What Is the Best Medicine for Diarrhea and Vomiting?

There’s nothing more humbling than a gastrointestinal assault. When you are experiencing nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, you are ill. It’s difficult to avoid GI infections occasionally, even with near perfect personal hygiene, infection prevention, and food preparation practices. Fortunately, several medications can help you feel better. What is the best medicine for diarrhea and vomiting? Read on to learn more.

What is the best medicine for diarrhea and vomiting?

What to take for nausea and diarrhea depends on your medical history and symptoms. Some medications can provide relief but must be avoided if you have certain medical conditions or risk factors. So, what is the best medicine for diarrhea and vomiting? Here are a few of the common drugs below.

When to use medication for diarrhea and vomiting

It can be hard to decide what to take for diarrhea and vomiting. Often, a tincture of time combined with proper oral rehydration is required to help someone recover from these conditions. However, medications can help with diarrhea and vomiting that occur with common causes of gastrointestinal illness.

Types of vomiting and diarrhea medicines

When considering the best medicine for vomiting and diarrhea, you should be aware of the different types of medications available.

Type 1: Antidiarrheal medication

The best medicine for diarrhea and nausea is often an antidiarrheal medication. This medication can help slow diarrhea and return your bowels to normal function by altering the secretion and absorption of water within your intestines. Common brands of antidiarrheal medication include Imodium and Pepto-Bismol. It’s important to note these medications should not be used in children without the direction of a medical professional.

Type 2: Antiemetic medication

The best medicine for throwing up and diarrhea may also be an antiemetic or “anti-vomiting” medication. This type of medication can help reduce your sensation of nausea, which can positively impact your vomiting frequency. However, you should carefully use antiemetics, such as Zofran (ondansetron), under the direction of a medical professional because of the risk of adverse side effects.

Type 3: Antibiotic medication

If your condition is suspected to be bacterial, or if a bacterial origin has been confirmed, an antibiotic medication can help with vomiting and diarrhea. However, the grand majority of people with vomiting and diarrhea do not need antibiotics—in fact, antibiotics can potentially make vomiting and diarrhea even worse.

What is the best over-the-counter nausea and diarrhea medicine?

An antidiarrheal medication such as Pepto-Bismol or Imodium may be the best over-the-counter medicine for diarrhea and vomiting. Both can help slow diarrhea episodes and improve water absorption within the intestines. However, both drugs can also cause serious problems in people with underlying health problems, such as cardiac arrhythmias, so it is essential to always check with a healthcare professional before starting a new medication.

How fast do the common diarrhea and vomiting medicines work?

Fortunately, many medicines for vomiting and diarrhea work quickly. For example, the antinausea medication Zofran can begin to work within 30 minutes, and antidiarrheal medications, such as Imodium, can start working within one hour of taking them.

How often can you take meds for diarrhea and vomiting?

It’s important to follow the directions provided on the medication information packet that accompanies medication for diarrhea and vomiting. For example, children can take Pepto-Bismol every 30 minutes as needed to control symptoms, but they should not exceed more than 8 doses in a 24-hour period. Many meds for diarrhea and vomiting can only be taken as directed for a few days. Therefore, if you are still having symptoms after 2 to 3 days of diarrhea and vomiting, it’s time to consult a medical professional.

Home remedies for vomiting and diarrhea

When you’re wondering, “What can I take for diarrhea and vomiting?” it’s important to know that the mainstay of treatment is typically supportive care. Caring for yourself with a home remedy for vomiting and diarrhea, such as those listed below, can help you prevent severe hydration and get feeling better faster:

• Stay hydrated: It’s essential to replenish the fluids lost through vomit and diarrhea using fluids that contain electrolytes (e.g., Gatorade or Pedialyte).
• Eat a bland diet: Foods that are not spicy and have a low fiber content can help firm up your bowel movements and reduce diarrhea.
• Use aromatherapy: If you’re feeling nauseous, consider trying aromatherapy. Peppermint or lemon oil can help reduce nausea symptoms. Experts have even suggested that sniffing an alcohol pad can help.

