12 Things You Should Do If You Wake Up With Stomach Pain

"Stomachache" is a vague symptom, so it can be hard to know how to start treating it. These steps will help guide you through soothing the pain.

toilet bowl that's being flushed
istock/creacart

Head to the bathroom

Pinpointing what’s behind a stomachache can be hard, but pain in the lower abdominal area could be a sign of irritable bowel syndrome, says Steven Fleisher, MD, chief of gastroenterology and director of interventional endoscopy at the Center for Digestive Disease at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, MD. Waking up with some stomach pain in the morning is probably your digestive system trying to kick-start after a night of sleeping, but a trip to the bathroom should help. โ€œThe hallmark is that once you get to the bathroom and are able to have a bowel movement, typically the pain or discomfort is relieved as part of the process,โ€ he says.

woman reading smartphone in bed
Istock/kizilkayaphotos

Call the doctor

Because stomachaches are such a vague symptom, calling a medical expert could help you figure out if you need to worry. (Or visit your doctor or head to an urgent-care center, especially if the pain is more severe.) Depending on factors like the location and sensation of your pain, a doctor can advise whether you should go to the ER, make an appointment with your primary care doc, or start with some at-home treatments, says Jonathan Cohen, MD, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone School of Medicine and partner at Concorde Medical Group in New York City. โ€œThereโ€™s no downside to calling your general doctor and talking it over,โ€ he says: โ€œDoctors, by asking a few questions, can help make a better, smarter decision as to whether itโ€™s an alarm.โ€ Definitely call your doctor immediately if your pain is severe, basic remedies donโ€™t help, you have bloody diarrhea or vomit, or being sick is making you lightheaded, Dr. Fleisher says. Don’t miss this guide to what 7 different stomach pains mean.

outside dinner party lights
istock/aleksandarnakic

Ask if your dining partners are on the same boat

Fear food poisoning? If you ate at a restaurant, you might hear on the news that others got sick too. Check-in with your family or anyone else you ate dinner with to see if theyโ€™re feeling symptoms like stomach pain in the morning the next day. โ€œOften, more than one person will be afflicted,โ€ says Dr. Fleisher.

man with pained expression on phone
IStock/gradyreese

Consider calling your boss

There are a few factors to consider when deciding if you should call in sick. If the stomach pain is nothing new (even if itโ€™s a bit worse than usual) or OTC medications seem to be working, you could probably handle a day in the office. But if the stomachache feels atypical or could be a symptom of the stomach flu,ย take the day off. โ€œIf pain is sudden and out of the blue, that should give one pause,โ€ says Dr. Fleisher. โ€œEspecially itโ€™s severe, you might want to check in with your provider before heading in to work.โ€ And make sure you keep an eye out for these 15 signs your upper abdominal pain is an emergency.

oatmeal with sliced apples in ceramic bowl
istock/1morecreative

Make yourself breakfast

No need to skip breakfast if a stomachache is your only symptom and the thought of eating doesnโ€™t make you queasy. Getting something in your stomach could help ease any tummy troubles, says Dr. Cohen. But hold off on your usual greasy egg sandwich, says David Greenwald, MD, director of clinical gastroenterology and endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. โ€œStick to things that are more bland or simple to digest,โ€ he says. He suggests avoiding foods that are bad for digestion by spreading toast with jelly instead of oily butter and swapping out complex multigrain dry cereals for simple oatmeal.

two cups of black coffee
IStock/iprogressman

Skip that second (or first) cup of coffee

If acid reflux is causing some belly issues like stomach pain in the morning, consider cutting down or, even better, cutting out. Caffeine is a double whammy in people with digestive issues, says Dr. Fleisher. For one thing, it can relax pressure on the valve between the esophagus and stomach, making it easier for the acid to splash back up. Plus, it makes the intestine work harder, which could lead to diarrhea, he says. If you think coffee could be the culprit, try eliminating it for a week, suggests Dr. Greenwald. โ€œThe only way to know is to limit it for a defined period of time and see if the symptoms get better,โ€ he says. โ€œItโ€™s hard to say โ€˜donโ€™t do it forever,โ€™ but itโ€™s easy to do for a week.โ€ That said, if youโ€™re constipated and bloated, caffeine is just one of the manyย foods that act like a natural laxative.ย It helps things move along naturally so you can get relief from a bathroom break quicker, says Dr. Cohen. These are the 10 pain symptoms you should never ignore, including stomach aches.

