My doctor said a strange thing to me!

jennyr

TCS Member
Thread starter
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 6, 2004
Messages
13,348
Purraise
593
Location
The Land of Cheese
I went to the doctor this morning, because I was overdue for a check-up and I wanted to talk to him about my reactions to all the things that have been happening to me - my father's death, Tasha's death, Bonaparte's operation etc etc.

He examined me and we had a chat. The good news is that I am in pretty fine shape, and that he thinks that although I am finding it hard to cope, he thinks I am working through things Ok and he does not want to give me any drugs that are not in his view necessary. But my athritis is worse and he has upped my dose of voltarol to help with that. And now the strange thing - one of the side effects of voltarol can be diarrhea or stomach upset, though so far it has not happened to me. He said that if I get any such symptoms, to drink cola! Has anyone here heard of cola as a cure for diarrhea? He said it is very good to calm the stomach. I think I would need ot be very ill to drink the stuff - I do not like sweet fizzy drinks much, but it is a new idea to me.
 

catapault

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 5, 2010
Messages
3,595
Purraise
9,286
When I was a child (and no, I won't say how long ago that was) my mother would get cocoa cola syrup from the soda fountain and give that to us for an upset tummy. If you use the soda, stir the bubbles out and drink it at room temperature.
 

rad65

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
1,547
Purraise
52
The sugar and other electrolytes are the things making you feel better. The sugar and electrolytes give you more energy, which helps alleviate nausea. Are you sure your doctor said drink cola, and not take syrup of cola? The fizz in cola can actually upset your stomach more due to all the gas bubbles collecting there.
 

nurseangel

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Jul 6, 2007
Messages
10,132
Purraise
4,820
Location
1 Happy Place
Drinking coke that has gone a bit flat can be used to help nausea.  My nurse supervisor drinks diet drinks as a rule, but when she gets sick at work she will drink a can of regular Pepsi. 
 

nerdrock

TCS Member
Super Cat
Joined
Jan 3, 2010
Messages
971
Purraise
34
My ex was from South Africa and always told me when I was sick to drink Coke, I used to laugh at him until I actually tried it and was surprised it worked. 
 

MoochNNoodles

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
36,646
Purraise
23,465
Location
Where my cats are
I was 11 or so when I got motion sick and threw up at a Chuck-e-Cheese type place (not sure if you have those there? A restaurant with lots of indoor play things for kids to climb, ball pits to jump in, etc).  One of the workers there brought me a free cup of it to settle my stomach.  It really helped!  I don't drink it often either; but sometimes it really is soothing!  The bubbles don't bother me.  Sometimes I feel like the burping the carbonation causes helps too.  Might be just me though!
 
Last edited:

angels mommy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Nov 5, 2011
Messages
6,899
Purraise
6,906
Location
Wilmington,NC
Hmmm, never heard of this one either. What ever happened to good old Ginger ale?  Or even better now is Ginger Brew. All natural strong Ginger ale w/ real ginger in it.
 

denice

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Feb 7, 2006
Messages
18,836
Purraise
13,144
Location
Columbus OH
As a child my parents always let me have coke or 7-up when I was sick. My parents didn't routinely keep soda in the house, it was in the house only when I was sick or over the holidays.
 

MoochNNoodles

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
36,646
Purraise
23,465
Location
Where my cats are
Hmmm, never heard of this one either. What ever happened to good old Ginger ale?  Or even better now is Ginger Brew. All natural strong Ginger ale w/ real ginger in it.
I've done a lot of ginger ale since I got pregnant.  Especially in the first trimester when all was icky.  It doesn't settle me down the same as when I've actually been throwing-up sick.  Which i wasn't. It's good enough for nausea though.  And caffeine free; which I've had to go this pregnancy.
  I think the "thicker" syrup used in cola products is what does the trick at that point.
 

rad65

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
1,547
Purraise
52
I think the "thicker" syrup used in cola products is what does the trick at that point.

It is. As I said, syrup of cola is often recommended for nausea, but syrup of cola is harder to find, so drinking the cola itself became the remedy.
 

natalie_ca

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
21,136
Purraise
223
Location
Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
The syrup from dark cola can actually cause diarrhea. I'm a nurse and I've never heard anyone recommend dark cola as a "cure" for diarrhea.  When a patient at work gets diarrhea, we recommend an over the counter medication called "Immodium", and if they are having nausea and are adverse to taking pills, we suggest gingerale, or to suck on a piece of fresh ginger.
 

calico2222

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Dec 9, 2004
Messages
7,731
Purraise
41
Location
Over the river and through the woods...
When I was growing up, mom would give me a coke with spirit of ammonia in it when my stomach was upset. I have no idea what the ammonia did except make it taste flat. To this day, if I'm sick to my stomach, a flat soda will help although I prefer gingerale. I don't know if it is power of suggestion or what.

Now, when I had a case of the "trots" (as my mom so delicately referred to them), I would get a dose of paragoric. I don't even think that is available now. From what I remember, it had opium in it so was taken off the market years ago. But it did the trick!
 

bastetservant

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
1,499
Purraise
19
Location
near Chicago
When I was a child and sick with an upset stomach, my mother, a RN, gave me 7-UP for a cure. It settled the stomach, but I hate the stuff ever after because of associating it with nausea. I always thought it was the carbonation that helped.

When my mother was a child, her mother gave her ginger ale for the same reason. So ever after she has hated that stuff. :lol3:



Robin
 
Last edited:

farleyv

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Feb 19, 2009
Messages
4,796
Purraise
36
Location
New York State
I have always used ginger ale.  When my daughter was pregnant and was awfully sick, she would chew on a piece of ginger root.
 

rad65

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Oct 2, 2010
Messages
1,547
Purraise
52
I always thought it was the carbonation that helped.

That's close. You might be getting your cures slightly mixed up. Sprite or 7UP are the best things to drink when you have a sore throat and are sick that way because they have by far the most carbonation out of any other popular soft drink. The bubbles do wonders for your throat, but they are bad for your stomach since they build up gas and can cause discomfort.
 

bastetservant

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 18, 2010
Messages
1,499
Purraise
19
Location
near Chicago
Never took it for a sore throat. Took it specifically after a bout of nausea and vomiting. It was the first thing my mother would let me try to consume after the vomiting seemed to be over. If I could keep a little 7-UPdown, then I could have some other thing, like dry toast, in a little while. I remember it well.

Most drinks with sugar, like 7-UP and Coke, are too sweet for me, as an adult. And then 7-UP has those bad connotations, so I never liked it.


Robin
 

milk maid

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Sep 17, 2009
Messages
649
Purraise
11
Location
Gnomeville
Wonderful stuff coke 
 can clean a penny to nice and shiny so must clean your stomach just as well 
 Lucozade was the thing when I was a kid for when you were poorly but basicly the same idea. 
 

MoochNNoodles

TCS Member
Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
36,646
Purraise
23,465
Location
Where my cats are
My MIL's trick for an nausea is to drink jello. Just make it as usual but drink it while it is still warm instead of letting it set up. I had never heard that before, but I've tried it and it works. 
Isn't that awfully sweet?  I don't know if I could get that one down!  But then I've tasted Pedialyte when my DD was sick and it is super sweet too. 
 
 
Top