What causes nausea and vomiting?
Researchers do not know exactly why some chemotherapy drugs cause nausea and vomiting. They believe there are several ways that this can happen. Some drugs may affect the parts of your spinal cord or nervous system that trigger nausea and vomiting. Some drugs may cause nausea and vomiting by irritating the lining of your digestive system.1 Sometimes, if you had nausea when you had chemotherapy before, your brain remembers this and expects nausea when you have chemotherapy again. Chemotherapy drugs are ranked according to how often they cause nausea and vomiting. Some cause very little of those side effects. Also, some people are more likely than others to get sick. Your doctor will consider many things about you, your treatment, and your cancer to decide if you are likely to feel sick. Chemotherapy is more likely to make you feel sick if you:2 • Are female. • Are younger than 50. • Have a history of motion sickness. • Have had nausea or vomiting with previous cancer treatments. • Have
