For most cases of diarrhea with stomach pain, a combination of an anti-diarrheal medication, fluids with electrolytes, and simple dietary adjustments will bring relief within a day or two. The right approach depends on what’s causing your symptoms and how severe they are.
Anti-Diarrheal Medications
Loperamide (sold as Imodium) is the most widely used over-the-counter option for stopping diarrhea. It works by slowing down the movements of your intestines, giving your body more time to absorb water from digested food. The standard adult dose is two tablets (4 mg) after your first loose bowel movement, then one tablet (2 mg) after each subsequent one, up to a maximum of four tablets in 24 hours for the OTC version.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is another common choice and has the advantage of addressing both diarrhea and stomach discomfort at the same time. It coats the lining of your stomach and has mild anti-inflammatory properties, which makes it a better pick when nausea or cramping is part of the picture.
There’s one important caution: you should avoid anti-diarrheal medications if you have blood in your stool or a fever above 102°F (39°C). These signs can point to a bacterial infection where slowing your gut down could trap the harmful bacteria inside rather than letting your body flush them out. The FDA specifically notes that loperamide should not be used as primary treatment for infections caused by Salmonella, Shigella, or Campylobacter, or for diarrhea accompanied by high fever and bloody stools.
Relieving Stomach Cramps
If cramping is your main complaint alongside the diarrhea, peppermint oil capsules are the only over-the-counter antispasmodic available in the U.S. They work directly on the muscles of your digestive tract, relaxing the contractions that cause that gripping pain. Enteric-coated capsules are best because they dissolve in your intestines rather than your stomach, reducing the chance of heartburn. Chamomile tea offers a milder version of the same effect and can help calm intestinal cramps.
Prescription antispasmodics like dicyclomine or hyoscyamine are stronger options your doctor can prescribe if cramps are severe or recurring, particularly in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome. Because these medications slow muscle movement throughout your GI tract, they can cause constipation, so they’re generally reserved for situations where OTC options aren’t cutting it.
Staying Hydrated
Replacing lost fluids is arguably more important than any medication you take. Diarrhea pulls water and essential salts out of your body quickly, and dehydration is what turns an unpleasant few days into something dangerous. Plain water alone isn’t ideal because it doesn’t replace the sodium and potassium you’re losing.
An oral rehydration solution is the gold standard. You can buy premade versions (Pedialyte, DripDrop) or make your own using the World Health Organization’s formula: about 4 cups of water, half a teaspoon of salt, and 2 tablespoons of sugar. The sugar isn’t just for taste. It activates a transport system in your intestinal lining that pulls sodium and water into your bloodstream far more efficiently than water alone. If you want more flavor, a version with 1 cup of orange juice, 4 cups of water, 2 tablespoons plus 2 teaspoons of sugar, three-quarters teaspoon of baking soda, and half a teaspoon of salt works well too.
Sip steadily rather than gulping large amounts, especially if nausea is present. Sports drinks are better than nothing but contain more sugar and less sodium than a proper rehydration solution.
What to Eat (and What to Skip)
You’ve probably heard of the BRAT diet: bananas, rice, applesauce, and toast. It’s been a go-to recommendation for decades, but medical guidelines from the American Academy of Pediatrics, the CDC, and the WHO all recommend eating a normal, varied diet as soon as you can tolerate it. Clinical trials have shown that resuming regular foods promptly after rehydration leads to shorter illness, lower stool output, and better nutritional recovery compared to restrictive diets. Sticking only to BRAT foods can actually impair recovery by depriving your body of the protein, fat, and calories it needs to heal.
That said, some common-sense adjustments help. Avoid dairy if it seems to worsen symptoms, since temporary lactose intolerance is common during gut infections. Skip greasy, heavily spiced, or very high-fiber foods until things settle down. Eat smaller, more frequent meals rather than three large ones. The goal is to keep calories and nutrients coming in without overwhelming your irritated digestive system.
Probiotics
Probiotics can shorten a bout of infectious diarrhea by roughly 30 hours, based on pooled data from multiple clinical trials reviewed by the Cochrane Collaboration. They also reduced the likelihood of still having diarrhea at the three-day mark by about a third. The strain with the most supporting evidence is Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (often labeled LGG on supplement packaging), which appears especially effective against viral causes like rotavirus. One trial found that children receiving this strain had nearly no loose stools by day three, compared to an average of two per day in the group that didn’t receive it.
Probiotics are less helpful for bacterial diarrhea. Two trials testing LGG specifically against confirmed bacterial infections found no benefit over placebo. So if your symptoms include high fever and bloody stool (signs more suggestive of a bacterial cause), probiotics are unlikely to make a meaningful difference, and you should be seeking medical care anyway.
Look for a product that contains at least 1 billion colony-forming units of a well-studied strain. Saccharomyces boulardii is another option with good evidence, and because it’s a yeast rather than a bacterium, it won’t be affected if you’re also taking antibiotics.
Signs That Need Medical Attention
Most diarrhea with stomach pain resolves on its own within a couple of days. But certain symptoms signal something more serious. For adults, these include: diarrhea lasting more than two days without any improvement, severe abdominal or rectal pain, bloody or black stools, a fever above 102°F (39°C), and signs of dehydration like excessive thirst, very dark urine, dizziness, or producing little to no urine.
For children, the timeline is tighter. Seek care if diarrhea doesn’t improve within 24 hours, if there are no wet diapers for three or more hours, or if you notice signs like a dry mouth, no tears when crying, sunken eyes, or unusual drowsiness. Severe diarrhea, defined as more than 10 bowel movements a day or fluid losses clearly outpacing what you can drink, can cause life-threatening dehydration and warrants urgent attention regardless of age.