row of treadmills with people running on them
IStock/ruslandashinsky

Hop on the treadmill

Exercise helps digestive problems, so following through with your morning workout could actually relieve those tummy issues, says Dr. Fleisher. Just donโ€™t push your body if the pain makes movement unbearable. โ€œYou would want to exercise only if you were able to have the pain somewhat relieved before embarking on anything strenuous,โ€ he says. If the pain isnโ€™t going away, hold off on physical activity until you know whatโ€™s wrong and can treat it.

close up of white tablets
istock/ackleyroadphotos

Start off strong

Look to OTC medications for some relief. Dr. Fleisher recommends going straight for proton-pump inhibitorsโ€”or the โ€œbig guns,โ€ as he calls them. PPIs such as Prilosec or Nexium reduce acid by blocking acid production in the stomach. As long as you take them for only ten to 14 days, โ€œthey are probably pretty safe and probably most effective, and give you the most bang for your buck,โ€ he says. Reach for PPIs when the pain is primarily a burning/heartburn type of pain. Stop taking the medication and talk to your doctor if you get side effects like diarrhea, worsened stomach pain, or muscle cramping.

hand holding pills and a waterglass
Istock/stock_colors

Try an anti-gas drug

The OTC anti-gas drug simethicone, in name brands like Gas-X and Phazyme, can ease your stomachache when youโ€™re feeling gassy. โ€œIt basically just bursts bubbles,โ€ says Dr. Greenwald. โ€œSo if you get a glass of water with a bunch of bubbles, it breaks up the bubbles, and it basically does the same thing in your stomach.โ€ Because your body doesnโ€™t absorb simethicone, the medication doesnโ€™t have any common side effects, so you can use it four times a day without concern, he says. Here’s what your right side abdominal pain could mean for your health.

multi-colored antacid pills
IStock

Pop an antacid

For an OTC option that isnโ€™t so severe, give an antacid a try. โ€œThey are probably going to take the edge off of some symptoms and give some immediate relief,โ€ says Dr. Fleisher. But theyโ€™re targeting the symptom, not any underlying condition, so talk to your doctor if the pain doesnโ€™t get better.

turmeric root, powder, and in a jar
istock/dawndamico

Try a natural home remedy

Peppermint oil, ginger, and turmeric could ease your pain if youโ€™re dealing with gas and bloating. โ€œThey help the stomach empty and help food absorption,โ€ says Dr. Cohen. If your problems are from acid reflux, though, peppermint could actually make your symptoms worse, warns Dr. Greenwald. Taking enteric-coated peppermint oil capsules can calm the stomach without causing reflux. Also, contrary to what you might think, ginger ale for upset stomach actually doesn’t work either! Here are 9 more natural stomach ache remedies you can try.

woman reclining in bed with a hot pad on her stomach
IStock/rollover

Heat things up

A heating pad can help relieve a stomachache, especially if itโ€™s from severe IBS pain, says Dr. Fleisher. Consider replacing an old-fashioned water bottle, which can get too hot and burn your skin if youโ€™re not careful, with a newer model. โ€œMicrowavable bean bags are proving quite effective in milder situations where we have oftentimes chronic pain in the form of IBS,โ€ he says. Don’t miss these 21 other health secrets your gut is trying to tell you.

Sources
  • Steven Fleisher, MD, chief of gastroenterology and director of interventional endoscopy at the Center for Digestive Disease at MedStar Franklin Square Medical Center in Baltimore, MD
  • Jonathan Cohen, MD, clinical professor of medicine at NYU Langone School of Medicine and partner at Concorde Medical Group in New York City
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: โ€œFood Poisoning Symptomsโ€
  • David Greenwald, MD, director of clinical gastroenterology and endoscopy at Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City
  • Mayo Clinic: โ€œGastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD)โ€
  • Mayo Clinic: โ€œSimethicone (Oral Route)โ€
Medically reviewed by Michael Spertus, MD, on September 01, 2019

Marissa Laliberte
Marissa Laliberte-Simonian is a London-based associate editor with the global promotions team at WebMDโ€™s Medscape.com and was previously a staff writer for Reader's Digest. Her work has also appeared in Business Insider, Parents magazine, CreakyJoints, and the Baltimore Sun. You can find her on Instagram @marissasimonian.