What to eat to prevent vomiting?

My guess is just over exertion. Sounds like the diet relative to playing time is pretty well worked. You could try telling her to take it easy, but I think she would quit before not going all out.

Yeah, ask your doctor. They like to look thoughtful and intelligent.

more fluids on game days?

Yeah - but why does it only seem to occur with early morning games?

And true - she isn't going let up. She does have a rather weak stomach - like she can't eat donuts or cotton candy without throwing up. Things tend to bother her more than a typical kid thing - stomach wise. Her stomach is kind of sensitive. She definately has to watch what she eats when she is in a tournament because it impacts her stomach.

Agreed - we push her to drink lots of water. I definately think that has an impact.

have you ever had her tested for gluten intolerance?

as a kid, I had a hella bad morning stomach.

Does the position she's in when she drinks matter? i.e. tilting head back, or leaning forward to drink

no - I will bring this up to the doctor - her appointment is next week any way. I've recently been thinking about this as she just went to a tryout for a highly competitive team and if she makes it - will begin regularly playing again this spring. I guess even if she doesn't make it - she has an alternate plan for this other team so she will be playing again soon.

Maybe - good point - as the water bottle is on the floor - she could be putting her head down to pick it up causing the nausea.

Didn't you post a concern about your daughter some time ago about this same problem? This is not a new issue.

Your daughter is stressing about these games.

Are you sure she really want to play?

Carb up the day before the game and saltines in the morning might help.

But this is bile in her stomach from stress.

My dentist and I talked about this not too long ago. I was having some problems being queasy in some situations - he recommended tilting my head back when I drink - and not to gulp - lean back and sip sip sip. It's helped me quite a bit.

I think I brought up the nausea -- we were talking about how hot the basketball games were. My daughter had to leave and get fresh air to avoid vomiting (but she didn't).

As the above indicates, my daughter gets nauseous (and vomits) easily, so we have a lot of practice with this one.

Some things we do if we know it's a situation where she'll be prone to nausea:

- Water (I know, it's been mentioned already a couple of times, but it's paramount)

- COLD. This can mean making her water bottle be mostly ice when we leave the house, or it can mean taking breaks outside if it's cold out.

- Strict avoidance of fat in the time leading up to it. Limited dairy products. Grease is a super no-no.

- Avoidance of salt and sugar where possible.

- A focus on lean protein (chicken breasts for example), fruits, and vegetables. Some grains but only as necessary to create an appetizing meal.

The protein is important if she's going to be exerting herself.

- ADEQUATE SLEEP. This as big as water and seems to have something to do with timing. Perhaps put extra effort into making sure she gets to bed early enough the night before so that she can be awake for a while before the game (to eat and digest, an hour doesn't really seem like enough to me, and also to wake up fully) while also getting enough sleep.

One more, related to the overheating problem -- having a wet washcloth to drape around her neck on breaks. Seems to help cool them down pretty quickly if they can't get outside.

When you mention fluids, maybe electrolytes should be considered at the same time. Don't know if an imbalance would cause vomiting, but it can be serious in lots of other ways.

If and when you take your daughter to the doctor... Be very careful if he gives her medication. I know of two teenage girls who were given anti-nausea medication that was NOT meant for young children. The doctors were unaware of this distinction and one girl became very ill, the other died. Any medication should be discussed with a pharmacist as they know far more about drugs than a typical gp.
I'm not trying to scare you, just give a heads up...

Take her to a sports psychologist. This is performance anxiety.

It is not normal to be so upset before what's supposed to be a fun game.

Some actors get it - it's like stage fright. Barbara Streisand did not perform live for many years because of it.

Until your daughter gets this under control, she is doing harm to her stomach and esophogus with all that bile acid.

That, or live on Pepto Bismo all her life.

Frogg Toggs have been hugely helpful to us. The boys playing All Star baseball in July has made these a must for us. They can wipe their faces with them or drape them over their heads for instant cooling. I keep them in a gallon size baggie with ice packs. Awesome.


http://www.froggtoggs.com/?cooling

That's a leap, Punkey.

Linkat said "several times," out of many, many games -- that's not every time, at all.

Her daughter is also is not vomiting before the game, as you say, but during.

My daughter loves basketball and loves sports in general and (except for some championship-type games) very rarely has any particular nerves. But she's been nauseous during tough basketball games several times, and has come very close to vomiting. Teammates have had issues too.

There are a few elements that cause nausea in basketball games specifically:

- Dehydration: It's generally harder to stay adequately hydrated in the winter, especially in cold climates like where Linkat and I live.

- Temperatures: For whatever reason, gyms get HOT and stuffy when you play basketball. This is different from outdoor games like soccer and softball. I guess it's that the gym is set to a certain temperature and then all of the activity raises the temperature more. But it's a real issue, and I, a spectator, have had to deal with it as well. (I'm always sure to wear layers so I can go from the freezing outside to the sweltering inside without too much discomfort.)

- Pure exertion. Basketball is a really physical game, and there is usually (depending on team size) more exertion per minute in basketball than other sports. Especially if the kid is one of the better players, as Linkat's daughter is.

Now, added to that in Linkat's case is the possibility of not getting enough sleep before early games, and/or not having enough time to digest before the game. I think it's significant that it's happened during early games.

Useful! Thanks.

She loves to play - she asked us if she could play for a different team - a more competitive team so we certainly are not pushing her.

I may have made note of it before - perhaps I forgot - and she stopped playing for one season as her travel team is not competitive enough for her so she wanted to do a conditioning program instead to get ready for the really competitive spring season. With this coming up - I was concerned again about the vomiting.

As I said - she isn't anxious about playing - she loves it. She doesn't get stage fright in sports at all - she feeds off the pressure. She likes going to the free throw line with all eyes on her. Funny she is a very quiet girl - but has no issue or anxiety about performing in sports, singing, or in a play in front of a huge crowd.