After throwing up, the best thing you can do is give your stomach a complete break for a couple of hours, then slowly reintroduce fluids in very small amounts. Most vomiting from common causes like food poisoning or a stomach bug resolves within 24 to 48 hours, but how you handle those hours matters for your comfort and recovery.
Rinse Your Mouth, but Don’t Brush
Your first instinct after vomiting might be to grab a toothbrush. Resist it. Stomach acid coats your teeth when you throw up, and brushing within an hour actually scrubs that acid deeper into your enamel, causing more damage than the vomiting itself. Instead, rinse your mouth with plain water or a baking soda solution (about half a teaspoon in a cup of water) right away. The alkaline rinse neutralizes the acid. Wait at least an hour before brushing.
Rest Your Stomach Before Drinking
Don’t rush to drink a full glass of water. Your stomach is irritated and may reject anything you put in it too quickly. Give yourself a grace period of one to two hours where you simply rest.
When you’re ready, start with ice chips or tiny sips of water, about a sip every 15 minutes. Your goal in the first hour is modest: aim for at least one ounce (roughly two tablespoons) per hour. If that stays down, gradually increase the amount. Gulping water or drinking too fast is one of the most common mistakes, and it often triggers another round of vomiting.
Move From Water to Clear Fluids
Once plain water is staying down reliably, you can branch out to other clear fluids. Good options include:
- Clear broth: provides sodium your body lost
- Diluted electrolyte drinks: mix half water, half sports drink to cut the sugar content
- Ice pops or gelatin: easier to tolerate than drinking from a cup
- Oral rehydration solutions: the most effective option, available at any pharmacy
Be cautious with full-strength sports drinks. They replace salts, but they also contain a lot of sugar, which can irritate your stomach or worsen diarrhea if you have it. Diluting them with equal parts water solves this problem. Avoid coffee, alcohol, acidic juices, and carbonated drinks until you’re feeling significantly better.
Reintroduce Food Slowly
Once you’ve kept liquids down for a few hours and your appetite starts returning, you can begin eating. Start small. A few bites of something bland is enough for the first attempt. Foods that tend to be well tolerated include applesauce, bananas, crackers, plain oatmeal, and dry toast.
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) as the gold standard for recovery. It’s actually no longer recommended as a strict protocol. The American Academy of Pediatrics considers it too restrictive, lacking the nutrients your body needs to recover. The updated advice is simpler: eat soft, bland foods as tolerated, and expand your diet as soon as you feel ready. Your body needs protein, calories, and vitamins to heal, so don’t limit yourself to four foods longer than necessary. Avoid greasy, spicy, or heavily seasoned meals for the first day or two.
Watch for Dehydration
Dehydration is the main risk from vomiting, especially if it continues for several hours or is paired with diarrhea. In adults, signs include a dry mouth, headache, dizziness, lightheadedness, and dark urine. You might also feel unusually tired or confused. In children, look for dry lips and tongue, no tears when crying, and fewer wet diapers than normal.
Mild dehydration is manageable at home with steady sipping. Moderate to severe dehydration, where you feel too weak to stand, can’t keep any fluids down at all, or notice cool and blotchy skin, typically requires IV fluids at an urgent care or emergency room.
Rehydrating a Child After Vomiting
Children dehydrate faster than adults, so the approach needs to be more deliberate. For kids over one year old, oral rehydration solutions (like Pedialyte) are the best option. Diluted apple juice also works. For infants under one year, stick with breast milk or formula. Don’t give plain water to babies, as it doesn’t contain the salts and sugars they need.
The key with children is very small, very frequent amounts. Start with about a teaspoon (5 mL) every five minutes and gradually increase as they tolerate it. If your child vomits again, wait 15 to 20 minutes and start over with the same small sips. It feels painfully slow, but this method is highly effective at preventing a trip to the ER for IV fluids.
How Long Recovery Takes
Food poisoning tends to be the shortest illness. It often clears up in less than a day, sometimes within just a few hours, as your body works to expel the offending bacteria or toxin. A stomach virus (viral gastroenteritis) generally lasts about two days, though some cases stretch longer.
If you’re still vomiting or feeling no better after 48 hours, that’s worth a call to your doctor. The same goes for a fever over 102°F (38.3°C), blood in your vomit, severe abdominal pain, or signs of dehydration that aren’t improving with oral fluids. If symptoms seem to be getting worse rather than plateauing, don’t wait the full two days.
Over-the-Counter Anti-Nausea Options
Several anti-nausea medications are available without a prescription. Dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and meclizine (Bonine) are antihistamines originally designed for motion sickness, but they can reduce nausea from other causes too. They work by calming the signals between your inner ear and brain that trigger the vomiting reflex. The main side effect is drowsiness, which may actually be welcome when you’re sick.
If you’re pregnant, don’t take any anti-nausea medication without checking with your provider first. A combination of vitamin B6 and a specific antihistamine is the standard first-line treatment for pregnancy-related nausea, but the dosing matters and should be guided by your doctor.