Manage Nausea During Chemo: Proven Tips and Medication Strategies

When you're going through chemotherapy, a treatment used to kill cancer cells but often triggers intense side effects like nausea and vomiting. It's not just discomfort—it can make eating, sleeping, and even getting out of bed feel impossible. Many people assume nausea during chemo is just something you have to endure, but that’s not true. Modern medicine has powerful tools to stop it in its tracks—if you know how to use them.

Antiemetic drugs, medications specifically designed to prevent or reduce vomiting and nausea. Also known as anti-nausea meds, these include ondansetron, aprepitant, and dexamethasone. They’re not one-size-fits-all. Your oncology team will pick the right combo based on your chemo type, your history, and how bad your nausea usually gets. Some people need a daily pill. Others need an IV before treatment. And if one drug doesn’t work, there’s always another option. Don’t wait until you’re throwing up to ask for help. The best time to start anti-nausea meds is before chemo begins. Delaying means the nausea has already taken hold—and it’s harder to control.

But meds aren’t the whole story. Diet and timing, how and when you eat around treatment sessions. Also known as food strategies for chemo patients, small, bland meals every few hours beat three big ones. Ginger tea, crackers, and cold foods (like yogurt or applesauce) often sit better than hot, greasy, or sweet stuff. Avoid strong smells—your nose becomes hypersensitive. And hydration matters more than you think. Sipping water, ice chips, or electrolyte drinks throughout the day keeps your body from getting too depleted to fight nausea. Stress and anxiety make nausea worse. Simple breathing exercises, listening to music, or even just sitting in a quiet room can help your body relax enough to let the meds work better.

You’re not alone in this. Thousands of people manage nausea during chemo every day—and most of them do it by combining the right medicine with smart daily habits. Some find relief with acupuncture. Others swear by peppermint oil on a tissue. A few discover that lying on their left side helps. What works for one person might not work for another, but trying different things is part of the process. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s enough relief to keep eating, sleeping, and staying strong.

The posts below give you real, practical advice from people who’ve been there and from doctors who’ve seen it all. You’ll find what anti-nausea drugs actually work, how to time them right, what foods help or hurt, and when to call your care team because something’s wrong. No fluff. No guesswork. Just what you need to take back control during chemo.