Perhaps one of the most frustrating questions for me to answer is how to treat nausea and vomiting with over-the-counter drugs.  We’re talking nausea and vomiting caused by some unknown source, namely an intestinal or stomach bug which seems to be the cause in most cases.  When a patient comes up to the pharmacy seeking options to ease their discomfort, the first thought that comes to mind is ugh!  Ugh, not because I think it’s a bad question, but because I know my answer is not going to please the patient.  If the nausea/vomiting were being caused by such things as morning sickness, vertigo, Meniere’s Disease, or motion sickness, my answer would be a little bit easier to come by.

There are not very many options available, but you could try OTC Zantac, which comes in a generic called ranitidine, or Pepto-Bismol.  It’s a stretch, but maybe your nausea is caused by a sour stomach or acid indigestion, which Zantac and Pepto-Bismol are indicated for, instead of some bug.

If you do have some sort of bug, there is a product called Emetrol Syrup available.  It contains a mixture of phosphoric acid and the simple sugar carbohydrates glucose and fructose.  Simply put, it’s pretty much a sugar syrup!  Glucose and fructose are thought to help your stomach relax.   There is not enough evidence to know for sure if Emetrol is actually effective.   It has been said that cola may help due to it’s sugary nature, but this option also has no proof to support it’s use.

Ginger is also an option to help treat nausea/vomiting even though researchers are not completely sure why it helps.  It can be purchased in a variety of different forms such as a fresh herb, dry extract for tea, candied, tablet, capsule, powder, or liquid.  It seems that the tablet or capsule form is the most popular.

If I were nauseous or vomiting, I would try to ride it out by replenishing the fluids I’ve lost with Pedialyte, Gatorade, or Powerade and getting plenty of rest.  I would actually visit a physician in hopes they would provide me with a prescription before I tried the OTC stuff.  I know, not the answer you were looking for, right?!