Ginger for Nausea
Nausea can be a very bothersome side effect of many psychiatric medications. Depending on the class of medication, many patients do eventually get used to the nausea caused by medications. However, for some it persists and we consider the following interventions.
- Take the medication just after a full meal— this often helps because the food has coated the stomach & intestines, and the medication is absorbed more slowly.
- If that does not work, one supplement that has research behind it is ginger. In fact, ginger has been shown to help nausea caused by pregnancy, chemotherapy, post-op, seasickness, gastroenteritis, motion sickness, and migraines.
How does ginger work for nausea?
It is not fully understood, but various chemicals in ginger affect gastric motility and also modulate serotonin activity in the GI system.
What dose of ginger should you take?
We recommend taking the ginger capsules, about 1 hour before eating. That gives the ginger time to absorb. Then, we ask that you take your medication immediately after eating. The standard dose for the 550 mg capsules per dose. You should not assume that ginger is completely benign. I usually don’t exceed 3 capsules a day (1,650 mg). Good brands include Nature’s Way and Nature’s Bounty.
There is also a liquid form if that is preferred.
What are the side effects and cautions with ginger?
-It should be avoided in pregnancy. It may increase the risk of bleeding and uterine contractions.
-It should be avoided in patients on blood thinners or who have bleeding disorders, as ginger can impair platelet aggregation in some.
-It can lead to heartburn and some diarrhea.
-Diabetics on insulin or those prone to low blood sugar should be careful as it can lower blood sugar.
What about ginger-ale?
One common myth is that ginger-ale will help with nausea –ginger-ale (even if it says made with real ginger) contains approximately 50 times LESS ginger than the ginger root capsules we recommend.
