Is it normal to throw up after a seizure?

Ah, seizures. They’re never fun for anyone involved. Whether you’re the one experiencing it or just witnessing from afar, they can be quite frightening and leave us wondering what the heck is going on. And if you’ve ever experienced a seizure yourself, you may have found yourself asking that one burning question: “Is it normal to throw up after a seizure?”

Well my friend, wonder no more! We’ll be diving into this topic head first (pun intended) and exploring all there is to know about this phenomenon.

What are seizures?

Before we go any further, let’s get some basic knowledge out of the way. A seizure is basically an electrical overload in your brain which causes abnormal activity resulting in varying symptoms such as convulsions, loss of consciousness or altered senses/movements^1.

There are different types of seizures with varying degrees of severity and causes such as epilepsy, traumatic injuries or infections that affect your brain^.

Sidenote: Not all people with epilepsy experience visible/severe symptoms.

The dreaded aftermath

Now when most people think of seizures, their minds immediately jump to images like someone jerking uncontrollably on the ground (otherwise known as tonic-clonic/generalized). But once the episode has passed? That’s when things can sometimes take a turn for the worse.

For some individuals who’ve had/are having seizures, throwing up (or vomiting) afterwards could potentially occur. This isn’t always guaranteed but it does happen every now and then^. And here comes our next question:

Why does this happen?

As usual with anything relating to medicine/health – there’s not just ONE answer. In general though, vomiting could result from various factors such as:

Nausea: Being “sick” might itself induce vomiting due to several reasons including stimulation of your vagus nerve which connects to our digestive system. This means that if the seizure causes irritation and stimulation of the said nerve, it could end up causing nausea^3.
Medication side effects: Certain anti-seizure medications have been known to cause nausea/vomiting as potential side effects. (Ugh, can these medicines get any less helpful?!)^.
Postictal phase: The aftermath period following a seizure is known formally as postictal phase. During this time, it’s common for people to feel drowsy/confused/all out of sorts – with others ending up vomiting during this time period^.

How do doctors manage/avoid/postpone vomiting?

Now while vomiting isn’t something totally unexpected after experiencing seizures – fortunately there are ways in which healthcare professionals can help mitigate/eliminate that unwanted symptom.

Conclusion

So my dear reader(s), next time someone asks you “Is throwing up after a seizure normal?” You’ll now know precisely what to say: It depends! Of course there are several factors at play which could result in feeling queasy/upset stomach post-seizure but fear not; there ARE interventions available if needed. More importantly though remember everyone experiences different symptoms so don’t panic if you hear of someone who’s thrown up post-high activity on their neurons!

Proper management/communication with your doctor/drug provider along with other support systems such as loved ones or therapy can make all the difference 🙂

(And potentially lessen your chances of violently hugging the porcelain bowl).

References

1.Stoppard,M.(2008).10 years younger brain trainer(p142)-9th ed.London:Dorling Kindersley.
2.”Seizures”. Mayo Clinic, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/seizures/symptoms-causes/syc-20365711.
3.”What Causes Nausea or Vomiting After a Seizure?”. Healthline, https://www.healthline.com/health/nausea-or-vomiting-after-seizure#causes-and-risk-factors.

Dane Raynor

Hey there, I’m Dane Raynor, and I’m all about sharing fascinating knowledge, news, and hot topics. I’m passionate about learning and have a knack for simplifying complex ideas. Let’s explore together!