Sniffing rubbing alcohol eases nausea
By Joe Graedon, M.S., and Teresa Graedon, Ph.D.
Today, I noticed the comment about smelling alcohol as a treatment for nausea. I practiced anesthesia for 42 years and was Clinical Director of Adult Post Anesthesia Units for eight years at my last hospital.
Very early in my career, I noticed that nurses in the PACU would often open alcohol pad packets for patients who suffered from nausea. The patients sniffed the “fumes.” I was totally unfamiliar with this practice at the time. It never hurt and sometimes helped.
One can learn a great deal from nurses, so I shared this information with my medical colleagues. We saw it as essentially no risk with potential benefit.
Over the years, aromatherapy became more recognized as a treatment for nausea and some commercial products were developed. One (whose name always tickled me) is “QueaseEASE.” I believe that there are others. Please note that I have no financial or other conflicts of interest in this product.
There are other nonpharmacologic therapies as well as medications for post-operative nausea and vomiting. This is a very troubling event for patients, their families and caregivers, but there is no treatment that always works. A number of treatments can reduce the frequency or intensity of PONV, especially when used together. However, as with motion sickness, nothing is always effective or without side effects. Research goes on.
A. Thank you for sharing your professional experience. The research does indeed go on.
We found a Dutch study confirming the use of “nasal inhalation of isopropyl alcohol (IPA)” in the International Journal of Emergency Medicine (Feb. 24, 2021). The authors conclude: “Implementation of IPA as the first-line nausea treatment in the ED [emergency department] can increase the quality of care and improve care efficiency.”
Thank you for alerting us to QueaseEASE. This inhaler contains four essential oils: peppermint, lavender, ginger and spearmint.
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Instead, I buy this medication online from Great Britain for $32.99 for an 84-day supply. The service is excellent and the savings amazing. I was desperate to save money on this brand-name medication. Thank you for helping me with good information about shopping online.
A. We are so glad to hear of your success. When ordering online, it is important to ensure that you are dealing with a reputable pharmacy, so you get the true brand-name product you are expecting.
Some fraudulent companies advertise themselves as online Canadian pharmacies. They could be selling counterfeit drugs. That’s why we have included criteria to identify legitimate online pharmacies in our eGuide to Saving Money on Medicines. Some of them have partnerships around the world. Our online resource is available under the Health eGuides tab at www.PeoplesPharmacy.com.
Q. Daily baby aspirin is not for everyone. My husband took it for a long time. In the last few years, we noticed that he gets large bruise marks on his hands. He has cut down to just one 81 milligram aspirin tablet twice a week. He still gets bruises on his hands but less frequently.
A. Doctors call this side effect “ecchymosis.” Other NSAIDs (ibuprofen, naproxen, etc.) or anticoagulants can also lead to this kind of bruising.
In their column, Joe and Teresa Graedon answer letters from readers. Write to them in care of King Features, 628 Virginia Drive, Orlando, Fla., 32803, or email them via their website: www.PeoplesPharmacy.com. Their newest book is “Top Screwups Doctors Make and How to Avoid Them.”