My mother used to give us flat Coke also and I guess it seemed to work. I do the same for my children and it seems to help relieve the nausea.
My mother always gave us flat cola to soothe a tummy ache.
I get gastritis on occasion. I could take gas-x, but slamming a coke and lettin a nice big BRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAPPPPPPP out is just so much more satisfying.
A couple years ago I had an accident and they gave me some opiates to take home from the hospital (Darvocet, I think) which made me so sick I couldn’t keep anything down (including water and crackers). I called my doctor and the nurse told me to try flat pepsi, a sip at a time.
For some reason I was able to keep that down when I couldn’t keep plain water down.
shrug
Flat coke is very good.
I’m guessing that part of the reason why flat soda might be effective for tummy ailments is that it’s really little more than sugar water. Aren’t people who are suffering from dehydration or malnutrition often started off on sugar water? And isn’t sugar water often what’s in the intravenous drip at the hospital?
Carbonated Coke, as mentioned, can neutralize stomach acid. It’s far less clear to me why flat Coke would work. I’m not saying it doesn’t. It’s also dandy for cleaning out hospital tubes (G-tubes, nasogastric tubes, etc.) that block after being put into the patient.
I always keep Coca-Cola Syrup in the fridge. For nausea, pour a tablespoon or two over a cup of chopped ice. Terrific.
I have no ideas why it works, but the chopped ice is at least 50% of the “cure.”
OK, just got mine out of the fridge (oops, it expired in ’02). It’s “Cola Syrup,” not Coca-Cola Syrup, “for relief of simple nausea.” It’s made by Apothecary Products, Inc., and recommends 1-2 tablespoons over crsuhed ice, “until distress subsides.”
Dilution, maybe? In the case of the “empty stomach” nausea, all that’s in there is acid, presumably. So by adding flat Coke, you’re diluting it and settling things down. Just a WAG.
As an aside, Coke also makes a nice tenderizer on a tough roast. Mmmm, Cola roast.