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Vomiting

Vomiting is caused by a wide variety of illnesses and medical conditions. In most cases, vomiting will stop without specific medical intervention. Here are some general tips to help your body recover.

Introducing liquids

 

After vomiting...

...do not eat or drink anything for 2 hours after the last episode of vomiting to let your stomach settle. It may make you feel better to rinse rinse your mouth right after vomiting, but don’t swallow.

After your stomach settles...

...start out by taking just 1 to 2 teaspoons of clear liquid. Every 15 to 20 minutes, increase the amount slowly. This will help to prevent dehydration.

Clear liquids include:

  • Pedialyte (available at the Gannett Pharmacy) is a balanced salt solution that replaces lost fluids and has an appropriate (small) amount of sugar in it. It’s very bitter, but tastes better if you add a flat ginger ale to it.
  • Kaolectrolyte comes in powder packets mixes with water and has added Nutrasweet to help it taste better.
  • Flat ginger ale or CocaCola (with bubbles stirred out). 
  • Gatorade-type sports drinks (not as good as Pedialyte/Kaolectrolyte, but better than Kool-ade type drinks). 
  • Diluted Kool-ade type drinks. 
  • Very diluted clear juices, like apple juice (but be aware, undiluted juices can contribute to diarrhea). 
  • Freeze pops and popsicles (small bites) 
  • Bouillon soups 
  • Water (or ice chips): the ultimate “clear liquid” prevents dehydration, but does not replace lost salts.

Return to eating 

Once you’ve stopped vomiting for at least 12 hours, you should start out slowly by trying to eat bland foods such as the “BRATS” diet:
Bananas, bread
Rice, rice cereal
Apples, applesauce (unlike apple juice, these have pectin which tends to thicken bowel movements)
Toast (no butter, small amount of jam or jelly ok)
Saltines or other crackers help replace lost salts

If you still feel sick ...

If you’ve tried to follow this advice, but you’re not feeling better, or if you have:
• been vomiting for more than 1 day
• not urinated in more than 6 hours
• had an extremely painful headache
• developed a rash
• had significantly reduced amount of urine
... you should seek medical attention:

Call Gannett (255.5155) or another health care provider.

Print our Fact Sheet (pdf) on this topic.

Questions? Concerns?

We can help.

255-5155

• make an appointment 
• get more information
• consult with a health care provider or counselor
• talk with a patient advocate