To stop hangover vomiting, pause solids, sip electrolyte drinks often, rest, and add gentle foods once nausea eases.
You feel washed out, your stomach flips at every smell, and the sink has seen too much of you. The goal now is simple: steady the stomach, rehydrate, and avoid anything that makes the lining angrier. The steps below show what to try first, what to eat later, and what to avoid so you can settle the nausea and stop throwing up after heavy drinking. This guide shows how to stop throwing up from hangover fast.
How to Stop Throwing Up from Hangover — Step-By-Step Plan
This plan moves in phases. Start with fluids only. When the nausea eases, add bland food in tiny amounts. If symptoms spike, step back a phase.
| What To Do Now | Why It Helps | How To Do It |
|---|---|---|
| Small Sips Of Water Or ORS | Replaces fluid lost from vomiting and alcohol-driven urination | Take 1–2 sips every few minutes; aim for steady intake without triggering retching |
| Try An Electrolyte Drink | Helps restore salts and sugar that aid absorption | Pick a low-acid option; alternate with water so sweetness doesn’t upset your stomach |
| Ginger Tea Or Lozenges | Ginger can ease nausea in several settings | Steep sliced fresh ginger or use a ready bag; slow sips while warm |
| Breathing And Stillness | Calms the gag reflex and motion-induced waves | Lie on your side, keep the head slightly raised, breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth |
| Mouth Rinse | Removes acid and taste that can set off more heaves | Rinse with water or a gentle baking-soda mix; avoid harsh mouthwash |
| Cool Compress | Settles clammy sweats and light-headed spells | Place a cool cloth on the forehead or back of the neck for a few minutes |
| Short, Frequent Rests | Sleep loss worsens hangover symptoms | Dim the room and rest between fluid rounds; avoid screens |
| Advance To Bland Foods | Gentle carbs raise low blood sugar and absorb acid | Start with toast, crackers, rice, banana, or applesauce in tiny bites |
Hydration First: What, How Much, And How Fast
Alcohol pulls fluid out of the body and irritates the stomach lining. Your first task is fluids in small, steady amounts. Big gulps stretch the stomach and can set off another round. If you have oral rehydration salts at home, mix a batch and take slow sips. A simple homemade version uses 4 cups water, 1/2 teaspoon table salt, and 2 tablespoons sugar. Stir until clear. If the taste seems too salty, dilute with more water and continue with tiny sips.
Avoid fizzy sodas and heavy citrus early on; both can trigger belching and more heaves. If the stomach rejects even teaspoons, pause for 15 minutes and restart with smaller sips. Take it slow all day.
Ginger, Peppermint, And Other Soothers
Ginger has a track record for easing nausea from motion, pregnancy, and medical treatment. Many people also find it calming during a hangover. Brew a weak tea with fresh slices, use a tea bag, or try chews. Peppermint tea can feel soothing as well. Keep the drink warm, not hot, and sip slowly. If you take blood thinners or are pregnant, check with a clinician before using concentrated ginger products.
What To Eat When Nausea Starts To Fade
Once the stomach settles for 30–60 minutes, add gentle foods. Dry toast, plain crackers, rice, mashed potato, banana, and applesauce are steady picks. Aim for tiny bites every 10–15 minutes at first. If a bite triggers waves again, pause and go back to fluids. When you can hold down bland food, add a little protein such as yogurt or eggs. Big, greasy plates delay emptying and often restart the spiral, so shelve them for another day.
Medications: What Helps And What To Avoid
Pain relievers and stomach aids sit in many bathroom cabinets, yet not all are a match for a hangover. Acetaminophen can strain the liver when used near heavy drinking, and product labels warn about the risk with regular alcohol intake. If you need a pain reliever, many people choose an NSAID like ibuprofen once vomiting stops, but these drugs can irritate the stomach lining. Use the lowest dose and only on a stomach that can hold food. For queasiness, bismuth subsalicylate can settle an upset stomach and loose stool; follow the label and skip it if you have an aspirin allergy.
Stopping Vomiting From Hangover — What Works
Here is a quick recap you can follow in order. Stick to fluids; use an oral rehydration option if you have it. Add ginger tea for queasiness. Keep still and breathe slowly with the head raised. Rinse the mouth after each episode. Rest. Add bland food once you go one hour without a heave. Go back a step if nausea flares. Use this plan for how to stop throwing up from hangover today.
