Nausea and vomiting respond to a surprisingly wide range of remedies, from simple dietary changes to over-the-counter medications, pressure point techniques, and homemade rehydration drinks. What works best depends on the cause: motion sickness, pregnancy, a stomach bug, or chemotherapy each respond to different approaches. Here’s what actually helps and how to use it.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Two main categories of OTC drugs target nausea, and they work in completely different ways. Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol and Kaopectate) protects the stomach lining itself, making it a solid choice when nausea comes from something you ate or a stomach bug. Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) work in the brain instead, dulling the inner ear’s ability to sense motion and blocking the signals that trigger the vomiting reflex. If your nausea is tied to movement, car rides, or boat travel, antihistamines are the better pick. The tradeoff is drowsiness, though a less-sedating version using meclizine is available.
Ginger: How Much Actually Works
Ginger is one of the most studied natural remedies for nausea, and the evidence is strongest for chemotherapy-related vomiting. In a systematic review of clinical trials, taking 1 gram or less of ginger daily for more than four days reduced acute vomiting by 70% compared to a placebo. That’s a meaningful effect from a supplement you can find at any pharmacy.
The dosages tested in studies ranged widely, from 160 milligrams to 15 grams per day, but the best results clustered around that 1 gram mark. You can get this from ginger capsules, ginger tea made from fresh root, or even ginger chews. One caution: high-dose ginger supplements containing concentrated extracts behave differently from the ginger you’d use in cooking. Some countries, including Finland, advise pregnant women against ginger supplements specifically because the safety data for concentrated forms isn’t strong enough. Sticking to food-level amounts (a cup of ginger tea, a few ginger chews) is a more conservative approach.
Acupressure at the Wrist
Pressing on a point called PC6 (Neiguan) on the inner wrist has real clinical support. A Cochrane review covering 40 trials and nearly 5,000 participants found that stimulating this point reduced nausea by about 32% compared to sham treatment. Both needle acupuncture and simple acupressure bands (the kind sold as “sea bands”) showed benefits, reducing post-surgical nausea and vomiting in 135 to 247 more people per 1,000 compared to fake treatment.
To find the spot, place three fingers across your inner wrist starting at the crease. The point sits just below your index finger, between the two tendons. Press firmly for two to three minutes. This works well as a first-line option because it’s free, has no side effects, and you can do it anywhere.
Staying Hydrated After Vomiting
Dehydration is the most immediate risk when you’re vomiting repeatedly. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing. A simple oral rehydration solution does a much better job, and you can make one at home: mix 4 cups of water with half a teaspoon of table salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar isn’t just for taste. It helps your intestines absorb sodium and water more efficiently.
If that recipe doesn’t appeal to you, there are alternatives. Chicken broth works well: dissolve one dry bouillon cube in 4 cups of water and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. You can also use 2 cups of regular (not low-sodium) liquid broth mixed with 2 cups of water and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Diluted cranberry juice is another option: three-quarters cup of juice, three and a quarter cups of water, and half a teaspoon of salt. Even diluted Gatorade G2 with an extra half teaspoon of salt per 32 ounces will work. If any of these taste too salty, reduce the salt slightly. Drinking a less-than-perfect solution is better than not drinking at all.
What to Eat and When
After vomiting, give your stomach a few hours of rest before putting anything in it. Start with ice chips or tiny sips of water every 15 minutes. Once you’ve kept liquids down for a few hours, you can begin eating small amounts of bland food: plain toast, crackers, bananas, applesauce, or oatmeal.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast). It’s fine for the first day when you’re at your sickest, but it’s no longer recommended beyond that. The American Academy of Pediatrics dropped it from their guidelines because it lacks calcium, vitamin B12, protein, and fiber. For children especially, sticking to BRAT foods for more than 24 hours can actually slow recovery by depriving the gut of the nutrients it needs to heal.
As your stomach settles, expand to brothy soups, boiled potatoes, dry cereal, and saltine crackers. When those feel comfortable, move on to scrambled eggs, skinless chicken or turkey, and cooked vegetables. The progression from clear liquids to bland foods to soft proteins typically takes one to two days.
Motion Sickness Prevention
Timing matters more than the specific medication when it comes to motion sickness. A scopolamine patch, which goes behind the ear, works best when applied 8 to 16 hours before travel. Applying it less than 4 hours beforehand produces significantly less benefit. Oral antihistamines like dimenhydrinate need less lead time, typically taken about 1.5 to 2 hours before exposure to motion.
This means planning ahead. If you’re boarding a cruise ship in the morning, the patch should go on the night before. If you’re taking a car trip and using Dramamine, dosing about two hours before departure gives you the best window. Both options cause some drowsiness, though scopolamine also commonly causes dry mouth.
Pregnancy Nausea
Morning sickness has its own specific treatment approach. The combination of vitamin B6 and doxylamine (a mild antihistamine found in some OTC sleep aids) is the standard first-line therapy recommended by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Doxylamine is available over the counter. Half of a scored 25-milligram tablet provides a 12.5-milligram dose. This combination has a long safety record in pregnancy and works on the nausea pathways without posing known risks to the fetus.
Many people find that eating small, frequent meals and keeping crackers at the bedside for early morning also helps. Cold or room-temperature foods tend to be better tolerated than hot meals, since heat intensifies food smells that can trigger nausea.
Warning Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea and vomiting resolves within a day or two. But certain signs indicate something more serious. Not urinating for more than 12 hours is a reliable marker of significant dehydration. Other physical signs include skin that stays tented when you pinch it, sunken eyes, and a dry mouth with no saliva. Rapid heart rate, worsening abdominal pain, or a fever alongside persistent vomiting can point to an infection or surgical emergency. Vomit that contains blood or looks like coffee grounds, or vomiting that won’t stop regardless of what you try, warrants prompt evaluation.