Most cases of diarrhea resolve on their own within a day or two, but you can speed things along with the right combination of fluids, food choices, and over-the-counter medication. The priority is replacing lost water and electrolytes while you let your gut recover.
Rehydrate First
Diarrhea pulls water and essential salts out of your body fast. Dehydration is the main risk, not the diarrhea itself. Signs you’re getting dehydrated include excessive thirst, dry mouth, dark urine, dizziness, and fatigue. In young children, watch for no wet diaper in three or more hours, crying without tears, or unusual drowsiness.
Plain water helps, but it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing. A simple oral rehydration drink you can make at home: mix 4 cups of water with half a teaspoon of table salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar isn’t just for taste. It helps your intestines absorb the salt and water more efficiently. Sip this steadily rather than gulping large amounts at once. Broth-based soups work well too, since they provide both fluid and sodium.
Avoid coffee, alcohol, and sugary sodas. All three can pull more water into your intestines and make things worse.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s fine for the first day or two, but there’s no need to limit yourself to just those four foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and plain dry cereals are equally gentle on your stomach. Once things start to settle, add back more nutritious options like cooked squash, carrots, skinless chicken, fish, eggs, and avocado. These are still bland and easy to digest but give your body the protein it needs to recover.
Certain foods and ingredients actively make diarrhea worse. The biggest offenders are poorly absorbed sugars that draw extra water into your gut:
- Fructose: found naturally in apples, pears, peaches, and cherries, and added to sodas, juice drinks, and applesauce
- Artificial sweeteners: sorbitol, mannitol, and xylitol, commonly in sugar-free gum, candy, and some medications
- Lactose: the sugar in milk, cheese, and other dairy products, which many people have trouble digesting even under normal circumstances
- High-fiber and gas-producing foods: beans, lentils, onions, garlic, and cruciferous vegetables like broccoli and cabbage
Greasy, fried, and heavily spiced foods are also worth avoiding until your gut has had a couple of normal days.
Over-the-Counter Medications
Two main options sit on pharmacy shelves: loperamide (sold as Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol). They work differently, and loperamide is the stronger choice.
Loperamide slows the muscle contractions in your intestines, giving your body more time to absorb water from stool. In head-to-head comparisons, it reduced the number of loose bowel movements significantly more than bismuth subsalicylate, controlled symptoms for longer after each dose, and patients rated it more effective within the first 24 hours. The FDA-approved maximum for adults buying it over the counter is 8 mg per day. That’s typically four caplets (two initially, then one after each loose stool). Do not exceed that limit. Taking too much loperamide can cause serious heart problems.
Bismuth subsalicylate is milder. It coats the lining of your stomach and intestines and has some antibacterial properties, which makes it a reasonable option for mild symptoms or traveler’s diarrhea when you want something gentler.
One important caution: if your diarrhea comes with a high fever, blood or black color in your stool, or severe abdominal pain, skip the loperamide. In cases of bacterial infection, slowing your gut down can trap toxins inside rather than letting your body flush them out. This concern dates back to clinical observations in the late 1970s and remains a standard recommendation. Bismuth subsalicylate is generally the safer choice if you suspect a food-borne illness, but with those symptoms, medical evaluation is a better move than self-treatment.
Probiotics That May Help
Specific probiotic strains can shorten a bout of diarrhea, though not all probiotics are equal. The strain with the best evidence is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG, which reduced the duration of acute diarrhea by roughly 19 hours in a randomized controlled trial comparing it to standard care alone. Another commonly recommended strain, Saccharomyces boulardii (a beneficial yeast), showed a smaller effect that didn’t reach statistical significance in the same study.
Look for products that list the specific strain on the label, not just the species name. Probiotics are most useful when started early in a diarrhea episode. They’re a supplement to hydration and diet, not a replacement.
When Diarrhea Needs Medical Attention
For adults, see a doctor if diarrhea hasn’t improved after two days, if you notice blood or black stools, if you develop a fever above 101°F (38°C), or if you have severe pain in your abdomen or rectum. Signs of significant dehydration, like little or no urination, pronounced dizziness, or extreme fatigue, also warrant a visit.
Children need attention sooner. If a child’s diarrhea hasn’t improved within 24 hours, or if they show any signs of dehydration or fever above 101°F, contact their pediatrician. For infants, a sunken soft spot on the head, no tears when crying, or going three or more hours without a wet diaper are signs to act quickly.