After vomiting, the best thing to drink is plain water or an oral rehydration solution, taken in very small sips rather than full gulps. Your stomach needs time to settle, and flooding it with liquid too quickly can trigger another round of nausea. The goal in the first few hours is simple: replace lost fluids and electrolytes without overwhelming your digestive system.
How Soon to Start Drinking
Once the vomiting stops, you can begin taking small sips right away. Start with ice chips or tiny sips of water, about a teaspoon (5 mL) every five minutes. If that stays down, gradually increase the amount you’re drinking over the next couple of hours. Drinking too quickly is one of the most common mistakes people make during recovery, and it often sends them right back to the toilet.
A practical approach: sip about every 15 minutes for the first hour or two. If you’re tolerating that well, you can start taking slightly larger sips and drinking more frequently. There’s no fixed timeline that works for everyone, but most people can move from ice chips to steady sipping within one to two hours if the nausea has truly passed.
The Best Fluids for Recovery
Water is the simplest and safest starting point. Once you’re keeping water down comfortably, you can move on to fluids that also replace the sodium, potassium, and sugar your body lost.
Oral rehydration solutions (like Pedialyte or store-brand equivalents) are the gold standard for rehydration after vomiting. They contain a carefully balanced ratio of sodium and sugar that helps your intestines absorb water more efficiently. A typical oral rehydration solution has about 60 mM of sodium and 3.4% carbohydrate, which is specifically designed for fluid recovery.
If you don’t have a commercial product on hand, you can make a simple version at home: combine 4 cups of water with half a teaspoon of table salt and 2 tablespoons of sugar. Stir until dissolved. It won’t taste great, but it works.
What About Sports Drinks?
Sports drinks like Gatorade are a popular choice, but they’re not ideal. They contain roughly a third of the sodium found in oral rehydration solutions (about 18 mM versus 60 mM) and nearly twice the sugar (5.9% carbohydrate versus 3.4%). That means less of the electrolyte you actually need and more sugar, which can worsen diarrhea if you have a stomach bug. Sports drinks are better than nothing, but if you have the option, choose water or an oral rehydration solution instead.
Herbal Teas
Ginger tea and peppermint tea are both worth trying once you’ve moved past the initial sipping phase. Ginger has the strongest evidence for reducing nausea, particularly for morning sickness during pregnancy. Peppermint may help relax the intestinal muscles and ease that queasy feeling. Most of the clinical research has focused on concentrated supplements or oils rather than tea, but many people find a warm, weak cup of either one soothing for an unsettled stomach. Let the tea cool to lukewarm before drinking, since very hot liquids can irritate an already sensitive stomach.
Coconut Water
Coconut water is often marketed as a natural electrolyte drink, and it does contain potassium, sodium, and manganese. However, it’s no more hydrating than plain water, and the electrolyte amounts vary widely between brands. It’s a fine option if you enjoy the taste, but it’s not a substitute for an oral rehydration solution when you’ve lost significant fluids.
Drinks to Avoid
Several common beverages will make your recovery harder. Coffee and other caffeinated drinks can irritate your stomach lining and act as mild diuretics, pulling more water out of your system when you need to be putting it back in. Carbonated drinks, including soda and sparkling water, can increase bloating and nausea. Alcohol dehydrates you further and is harsh on an already inflamed stomach.
Fruit juice is another one that surprises people. The high sugar content and acidity (especially in orange juice, grapefruit juice, and tomato juice) can irritate your digestive tract and make diarrhea worse. Dairy products, including milk and smoothies, are also difficult to digest during recovery and can increase nausea. Save all of these for after you’re fully back to normal.
Moving From Liquids to Food
Once you’ve been keeping clear fluids down for several hours, you can start introducing bland foods. Broth, plain crackers, toast, rice, and bananas are all gentle choices. The old “BRAT diet” (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) isn’t a strict medical protocol, but the principle behind it is sound: stick to simple, low-fat, low-fiber foods that won’t challenge your stomach.
Don’t rush this transition. Some people feel dramatically better after a couple of hours and dive into a full meal, only to trigger another episode. Give yourself at least 6 to 8 hours of keeping liquids down before eating anything substantial. If you’re still nauseous, stay with fluids.
Signs You’re Getting Dehydrated
Vomiting depletes fluids fast, and dehydration can become serious if you can’t keep anything down. Watch for dark yellow urine (or very little urine at all), dry mouth, dizziness when standing, and unusual fatigue or confusion. In children, look for fewer wet diapers, no tears when crying, and unusual sleepiness or irritability.
Seek medical attention if vomiting continues for more than 24 hours, you can’t keep any fluids down, you notice blood in your vomit or stool, or you develop a fever above 102°F. These signs suggest something beyond a routine stomach bug that needs professional evaluation.