Most cases of diarrhea resolve on their own within one to three days, and the fastest way to feel better is to focus on replacing lost fluids while avoiding foods and drinks that make things worse. Antibiotics are rarely needed. For the majority of people, a combination of hydration, simple dietary adjustments, and possibly an over-the-counter medication is enough to get through it.
Start With Fluids, Not Food
Dehydration is the main risk with diarrhea, not the diarrhea itself. Every loose stool pulls water and electrolytes out of your body, and replacing them is the single most important thing you can do. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing. That’s where oral rehydration solutions come in.
The World Health Organization recommends a specific type of rehydration drink with a low concentration of dissolved particles (around 200 to 260 milliosmoles per kilogram). At that concentration, your intestines absorb fluid at the fastest possible rate. A small amount of sugar in the solution activates a transport system in the gut lining that pulls sodium and water along with it, essentially piggy-backing fluid absorption onto sugar absorption. You can buy premade oral rehydration solutions at most pharmacies, or make a simple version at home with six level teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in one liter of clean water.
Sports drinks are better than nothing but often contain too much sugar and not enough sodium. Broth is another decent option because it provides salt naturally. Sip steadily throughout the day rather than drinking large amounts at once, which can trigger more cramping.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You may have heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s been a go-to recommendation for decades, but the CDC has noted that this diet is unnecessarily restrictive and provides suboptimal nutrition for a recovering gut. Current clinical guidelines recommend resuming a normal, age-appropriate diet during or immediately after rehydration is complete. You don’t need to starve your way through diarrhea.
That said, some foods genuinely make diarrhea worse. The biggest offenders:
- Sugar alcohols. Sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, and similar sweeteners are found in sugar-free gum, diet candies, and many “low-sugar” processed foods. They have well-documented laxative effects. As little as 5 grams of sorbitol can cause gas, bloating, and urgency, and doses above 20 grams per day reliably cause diarrhea. These sweeteners are poorly absorbed in the small intestine, which draws extra water into the gut.
- Caffeine. Coffee, energy drinks, and strong tea stimulate the muscles in your digestive tract, speeding up transit time and worsening loose stools.
- Dairy. If diarrhea is caused by an intestinal infection, the cells that produce lactase (the enzyme that digests milk sugar) can be temporarily damaged. This creates a short-term lactose intolerance that clears up as your gut heals, usually within a week or two. Yogurt is often tolerated better than milk because the bacteria in it pre-digest some of the lactose.
- Greasy or fried foods. High-fat meals slow stomach emptying but can speed up colonic transit, a combination that often produces cramping and urgency.
- Alcohol. It irritates the gut lining and interferes with fluid absorption.
Good choices while you’re recovering include plain rice, boiled potatoes, lean chicken, eggs, bananas, and cooked vegetables. These are easy to digest and unlikely to trigger more cramping. Eating smaller, more frequent meals tends to be easier on your system than three large ones.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Two types of OTC medications are widely used for diarrhea relief. Loperamide (the active ingredient in Imodil) works by slowing the muscle contractions in your intestines, giving your body more time to absorb water from stool. It’s appropriate for adults with acute watery diarrhea and no fever. Clinical guidelines recommend against using loperamide in children under 18 with acute diarrhea, and it should never be given to children under 2.
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) takes a different approach. It has mild anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial properties in the gut, and it can also help with nausea and cramping. It will turn your tongue and stool black temporarily, which is harmless. People who are allergic to aspirin should avoid it, since it contains a salicylate compound.
Neither medication is a substitute for staying hydrated. Think of them as add-ons for comfort, not the core treatment. If you have a fever above 101°F (38°C), bloody stools, or severe abdominal pain, skip the loperamide. Those symptoms suggest your body may be fighting an infection that needs to run its course, and slowing gut motility in that situation can do more harm than good.
Ginger for Cramping and Frequency
Ginger has some legitimate science behind it for diarrhea-related symptoms. Animal studies on diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome found that ginger extract significantly reduced both the frequency of bowel movements and the water content of stool. The active compound, called gingerol, appears to work by calming inflammation in the cells lining the intestine and reducing gut hypersensitivity. In these studies, ginger performed comparably to a prescription antibiotic used for IBS-related diarrhea.
The easiest way to use ginger is as a tea: steep a thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger in hot water for 10 minutes. It won’t replace rehydration or medication for severe symptoms, but it can help settle your stomach and ease cramping.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most diarrhea clears up within two days. If yours persists beyond that, or if you notice any of the following, it’s time to call a doctor:
- Bloody or black stools
- Fever above 101°F (38°C)
- Severe abdominal or rectal pain
- Signs of dehydration: excessive thirst, dark urine, dizziness, dry mouth, little or no urination
For children, the timeline is shorter. Contact a pediatrician if a child’s diarrhea doesn’t improve within 24 hours, or immediately if the child has a fever above 102°F (39°C), bloody stools, or shows signs of dehydration like no wet diaper for three or more hours, crying without tears, or unusual drowsiness. Breastfed infants should continue nursing throughout the illness, as breast milk provides both fluid and immune factors that support recovery.