Prevention

Many people know what triggers their cyclic vomiting episodes. Avoiding those triggers can reduce the frequency of episodes. While you may feel well between episodes, it's very important to take medications as prescribed by your doctor.

If episodes occur more than once a month or require hospitalization, your doctor may recommend preventive medicine, such as amitriptyline, propranolol (Inderal), cyproheptadine and topiramate.

Lifestyle changes also may help, including:

• Getting adequate sleep
• For children, downplaying the importance of upcoming events because excitement can be a trigger
• Avoiding trigger foods, such as alcohol, caffeine, cheese and chocolate
• Eating small meals and low-fat snacks daily at regular times