BPAL for nausea

[lookingglass]

Let's talk about soothing nausea with BPAL!!!

 

My son started chemo this week and is extremely nauseous. I know that peppermint, anise, and lavender are traditionally used in aromatherapy for nausea, but I wanted to start a thread of BPALs that people have found helpful.

 

I have NO scents like this so right now I'm not wearing any BPAL.

 

 

Well, and he HATES like the smell of medicine, and lavender and mint smell like medicine and toothpaste to me. He does NOT like the smell of lemon, ginger or lavender, either. Says they smell like cleaning products and medicine. He's been loving the smell of clean blankets, but the thing with scent like that on my skin is that they go really sharp. I like scents that are creamy. He told me that Dragon's Milk would be OK (that's been his comfort scent since he was a toddler) but I am afraid he'll develop an aversion to it through all the nausea, and that would be sad!

 

I'm thinking maybe Snow White would work, maybe Lick It, maybe Breathless Horror (white musk and thick olibanum with niaouli, carrot seed, white mint, and camphor-scared of the camphor, though); maybe Colder and Colder (Peppermint, spearmint, white musk, and elemi settling into a deepening darkness). I'll have to wait for reviews. Hm. I used to wear Lurid (lavender, white musk, and ozone). I'm a heavy resin/incense lovin' Momma. I still want to smell like perfume, but one that doesn't make my kid puke! I know it's a very individual thing. Even day to day different smells really get to him. I just need to expand my repertoire outside my comfort zone and it's kind scary!

 

I hope that this thread will be helpful to others, though, not just chemo patients.

Edited November 21, 2011 by lookingglass

[malibusunny]

For me it was tea scents, but that was pregnancy nausea not chemo.

 

:hug:s to you and best wishes for a full recovery.

[ivyandpeony]

You might find some ideas in this thread - http://www.bpal.org/topic/7633-bpal-for-headaches-pain-colds-seizures-sickness-illnesses/

 

It may be that a scent that works for some may not work perfectly for him, so you might have to try a couple of things. This blog entry recommends ginger and mandarin essential oils, so something like the Panacea blend Moxie that's full of ginger and citrus might work well. Peppermint and other mints seem to be recommended often for nausea, so maybe something like GRR, the headache Panacea blend, would work. (I'd lean towards the Panacea blends as opposed to the perfumes since they're actually intended for aromatherapy and just contain essential oils, not any accords or bouquets. - a minty or gingery perfume might comfort him if you are wearing it, but for real aromatherapy you want those concentrated essential oils.)

 

I will be thinking about you and your family!

[ljaylh]

aww.. poor little dude, it must be horrible

 

I think the ones you mentioned could all work.. let's see..

 

Mint is generally soothing, so I'd go for something with a sweet feel - Snowblind would be nice, with that vanilla softness.

Lavender - well, TKO is the main one I'm thinking of - this might help just for general relaxation too.

 

I always find ginger good for nausea - but I can't think of a really ginger-heavy BPAL.. maybe Moxie would be worth a try?

 

I hope the nausea passes soon

[femmefatale]

I seem to be the opposite of most people in that ginger makes me feel ill. Citrus (lemon & orange especially) and mint seem to help when I'm nauseous, so I love Lustration when I'm not feeling well. I ordered some Yellow Snowballs which might work as well.

Lick It might also be a good one (it's one of the ones I wear during long car rides since I tend to get motion sickness and I know it won't bother me).

 

If you like, I could send you decants of each to try and see if you like them/if they work.

Edited November 21, 2011 by Femme_Fatale

[lookingglass]

I'll go look up Snowblind.

 

He just said, "Mommy you stink like a too clean hospital. You don't smell like you".

 

AWH! He says that Snake Oil wouldn't make him sick!

[Circaea]

Citrus helps me. Lemon Scented Sticky Bats makes me feel better when I'm feeling poorly.