What to take for vomiting and diarrhea: Choosing the best anti-nausea and diarrhea medication

If you suffer from nausea and diarrhea, rest, hydration, and the tincture of time are usually all you need to start feeling better. However, consider taking medication. The following tips can help you decide what to take.

Tip 1: Consider your symptoms

To choose the best medicine for diarrhea and vomiting, you’ll want to determine the most prominent symptom. For example, if nausea is the leading symptom, you may decide that an anti-nausea medicine will provide the most relief.

Tip 2: Evaluate the frequency of your symptoms

If you are trying to stay hydrated but your symptoms feel too frequent or unmanageable, consider taking medication. For example, if you have such frequent diarrhea episodes that you worry you may become dehydrated, an antidiarrheal medication can help you avoid the need for invasive rehydration measures.

Tip 3: Talk to a healthcare provider

If you’re unsure of the best medicine for diarrhea and vomiting, conferring with a healthcare professional may be beneficial. This is especially good if you have an underlying condition that is contributing to your symptoms or that may need to be considered when choosing a medication.

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FAQs related to throwing up and diarrhea medicine

What causes diarrhea and vomiting at the same time?

If you have diarrhea and vomiting at the same time, you may have a condition called gastroenteritis. Most of the time, this is caused by a virus. Viral gastroenteritis can be spread from person to person and can also be spread through contaminated food. Other causes of diarrhea and vomiting at the same time include bacterial gastroenteritis, a parasitic infection, pregnancy, alcohol poisoning, drug withdrawal, or certain medications.

When should you contact your healthcare provider if you’re having diarrhea and vomiting?

Most cases of diarrhea and vomiting are “self-limited,” which means that they will resolve on their own without any need for medical care or intervention. The mainstay of treating these illnesses is staying hydrated by replacing lost fluids and electrolytes. However, you should contact your healthcare provider if you have a high fever, known bacterial exposure, severe pain, or are immunocompromised.

What is the best medicine for nausea and diarrhea for children?

Electrolyte replacement fluid, such as Pedialyte, is the best medicine for nausea and diarrhea in children. Most children with competent immune systems will recover from nausea and diarrhea without needing medications. The main concern should be making sure that they stay well hydrated despite their fluid losses through vomit and diarrhea.

Who should not take diarrhea medications?

If you are considering taking medication for diarrhea, it’s important to consult your healthcare provider. Certain diarrhea medications can cause medical problems. For example, people with a heart condition known as long QT syndrome should not take Imodium, as it can make the syndrome worse and potentially cause a fatal heart arrhythmia. The anti-nausea medication Zofran can also prolong the QT interval.

Are antibiotics effective in treating diarrhea and vomiting?

An antibiotic is typically not needed to treat diarrhea and vomiting. In fact, healthcare providers usually avoid prescribing antibiotics for these symptoms because they are usually viral. Additionally, some bacterial infections that cause diarrhea and vomiting can be worsened by antibiotics.

Are antiparasitics effective in treating diarrhea and vomiting?

An antiparasitic may be effective in treating diarrhea and vomiting if you have a known parasitic infection or if a parasitic infection is highly suspected (i.e. if you have recently traveled internationally and consumed foods notorious for parasites and have other classic symptoms). However, an antiparasitic medication will not effectively treat diarrhea and vomiting caused by the more typical viral culprits.

What is the best medicine for vomiting and diarrhea with fever?

If you have vomiting and diarrhea with a fever, it’s essential to consult a healthcare professional. A fever may indicate that your infection is caused by a less common pathogen, such as bacteria, especially if you notice blood in your diarrhea. If you have a fever with vomiting and diarrhea, a stool culture may help determine the true cause and determine which medicine is best.

References:

https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/digestive-diseases/viral-gastroenteritis/treatment

https://www.cdc.gov/norovirus/data-research/index.html

https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/ss6412a1.htm

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7119329/

https://www.fda.gov/drugs/drug-safety-and-availability/fda-drug-safety-communication-fda-warns-about-serious-heart-problems-high-doses-antidiarrheal

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK544251/

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6189884/#:~:text=Two%20trials%20with%20about%20200,versus%2040%20with%20oral%20ondansetron

https://www.jwatch.org/na46286/2018/03/09/inhaled-isopropyl-alcohol-superior-oral-ondansetron