What To Avoid Today
Skip more alcohol. The buzz may mask symptoms for a short time but it drags the day out and keeps the cycle going. Put off heavy exercise, hot tubs, and saunas; heat and effort can worsen dizziness and fluid loss. Stay away from greasy and spicy meals. Tobacco smoke can intensify nausea for some people. Hold off on new supplements and energy shots.
Red Flags: When To Seek Care
Call for medical help if you cannot keep liquids down for a full day, if vomit has blood or looks like coffee grounds, if you have severe tummy pain, green vomit, a stiff neck with light hurting the eyes, a high temperature, confusion, or trouble breathing. Go the same route if you pass out, have a seizure, or suspect alcohol poisoning. These signs need urgent care.
Why “Hair Of The Dog” Makes Things Worse
Drinking again may dull symptoms for a brief spell, yet it delays recovery and can add more dehydration. It also pairs poorly with many medicines and can feed a cycle of overuse. Skip this myth and give your body time. The NIAAA hangovers guide notes this myth can prolong symptoms. If hangovers are common or if you struggle to cut back, talk with a clinician about safer drinking limits or help to quit.
Smart Prevention For Next Time
If you drink, pace yourself and eat beforehand. Choose drinks you can measure, sip water between servings, and set a firm stop point. Plan a ride home and a wind-down so you actually sleep. The lowest risk option is not to drink at all.
Hangover Nausea Quick Picks (OTC & Diet)
| Option | Use Case | Key Cautions |
|---|---|---|
| Oral Rehydration Solution | First-line for fluid loss | Avoid over-sweet mixes if stomach flips |
| Ginger Tea Or Chews | Mild nausea relief | Check interactions in pregnancy or with blood thinners |
| Bismuth Subsalicylate | Upset stomach and loose stool | Not for people with aspirin allergy; can darken stool/tongue |
| Ibuprofen (With Food) | Headache and body aches | Can irritate stomach; skip if you have ulcers or kidney disease |
| Acetaminophen | Pain relief after alcohol clears | Liver risk near heavy drinking; don’t exceed label dose |
| Banana, Rice, Toast | Gentle calories as nausea fades | Advance slowly; pause if waves return |
| Peppermint Or Chamomile Tea | Soothing warm fluids | Go easy if reflux flares with mint |
How This Plan Fits With What Science Says
Research points to dehydration, sleep loss, stomach irritation, and mini-withdrawal as main drivers of hangover misery. That lines up with a plan built on fluids, rest, and gentle food. Sports drinks get a lot of buzz, yet electrolyte shifts in hangovers are usually small and tend to self-correct once alcohol leaves the system. Fluids still matter; the point is steady sipping that you can keep down. Ginger shows promise across several types of nausea and is low risk for most adults. Labels on acetaminophen warn against use with regular heavy drinking; follow the label and avoid doubling products that contain it.
Timeline You Can Follow Today
First 2 Hours
Set up a station: water, oral rehydration drink, a small bowl, a towel, a bin or bag, and a soft cloth for a cool compress. Sit or lie on your side with the head raised. Take 1–2 sips every few minutes. Add ginger tea if you can keep fluids down. Breathe slowly through the nose and aim to stay still.
Hours 2–6
Keep sipping. If you go one hour without a heave, try a few bites of toast or crackers. If that sits well, add a banana or plain rice. Take a short nap between rounds.
Safety Reminders
If you take daily medicines, have ulcers, kidney or liver disease, are pregnant, or care for someone who is frail or immunocompromised, talk with a clinician about safe options. Use medicines only as directed. Do not mix alcohol with sedatives, opioids, or anti-nausea drugs unless a clinician gave you a plan.
Recap You Can Screenshot
Fluids first in tiny sips. Ginger tea next. Rest and stillness. Rinse the mouth. Add bland food once steady. Use meds with care. Keep caffeine low until the stomach feels settled. Brush teeth once vomiting stops. Seek help for red flags or if you cannot keep liquids down for a full day.
Resource for medicine safety: FDA’s acetaminophen liver warning about alcohol interactions on OTC labels today.