US Woman Vomits Up To 15 Times An Hour, Misdiagnosed For Years Until Rare Illness Found

A woman from Massachusetts has spoken out about her years-long struggle with a rare illness that causes her to vomit up to 15 times per hour during episodes, according to Today.com. Sharisse Zeroonian, 29, began experiencing intense bouts of vomiting triggered by stress, anxiety, or premenstrual symptoms. These episodes would last for days and then disappear, only to return the following week. Initially, doctors misdiagnosed her condition as a migraine disorder, despite her worsening health and multiple hospital visits.

Sharisse told Today.com, the frequent vomiting led to weight loss, emotional distress, and loss of work. She even faced suicidal thoughts, which ironically could also trigger further vomiting. After two years of medical tests and visits to emergency rooms, she was finally diagnosed in 2023 with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), a rare disorder that affects about 2% of people, particularly women and those with a history of migraines.

CVS is a chronic gut-brain interaction disorder characterised by repeated vomiting episodes, followed by periods of normal health. Common triggers include stress, menstruation, certain foods, motion sickness, and overexertion.

While Sharisse still has episodes every week, treatment using anti-nausea and antipsychotic medications has made them shorter and less severe. In severe cases, she can only consume vitamin-infused water or gummies and avoids going out for fear of public vomiting.

Turning her struggles into creativity, Sharisse wrote and directed a semi-autobiographical dark comedy film titled Nothing Solid, which she calls a "vom-com". The film is scheduled for release in August and has helped her cope by bringing awareness to the misunderstood condition.