Nausea & Vomiting Treatment Online

Common causes of nausea and vomiting

• Viral gastroenteritis — by far the most common cause; usually with diarrhoea and abdominal cramping
• Food poisoning — onset typically 2–12 hours after a specific meal
• Migraine — nausea and vomiting with headache, photophobia, sometimes aura
• Pregnancy — first-trimester morning sickness; hyperemesis gravidarum if severe
• Vestibular causes — motion sickness, vertigo, vestibular neuritis, Meniere's
• Medication side effects — opioids, antibiotics, chemotherapy, anaesthesia, GLP-1 agonists
• Gastritis / reflux — upper abdominal pain with vomiting
• Alcohol or recreational drug use
• Less common but important: appendicitis, bowel obstruction, raised intracranial pressure, diabetic ketoacidosis, intestinal ischaemia, ectopic pregnancy

When to see a GP, and when to go straight to an ED

Book a GP (in person or via bulk billed telehealth) if your vomiting has lasted more than 24 hours, is recurring, or is interfering with normal activities. Pregnant women, the elderly, immunocompromised patients, and people with diabetes should seek review earlier because of faster dehydration risk.

Attend an emergency department, or call 000, if you have any of the following:

• Severe abdominal pain with vomiting
• Vomiting blood, or coffee-ground material
• Persistent vomiting preventing fluid intake for 24 hours (severe dehydration risk)
• Vomiting after head injury (within last 24 hours)
• Vomiting with severe headache, neck stiffness, or photophobia (possible meningitis)
• Bilious (green) vomiting (suggests bowel obstruction)
• Vomiting with collapse, fainting, or shock features
• Hyperemesis in pregnancy preventing oral intake
• Vomiting with chest pain (cardiac-equivalent in some patients)
• Children with persistent vomiting, lethargy, fewer wet nappies, or signs of dehydration

For these features, do not delay by booking telehealth — go straight to an emergency department.

Anti-emetic medications: Maxolon, Zofran, Stemetil, Phenergan

Australian Therapeutic Guidelines recommend matching the anti-emetic to the underlying cause. Your telehealth GP can prescribe across this ladder:

• Metoclopramide (Maxolon) 10 mg three times daily — first-line for gastroparesis- type nausea, migraine-related nausea, and viral gastroenteritis. Caution with extrapyramidal side effects (avoid in Parkinson's, careful in young women).
• Ondansetron (Zofran) 4–8 mg as needed — stronger anti-emetic, useful for severe nausea, post-chemotherapy / post-operative, and some gastroenteritis. Wafers available when oral tablets won't stay down. PBS-restricted for certain indications.
• Prochlorperazine (Stemetil) 5–10 mg — particularly useful for vestibular nausea (motion sickness, vertigo, vestibular neuritis).
• Promethazine (Phenergan) 10–25 mg — sedating anti-emetic; useful for motion sickness and some migraine. Available over-the-counter at low strength.
• Pyridoxine (vitamin B6) 25 mg with doxylamine 12.5 mg — first-line for morning sickness in pregnancy. The fixed-dose combination (Xonvea) is Schedule 4 prescription-only in Australia; individual pyridoxine and doxylamine tablets can also be supplied separately.

Your GP will choose based on the cause, your medical history, pregnancy status, and any contraindications. eScript is sent to your phone within minutes; wafer forms can be dispensed at any pharmacy when oral tablets are not staying down.

Staying hydrated while vomiting

Small frequent sips of clear fluids — water, oral rehydration solution (Hydralyte, Gastrolyte), dilute apple juice, weak tea — are better tolerated than large drinks. Aim for 50–150 mL every 15–30 minutes if you can keep it down. Avoid milk, fizzy drinks, and large meals until vomiting settles. Ice chips or ice blocks help when nothing else stays down. If you cannot keep any fluids down for 12–24 hours, seek in-person review for possible IV fluids.