Self-help Guides

You should see your doctor right away for nausea or vomiting if you:

• think you may have been exposed to poison or toxins
• have symptoms of dehydration (e.g., dry mouth or tongue, very thirsty, feeling weak or light-headed, not urinating as often as usual)
• are urinating less frequently or have darker urine than usual
• have blood in the vomit or have coffee-coloured or green vomit
• hit your head recently
• are confused, less responsive, or more sleepy than usual
• also have a stiff neck
• also have severe abdominal pain
• also have changes in vision (e.g. blurred vision, seeing yellow tinge, halo)
• recently started on a new medication or had the dose of a medication increased
• think you may be pregnant
• have lost weight
• have nausea and vomiting for more than 3 days without a cause

Non-medication treatment

The purpose of treatment is to make sure you don't become dehydrated. If you do not have the signs and symptoms previously listed, you can try the following:

• Stay hydrated.
  • You can drink clear soups, sports drinks (e.g., Gatorade®), water, or flat ginger ale to replenish the fluids lost from vomiting and prevent dehydration.
  • You can also try oral rehydration solutions (ORS, e.g., Gastrolyte®), especially if you are still vomiting 24 hours later. ORS have the right amount of salt and sugar to maintain regular body functions.
  • Drink 1 teaspoonful of liquid every 2 to 3 minutes. If you are able to keep that down, increase how much and how often you drink.
  • Make sure you stay well hydrated until vomiting stops.
• Eat a bland diet.
  • Avoid fatty foods and dairy products while you are feeling nauseous or vomiting.
  • Try bland foods like toast or rice.
  • Avoid large meals: eat small amounts at a time and more frequently. You can gradually increase the amount and restart other foods as you feel better.
• Try ginger.
  • There is some evidence that ginger can relieve nausea and vomiting in pregnant women. Its effectiveness in treating motion sickness and other causes of nausea and vomiting is unclear, and more research is needed.
• Try acupressure wristbands (e.g., Seabands®).
  • These bands put pressure on an acupuncture point on the wrist and may help reduce nausea.
  • They can be worn for as long as they're needed and can be used with anti-nausea medications.
• For motion sickness:
  • Avoid reading or watching TV when you are travelling.
  • Find a place where you get some cool, fresh air.
  • Make sure you have a clear forward view of the horizon - try sitting in the passenger seat of the car, or be the driver.
• For morning sickness:
  • Eat when the nausea is the least bothersome or before you get out of bed in the morning.
  • Avoid the kitchen if you can - sometimes the smell of food can make nausea worse.

Over-the-counter medications

Nausea and vomiting usually go away on their own and do not need medications. However, if you are feeling very uncomfortable, you may try the following:

• dimenhydrinate (e.g., Gravol®)*
  • You can take this every 4 to 6 hours if you feel nauseous. Once you feel better, you can stop taking it.
  • This medication will make you sleepy, so be careful if you are operating machinery or driving.
  • Even though you feel sleepy, make sure you wake up to drink enough fluids to keep yourself well hydrated.
• meclizine (e.g., Bonamine®)
  • You can take this once a day to treat or prevent motion sickness.
  • This medication can also cause drowsiness, so be careful if you need to drive or perform activities that require alertness.

Speak to your pharmacist about which medication is right for you.

* All medications have both common (generic) and brand names. The brand name is what a specific manufacturer calls the product (e.g., Tylenol®). The common name is the medical name for the medication (e.g., acetaminophen). A medication may have many brand names, but only one common name. This article lists medications by their common names. For information on a given medication, check our Drug Information database. For more information on brand names, speak with your doctor or pharmacist.

The nausea and vomiting should go away and you should feel better in 1 to 3 days.

You should see your doctor if:

• you are vomiting more frequently or feeling worse, or if vomiting lasts for more than 3 days
• you have any of the signs and symptoms listed previously