Most cases of diarrhea clear up on their own within a few days, but the right combination of fluids, over-the-counter medications, and easy-to-digest foods can shorten the misery and prevent dehydration. What you should take depends on how severe your symptoms are and what’s causing them.
Fluids First
Replacing lost water and electrolytes is the single most important thing you can do. Diarrhea pulls fluid and essential salts out of your body fast, and dehydration is what actually makes most people feel terrible: dizzy, exhausted, lightheaded, with a dry mouth and dark urine. Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing. Oral rehydration solutions (sold as Pedialyte, DripDrop, or store-brand equivalents) are designed specifically for this. Broth and diluted fruit juices also work in a pinch.
Avoid alcohol, coffee, tea, and other caffeinated drinks, which can pull more water out of your system. Sports drinks are okay for adults but contain more sugar than ideal, which can sometimes make loose stools worse.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Two OTC options cover most situations: loperamide and bismuth subsalicylate.
Loperamide (sold as Imodium) is the stronger of the two. It works by slowing the movement of your intestines, giving your gut more time to absorb water back from stool. It also tightens the anal sphincter, which helps with that uncomfortable urgency. The standard adult dose is two 2 mg capsules (4 mg total) to start, then one capsule after each loose stool, up to a maximum of 16 mg (eight capsules) in 24 hours. One important rule: don’t use loperamide if you have a fever or bloody stools. In those cases, your body may be fighting off a bacterial infection, and slowing your gut down can trap the bacteria inside.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) is gentler and also helps with nausea and stomach cramps. Adults can take two tablets or two tablespoons every 30 minutes to an hour as needed, up to 16 tablets or 16 tablespoons of regular-strength liquid in 24 hours. It contains a compound related to aspirin, so anyone with an aspirin allergy should skip it. Don’t give it to children or teenagers recovering from the flu or chickenpox because of the risk of a rare but serious condition called Reye’s syndrome. One harmless but startling side effect: it can turn your tongue dark and your stools grayish black. That’s temporary and goes away once you stop.
For mild diarrhea that isn’t disrupting your day, you may not need either medication. For moderate symptoms, the CDC considers loperamide or bismuth subsalicylate reasonable first choices.
Probiotics
Certain probiotic strains can meaningfully shorten a bout of diarrhea. A large Cochrane review of clinical trials found that probiotics reduced the average duration of diarrhea by about 30 hours and cut the risk of still having diarrhea at the three-day mark by roughly a third. The strains with the most evidence behind them are Lactobacillus GG (often labeled LGG) and the yeast Saccharomyces boulardii. LGG appears especially effective for diarrhea caused by rotavirus in children.
You’ll find these in capsules, powders, and some yogurts. They’re not a replacement for rehydration or medication in severe cases, but they’re safe for most people and can help your gut flora recover faster, particularly after a stomach bug.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, toast. It’s been a go-to recommendation for decades, but major health organizations, including the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO, no longer recommend it as a primary strategy. The problem is that it’s too restrictive. Sticking only to those four bland foods can deprive your body of the protein, fat, and micronutrients it needs to recover. In children especially, overly limited diets during illness can worsen malnutrition.
The current guidance is simpler: eat a normal, balanced diet as soon as you feel up to it. Choose foods you tolerate well. Many people find that plain starches (rice, potatoes, bread), lean proteins (chicken, eggs), and cooked vegetables go down easiest. Bananas and applesauce are still fine choices, just not the only ones.
What you should actively avoid:
- High-fat and fried foods like pizza, fast food, and greasy snacks
- Dairy products containing lactose, since your gut’s ability to digest lactose can be temporarily impaired for up to a month after a bout of diarrhea
- Sugar alcohols found in sugar-free gum, candies, and diet products (sorbitol, xylitol, and similar sweeteners are notorious for loosening stools even in healthy people)
- High-sugar drinks like fruit juices, sodas, and sweetened beverages, which can pull water into the intestines and make things worse
Children Need a Different Approach
For babies, toddlers, and young children, the priority is aggressive rehydration with an oral rehydration solution like Pedialyte. The WHO recommends zinc supplementation for children with diarrhea: 20 mg per day for 10 to 14 days, or 10 mg per day for infants under six months. Zinc has been shown to reduce both the severity and duration of childhood diarrhea and is standard care in many countries.
Loperamide is not recommended for young children, and bismuth subsalicylate carries the Reye’s syndrome warning for kids and teens with viral illnesses. If a child has diarrhea lasting more than one day, any fever (in infants), or refuses to eat or drink for more than a few hours, that warrants a call to their doctor.
When Diarrhea Needs More Than OTC Treatment
Severe or incapacitating diarrhea, especially with fever or blood in the stool, sometimes requires prescription antibiotics. This is most common with travelers’ diarrhea or bacterial infections. The CDC considers antibiotics appropriate for moderate diarrhea that interferes with your activities and advises them for severe cases. For bloody or febrile diarrhea, a doctor will typically choose an antibiotic based on where you likely picked up the infection and what bacteria are suspected.
Warning Signs That Need Prompt Attention
Most diarrhea resolves in two to three days. Contact a doctor if you experience any of the following:
- Diarrhea lasting more than two days in adults, or more than one day in children
- Six or more loose stools per day
- High fever
- Severe abdominal or rectal pain
- Black, tarry stools or stools with blood or pus
- Signs of dehydration: extreme thirst, dizziness, dark urine, urinating much less than usual, or skin that stays pinched up when you pull it
- In infants: no wet diapers for three or more hours, no tears when crying, a sunken soft spot on the head, or unusual drowsiness