# I'm sick! What can I eat/drink to settle my stomach? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [July 15, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130 "2009-07-15T17:39:08Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/1 "2009-07-15T17:39:08Z")
So I woke up this morning to throw up out of both ends, thankfully with a minute or two break between them. It seems whenever I start to move around, I have to go throw-up again, as my most recent trip to the bathroom would suggest. I’ve been drinking some water, and I think it’s working okay this time, but is there anything else I can eat or drink to settle my stomach down (such as sodas or something?) ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/2 "2009-07-15T17:42:13Z")
I have heard that ginger ale (at least if it contains real ginger) and Coca-cola (I think we used to have a bottle of Coca-cola syrup in the medicine cabinet when I was a kid) are both good for settling an upset stomach. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/3 "2009-07-15T17:46:38Z")
Ginger ale. The ginger will calm your upset stomach, and the liquid will keep you hydrated. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/4 "2009-07-15T17:49:59Z")
If the carbonation is too much for you, let it sit out and get a bit flat. ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/5 "2009-07-15T17:54:50Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > If the carbonation is too much for you, let it sit out and get a bit flat. Stirring it with a metal spoon will speed up that process. And eat some Saltines. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/6 "2009-07-15T17:57:04Z")
There’s actually ginger tea, which might be harder to get than ginger ale, but you don’t have to deal with the sweetness or the carbonation. I drank it a lot in my first trimester and it really helped with the nausea. I also enjoy a nice plain saltine when I feel barfy. Bananas are supposed to help with diarrhea too, though that might be an old wives tale. ---
**Author:** ![Sitnam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/6a8cbe/32.png) [@Sitnam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sitnam)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/7 "2009-07-15T18:07:08Z")
warm flat 7up ---
**Author:** ![Mahaloth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mahaloth/32/1079_2.png) [@Mahaloth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mahaloth)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/8 "2009-07-15T18:11:47Z")
I’d actually say have a glass of Coca-Cola. Get a 2-liter and let your glass sit a bit before you drink it. ---
**Author:** ![lalenin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@lalenin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalenin)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/9 "2009-07-15T18:14:08Z")
I just had an upset stomach episode last Monday, and on the advise of my mother I had chamomile and anise tea (manzanilla y anis in Spanish), and to my complete surprise it worked! I don’t know if I can post a link to a commercial site here, but just google Badia Chamomile and Anise Tea. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/10 "2009-07-15T18:16:36Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > There’s actually ginger tea… I drank it a lot in my first trimester and it really helped with the nausea. … First trimester!?!?!?!?!?! Did I miss an announcement? Congrats! ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/11 "2009-07-15T18:18:24Z")
We did warm semi-flat 7-Up when I was a kid. My Latina wife claims it’s the gringo version of lime-water. Near as I can tell, 97% of Hispanic home medicine revolves around the consumption of limes. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/12 "2009-07-15T18:45:04Z")
> [@Rubystreak](#): > > Bananas are supposed to help with diarrhea too, though that might be an old wives tale. Bananas are good for nausea also. Not so much that they reduce it; but they taste good going down, and they taste good coming up. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/13 "2009-07-15T18:45:11Z")
Also, ginger gum is available if you truly can’t eat anything. ---
**Author:** ![cher3](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@cher3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cher3)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/14 "2009-07-15T18:50:46Z")
In my recent experience, it’s best not to worry about eating for a day or so. Just make sure you can keep enough water down that you are peeing regularly. You could try Pedialyte or Gatorade, too, but water is fine if we’re only talking about a day or so. ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Fight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/90ced4/32.png) [@Cat\_Fight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Fight)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/15 "2009-07-15T18:58:19Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I have heard that ginger ale (at least if it contains real ginger) and Coca-cola (I think we used to have a bottle of Coca-cola syrup in the medicine cabinet when I was a kid) are both good for settling an upset stomach. _Is_ there real ginger in most ginger ale, though? Enough to have any sort of medicinal effect? I’ve always wondered if people who advocate drinking it aren’t just fancying up ‘ingest fluids.’ ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/16 "2009-07-15T19:28:30Z")
My personal regimen, regardless of whether I’ve eaten something of questionable origin or drank alcohol in questionable amounts: 1. Drink water. As cool or icy-cold or lukewarm as you like it. (It’s a weird sensation to puke up cold water, though.) Does it stay down? If yes, good, go to step 2. If not … try again, as serious dehydration is no fun. (Signs of getting really dried out include twitchy or spasming muscles, like your hands and feet cramping up. At that point, you may need IV fluids if you really can’t keep it down. But you’re not \*that \*sick, are you?) 2. Drink something slightly more than water. Gatorade is a good one. Chamomile tea is popular - mint tea is another good choice. (Got a mint plant sitting around?) At this point I nibble on something like crackers or Saltines; dry Cheerios or Chex cereal are good, too, as is plain toast. Did the crackers’n’Gatorade stay down? Go to step 3. 3. Move to semi-liquids. The default is chicken soup. I like those little Lipton packets with a coupla croutons thrown in, but Mr. Horseshoe’s usual “I’m sick” remedy is Campbell’s Homestyle chicken soup, made with millk if he’s feeling really adventurous. 4. Take a nap. This is important - try not to skip this step if at all possible. By the time you wake back up and drink another big cup of water, healing should occur. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/17 "2009-07-15T19:29:47Z")
Flat Ginger Ale; chamomille tea. Chamomille is also good when you feel like throwing up but can’t: either it settles you or it gets you going and then settled; in any case, you’ll be settled within 15 minutes. ---
**Author:** ![overlyverbose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/9dc877/32.png) [@overlyverbose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/overlyverbose)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/18 "2009-07-15T19:33:42Z")
If your stomach is settled enough, I’d second or third small sips of Coca-Cola. I got some sort of barfing disease that only manifested itself while I was away on business in May. It was a bonus addition to my morning sickness. I indulged in some Coca-Cola because that was the only thing that sounded remotely good and, to my utter shock, it really helped soothe my innards. ---
**Author:** ![Aangelica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Aangelica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aangelica)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/19 "2009-07-15T20:37:58Z")
Ginger ale. Or at least the name-brand stuff. Check the label, if it says it contains actual ginger (Seagram’s I know does), then that’ll do you. I know when I started on a new course of medication that made me miserably nauseous for the best part of a month, name-brand ginger ale was amazingly effective as an anti-nausea medication. I drank a whole lot of Seagrams. Mostly because it’s sold in Coke machines (and happened to be the flavor of ginger ale on sale at my grocery store that month). Also celery is good for preventing the barfing. And saltine crackers. ---
**Author:** ![Rubystreak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e5b9ba/32.png) [@Rubystreak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rubystreak)\ **Post date:** [July 15, 2009, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130/20 "2009-07-15T21:08:18Z")
I once had this very bad illness with fever for two weeks. It was hell. Couldn’t hold down anything, could stand the taste of most things. I lived on Gatorade. The flavor is so mild that it stayed down. I actually wrote them a letter afterwards, because I’m convinced that their product kept me out of the hospital. So, another recommendation for some nice, cool, yellow Gatorade. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/im-sick-what-can-i-eat-drink-to-settle-my-stomach/503130.md?page=2)