Abdominal Pain

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Abdominal Pain: Home Care & Treatment

For mild pains:

• Sip water or other clear fluids.
• Avoid solid food, at least for the first 24 hours or so. Then, eat small amounts of mild foods. AVOID citrus, high-fat foods, fried or greasy foods, tomato products, caffeine, alcohol, and carbonated beverages.
• If the pain is high up in your abdomen and occurs after meals, antacids may provide some relief, especially if you feel heartburn or indigestion. You may also try H2 blockers (Tagamet, Pepcid, or Zantac) available over the counter. If either of these medicines worsen your pain, CALL your doctor right away.
• AVOID narcotic pain medications, aspirin, and NSAIDs (like ibuprofen) unless the health care provider prescribes them. If you know that your pain is not related to your liver, you can try acetaminophen (Tylenol).

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