Most cases of diarrhea clear up on their own within a few days, but you can speed recovery and ease symptoms with the right combination of fluids, food choices, and over-the-counter medication. The key priorities, in order, are preventing dehydration, eating foods that firm up your stool, and using medication when needed to reduce urgency and frequency.
Replace Fluids First
Diarrhea pulls water and electrolytes out of your body fast. Dehydration is the main danger, not the diarrhea itself. Signs you’re getting dehydrated include dry mouth, no tears when crying (in children), dark urine, dizziness, and skin that stays “tented” when you pinch it rather than snapping back immediately.
Water alone isn’t enough because you’re losing sodium, potassium, and other minerals with each loose stool. Oral rehydration solutions (sold as Pedialyte or store-brand equivalents) replace both water and electrolytes in the right ratio. You can also sip clear broth, diluted fruit juice, or coconut water. Avoid coffee, alcohol, and sugary sodas, which can pull more water into your intestines and make things worse. Take small, frequent sips rather than gulping large amounts, especially if you’re also feeling nauseous.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s a reasonable starting point for the first day or two, but there’s no clinical evidence that restricting yourself to only those four foods helps more than eating any bland, easy-to-digest meal. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal all work just as well.
The more important move is what you add back once your stomach settles. Cooked carrots, butternut squash, skinless chicken, fish, eggs, and avocado are all bland enough to tolerate while giving your body the protein and nutrients it needs to recover. Sticking with BRAT alone for more than a day or two can actually slow healing because it’s nutritionally incomplete.
Foods to avoid until you’re back to normal: dairy products (lactose is harder to digest during and after a bout of diarrhea), greasy or fried foods, raw vegetables, beans, and anything high in insoluble fiber like whole wheat bread or bran cereal. These can all increase gas, cramping, and loose stools.
Over-the-Counter Medication
Loperamide (sold as Imodium) is the most effective OTC option for slowing diarrhea quickly. It works by slowing the movement of your intestines, giving your gut more time to absorb water back from your stool. It also tightens the anal sphincter, which helps with urgency and the feeling that you can’t make it to the bathroom in time.
The standard adult dose is two caplets (4 mg) to start, then one caplet (2 mg) after each loose stool, up to a maximum of eight caplets (16 mg) in 24 hours. Most people find their symptoms controlled well before reaching that ceiling. Don’t use loperamide if you have bloody diarrhea or a high fever, as these suggest a bacterial infection where slowing your gut could trap the pathogen inside and make things worse.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is a milder alternative. It coats the intestinal lining and reduces inflammation. It won’t stop diarrhea as quickly as loperamide, but it can help with the cramping and nausea that often come along with it.
Probiotics That Actually Help
Not all probiotics are useful for diarrhea, but one strain has solid evidence behind it. Saccharomyces boulardii, a beneficial yeast available in supplement form, has been shown to shorten the duration of acute diarrhea significantly. In a randomized, placebo-controlled trial, people taking this probiotic recovered in about 66 hours compared to 95 hours in the placebo group, cutting roughly a full day off the illness.
Look for products specifically listing Saccharomyces boulardii on the label (Florastor is the most common brand). Standard yogurt cultures are unlikely to make a meaningful difference during an active episode, though they may support gut recovery afterward.
Soluble Fiber for Ongoing Loose Stools
If your diarrhea has been hanging around for more than a few days but isn’t severe, soluble fiber can help absorb excess water in the intestine and firm up your stool. Psyllium husk (sold as Metamucil or generic equivalents) is the best-studied option. Start with a small amount, around 5 to 7 grams per day, and drink plenty of water with it. Research suggests that psyllium works best at higher doses (20 to 25 grams daily) taken with at least 500 mL of water, but building up gradually helps you avoid bloating and gas.
This approach is particularly useful for people with irritable bowel syndrome or chronic loose stools rather than a one-time stomach bug.
Viral vs. Bacterial: Why It Matters
Most diarrhea is caused by a virus, and viral diarrhea is typically watery without blood. It usually comes with nausea, vomiting, mild stomach cramps, and possibly a low-grade fever. The illness runs its course in one to three days.
Bacterial infections from organisms like Salmonella, E. coli, or C. difficile tend to be more severe. Bloody stool is a key distinguishing sign. If you see blood or mucus in your stool, have a fever above 102°F (39°C), or are experiencing severe abdominal pain, those point toward a bacterial cause that may need specific treatment rather than just symptom management.
How Long Is Too Long
The American College of Gastroenterology breaks diarrhea into three categories based on duration. Acute diarrhea lasts less than two weeks and is the most common type. Persistent diarrhea runs two to four weeks. Chronic diarrhea extends beyond four weeks and always warrants medical evaluation, as it can signal conditions like celiac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, or a parasitic infection that won’t resolve on its own.
Seek care sooner if you notice signs of significant dehydration (dizziness when standing, very dark urine, no urination for eight or more hours), bloody stools, a persistent high fever, or if you recently finished a course of antibiotics, which raises the risk of a C. difficile infection. For young children and older adults, the threshold for concern is lower because dehydration can progress quickly. In children, the most reliable signs of meaningful fluid loss are the absence of tears, dry mouth, and skin that doesn’t snap back when pinched on the abdomen.