Most upset stomachs resolve on their own within a day or two, and there’s plenty you can do at home to speed that along. The right approach depends on your specific symptoms, whether that’s nausea, bloating, cramping, or diarrhea. Here’s what actually works.
Start With What You Eat and Drink
When your stomach is actively upset, the single most important thing is staying hydrated. Vomiting and diarrhea drain fluids and electrolytes fast, and dehydration will make you feel worse. Plain water helps, but if you’ve been throwing up or having diarrhea for more than a few hours, you need to replace salt and electrolytes too. Store-bought oral rehydration solutions like Pedialyte work well. You can also make your own by dissolving half a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar into about four cups of water.
Sip slowly rather than gulping. Large volumes of liquid hitting an irritated stomach often come right back up. Small, frequent sips every few minutes are more likely to stay down.
For food, you don’t need to limit yourself to the classic BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast), though those foods are fine for the first day or two. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal are equally easy to digest. Once things settle, start adding more nutritious options: cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs. These are still bland and gentle but provide the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover. The goal is to get back to a normal diet as soon as your stomach can handle it.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the better-studied natural remedies for nausea. Its active compound, gingerol, is what gives ginger its sharp taste and appears to be responsible for the anti-nausea effect. Most clinical research has used between 250 mg and 1 g of powdered ginger root in capsule form, taken one to four times daily. For pregnancy-related nausea, the typical studied dose is 250 mg four times a day.
You don’t necessarily need capsules. Freshly grated ginger steeped in hot water makes a strong tea that many people find soothing. Ginger chews and crystallized ginger are other options. Ginger ale is less reliable since many brands contain very little actual ginger.
Peppermint for Bloating and Cramping
If your upset stomach feels more like pressure, bloating, or cramping than nausea, peppermint may help. Peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle lining the digestive tract, which can ease spasms and reduce that uncomfortable sense of fullness. A cup of peppermint tea is the simplest way to try this.
One caveat: peppermint also relaxes the valve between your esophagus and stomach. If your symptoms include heartburn or acid reflux, peppermint can make that worse. Skip it in that case.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has a long history in traditional medicine for digestive complaints including nausea and gas. Animal studies suggest it may help with diarrhea and protect the stomach lining. It’s mild enough that it’s unlikely to cause problems, and the warm liquid itself can be calming for an irritated stomach. If nothing else, it helps with hydration.
The Pressure Point on Your Wrist
Acupressure at a spot called P6, located on your inner forearm near your wrist, can help reduce nausea. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recommends it as a self-care technique. To find it, place three fingers across the inside of your wrist starting at the crease. Just below where your third finger lands, press your thumb between the two large tendons you can feel there. Apply firm pressure for two to three minutes. Motion sickness wristbands work by pressing on this same point continuously.
Over-the-Counter Options
If home remedies aren’t cutting it, a few types of over-the-counter medications target different symptoms.
Antacids (like Tums or Rolaids) neutralize stomach acid quickly and work best for heartburn or that burning feeling in your upper stomach. They provide fast but short-lived relief.
H2 blockers (like famotidine, sold as Pepcid) reduce acid production and have a quick onset, making them useful on an as-needed basis. However, your body can develop tolerance to their acid-suppressing effects within about three days of regular use, so they’re best for occasional symptoms rather than daily treatment.
Proton pump inhibitors (like omeprazole, sold as Prilosec) are stronger acid reducers but work differently. They need to be taken 30 to 60 minutes before eating and generally require four to eight weeks of daily use for full effect. They’re designed for ongoing acid problems, not a one-time upset stomach.
For diarrhea specifically, bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) can calm things down. For gas and bloating, simethicone (Gas-X) helps break up gas bubbles.
Probiotics for Diarrhea
If diarrhea is your main symptom, probiotics may shorten its duration. A large evidence review found that probiotics reduced the average length of diarrhea by roughly 1.2 days. Two strains stood out in the research: one (Limosilactobacillus reuteri) significantly reduced how long diarrhea lasted, and another (Lacticaseibacillus rhamnosus) reduced the likelihood of still having diarrhea at the end of the study period. You can find these in supplement form at most pharmacies. Yogurt with live cultures provides some probiotics too, though in lower concentrations.
What to Avoid While Your Stomach Recovers
Certain things reliably make an upset stomach worse. Fatty, greasy, and heavily spiced foods force your digestive system to work harder. Dairy can be difficult to process when your gut is inflamed. Caffeine and alcohol both irritate the stomach lining and can worsen nausea. Carbonated drinks may increase bloating. Acidic foods like tomatoes and citrus can aggravate heartburn.
Lying flat right after eating can also push stomach acid upward. If you need to rest, prop yourself up or lie on your left side, which keeps your stomach below your esophagus.
When an Upset Stomach Is Something More Serious
Most stomach discomfort passes without incident, but certain patterns signal something that needs medical attention. Get to an emergency room if you experience:
- Pain so severe it interrupts your ability to function
- Inability to keep any liquids down after repeated attempts over several hours
- Blood in your vomit or stool, or stool that looks black and tarry
- High fever combined with abdominal pain
- Pain that starts near your belly button and migrates to your lower right side, which worsens over 12 to 24 hours and gets worse when you move, cough, or sneeze. This is a classic pattern for appendicitis.
- Severe bloating with complete inability to pass gas or have a bowel movement, especially if you’ve had abdominal surgery in the past. This can indicate a bowel obstruction.
- Upper abdominal pain that worsens when you eat, accompanied by nausea, fever, and a rapid pulse, which may point to pancreatitis.
Also pay attention if your stomach pain feels familiar but noticeably different from past episodes, either more intense or accompanied by new symptoms. That change in pattern is worth taking seriously.