Rare illness made woman sick up to 15 times an hour

A young Birmingham woman has told how she contemplated suicide after she was struck down by a crippling disorder that can make her sick up to 15 times an hour.

Sherrie Duggan, from Hall Green, baffled doctors when she was suddenly constantly nauseous.

During episodes, which she describes as “a monster from hell”, Sherrie would be constantly vomiting and suffer searing stomach pain.

After months of tests, Sherrie was finally diagnosed with Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome (CVS), a diagnosis which only a handful of people in the UK share with her.

After being paralysed by sickness over the following fortnight, the 35-year-old knew that there was something seriously wrong.

When she was struck down by a third harrowing spell, Sherrie fell into a diabetic coma and was rushed to Heartlands Hospital.

It was a full 48 hours before she woke up in the Intensive Care Unit.

Non-stop vomiting had left her severely dehydrated and acidotic, a state where your blood becomes increasingly acidic.

Six days later, Sherrie was discharged but she was no closer to discovering what had caused her sickness.

She suffered regular attacks, which would start around 9pm at night and could last for around 48 hours, or sometimes as long as five days.

The violent episodes put an enormous strain on Sherrie both physically and mentally.

She confesses she sometimes felt so trapped and exhausted she considered ending her own life, just to make the vicious cycle stop.

Sherrie's life turned upside down, and had to give up work because she was often rendered bedbound for days without explanation.

Doctors began running tests to try to discover what was causing the horrific symptoms, which led her to be hospitalised ten times.

Meanwhile, often unable to keep food down, Sherrie’s weight plummeted - at one point she was just six and a half stone.

With this came even more problems because many people, including medical professionals, assumed she had an eating disorder.

Now, 18 months on, Sherrie has finally been able to get the attacks under control with the help of a cocktail of medication.

With treatment from anti-nausea medication usually given to chemotherapy patients, Sherrie has managed to keep attacks at bay for the past four months.

She has now managed to gain weight, and is back to a healthier 8st 6lb.

She also keeps to a diet of very plain food, and must take certain medication to try to stop an attack in its tracks if she feels one is about to start.

This Christmas Sherrie did her best to enjoy the day with her family, now that she has CVS a little more under control.

Sherrie is feeling more hopeful for the new year after joining a national support group, and has finally found others who share the same symptoms.

For more information about Cyclical Vomiting Syndrome, visit www.cvsa.org.uk