If a woman is 6 weeks pregnant and has had symptoms of on and off nausea and vomiting for days before yom kippur, and the only thing that helps her so far is food and antinausea medication prescribed by her doctor, is there anyway for her to take antinausea medication on yom kippur?
Does it matter that the pill has a decent taiste to it? The reason I am asking is because if she somehow can take the medication then that will make it possible that she may never come to a situation of the intense nausea and vomiting and therefore be able to perhaps fast, but if she doesn’t take the medication she will likely have to break her fast in some way at some point because the past days have been filled with nausea and vomiting. Without food or medication the woman will likely have persistent nausea and vomiting which could lead chas v’shalom to danger. The frum doctor advised the woman to ask a Rabbi how to proceed in the above situation.
Answer:
If the anti-nausea medication would be a tasteless pill, it would be permitted to swallow it (without water) on Yom Kippur. If it does have taste, it is forbidden to take it on Yom Kippur. It is therefore advisable to look for similar tasteless medication. Alternatively, the pill can be wrapped with a thin layer of paper and swallowed with the wrapping. This requires experimentation before Yom Kippur, to ensure that the wrapping is effective in negating any taste, and to check the person’s swallowing capabilities. If these options don’t work out, a pill should be taken right before Yom Kippur, and the lady should fast as usual, ensuring that she rests as much as possible (her husband should take time off from shul, if this will permit her to rest and avoid dehydration). Only if she becomes dehydrated to a point of potential danger would it be permitted for her to drink beshiurim.
Sources: See Shemiras Shabbos Kehilchasa chap. 39 note 30.
