Ask Me Help Desk - Bad gag reflexes and weak stomach

Hello everyone. I wasn't sure which topic to post this under. Since I can remember, I have ALWAYS had a weak stomach, and very sensative gag reflexes. The slightest smell will make me gag beyond belief. For example, I live in St. Louis by the Mississippi River, and when I get close to the river bank, I smell that nasty river smell, and start gagging really bad. Another example, when I brush my teeth, no matter if I just wake up, or the middle of the day, when I attempt to brush my tongue, I will literally throw up right away, every time! So, I can never brush my tongue. There are just too many examples to list, but I do know for sure that I do have a MUCH weaker stomach than anyone I have ever met. Even just thinking about things that I think are gross will make me gag. Is this normal, or is there anything I can do about this? There are a lot of times I wish my stomach wasn't so weak. Thanks in advance for any advice.

EDIT: Another example! Just now, I was eating a bowl of Grape Nuts. I got done and typed out the above message. When I turned back, a gnat had landed in the milk. And I started to gag!! I have no idea why.

Hey there-I am from St. Louis too!
Anyway-I'm sure there is something you can take for this, unfortunately, some people get blessed with the weak stomach. As far as brushing your teeth/tongue-maybe be a little gentler on the tongue, and that will lessen the gagging. But there is over the counter nausea medicine you can take if you have a weak stomach. But most importantly, it's mind over matter. You have to take control of your mental state when you see things that gross you out. You may want to seek the advice of your physician to be sure of your health overall. Good luck with everything.

I agree with MO here. You were "blessed" with a weak stomach and strong gag reflex.

There really is nothing you can do about this, to my knowledge. You may want to make an appointment with an Ears, Nose, and Throat specialist to find out more. However, there is a possibility that it could be something psychological as well as physical.

Yeah, I've definitely been "blessed" with this... lol. Maybe I'll check with a doctor and see if there is anything that can be done. It's just especially annoying to me because I'll be hanging out with some friends of mine and just start gagging out of no where because I thought about something that made me gag. The thoughts just come out of no where, and I can't seem to just forget about it. Same with if I smell something... I keep thinking about that smell, and I gag even more than I should. So, maybe it is mostly psycological.

It sounds more psychological than anything. Especially if you think of something and you gag.

You may benefit from some counseling to find out what could have happened in your past that caused this.

Quote:

Originally Posted by bassistguy

Hello everyone. I wasn't sure which topic to post this under. Since I can remember, I have ALWAYS had a weak stomach, and very sensative gag reflexes. The slightest smell will make me gag beyond belief. For example, I live in St. Louis by the Mississippi River, and when I get close to the river bank, I smell that nasty river smell, and start gagging really bad. Another example, when I brush my teeth, no matter if I just wake up, or the middle of the day, when I attempt to brush my tounge, I will literally throw up right away, everytime! So, I can never brush my tounge. There are just too many examples to list, but I do know for sure that I do have a MUCH weaker stomach than anyone I have ever met. Even just thinking about things that I think are gross will make me gag. Is this normal, or is there anything I can do about this? There are a lot of times I wish my stomach wasn't so weak. Thanks in advance for any advice.

EDIT: Another example! Just now, I was eating a bowl of Grape Nuts. I got done and typed out the above message. When i turned back, a gnat had landed in the milk. And I started to gag!!!! I have no idea why.

Hi - I am your weak stomached friend (2 years later) whom you have never met! I'm actually here because I searched about weak stomach's because I'm sick of it - no pun intended. I have been dealing with this since I was pregnant with my son. I had morning sickness for 5 months (had him at 7 months) and ever since then have been dealing with this heightened sense. It's been 9 years now and it's annoying. I did call my PCP to see if there was anything they could do for me - nothing. I basically keep Bonine in business.

Like you, you just never know what will set me off. And no matter how hard I try to NOT throw up, seems like it makes it worse. My method of deterrence is when I start gagging, in my head I'll start counting to 10, as fast as I can, over and over... anything to get my mind off the situation. It's helped a few times.

I'm another one with a weak stomach. For me, it usually takes more than thinking or seeing something. Usually, my reflex is triggered by bad odors and contact with the back of the throat. I think one aspect that I find really frustrating is when I have nasal or sinus issues. The nasal drip on the back of the throat almost always causes excessive coughing and gagging, which I know for a fact doesn't bother many, many other people. So, that's annoying. In any case, I've ALWAYS had the sensitive stomach and gag reflex, and have generally just learned to accept it. I recently heard, and cannot verify, that this reflex is a sign of higher evolution. Meaning, this impulse is driven by self-preservation and presumably protects us from ingesting lots of stuff that could harm us. And, those who don't have the same sensitivity are less evolved, and therefore more vulnerable. I like that notion, so I'm going to decide it's true! ;-)