Nausea and breast cancer treatment

Nausea (feeling sick or like you need to vomit) is a common side effect for people with breast cancer.

It’s important to talk to your treating team if you experience nausea, so they can find and treat the cause. They can give you medication to help.

You can also do some practical things to help keep nausea away.

Causes of nausea

Nausea can be caused, or made worse, by several things. The most common causes are:

• chemotherapy treatment (see Nausea and vomiting from chemotherapy for ways to help)
• the cancer itself 
• radiotherapy treatment
• strong pain medication
• constipation
• anxiety.

Medication to help with nausea

Anti-nausea drugs are called anti-emetics. They work in different ways, so if one isn’t effective, another one may be. Tell your doctor if you don’t think your medicine is working and they can try something else.

If you can’t swallow tablets, many anti-emetics are available as injections, suppositories, under-the-tongue lozenges or wafers.

Modern anti-nausea drugs work well, so vomiting is less common. You should tell your doctor if you’re vomiting. It can lead to dehydration, so it is important to seek medical help.

Steroids like dexamethasone can help control nausea caused by chemotherapy and liver and brain metastases.

Other ways to manage nausea and vomiting

You can take some practical steps to help reduce nausea and vomiting:

• Eat small, frequent meals.
• Avoid food that is fried, high in fat, or has a strong smell.
• Rest before and after eating.
• Sip fluids, especially water, regularly throughout the day.
• Try fizzy (‘carbonated’) drinks such as soda water, dry ginger ale or lemonade.
• Take the anti-nausea drugs at the recommended times, even if you don't feel sick.
• Talk to a dietitian for advice on foods to avoid or changes to your diet to help reduce nausea.
• Try to avoid constipation by eating more fibre and drinking plenty of water. If this becomes an ongoing problem, talk to your oncologist or nurse about the best way to manage your bowels.

Complementary therapies such as relaxation therapy, hypnosis and acupuncture can also help to manage nausea and vomiting. Read about complementary therapies.