Diabetes Warning Signs: How Can Diabetes Cause You Nausea And Vomiting?

Diabetes is a common disease in which patients have high levels of glucose (a type of sugar) in the blood. Diabetes can manifest with a range of symptoms including excessive thirst, excessive hunger, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss, dizziness and nausea.

So why and how does diabetes cause you to develop nausea and vomiting?

There are several different reasons that can explain why patients with diabetes develop nausea and/or vomiting.

High and low blood glucose levels

Hyperglycemia (high blood glucose levels) and hypoglycemia (low blood glucose levels) can both easily occur in patients with diabetes, at some point or another, and both can cause nausea. In particular, when blood glucose increase go up and down, these rapid fluctuations negatively affect the metabolism of your body, causing it get interrupted and confused, and leading to the development of nausea. Treatment for hyperglycemia and hypoglycemia includes:

• Be adherent to your diabetes medication prescribed by your doctor
• Monitor your blood glucose levels regularly
• Exercise and stick to your diet plan. However, you should not exercise when it’s too hot or cold, and you should always keep cool by consuming cool liquids when you are doing strenuous activity outside.

Hypotension

Hypotension, or low blood pressure, often affects patients with diabetes. Hypotension is associated with feeling dizzy, which can also lead to feeling nauseous.

Use of medications

Many diabetes-associated medications can have a side effect of nausea and vomiting. These are the some of the diabetes treatment medications associated with nausea:

• Metformin, also known as glucophage, is commonly used as a treatment for diabetes. One of the potential side effects of metformin is nausea, particularly if you take metformin while on an empty stomach.
• Injectable drugs for treatment of diabetes can lead to nausea. These include exenatide, liraglutide, and pramlintide. However, long-term use of these medications can cause the nausea to go away. Additionally, if your nausea is really bad then your doctor can give you a lower dose to reduce your nausea.                                               

Gastroparesis

Gastroparesis is a type of intestinal complication which can cause your body to not properly move food from the stomach through the gastrointestinal system. It develops due to diabetes-induced neuropathy (damage to nerves). Since gastroparesis stops the stomach from completely emptying itself, it delays the body from digesting the food, leading to nausea and vomiting.

Symptoms that are associated with gastroparesis, in addition to nausea, include feeling heartburn, reduced appetite, pain in the abdomen, swollen abdomen, fluctuations in blood sugar levels and malnutrition (issues with absorbing vitamins and nutrients).

Unfortunately, there is currently no cure for gastroparesis, though there are treatments to help controls symptoms. These include:

• Eating many small meals a day instead of big meals
• Don’t lie down after your meals
• Take a walk or sit down after your meal
• Your doctor may also adjust the dose of your insulin that you should take. They can also tell you take it after you eat instead of before

Diabetic ketoacidosis

One of the more severe complications of diabetes is diabetic ketoacidosis, which needs to be recognized and treated immediately. The symptoms of diabetic ketoacidosis include nausea, as well as thirst, frequent urination, pain in the abdomen, weakness, shortness of breath, confusion and having breath that smells fruity. Treatment for diabetic ketoacidosis includes:

• Carefully keeping track of your blood sugar levels
• Being adherent to your diabetes medication

Bezoars

Some people diabetes can develop bezoars, which are stones that develop from undigested foods. These stones can block the intestinal tract, which stops the body from being able to properly process food and digest it. Eventually, patients will develop nausea and vomiting.

Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is the swelling and inflammation of the pancreas. Patients whose diabetes is not well-controlled or well-managed are more likely to develop pancreatitis compared to a regular healthy person. These are the symptoms of pancreatitis:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• High fat levels

Treatments for pancreatitis include having a low-fat diet, and avoiding alcohol and smoking.

Artificial sweeteners

One of the common strategies for avoiding sugar for patients with diabetes is to consume artificial sweeteners instead. Unfortunately, one of the common side effects for the sweetener xylitol is nausea, as well as a slew of other intestinal symptoms. There are also other sweeteners that can cause nausea.

When to seek help