Nursing and External Applications for Loss of Appetite, Nausea, Vomiting

Carola Riehm, Elke Kaschdailewitsch

Last update: 02.11.2018

Loss of appetite

  • Ginger tea or ginger water (drink on an empty stomach)
    has a warming effect in the deeper areas of the metabolism, very helpful during chemotherapy as well (1).

Particularly suitable for morphine-induced nausea and loss of appetite, which are often accompanied by dry mouth and fatigue:

Nausea and vomiting

  • Eat small meals, eat with upright posture.

  • Provide good smells, air the room.

  • Lemon juice: a few drops to 1 tbsp. several times a day or suck a slice of lemon for prophylaxis and therapy of morphine-induced nausea (see also “Loss of appetite”).

For nausea induced by chemotherapy or morphine (see also “Loss of appetite”) (2):

  • Ginger tea or ginger sticks

  • Treat the feet: movement, embrocation, foot reflexology massage (approximately in the middle of the arch of the right foot).

  • Yarrow tea liver compress at midday
    For instructions, see:
    http://www.pflege-vademecum.de/schafgarben_leberwickel.php?locale=en
  • Chamomile abdominal compress
    has an antispasmodic effect in cases of vomiting.

  • Melissa oil abdominal compress with Melissa oil WALA (Ingredients: Carvi aetheroleum, Foeniculi amari fructus aetheroleum, Melissa officinalis ex herba 5%, Origanum majorana ex herba 5%) has a relaxing, warming effect (see also: http://www.pflege-vademecum.de/2714.php?locale=en).

Bibliography

Research news

Phase IV trial: Kalium phosphoricum comp. versus placebo in irritability and nervousness 
In a new clinical study, Kalium phosphoricum comp. (KPC) versus placebo was tested in 77 patients per group. In a post-hoc analysis of intra-individual differences after 6 weeks treatment, a significant advantage of KPC vs. placebo was shown for characteristic symptoms of nervous exhaustion and nervousness (p = 0.020, p = 0.045 respectively). In both groups six adverse events (AE) were assessed as causally related to treatment (severity mild or moderate). No AE resulted in discontinuation in treatment. KPC could therefore be a beneficial treatment option for symptomatic relief of neurasthenia. The study has been published open access in Current Medical Research and Opinion: 
https://doi.org/10.1080/03007995.2023.2291169.


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