What you should take for a stomach ache depends on the type of discomfort you’re dealing with. Heartburn, bloating, nausea, cramping, and diarrhea each respond to different remedies, and grabbing the wrong one can leave you feeling no better (or worse). Here’s how to match your symptoms to the right relief.
Heartburn and Acid-Related Pain
If your stomach ache feels like a burning sensation in your upper abdomen or chest, the problem is usually excess stomach acid. You have three tiers of relief, each working at a different speed and duration.
Antacids containing calcium carbonate (like Tums) work the fastest, neutralizing acid almost on contact. They’re a good choice for occasional, mild heartburn after a heavy meal, but the relief is relatively short-lived.
H2 blockers like famotidine (Pepcid) reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces in the first place. They last about eight hours per dose, making them a better option if your heartburn tends to drag on or comes back through the night. Taking one before a meal you know will trigger symptoms can head off the problem entirely.
Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole (Prilosec) are the strongest option, suppressing acid production for 15 to 21 hours a day. The tradeoff is speed: PPIs can take up to four days to reach full effect, so they’re designed for frequent heartburn rather than a one-time flare-up. If you find yourself reaching for antacids multiple times a week, a PPI taken daily for a short course is more effective than constantly chewing tablets.
Gas, Bloating, and Pressure
A stomach ache that comes with a tight, swollen feeling, or pressure that shifts around your abdomen, is often trapped gas. Simethicone (the active ingredient in Gas-X and similar products) is the standard remedy. It’s a defoaming agent that breaks up gas bubbles in your digestive tract so they’re easier to pass. It doesn’t get absorbed into your bloodstream, which makes it one of the gentlest over-the-counter options available.
The typical adult dose is 40 to 125 mg taken after meals and at bedtime, up to a maximum of 500 mg in 24 hours. Chewable tablets tend to work a bit faster than capsules since they start breaking down gas on the way down.
Nausea and General Upset
For that queasy, “something isn’t right” feeling, bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a versatile pick. It can ease nausea, mild diarrhea, and general stomach upset. One harmless quirk: it can temporarily turn your tongue dark and make your stools look grayish-black. This goes away once you stop taking it and isn’t a cause for concern.
If you prefer something non-medicinal, ginger has genuine evidence behind it. A daily dose of about 1,500 mg (split across multiple servings) has been shown to reduce nausea effectively, particularly in studies on pregnancy-related nausea and in patients with upper digestive symptoms like queasiness and poor appetite. Ginger tea, ginger chews, or capsules all work. Fresh ginger sliced into hot water is an easy option when your stomach is too unsettled for anything else.
Peppermint oil is another option, particularly for cramping and functional indigestion. Enteric-coated capsules (around 90 mg, taken twice daily) allow the oil to reach the intestines without triggering acid reflux, which straight peppermint can sometimes cause. Peppermint tea is milder but can still help with mild cramping.
Diarrhea and Stomach Cramps
When your stomach ache comes with loose stools, the priority is staying hydrated. You lose fluids and electrolytes quickly during a bout of diarrhea, and dehydration can make cramping and fatigue worse. Water is fine, but oral rehydration solutions or broth will replace sodium and potassium more effectively. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and sugary drinks, all of which can make diarrhea worse.
Most experts, including the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, no longer recommend the old BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) as a strict protocol. The current guidance is simpler: once you feel like eating, go back to your normal diet. Children should continue their usual age-appropriate meals. There’s no benefit to fasting or restricting yourself to bland foods for days on end.
Anti-diarrheal medications containing loperamide (Imodium) can slow things down when you need functional relief, like before a commute or workday. But if diarrhea comes with a fever or blood in your stool, skip the loperamide. Your body may be trying to clear an infection, and slowing that process down isn’t always helpful.
What to Avoid When Your Stomach Hurts
If your stomach ache involves any kind of irritation, inflammation, or burning, do not take ibuprofen (Advil), naproxen (Aleve), or aspirin. These anti-inflammatory painkillers irritate the stomach lining directly. In mild cases that means more discomfort. In severe cases, they can cause small erosions in the stomach wall that lead to ulcers. Rarely, those ulcers can perforate or bleed internally.
If you need a pain reliever while your stomach is upset, acetaminophen (Tylenol) is a safer choice. It works through a different pathway and is far less likely to irritate your stomach, especially at lower doses. Just be mindful not to combine it with alcohol.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most stomach aches resolve on their own or with the remedies above. But certain patterns signal something more serious. Sudden, severe pain that doesn’t ease within 30 minutes warrants emergency care, as does continuous severe pain paired with nonstop vomiting.
Pain concentrated in the lower right abdomen, especially alongside fever, nausea, and loss of appetite, can indicate appendicitis. Pain in the middle upper abdomen that worsens after eating and lasts for days, particularly with fever and a rapid pulse, may point to pancreatitis. Neither of these will respond to over-the-counter remedies, and both require prompt evaluation.
Blood in your vomit or stool, an abdomen that’s visibly swollen and tender to the touch, or pain so intense you can’t sit still are all reasons to seek care rather than manage symptoms at home.