How to Cure Hangover Nausea

Medically reviewed by Sarah Gehrke, RN, MS

Last Updated: December 23, 2022 References

Waking up after a big night of drinking can be rough, especially if you feel sick to your stomach. But don’t worry! Put some food and drink in your tummy, take some over-the-counter medicine, and get some much-needed rest. Very soon you’ll be back on your feet. In the future, you may want to focus on preventing a hangover and drinking in moderation, but for now, just focus on feeling better.

Things You Should Know

Build up your strength with bananas, Pedialyte freezer-pops, mint tea, and electrolyte-filled sports drinks.
Try Pepto-Bismol to ease digestive symptoms and if you've already thrown up, take some Emetrol.
Take care of yourself by enjoying a nice, warm shower, resting, and giving your body the time it needs to bounce back.

Help Feeling Better

Foods and Drinks for Hangover Nausea

Medications for Hangover Nausea

Method 1

Method 1 of 3:

Eating and Drinking to Ease Nausea

1
Snack on toast or crackers. Eating is probably the last thing you want to do right now, but it is one of the best ways to help relieve nausea. Try nibbling on a little bit of dry toast or plain crackers. Continue eating little snacks until you feel well enough to have a meal.^{[1]
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2
Drink plenty of fluids. Dehydration is a big part of being hungover. If you want to ease your nausea and feel better, you’ve got to replenish your fluids. Drink fruit juice, vegetable juice, or sports drinks to replenish lost electrolytes. Sip water as your stomach begins to settle.^{[2]
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- Avoid soda and other high-sugar drinks.
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3
Eat bananas. Chronic drinking depletes your levels of potassium, and this can contribute to your hangover.^{[3]
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Go to source} Try taking a few bites of banana, or blending a banana with almond milk to make a smoothie.^{[4]
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4
Drink mint tea. Mint is excellent at soothing upset tummies. Brew yourself some mint tea to sip. This is a great option because it helps to rehydrate your body while easing stomach discomfort.^{[5]
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5
Drink 1 cup of coffee at the most. Coffee has long been considered a hangover cure, but this advice is a little misguided. A cup of coffee can help wake you up and ease a pounding head, but coffee can also aggravate your stomach. If you are a daily coffee drinker, try just having just 1 small cup. If you don’t usually drink coffee, avoid the stuff completely.^{[6]
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- If you suffer from acid reflux, avoid coffee altogether when you're hungover. Caffeine can make your acid reflux worse.^{[7]
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  Go to source}
6
Try Pedialyte freezer-pops. Pedialyte is a product designed to help children recover from dehydration, but it can help you too. Pedialyte is available in liquid form, but sucking on a Pedialyte freezer-pop is more likely to soothe your stomach while helping you get your electrolytes back.^{[8]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 3:

Using Medication

1
Drink Alka-Seltzer if you have body aches. Alka-seltzer is composed of aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid), sodium bicarbonate, and anhydrous citric acid. Aspirin is an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever, while the sodium bicarbonate and citric acid work to neutralize stomach acid. Drop 2 tablets into a small glass of water and drink it quickly.^{[9]
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2
Try bismuth subsalicylate if you have multiple digestive symptoms. Bismuth subsalicylate (also called Kaopectate or Pepto-Bismol) can treat nausea, diarrhea, heartburn, indigestion, and upset stomach. If you are experiencing more than one kind of tummy trouble, this might be the right choice for you.
- Bismuth subsalicylate comes in liquid form, chewable tablets, and capsules.
- Read package instructions and follow dosage guidelines.
3
Take sodium citrate dihydrate is you want something salicylate-free. Sodium citrate dihydrate (also called Nauzene) comes in chewable tablets. You can begin with 2 tablets, and continue taking another tablet every 15 minutes until your symptoms subside.^{[10]
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- This product claims to work within 4 minutes.
- Do not take more than 24 tablets in a 24 hour period.
4
Try phosphorated carbohydrate solution if you have already vomited. Phosphorated carbohydrate solution (also called Emetrol) works by relaxing the stomach muscles. It is a good choice if you feel like you can’t stop throwing up.
- Phosphorated carbohydrate solution comes in liquid form.
- Read and follow the instructions.

Method 3

Method 3 of 3:

Using Relaxation

1
Take a shower. Sometimes a shower can really help you feel like yourself again. Try hopping in the shower, getting washed, and putting on some clean clothes. Removing the scents and smells from the night before might help ease your upset tummy. Plus taking a shower is a nice way to hit the refresh button.^{[11]
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- Avoid making the water too hot or staying in there for too long. This can actually make your nausea worse.
2
Get lots of rest. Hopefully, you have some time to sleep it off. In addition to dehydration, hangovers can be due to exhaustion. Try to go back to sleep or sneak in an afternoon nap. If you can’t fall back to sleep, try resting on the couch.^{[12]
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3
Give it time. Although any of these methods might help you feel a little better, the truth is the only cure for a hangover is time. Give it a few hours (or in the worst cases, a full day) and you’ll feel right as rain.^{[13]
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