The best approach for an upset stomach with diarrhea combines three things: staying hydrated, eating the right foods, and knowing which over-the-counter options can help. Most cases resolve within a day or two with simple home care. What matters most in the short term is replacing the fluid and electrolytes your body is losing.
Hydration Comes First
Diarrhea pulls water and essential minerals out of your body fast. Replacing those losses is the single most important thing you can do. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t contain the electrolytes you’re losing. Sports drinks, coconut water, or clear broths are better choices. Chicken noodle soup is a particularly good option because the broth provides sodium while the liquid guards against dehydration.
If you want something more precise, the World Health Organization’s oral rehydration solution is easy to make at home: mix half a teaspoon of salt and two tablespoons of sugar into about four cups of water. The sugar isn’t just for taste. It helps your intestines absorb the water and sodium more efficiently. Sip small amounts frequently rather than drinking large quantities at once, which can further irritate your stomach.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. These foods are gentle on a sensitive stomach. Bananas contain starch that helps absorb water in the colon, firming up loose stool, and they replace potassium you’re losing. White rice and white toast are easier to digest than their whole-grain versions. Unsweetened applesauce is the better pick, since excess sugar can make diarrhea worse.
That said, there’s no need to limit yourself to just those four foods. Harvard Health Publishing notes that the BRAT diet is fine for a day or two but lacks the protein and nutrients your body needs to recover. Once your stomach starts to settle, you can branch out to other bland, easy-to-digest options: boiled or baked potatoes (peeled), oatmeal, saltine crackers, pretzels, skinless baked chicken, eggs, cooked carrots, sweet potatoes without skin, and avocado. These foods give you a wider range of nutrients while still being gentle.
Certain foods will make things worse. Avoid greasy, fried, or spicy foods. Dairy can be irritating, so try to keep milk products to two cups a day or less. High-fiber foods like nuts, whole grains, legumes, and raw fruits and vegetables may speed up digestion when you need the opposite. Sugar-free gum and candies made with sugar alcohols (the ingredients ending in “-ol” on labels, like sorbitol and xylitol) are notorious for triggering diarrhea even in healthy people.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Loperamide (the active ingredient in Imodium) works by slowing down the movements of your intestines, giving your body more time to absorb water from stool. It’s effective for general diarrhea relief in adults and older children, but it should not be used in children under two years old. It’s best for situations where you need symptom control, like during travel or at work, though it won’t address the underlying cause.
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) targets both diarrhea and the upset stomach that often accompanies it. It coats the stomach lining and reduces inflammation in the gut. Keep in mind that it contains a compound related to aspirin, so anyone who avoids aspirin should skip this one too. It can also temporarily turn your tongue and stool black, which is harmless but surprising if you’re not expecting it.
Ginger for Nausea
If your upset stomach involves nausea, ginger is one of the better-studied natural options. It contains compounds called gingerol and shogaol that block nausea-related pathways in both the gut and the brain, essentially keeping your brain’s vomiting center from switching on. Some evidence also suggests ginger speeds up the rate at which the stomach empties, which can relieve that heavy, queasy feeling. Ginger tea, ginger chews, or even flat ginger ale (let it go flat first, since carbonation can irritate the stomach) are all reasonable ways to get it.
Probiotics Can Shorten Recovery
Probiotics won’t stop diarrhea in its tracks, but they can reduce how long it lasts. A large meta-analysis published in The Lancet Infectious Diseases found that probiotics reduced the risk of acute diarrhea from various causes by 34% overall. The effect was stronger in children, with a 57% reduction in risk, compared to 26% in adults. For antibiotic-associated diarrhea specifically, probiotics cut the risk by 52%.
Several strains showed benefit, including Saccharomyces boulardii and Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, and the protective effect didn’t vary significantly between individual strains. You can find these in supplement form or in fermented foods like yogurt, though supplements offer more reliable dosing when you’re actively sick. Starting probiotics early, ideally at the first sign of symptoms, gives them the best chance of helping.
Warning Signs in Adults
Most stomach bugs and mild food poisoning clear up on their own. But certain signs mean your body needs more help than home remedies can provide. For adults, seek medical attention if diarrhea lasts more than two days without any improvement, if you develop severe abdominal or rectal pain, or if you notice signs of dehydration: excessive thirst, dry mouth, very dark urine, little or no urination, dizziness, or severe weakness.
Children dehydrate much faster than adults. A child with diarrhea that hasn’t improved within 24 hours, a fever above 102°F, bloody or black stools, no wet diaper in three or more hours, or signs like a dry mouth, no tears when crying, or unusual sleepiness needs prompt medical care. Skin that doesn’t spring back when pinched is another red flag for dehydration in young children.