Managing Nausea and Vomiting Nausea and vomiting can be side
effects of drugs like epoprostenol and treprostinil. They can
also be caused by the heart failure common in PH. Vomiting is
how our body gets rid of food it thinks should not be in the
stomach. It is stimulated by sensory receptors in the wall of
the stomach including stretch receptors that indicate when the
stomach is too full, and chemoreceptors that detect possible
toxins and poisons. The emetic center in the brain responds by
causing a wave of reverse peristalsis in the stomach muscles,
expelling the contents. While vomiting is unpleasant, it is only
dangerous when it is severe or prolonged. The main danger is
loss of fluids and minerals (magnesium, calcium and potassium).
This can cause dehydration, weight loss, and an electrolyte
imbalance. If too much fluid is lost, the situation can become
dangerous and intravenous fluids and electrolytes may be needed
to reverse the imbalances. Nausea, early satiety (feeling over-
stuffed) and lack of appeti