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Diarrhea can come from lactose intolerance, a stomach bug, sketchy street food, or just your body deciding today’s the day to rebel. Whatever the cause, you want it gone. Here’s what actually works.
1. Track and eliminate trigger foods
If this keeps happening after specific meals, you’ve got a food intolerance. Dairy’s the usual suspect, but it could be gluten, sugar alcohols, or that gas station sushi you keep gambling on. Write down what you eat and when the bathroom sprints start. Pattern shows up fast. Once you know what’s causing it, cut that food out completely.
2. Take anti-diarrhea medication
Loperamide (Imodium) stops diarrhea in about an hour. Bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) works too but takes a bit longer. Grab the generic store brand and save yourself three bucks. Follow the box directions.
3. Drink water and electrolyte drinks alternately
You’re losing water and salt every time you go. Drink 8 oz of water, then 8 oz of Gatorade or Powerade, then water again. Keep alternating. Don’t chug it all at once or you’ll just send it right back through.
4. Stick to bland foods for 24 hours
Salted crackers, plain toast, and broth-based soup. That’s your menu until this passes. Nothing fried, nothing fatty, nothing with hot sauce (no matter how much you think you can handle it). Skip alcohol too. After 24 hours, ease back in with something light like oatmeal or a banana.
If it’s still going after two days, something else is wrong and you need to see someone about it.