When food poisoning hits, your first instinct is often to grab something — anything — from your medicine cabinet to make it stop. While some over-the-counter (OTC) medications can help, others might actually make things worse depending on your symptoms.
Here’s what Sickday’s licensed clinicians recommend when treating food poisoning with OTC meds — plus when it’s time to call in professional support.
Common Food Poisoning Symptoms
Food poisoning usually comes on fast, often within hours of eating contaminated food. Symptoms may include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea
Stomach cramps
Fever or chills
Fatigue and weakness
The good news: most cases resolve on their own within a few days. The key is managing symptoms safely.
Best Over-the-Counter Medications (Clinician-Approved)
1. For Stomach Cramping and Upset
Pepto-Bismol (bismuth subsalicylate): Soothes the stomach, reduces inflammation
Simethicone (Gas-X): Helps relieve bloating and gas discomfort
2. For Diarrhea
Loperamide (Imodium): May be used with caution — not recommended if you have a fever or blood in your stool
Best used under clinician guidance to avoid complications
3. For Nausea
Emetrol: A sugar-based anti-nausea syrup
Ginger tea or supplements: Natural option that’s often effective for mild cases
4. For Fever or Body Aches
Acetaminophen (Tylenol): Gentle on the stomach, good for fever
Ibuprofen (Advil): Helps with inflammation, but may irritate stomach lining — best taken with food
What to Avoid
Antibiotics: Don’t self-medicate with leftover prescriptions — most food poisoning is viral
Anti-diarrheals if you have fever or blood in stool: These can trap harmful bacteria or toxins in your system
Dairy products: May worsen symptoms
Sugary sports drinks without electrolytes: These don’t help as much as proper rehydration solutions
Sickday’s Clinicians Can Guide You
If you’re unsure what to take or whether it’s actually food poisoning, Sickday offers in-home visits with licensed clinicians throughout all five NYC boroughs. We can:
Confirm diagnosis
Recommend appropriate OTC or prescription treatments
Monitor hydration and red flag symptoms
Keep you safely out of the ER
Call for Clinical Help If:
You can’t keep fluids down for 12+ hours
Symptoms last more than 48 hours
There’s blood in your stool or vomit
You’re pregnant or immunocompromised
You feel faint, confused, or very weak
Let the right medicine — and the right care — come to you.
Book a Sickday visit or virtual consult and recover with support from a licensed clinician.
