Nausea and vomiting
Nausea is feeling sick to your stomach. Vomiting is throwing up. Today, most people can prevent or control these with the right medicines.
Why it happens
Many chemotherapy drugs cause it, especially cisplatin, carboplatin, and doxorubicin combinations. Radiation to the belly or brain, some targeted pills, and pain medicines can also cause it.
What helps
- Take your anti-nausea medicines exactly as prescribed, even before you feel sick.
- Eat small meals or snacks every few hours instead of three big meals.
- Try bland, dry foods like crackers, toast, or rice.
- Sip clear fluids through the day, such as water, broth, or ginger ale.
- Avoid strong smells, greasy foods, and very sweet foods.
- Rest sitting up for a while after eating.
Call your care team right away if you have
- You throw up more than a few times in one day or cannot keep fluids down.
- You feel dizzy, have a dry mouth, or make very little urine.
- You cannot keep your medicines down.
- You see blood or something that looks like coffee grounds in your vomit.
Questions to ask
- Which anti-nausea medicine should I take, and when?
- What should I do if my nausea medicine is not working?
- Are there other options if this medicine makes me sleepy or constipated?
Medicines that can cause this
- Abemaciclib
- Adagrasib
- Alpelisib
- Amivantamab
- Anastrozole
- Antithymocyte globulin (ATG)
- Arsenic trioxide
- Asciminib
- Asparaginase (pegaspargase and others)
- Axitinib
- Azacitidine
- Bendamustine
- Blinatumomab
- Bortezomib
- Bosutinib
- Brentuximab vedotin
- Brigatinib
- Busulfan
- CAR T-cell therapy
- Cabazitaxel
- Cabozantinib
- Capecitabine
- Capivasertib
- Capmatinib
- Carboplatin
- Carmustine (BCNU)
- Cisplatin
- Cladribine
- Crizotinib
- Cyclophosphamide
Sources
Quick answers
- What is nausea and vomiting during cancer treatment?
- Nausea is feeling sick to your stomach. Vomiting is throwing up. Today, most people can prevent or control these with the right medicines.
- Why does nausea and vomiting happen?
- Many chemotherapy drugs cause it, especially cisplatin, carboplatin, and doxorubicin combinations. Radiation to the belly or brain, some targeted pills, and pain medicines can also cause it.
- What helps with nausea and vomiting?
- Take your anti-nausea medicines exactly as prescribed, even before you feel sick; Eat small meals or snacks every few hours instead of three big meals; Try bland, dry foods like crackers, toast, or rice; Sip clear fluids through the day, such as water, broth, or ginger ale; Avoid strong smells, greasy foods, and very sweet foods; Rest sitting up for a while after eating.
- When should I call my care team about nausea and vomiting?
- You throw up more than a few times in one day or cannot keep fluids down; You feel dizzy, have a dry mouth, or make very little urine; You cannot keep your medicines down; You see blood or something that looks like coffee grounds in your vomit.
Last updated: 2026-10-27. Medically reviewed by Veli Bakalov, MD, medical oncologist (October 2026). General education from Step by Step, the patient portal of HemeOncBuddy.