Most upset stomachs resolve on their own within a day or two, but the right combination of simple remedies can cut that misery short. What works best depends on your specific symptoms: nausea, bloating, cramping, or diarrhea each respond to slightly different approaches. Here’s what actually helps.
Ginger for Nausea
Ginger is one of the most reliable natural options for settling nausea. It appears to work by blocking certain serotonin receptors in both the gut and the brain, which are key players in triggering the urge to vomit. Most clinical research has used 250 mg to 1 g of powdered ginger root in capsule form, taken one to four times daily. For pregnancy-related nausea specifically, 250 mg four times a day is the most studied dose.
You don’t need capsules to get the benefit. Ginger tea made from fresh sliced root, ginger chews, or even flat ginger ale (let it go flat first, since carbonation can irritate an already upset stomach) can all help. The key is using real ginger rather than artificially flavored products.
Peppermint for Cramping and Bloating
Peppermint oil relaxes the smooth muscle lining your digestive tract, which makes it especially useful when your stomach upset involves cramping, bloating, or that uncomfortable “too full” feeling. It works by calming the muscle contractions that cause spasms in your gut.
There’s one important catch. Peppermint also relaxes the valve between your esophagus and stomach, which can trigger or worsen heartburn. If acid reflux is part of your problem, peppermint could make things worse. Enteric-coated peppermint capsules are designed to dissolve further down in your digestive tract, bypassing that valve entirely. For simple nausea or cramping without reflux, peppermint tea is a gentle and effective option.
Chamomile Tea
Chamomile has a long history of use for digestive complaints, and for good reason. It acts as both a mild relaxant and an anti-spasm agent in the gut, making it helpful for gas, bloating, and general stomach irritation. It won’t work as fast or as powerfully as ginger for active nausea, but a warm cup of chamomile tea can ease a stomach that feels unsettled, especially before bed when you’re trying to rest through the discomfort.
Over-the-Counter Options
When home remedies aren’t enough, a few pharmacy staples can help. Choosing the right one depends on your symptoms.
Antacids (like Tums or Rolaids) work the fastest. They directly neutralize stomach acid and provide relief within minutes, though the effect is short-lived. These are your best bet for occasional heartburn or that burning, acidic feeling in your upper stomach.
H2 blockers (like famotidine) take about an hour to kick in but last significantly longer, typically four to ten hours. They reduce the amount of acid your stomach produces rather than just neutralizing what’s already there. If your stomach upset tends to linger or comes back after antacids wear off, an H2 blocker is the better choice.
Bismuth subsalicylate (the active ingredient in Pepto-Bismol) is the most versatile option. It’s approved for diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, nausea, and general upset stomach all at once. It works through a combination of antibacterial effects, reduced intestinal fluid secretion, and neutralizing toxins in the gut. It’s particularly useful for traveler’s diarrhea and food-related stomach bugs. However, it contains a compound related to aspirin, so avoid it if you have an aspirin allergy, are pregnant or breastfeeding, or are giving it to children or teenagers recovering from flu or chickenpox due to the risk of Reye syndrome.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s fine for a day or two, but there’s no research showing it works better than simply choosing bland, easy-to-digest foods more broadly. Sticking to just those four items for too long can actually slow recovery because they lack the protein and nutrients your body needs to bounce back.
A better approach is to eat lightly from a wider range of gentle foods. Brothy soups, oatmeal, boiled potatoes, crackers, and unsweetened dry cereal are all good starting points. Once your stomach starts to settle, add in more nutritious options: cooked squash, carrots, sweet potatoes without the skin, avocado, skinless chicken or turkey, fish, and eggs. These are still easy to digest but give your body the building blocks it needs to recover.
Avoid greasy, spicy, or highly acidic foods until you feel fully back to normal. Dairy can also be harder to digest when your gut is irritated, even if you normally tolerate it fine.
Staying Hydrated
Dehydration is the biggest practical risk from a stomach bug, especially if vomiting or diarrhea is involved. Water alone replaces fluid but not the electrolytes you’re losing. A simple oral rehydration solution you can make at home calls for 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of table salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar isn’t just for taste; it helps your intestines absorb the water and salt more efficiently.
Sip slowly rather than gulping. Taking small, frequent sips is far less likely to trigger another round of vomiting than drinking a full glass at once. Popsicles, clear broth, and diluted fruit juice (avoid citrus) are also good ways to sneak in fluids when drinking feels difficult.
Probiotics for Stomach Bugs
If your upset stomach is caused by an infection, such as food poisoning or a stomach virus, probiotics can measurably shorten your recovery. A large review of clinical trials found that probiotics reduced the average duration of diarrhea by about 30 hours and cut the risk of diarrhea lasting beyond three days by roughly a third. The strain with the strongest evidence is Lactobacillus GG (often sold as Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG), which was especially effective against rotavirus infections in children.
Probiotics won’t do much for a stomach ache caused by overeating or acid reflux. But if you’re dealing with a bug that’s causing diarrhea, starting a probiotic early in the illness is one of the few things shown to speed up recovery.
Acupressure at the Wrist
A simple technique worth trying when nausea hits: apply firm pressure to a spot on your inner wrist called P6. To find it, hold your palm facing you with fingers pointing up. Place three fingers across your wrist just below the crease where your wrist bends. The point is just below where your index finger lands, between the two tendons running up your forearm. Press firmly with your thumb for two to three minutes. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center recommends this technique for nausea, including nausea from chemotherapy. Wristbands designed to apply constant pressure to this point (often marketed for motion sickness) use the same principle.
Red Flags That Need Immediate Attention
Most stomach upset is harmless and passes on its own. But certain patterns signal something more serious. Get to an emergency room if you’re vomiting so severely that you can’t keep any liquids down, if you have severe abdominal pain combined with bloating and an inability to pass gas or have a bowel movement (especially if you’ve had abdominal surgery in the past), or if pain that started near your belly button migrates to your lower right side and worsens over hours, as this is the classic pattern of appendicitis.
Upper abdominal pain that gets worse after eating, comes with fever and a rapid pulse, could point to pancreatitis. Sudden, intense cramping in the lower abdomen that hits maximum intensity almost immediately often signals kidney stones. In both cases, the severity and sudden onset will feel distinctly different from a typical stomach ache.