Emetophobia Anyone?

[Coolclimates]

I thought I would start talking about the subject of emetophobia (the deep irrational fear of vomiting or seeing other people vomit). This is something that I suffer from greatly. I see that people constantly talk about nausea and vomiting on these forums, but I see very little written about emetophobia (except for stuff that is several years old). I have Celiac Disease. Fortunately, I do not suffer from GI symptoms, so I consider myself lucky in that way. In fact, I almost never have stomach issues at all, but it doesn't prevent me from being in constant fear of them.

So I'd be interested in knowing if other people on here have this same phobia. It's not easy for me to talk about, but I think it's important to try to tackle this difficult subject somehow.

[Di2011]

OMG i didn't know such a thing had a name.

I'm not diagnosed with anything but lots of crazy things resolved or resolving gluten-free. My DH is head to ankle and resolving and lots of other things calming down (GI, overweight/bloating etc etc).

I only had nausea and vomiting toward the end of working at a bakery for 9 months until June2011. Apart from loads of other issues that resulted I was wondering why I always had the urge to regurgitate. (Sorry.. grose) I had always always always hated the idea of vomiting and the feeling always felt like "regurgitating" rather than "vomiting".

At first it was just the very unwanted nausea/vomiting, then the dry reaching in the toilet/sink (sorry to get graphic). I had no idea or thought of it until reading your post. Yet another thing to add to my list for homework.

[luvs2eat]

I wouldn't say I had an irrational fear... but I do know that I'll fight vomiting till I can't fight it anymore. The last time I felt like I was going to barf I had the worst heartburn ever. I successfully fought it, but then sat on the bathroom floor in such pain that I said to myself that if I feel like I have to barf again, I'm gonna let it come because that would have been better than the pain... but I never did barf. I just had to sit up all night till the pain subsided.

I call myself a "sympathy" vomiter... in that when someone else barfs, it's all I can do to keep from barfing myself. It was a real downside to being a nurse... hahaha.

[Coolclimates]

yeah, if I get nauseous (which isn't often, fortunately), I do tend to really fight it and not throw up. The last time I actually threw up was in 1995 from food poisoning. I've only thrown up a few times in my life that I can remember. Yet I am so scared of it. The last time I was about to "lost it" was in Feb 2011 because of a bad reaction to Clarithromycian (sp?) for acute sinusitus. I was sitting in the bathtub because I was shaking and having a panic attack. I wretched some but didn't actually throw up. I was later able to calm myself down so I didn't feel so bad. I often wonder if I actually threw up if I wouldn't be so afraid. I mean, it's not the end of the world. But to me it is one of the most frightening things in the world.

[bartfull]

I can identify with this. I don't get nausea from my "poisons", but I did learn to overcome my fear of, upchucking. I hadn't done it in years when one night someone poured too much ginger brandy into my glass. I was tipsy enough to drink the darned thing and then I had such nausea and dizzyness I knew I'd be hungover and sick for a couple of days if I didn't do something right away. So I marched into the restroom and let myself be sick. It wasn't as horrible as I had feared, and I immediately felt better - nausea gone, and well on my way to clear-headedness. After that, my fear was gone.

A little side note: Once I was at a bluegrass festival in upstate New York and I saw a guy wearing a t-shirt that said something to the effect of, Puking must be really popular because look at how many different terms we have to describe it:

Throwing up

Puking

Upchucking

Barfing

Losing lunch

Blowing lunch

Regurgitating

Ralphing

Um, there were a lot more that I can't think of right now. Sorry to be so gross, but it IS kind of funny.