Several options can help with nausea and vomiting, ranging from over-the-counter medications to simple dietary adjustments and natural remedies. What works best depends on the cause: motion sickness, a stomach bug, pregnancy, or something else entirely. Here’s a practical breakdown of your options.
Over-the-Counter Medications
The most accessible treatments for nausea are antihistamines originally designed for allergies that also happen to calm the stomach. Dimenhydrinate (sold as Dramamine) and meclizine (sold as Bonine or Dramamine-N) are FDA-approved for motion sickness and vertigo-related nausea. Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) also works for nausea, though it’s better known as an allergy and sleep aid. All of these cause drowsiness to varying degrees, with meclizine generally being the least sedating of the group.
Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) is another common choice, particularly for nausea tied to an upset stomach or mild food-related illness. It coats the stomach lining and reduces inflammation in the digestive tract. It won’t help much with motion sickness, but for general queasiness or nausea from overeating, it’s a reasonable first option.
If you’re taking medication for motion sickness specifically, timing matters. Most products recommend taking them at least one hour before you travel. Once nausea has already set in, these medications are less effective.
Prescription Options
When over-the-counter options aren’t enough, doctors can prescribe stronger anti-nausea medications. These are common after surgery, during chemotherapy, or for persistent vomiting that won’t respond to milder treatments. Prescription anti-nausea drugs work by blocking different chemical signals in the brain and gut that trigger the vomiting reflex. Your doctor will choose one based on the specific cause and severity of your symptoms.
Promethazine (Phenergan) is a prescription-strength antihistamine often used for more stubborn nausea. It’s effective but causes significant drowsiness. For post-surgical nausea, doctors sometimes use medications that block serotonin receptors in the gut, which are a major trigger for vomiting after anesthesia or chemotherapy.
Ginger: The Best-Studied Natural Remedy
Ginger has more clinical evidence behind it than any other natural remedy for nausea. A meta-analysis reviewed by the American Academy of Family Physicians looked at randomized controlled trials using doses of 975 to 1,500 mg per day, divided into multiple doses throughout the day. The most common dosing in studies was 250 mg of powdered ginger capsules four times daily, or 125 mg of liquid ginger extract four times daily.
Ginger works for several types of nausea, including morning sickness, post-surgical nausea, and chemotherapy-related queasiness. You can get it through capsules, ginger tea, ginger chews, or even flat ginger ale (though most commercial ginger ales contain very little actual ginger). If you’re using fresh ginger, grating about a teaspoon into hot water makes a simple tea.
Peppermint and Aromatherapy
Inhaling peppermint oil has shown promise for reducing nausea, particularly in clinical settings. Ginger and peppermint essential oils have both been associated with nausea relief during chemotherapy, though study results have been mixed. The approach is simple: inhaling the scent from a personal inhaler, a cotton ball with a few drops of oil, or even a cup of peppermint tea held near your face. It’s low-risk and can be combined with other treatments.
What to Eat (and What Not to Worry About)
You may have heard of the BRAT diet (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) as the go-to for stomach illness. Current evidence doesn’t support it. Research from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases shows that following a restricted diet does not help treat viral gastroenteritis. Most experts now recommend returning to your normal diet as soon as your appetite comes back, even if you still have diarrhea.
That said, when you’re actively nauseous, a few practical strategies help. Eat small amounts frequently rather than large meals. Avoid greasy, spicy, or strong-smelling foods until the nausea passes. Sip clear fluids steadily to stay hydrated, especially if you’ve been vomiting. Cold foods tend to be better tolerated than hot ones because they have less aroma. For children with a stomach bug, parents should offer whatever the child normally eats as soon as they’re willing, and continue breast milk or formula as usual for infants.
Nausea During Pregnancy
Morning sickness affects a large percentage of pregnancies, and the first-line treatment is a combination of doxylamine (an antihistamine) and vitamin B6. This combination is the only FDA-approved medication specifically for pregnancy-related nausea and vomiting. It comes in delayed-release and extended-release tablet forms.
The typical starting approach is conservative: two delayed-release tablets at bedtime on the first day. If symptoms persist the next afternoon, you add a morning tablet, gradually increasing to a maximum of four tablets per day if needed. The extended-release version starts at one tablet at bedtime, with a maximum of two per day. Side effects can include drowsiness and dry mouth. Women with narrow-angle glaucoma, bowel or bladder blockage, or peptic ulcers should use this medication with caution.
Ginger is also considered safe during pregnancy at the doses studied (up to 1,500 mg per day), and many women find it helpful as a first step before trying medication.
Red Flags That Need Medical Attention
Most nausea and vomiting resolves on its own or with the treatments above. But certain signs indicate something more serious is happening. Seek immediate medical attention if your vomit contains blood, looks like coffee grounds, or is green. The same applies if nausea comes with a severe headache unlike anything you’ve had before, or if you’re showing signs of dehydration: excessive thirst, dark urine, dizziness when standing, or very infrequent urination.
For adults, vomiting that lasts more than two days warrants a call to your doctor. For children under two, the threshold is 24 hours, and for infants, just 12 hours. Recurring bouts of nausea and vomiting lasting longer than a month, or unexplained weight loss accompanying the symptoms, also need medical evaluation.