The most important thing to do after throwing up is to rest your stomach for a few hours before eating or drinking anything substantial. Then begin rehydrating with small sips of water, about every 15 minutes. Rushing food or fluid back in too quickly often triggers another round of vomiting, so patience in the first few hours makes the biggest difference in how fast you recover.
What to Do Right After Vomiting
Give your stomach a grace period. For the first one to two hours, avoid food and large amounts of liquid entirely. Sit upright or prop yourself up with pillows, since lying flat can make nausea worse and increases the risk of inhaling vomit if you throw up again. If your mouth feels unpleasant, rinse with water or a baking soda solution (about half a teaspoon in a cup of water) to neutralize stomach acid on your teeth, but don’t brush right away. Brushing can spread that acid and damage enamel.
Once the initial wave passes, start with ice chips or very small sips of water, just a few tablespoons at a time, every 15 minutes. If that stays down for an hour, gradually increase the amount. The goal is to replace lost fluid without overwhelming your stomach.
How to Rehydrate Effectively
Water alone replaces volume but not the sodium and potassium you lose when you vomit. An oral rehydration solution works better because it contains a balanced ratio of sugar and sodium that helps your intestines absorb fluid more efficiently. Products like Pedialyte or store-brand rehydration drinks are designed around this principle. You can also make a basic version at home with six teaspoons of sugar and half a teaspoon of salt dissolved in a liter of clean water.
If plain rehydration drinks don’t appeal to you, clear broths, diluted apple juice, and flat ginger ale are reasonable alternatives. Avoid full-strength fruit juices, milk, and caffeinated or carbonated drinks in the first several hours. These can irritate an already sensitive stomach or pull water into the gut and make things worse.
For children, the stakes are higher because they dehydrate faster. A useful guideline is to replace roughly 10 mL per kilogram of body weight for each episode of vomiting. For a 20-pound (9 kg) child, that works out to about 3 ounces per episode, offered in small, frequent sips rather than all at once.
Ginger and Pressure Points for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea. Its active compounds block certain serotonin receptors in the gut that trigger the vomiting reflex, which is the same pathway targeted by some prescription anti-nausea medications. A review of clinical trials found that taking up to 1 gram of ginger per day for several days reduced acute vomiting by about 70% compared to a placebo. You don’t need a supplement to get that benefit. Ginger tea made from fresh sliced ginger, ginger chews, or even ginger candies can help settle your stomach during mild episodes.
Acupressure is another technique worth trying. The P6 point, located on the inside of your wrist, has been used for nausea relief across multiple clinical settings. To find it, place three fingers flat across the inside of your wrist, starting just below the crease where your hand meets your arm. The point sits in the groove between the two large tendons, right below where your third finger lands. Press firmly with your thumb for a few minutes, then switch wrists. Wristbands designed to apply steady pressure to this point are sold at most pharmacies.
Over-the-Counter Options
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) can help with nausea tied to an upset stomach, overeating, or general digestive distress. It works by coating the stomach lining and reducing inflammation. Keep in mind that it turns your tongue and stool black temporarily, which is harmless but can be alarming if you’re not expecting it. It should not be given to children or teenagers recovering from a viral illness due to the risk of a rare but serious condition linked to salicylates.
Phosphorated carbohydrate solutions (sold as Emetrol or similar brands) take a different approach. They’re concentrated sugar solutions that act directly on the stomach wall, calming muscle contractions and slowing gastric emptying. These can be helpful for sudden waves of nausea, though they contain a significant amount of sugar and aren’t ideal for people managing diabetes.
Antihistamine-based options like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) or meclizine work best when nausea is related to motion sickness or inner-ear issues. They tend to cause drowsiness, which can actually be a bonus if you’re trying to sleep through the worst of it.
What to Eat as You Recover
The old advice to stick strictly to bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast (the BRAT diet) has fallen out of favor. The American Academy of Pediatrics no longer recommends it because it’s too low in protein, fat, and calories to support recovery, and following it for more than 24 hours may actually slow healing in the gut.
Instead, eat as tolerated. Start with small portions of bland, soft foods once you’ve kept liquids down for a few hours. Good early choices include plain crackers, broth-based soup, plain pasta, boiled potatoes, or scrambled eggs. You don’t need to limit yourself to four specific foods. The principle is simply to avoid anything greasy, spicy, very sweet, or heavily seasoned until your stomach feels more stable. Most people can return to their normal diet within 24 to 48 hours.
Eat slowly and in small amounts. A few bites every hour is better than a full meal that overwhelms your digestive system. If a particular food triggers nausea again, set it aside and try something else.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most vomiting from food poisoning, stomach bugs, or overindulgence resolves on its own within a day or two. But certain signs point to something more serious.
- Vomit that contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is bright green: this suggests bleeding or a possible bowel obstruction and warrants an emergency room visit.
- Signs of dehydration: very dark urine, no urination for eight or more hours, dizziness when standing, extreme thirst, or dry mouth that doesn’t improve with sipping fluids.
- Severe headache, stiff neck with fever, chest pain, or confusion: these combinations can indicate serious conditions beyond a stomach illness.
- Duration: for adults, vomiting that persists beyond two days. For children under two, beyond 24 hours. For infants, beyond 12 hours.
- Unexplained weight loss alongside recurring nausea and vomiting over weeks: this pattern needs investigation regardless of other symptoms.
Dehydration is the most common complication of prolonged vomiting, especially in young children and older adults. If you or your child can’t keep even small sips of fluid down for several hours, that alone is reason enough to seek care. Intravenous fluids can correct dehydration quickly and often bring dramatic relief.