a sufferer or their family. Access to world experts on CVS on such a personal basis is a rare opportunity.

The less obvious side of the day is the chance to meet and chat with other sufferers. For many CVS sufferers they feel isolated, not knowing anyone else with the condition. Meeting others and sharing experiences can be a really important aspect of attending.

We offer a free creche with activities and CRB checked helpers to supervise. If a child is ill or upset, they can be brought into the main room to find the parent or carer, even during the "formal" presentations - family first.

When are they?

We normally hold the meetings on a Saturday during early-mid November.

Where are they held?

In the education centre of Birmingham Children's Hospital. This is as central a location as possible for people to travel to, and has good facilities available.

How much does it cost?

The meeting and creche are entirely free. We do pay for the facilities and often for travel costs of speakers, so we do appreciate any donations to help offset the cost.

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Awareness Drive

Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Awareness Drive

Please share this poster to raise awareness thanks

Doctor – I am still vomiting and I feel nobody understands

Doctor – I am still vomiting and I feel nobody understands 

Lena Togher, Sandra Warren and Dr. David Thompson

This article appeared in the CVSA-UK Autumn 2004 newsletter and was designed to cover some of the basic questions about Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome for the non-specialist reader. It has been set up in the form of a dialogue between a hypothetical patient and an equally hypothetical doctor, to enable some of the very personal issues around the problem to be discussed in a way that should be recognised by and be of help to sufferers and carers.

It should be noted that not all the issues raised in the article will be of equal relevance to all sufferers, nor is it possible to include the specific issues of all sufferers in this necessarily brief article.

The Sufferer

Emma is in her late twenties, she has been working successfully and happily as a manager in a large company and has started a family with one small daughter. At the beginning of the year she woke at night from sleep, feeling very nauseated and began vomiting profusely. She saw her general practitioner after one day of vomiting and was given a course of anti-emetics following which the vomiting slowly resolved over the course of 3-4 days. One month later a similar event occurred whilst she was away from home which led to an emergency admission to a hospital away from home. During seven days in the hospital she received fluids by vein and large doses of anti-sickness medications and a number of investigations were performed to exclude serious causes of vomiting. She was discharged after a week on anti-emetic therapy but no explanation for the vomiting was identified. She has now had several further attacks in the months following the hospital admission, and has found herself in a consultation with her doctor, Dr. Medic. She is naturally very concerned, and feels totally alone with her problem so she raises the following questions.

The Consultation

Emma: Doctor, I have now had several episodes of uncontrollable vomiting and I am very concerned because no-one has really been able to tell me what it is that is the matter. So what is it that I have got, and is it very serious?