What is Cyclic vomiting syndrome

CVS is an increasingly recognized disorder with sudden repeated attacks of severe nausea, vomiting and physical exhaustion that appear with no apparent cause. The episodes can last anywhere from a few hours to several days and can be so severe a person may need to go to the hospital for treatment at the emergency room. The disorder can affect a person for months, years or even decades. Each episode of CVS is generally similar to the previous ones, starting around the same time of day, last the same length of time (which can vary) and occur with the same symptoms and level of intensity.

CVS is episodic periods of severe nausea and frequent vomiting or retching with or without abdominal pain plus extreme fatigue, cold sweats & hot flashes, restless legs, excessive thirst, plus possible anxiety and depression.

From rarediseases.org:
Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is an uncommon disorder affecting both children and adults and characterized by recurrent, episodes of severe nausea and vomiting. An episode may last for a few hours to several days and then is followed by a period of time during which affected individuals are free of severe nausea and vomiting. Some can experience milder symptoms between attacks. This alternating pattern of disease and disease-free periods distinguishes cyclic vomiting syndrome from other gastrointestinal disorders. Also, in cyclic vomiting syndrome, within each sufferer the episodes are similar to each other. The associated nausea and vomiting can be severe enough to incapacitate the individual who may be unable to walk or talk and/or be bedridden. Additional symptoms often present during an episode include dizziness, paleness of the skin (pallor), lack of energy (listlessness), abdominal pain and headaches. Oftentimes, nausea is the most disturbing symptom, moreso than vomiting. In some cases as children grow older, they outgrow these episodes, but many eventually develop migraines. Cyclic vomiting syndrome may affect children more often than adults. The exact cause of cyclic vomiting syndrome is unknown.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome is more prevalent in children but also affects adults. Some people have calendar like episodes of intense vomiting with or without abdominal pain that can last from a short period to weeks. Episodes can also be triggered by stress, anxiety, food, illness, or any number of things. Migraine headache like symptoms also often accompany the episodes. Dizziness, nausea, extreme fatigue, paleness, are just a few that can accompany an episode.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (CVS) is an uncommon disorder affecting both children and adults and characterized by recurrent, episodes of severe nausea and vomiting. An episode may last for a few hours to several days and then is followed by a period of time during which affected individuals are free of severe nausea and vomiting. Some can experience milder symptoms between attacks. This alternating pattern of disease and disease-free periods distinguishes cyclic vomiting syndrome from other gastrointestinal disorders. Also, in cyclic vomiting syndrome, within each sufferer the episodes are similar to each other. The associated nausea and vomiting can be severe enough to incapacitate the individual who may be unable to walk or talk and/or be bedridden. Additional symptoms often present during an episode include dizziness, paleness of the skin (pallor), lack of energy (listlessness), abdominal pain and headaches. Oftentimes, nausea is the most disturbing symptom, moreso than vomiting. In some cases as children grow older, they outgrow these episodes, but many eventually develop migraines. Cyclic vomiting syndrome may affect children more often than adults. The exact cause of cyclic vomiting syndrome is unknown (rare diseases org)

Cyclic vomiting syndrome is a disorder that causes recurrent episodes of nausea, vomiting, and tiredness (lethargy). This condition is diagnosed most often in young children, but it can affect people of any age.

The episodes of nausea, vomiting, and lethargy last anywhere from an hour to 10 days. An affected person may vomit several times per hour, potentially leading to a dangerous loss of fluids (dehydration). Additional symptoms can include unusually pale skin (pallor), abdominal pain, diarrhea, headache, fever, and an increased sensitivity to light (photophobia) or to sound (phonophobia). In most affected people, the signs and symptoms of each attack are quite similar. These attacks can be debilitating, making it difficult for an affected person to go to work or school.

Episodes of nausea, vomiting, and lethargy can occur regularly or apparently at random, or can be triggered by a variety of factors. The most common triggers are emotional excitement and infections. Other triggers can include periods without eating (fasting), temperature extremes, lack of sleep, overexertion, allergies, ingesting certain foods or alcohol, and menstruation.

Cyclic vomiting syndrome (US English) or cyclical vomiting syndrome (UK English) (CVS) is a rare vomiting disorder most commonly seen in children, although it can affect adults too. It has been recognized for over 100 years, but we still know very little about the cause of the problem and there is still no recognized treatment. There is increasing evidence that mitochondrial DNA mutations play a role in some people with CVS.

CVS is characterized by recurrent, prolonged attacks of severe vomiting, nausea, pain and lethargy, with no apparent cause. Vomiting persists at frequent intervals, 5-8 times per hour at the peak, for periods ranging from hours to days or even weeks. Between episodes sufferers will often have daily symptoms of nausea, vomiting and pain.

Someone with CVS will frequently feel very sick and will vomit violently. They will then recover from the episode, before experiencing another episode perhaps a month or even a week later. These vomiting attacks are not explained by an infection or other illness. CVS can affect a person for months, years or even decades. Symptoms can be so severe that some sufferers may need to stay in bed and be treated in hospital during an episode. It can be a frightening condition that affects everyday life. There is no cure for CVS.

CVS was first described by paediatrician Samuel Gee in 1882. It has been suggested that Charles Darwin's adult illnesses may have been due to this syndrome.

How common is cyclic vomiting syndrome?

Experts don’t know how common cyclic vomiting syndrome is in adults. However, experts believe that cyclic vomiting syndrome may be just as common in adults as in children. Doctors diagnose about 3 out of 100,000 children with cyclic vomiting syndrome every year and 1 in 200,000 adults.

Who is more likely to get cyclic vomiting syndrome?

You may be more likely to get cyclic vomiting syndrome if you have
migraines or a family history of migraine
a tendency to get motion sickness
Among adults with cyclic vomiting syndrome, about 6 out of 10 are Caucasian.