Vomiting

🌿 Overview

Most vomiting is not from severe illness. It is often the body's attempt to expel something harmful. Vomiting can be either voluntary (induced to cleanse the stomach) or involuntary. Coffee-ground vomit (blood from ulcer or stomach cancer) is a medical emergency. Vomiting in infants with fever and unresponsiveness may indicate meningitis — call immediately.

Common signs

• Forceful return of stomach contents through the mouth
• Nausea usually precedes the vomiting
• Pallor, sweating, excess saliva
• Weakness after prolonged vomiting (from fluid loss)

🔎 Why it happens

Common causes and triggers — spotting yours is often the first step to relief.

• Overeating or eating wrong food combinations
• Food poisoning or food allergies
• Viral or bacterial infection (flu, Epstein-Barr, candida)
• Excessive alcohol consumption
• Motion sickness, altitude sickness
• Coffee-ground vomit = bleeding ulcer or stomach cancer — medical emergency
• Infant vomiting with fever and unresponsiveness = possible meningitis — call immediately

✅ What to do

Gentle, practical steps you can take at home — start at the top.

1. TO INDUCE VOMITING (when something poisonous was eaten): lobelia teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → is best — add 1 oz. to 1 quart boiling water, steep 15–20 minutes, give 1–2 cups; give the full dose at once or it won't work
2. Other emetic herbs: bayberry bark, myrica, white willow, peach leaves, ragwort
3. TO STOP VOMITING: very small doses of lobelia — 1 tsp. of weak teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → every 15 minutes until relief
4. Hot peppermint or spearmint teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → (after stomach has been emptied) — settles the stomach
5. Catnip or sweet balm teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →; hot fomentationA hot, moist cloth pressed on the body — classic hydrotherapy. How to make a fomentation → over the stomach
6. Old-fashioned remedy for incessant vomiting: hold half a peeled raw onion under each armpit; or apply ice pack to the back of the neck
7. AFTER VOMITING: do not eat for several hours; take only small sips of clear fluids — water, weak teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea →, or diluted fruit juice
8. Replace lost minerals with electrolyteTiny minerals like sodium and potassium that help your muscles and nerves work right. More → drinks, clear soups, or apple/cranberry juice; add pinches of sugar and salt to water if needed
9. Peppermint teaA warm drink made by steeping herbs in hot water. How to make a tea → — sip small amounts
10. Ginger: extremely powerful for stopping vomiting, motion sickness, and nausea
11. Herbal teas when ready: chamomile, comfrey, cloves, basil, licorice root, yarrow
12. First food back: small carbohydrate meal such as rice soup; avoid fatty foods

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🍽️ Eating to help

Food is one of the gentlest medicines — small, steady changes help most.

Favor these

• Peppermint or spearmint tea (settle stomach)
• Ginger (very powerful antiemetic)
• Clear fluids: water, weak teas, diluted fruit juice
• Electrolyte drinks or clear soups (to replace minerals)
• Rice soup (first food when ready to eat)

Go easy on

• Any solid food for several hours
• Cold fluids — shock to weakened stomach
• Carbonated drinks
• Milk and heavy soups initially
• Fatty foods — remain in tired stomach too long

Sip fluids slowly — do not gulp. Coffee-ground vomit is a medical emergency (internal bleeding). Infant vomiting with fever and unresponsiveness = call a physician immediately (possible meningitis).

💬 Ask Remy about Vomiting