Stomach pain, or abdominal pain, can range from bloating and indigestion to severe and sharp, stabbing pain.
There is no single treatment to make your stomach stop hurting. Treatment to make your stomach stop hurting varies widely and depends on the specific cause.
21 Home Remedies & OTC Treatments for Stomach Pain
Most of the time, an upset stomach can be treated at home by:
- Drinking plenty of fluids so urine is a pale yellow or clear color
- Consuming clear liquids in frequent, small amounts
- If vomiting occurs, start with small sips of water or sucking on ice chips and if these are well tolerated, try:
- If fluids are tolerated, bland solid foods may be slowly added, such as the BRAT diet:
- Bananas
- Rice, white
- Applesauce
- Toast, plain or with only jelly or honey if desired
- Avoid:
Over-the-counter (OTC) medications may help relieve certain symptoms associated with an upset tummy. Talk to your doctor to determine which medicine might be indicated in your situation.
- Simethicone (Gas-X, Mylanta) for gas and bloating
- Antacids or acid reducers (Pepcid, Zantac) for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD)
- Loperamide (Imodium) or bismuth subsalicylate (Pepto-Bismol) for diarrhea
- Stool softeners or laxatives for constipation
- Acetaminophen (Tylenol), ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin), or naproxen (Aleve) for cramping pain
- If your stomach hurting is caused by a specific medical problem, such as an ulcer, treatments for that problem can help relieve symptoms.
What Are Symptoms of My Stomach Hurting?
When your stomach hurts, symptoms depend on the cause.
Pain may be dull or sharp, intermittent or constant, mild or severe. Your stomach may hurt in any part of the abdomen, and may also radiate to other areas such as the back, flank, or shoulder.
Symptoms that may accompany stomach pain may include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting (may include vomiting blood)
- Sweating
- Feeling unwell (malaise)
- Loss of appetite
- Abdominal distention/bloating
- Indigestion/heartburn
- Feeling of fullness
- Weight loss
- Abdominal tenderness
- Urinary problems
- Gas (flatulence)
- Altered bowel habits
- Pelvic pain
If you experience any of the following symptoms when your stomach hurts, see a doctor because these may be a sign of a more serious condition:
- Pain is severe and lasts more than an hour or comes and goes for more than 24 hours
- Pain starts suddenly
- Bloody bowel movements
- Black, tarry stool
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Inability to eat or drink for several hours
- Fever greater than 102°f (39°c)
- Weight loss without trying
- Loss of appetite
- Feeling a lump in the abdomen
What Causes My Stomach to Hurt?
There are numerous things that can cause your stomach to hurt.
Common conditions that can cause your stomach to hurt include:
- Constipation
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Food poisoning
- Food allergies or intolerance (such as lactose intolerance)
- Stomach flu
Other conditions that can cause your stomach to hurt include:
- Appendicitis
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm (bulging and weakening of the major artery in the body)
- Bowel blockage or obstruction
- Cancer of the stomach, colon, pancreas, and other organs
- Celiac disease
- Cholecystitis (inflammation of the gallbladder) with or without gallstones
- Constipation
- Decreased blood supply to the intestines (ischemic bowel)
- Diverticulitis/diverticulosis
- Endometriosis
- Fibroids (leiomyomas)
- Food poisoning
- Gallstones
- Gastroesophageal reflux (GERD), heartburn, or indigestion
- Hepatitis
- Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)
- Crohn’s disease
- Ulcerative colitis)
- Intestinal obstruction
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Kidney stones
- Lactose intolerance
- Muscle strain
- Pancreatitis (inflammation of the pancreas)
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
- Peptic ulcer disease
- Ruptured ovarian cyst
- Severe menstrual cramps
- Spleen problems
- Surgical site infections
- Pregnancy/pregnancy complications
- Ulcers
- Urinary tract infections (UTIs) or urinary retention
How Is Stomach Pain Diagnosed?
Diagnosing the reason your stomach hurts begins with a history and physical exam. Depending on the symptoms and the location of the pain, the physical exam may involve:
- Abdominal exam
- Rectal exam
- Pelvic exam
Blood tests used to help diagnose the cause of stomach pain include:
- Complete blood count (CBC) with differential
- Electrolytes, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), creatinine, and glucose
- Aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin
- Lipase and/or amylase
- Calcium
- Aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, and bilirubin
- Serum iron, total iron binding capacity, and ferritin
- Anti-tissue transglutaminase
- Pregnancy testing for women
Imaging tests used to help diagnose the cause of stomach pain include:
- Ultrasound
- Computed tomography (CT) scan
- Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI; including magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography)
- Endoscopy
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography
Other tests used to help diagnose the cause of stomach pain may include:
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https://www.uptodate.com/contents/evaluation-of-the-adult-with-abdominal-pain?search=Stomach%20Pain&source=search_result&selectedTitle=5~150&usage_type=default&display_rank=5
https://www.mountsinai.org/health-library/symptoms/abdominal-pain
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https://www.uhs.wisc.edu/medical/upset-stomach/