[halation]

If he feels that Snake Oil would be okay, maybe some Green Tree Viper? Then you'd smell like you're supposed to smell and there'd be a soothing mintiness to help with stomach upset. WILF is another SO/minty blend, and it's very creamy and comforting and snuggly. For migraine nausea, those are my two favourites. I also like Menacing Ionospheric Research Instrument, especially layered with GRR, but it's tricky to find. The only thing quite like it I've sniffed is Violet Ray, which, well, also tricky to find. Not sure how he'd feel about florals, though. I'm hoping Torrent of Light from the Frankensteins will work for me the way MIRI does, and that might be worth trying for him, since eucalyptus can be good for nausea and it's also got white mint. For GCs, there's Cathode, which has moss and ambergris to soften things. Or maybe Undertow? which is anise/mint -- a little sharp, but it might work well for aromatherapy, dabbed on a cloth.

 

Everyone's different, but I'd shy away from anything with camphor if he doesn't like medicinal smells -- plus it can be a bit strong, especially with an unsettled stomach.

[Mountaingrrl00]

How about Morocco? It's resiny and creamy but not too heavy, and it doesn't smell at all like medicine.

[rawgirl75]

The only scent I can wear no matter how ill I feel, is Shub-Niggurath. Ginger is good for you.

 

ps. Oops sorry, I didnt realize ginger was disliked. I *only* like the ginger in Shub -none of the other ginger blends I've tried worked. You just never know...

Edited November 25, 2011 by rawgirl75

[stellamaris]

Hmm, what about Nightmare? It's very light, and has that "linen" smell. It's a Weenie though, you would have to order before December 13th. I thought of it because it is very airy, but still has a great non irritating smell. It does not smell like a nasty dryer sheet either lol.

And it has no ginger or anything else you said he does not like.

 

God bless you and may your boy recover from his illness and may all of your family be healthy and happy

Edited November 24, 2011 by stellamaris

[cheetah_pita]

Nero used to work pretty well for me. The pine+lemon used to cut through the nausea and after several whiffs I'd calm down pretty quick. This was the nausea I got from my period, though - the kind right before you throw up - which is probably different from what your son is feeling, but it might help.

 

Snow White/Lick It/Snowblind and most of the cold blends never really helped- probably because they were sweet. I remember thinking Ice Queen was ok, and maybe Snow Flakes? But both of them were just tolerable, not the kind of "settle down" trigger I was looking for.

Edited November 25, 2011 by cheetah_pita

[lookingglass]

Thank you all for your suggestions and well wishes!

Edited November 25, 2011 by lookingglass

[Poenari]

You mentioned that you usually like resins and incense, and I'm not sure if you stopped wearing them out of concern that they might make him sick, but maybe they will smell nicer to him than you think. I love Melainis, which is an incense scent on me. About a year and a half ago I took my cat to the vet. The lady working at the counter asked me what perfume I was wearing, and said it was the best thing she'd smelled in months. I was wearing Melainis. I went in to see the doctor with my cat, and when I came out and she was ringing me up she asked me to write down the name of the place where I'd bought my perfume. She proceeded to tell me that she had been going through chemo and nothing smelled good to her any more, and most things made her ill, and that my perfume was like heaven to her. I told her it was a limited edition, but I had about 2 decants left in the bottle in my purse so I gave it to her. She was so sweet and grateful and I was so happy to give her something that made her feel so good.

 

Best wishes for your son's health.

[Gingerbird]

Wrath is my go to scent for nausea, I think because of the heavy cinnamon note. Bengal works for me too, but not half as much as Wrath.

 

Best wishes for you and your son and I hope you find something that works for you.

[Gingerbird]

Wrath is my go to scent for nausea, I think because of the heavy cinnamon note. Bengal works for me too, but not half as much as Wrath.

 

Best wishes for you and your son and I hope you find something that works for you.

[lookingglass]

Update: 5 rounds of chemo (it sucks but he's doing great-one more round to go...fingers crossed!) and is favorites are (still) Snake Oil, Dragon's Milk, and, now, White Light. He also likes the smell of baby lotion and frankincense & myrrh.

[melrose]

I've had ongoing nausea issues due to extensive surgery 10 years ago. Cathode is a godsend!

[chaismolokom]

I usually go for mint and eucalyptus when I'm nauseous (Lick It and The Coil are faves), but for myrrh, I love Priala and Raven Moon. La Petite Mort used to be a fantastic myrrh scent on me, too, until my skin chemistry changed and the ylang ylang went urinal cake. For frankincense, my very favorite is the hair gloss.