Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome Network

General information

CVS has been recognised for over 100 years, but we still know very little about the cause of the problem and there is still no recognised treatment.

How common is cyclic vomiting syndrome?

The exact prevalence of cyclic vomiting syndrome is unknown; estimates range from 4 to 2,000 per 100,000 children. The condition is diagnosed less commonly in adults, although recent studies suggest that the condition could be as common in adults as in children.

CVS is characterised by recurrent, prolonged attacks of severe vomiting, nausea pain and lethargy, with no apparent cause. Vomiting persists at frequent intervals, 5-6 times per hour at the peak, for periods ranging from hours to 10 days or more. It most commonly lasts for between 1 and 4 days. The episodes are self-limiting and tend to be similar to each other in symptoms and duration. The sufferer is generally in good health between episodes.

There is no diagnostic clinical or laboratory tests for CVS itself, but when all specific conditions that could cause the symptoms have been eliminated by testing, doctors may classify the illness as Cyclical Vomiting ‘Syndrome’. This means that people with CVS may show a range of symptoms, one goal of the CVSA is to help develop better diagnostic criteria, so that sufferers are diagnosed more quickly and accurately than has been the case previously.