How to Stop Nausea & Diarrhea

There is nothing fun about nausea and diarrhea, especially experienced simultaneously. Contaminated food or water is the culprit, with a stomach virus often resulting. To ease your stomach discomfort and prevent further digestive tract irritation, it is important to manage your symptoms. Diarrhea, as well as vomiting, can cause severe dehydration, so if your nausea is causing you to vomit, it is even more important to rest and monitor your hydration level. This is particularly important in young children, since they are more prone to dehydration than adults.

Things You'll Need

• Ice chips
• Clear liquids
• Bananas
• White rice
• Saltine crackers

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Instructions

• 1

  Lie down with your head propped on a pillow to ease nausea symptoms. If you are concerned about vomiting, place a pail on the floor near your head. A plastic garbage bag in the pail will make the cleanup process significantly easier.

• 2

  Chew on small ice chips slowly to help stay hydrated. If you tolerate them well, try sipping on clear water, broth, non-carbonated ginger ale or non-caffeinated herbal teas. Even if you feel excessively thirsty, it is important not to drink too quickly. Overloading a sensitive stomach can intensify the nausea and cause vomiting.

• 3

  Eat bananas, white rice, applesauce, saltine crackers or toast with jelly. Both bananas and white rice will help bind your stool and stop diarrhea. Make sure to eat a small amount of food at a time and very slowly, as you don't know how intake will affect you. If solid foods increase your nausea, make you vomit or intensify your diarrhea, then return to ice chips and clear liquids for the next 12 to 18 hours.

• 4

  Begin adding more foods once you can handle plain, mild foods like those listed above. Foods such as oatmeal, egg whites and lean chicken or beef can be added next, though you should hold off on dairy products for two to three days after your symptoms have subsided.

• 5

  Contact your physician if your nausea and diarrhea have not stopped after two or three days.