Vomitting and obstructions

Vomiting is most definitely one of the effects of obstruction, but your other symptoms (headaches, leg cramps) don't really match. Generally speaking, the most notable symptom of obstruction is severe abdominal pain. Blood pressure may drop and you'll become faint. Feels like death itself. Once obstructed, you'll almost certainly vomit up everything - it's not even possible to drink water without throwing it up.

My general strategy for surviving an obstruction without going to the hospital...yes, throw up as much as you can. Get your stomach empty. OK to drink water with the intention of throwing it up five minutes later (put your fingers down your throat).

Treatment for pain: outside of the USA, Buscopan, injected IM. In the USA (where Buscopan seems to be banned!?) there is an equivalent drug called Levsin, ridiculously expensive if injectable, but not bad if you take the pills (get Levsin S/L, sublingual - when means dissolve it under tongue). The S/L pills are still not as effective as an injection, but better than nothing. Here in Taiwan I pay US$1 per ampule for Buscopan, bought over the counter with no insurance reimbursement. In the USA, I was quoted US$150 per vial (good for 5 injections, no ampules available) and a doctor's prescription was required, but perhaps insurance (if you have any) would cover some of the cost. Also, pharmacies didn't have Levsin in stock and said they'd have to order it.

If you don't recover after a reasonable time (12 hours), then it's time to visit the emergency room for morphine and stomach pump. Not fun at all.