Several approaches can relieve nausea quickly, from ginger and peppermint to over-the-counter medications and simple changes in how you eat and drink. What works best depends on the cause, but most people can find meaningful relief without a prescription.
Ginger
Ginger is one of the most well-studied natural remedies for nausea. Its active compounds block serotonin receptors in the gut that trigger the nausea reflex, and they also help your stomach empty faster so food doesn’t sit there making you feel worse. Clinical trials have found that taking 1 gram or less of ginger daily for more than four days reduced acute vomiting by 70% in people undergoing chemotherapy, one of the toughest tests for any anti-nausea treatment.
You can get ginger through capsules, freshly grated in hot water as tea, or even ginger chews. Aim for about 1 gram per day, split across multiple doses. More isn’t necessarily better, and high amounts can cause heartburn in some people.
Peppermint
Peppermint works through a different pathway. Its main active compounds, menthol and menthone, relax the smooth muscles lining your digestive tract and also block serotonin receptors that trigger nausea. You don’t need to swallow anything for it to work. Simply inhaling peppermint essential oil has been shown to reduce nausea, making it a useful option when your stomach is too unsettled to keep anything down. Peppermint tea is another gentle way to get the benefit.
The Rubbing Alcohol Trick
One surprisingly effective technique involves sniffing a standard rubbing alcohol pad. In a randomized trial of emergency department patients, inhaling isopropyl alcohol cut nausea scores in half within 10 minutes, dropping from a median of 6 out of 10 down to 3. That’s a meaningful reduction, and it works faster than most oral remedies. If you feel a wave of nausea coming on, hold an alcohol prep pad a few inches from your nose and take a few slow breaths through it.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Two main categories of OTC drugs target nausea directly:
- Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) works best for nausea from stomach bugs or food poisoning. It can temporarily turn your tongue or stool dark, which is harmless. If you notice ringing in your ears, stop taking it, as that signals you’ve had too much.
- Antihistamines like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) are most effective for motion sickness and vertigo-related nausea. They block signals from your inner ear to the brain’s vomiting center. The trade-off is drowsiness, so avoid them when you need to drive or stay alert.
Vitamin B6 for Pregnancy Nausea
If your nausea is related to pregnancy, vitamin B6 is a first-line option that’s been studied specifically in this population. A dosage of 25 mg taken three times daily (75 mg total) has been shown to significantly reduce both nausea and vomiting compared to placebo. It’s available over the counter and is considered safe during pregnancy. Many prenatal vitamins contain some B6, but usually not enough to treat active morning sickness, so a separate supplement is typically needed.
How You Eat Matters
When your stomach is struggling, the size and timing of your meals can make as much difference as what you eat. Large meals stretch the stomach and slow digestion, which worsens nausea. Switching to four to six smaller meals throughout the day keeps your stomach from getting overloaded.
For food choices, you don’t need to limit yourself to the classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), though those foods are fine for a day or two. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereals are all easy on the stomach. As you start feeling better, add back more nutritious options like cooked squash, carrots, avocado, skinless chicken, fish, and eggs. These are still bland and easy to digest but give your body the protein and nutrients it needs to recover.
Staying Hydrated Without Making It Worse
Nausea and vomiting can dehydrate you fast, but drinking plain water on an empty, irritated stomach sometimes makes things worse. Oral rehydration solutions (sold as Pedialyte and similar products) are designed to optimize fluid absorption by pairing sodium and glucose in roughly a 1-to-1 ratio. This takes advantage of a specific transport system in your gut that pulls water in along with those molecules.
Sports drinks, sodas, and fruit juices are poor substitutes. They contain too little sodium and too much sugar, which can actually pull more water into your intestines and worsen symptoms. If you don’t have a commercial rehydration solution handy, take small, frequent sips of water or broth rather than gulping large amounts at once.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea passes on its own or responds to the strategies above. But certain patterns signal something more serious. Seek medical care if you can’t keep any fluids down, if nausea comes with a fever of 102°F or higher, if you notice bloody or black stool, or if you’ve had diarrhea for 24 hours or more. Confusion, unusual sleepiness, and significantly reduced urination are signs of dehydration that has progressed beyond what you can manage at home. For infants, no wet diapers for three hours warrants immediate attention.