4 Quick Steps to Cure Your Delhi Belly (and Keep your Dignity)

I never traveled to Delhi. As a matter of fact, I have never been to India as a whole. But I do have Crohn’s disease, which equals a weekly dose of the Delhi Belly. You can read more about it here. I have suffered my fair share of Montezuma’s Revenge. I am an expert in dealing with tummy turmoil. After all those years of bad days at home and on the road I became an expert on how to stop traveler’s diarrhea and now I share my tips on how to get rid of Delhi Belly. I share my 4 quick steps to help you cure Delhi Belly.

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What is Delhi Belly?

Delhi Belly is a bad case of traveler’s diarrhea. It is an infection of the stomach and intestines. So it’s not just bad food causing turmoil in the tummy. It is a full-on infection. Caused by infected bacteria.

Usually, you’ll get it because you ate some food that was not handled in a sanitary way. In other words: the hot dog vendor did not wash his hands after he went to the bathroom.

This can happen anywhere in the world. But according to TechTimes, 1/3 of the world’s population is still without a toilet. So it’s more common in the lesser developed countries of the world, which we all like to travel to. But how to get rid of Delhi Belly? I tell you!

What are the symptoms of Montezuma’s Revenge?

You are infected by the bad bacteria and you might not even notice it. Then you have a strong stomach or a good immune system. All the rest of us will suffer from abrupt and intense diarrhea. My biggest travel fear.

Sometimes accompanied by nausea and vomiting.

I mean, the stuff has to get out in some way or another, right?

You might suffer from bloating and might experience the urge to run to the toilet more often than necessary. Your tummy is working hard so you might experience painful gas passing, cramps, loss of appetite and some fever.

Have you ever suffered from these symptoms? You might have caught the wrong bug. And now you’d like to know how to get rid of Delhi Belly?

How to get rid of Delhi Belly?

You’re so careful. You wash your hands and only drink bottled water. But still, you caught it. During the evening, you felt a bit queasy and went to bed early. But all of a sudden, you wake up in the middle of the night and you make a run for the toilet.

As you’re emptying your bowels, you sweat, you have cramps.

You feel awful.

Terrible.

Empty.

You know it: you shouldn’t have eaten that kebab from the street vendor. You ask yourself why you insisted on having that salad during lunch. Probably, you don’t know anymore, but all you know is: you want to get rid of this Delhi Belly as soon as possible. What should you do? How to find a Delhi Belly cure? I give you 4 effective steps to stop traveler’s diarrhea.

#1. Take the day off and rest

Step one to cure Delhi Belly is to call in sick.

Don’t have a job?

Can’t call your boss? It doesn’t matter. You need to rest.

Take it easy. Stay in bed and near a toilet. The first 24 hours of Montezuma’s Revenge are the most intense. You will stay in today.

If you wonder how long does Delhi Belly lasts, the answer is: long! If you don’t rest! Normally, Delhi Belly lasts between 24 to 48 hours but you need to act immediately.

In order to stop the traveler’s diarrhea, your body needs to fight the infection. And this takes energy and time.

So cancel that tour. Don’t go out and don’t buy those bus tickets downtown. Do not travel today and don’t go out for that free walking tour. Stay in bed and rest.

#2. Drink plenty of fluids

You need to hydrate yourself.

Read more about the symptoms of dehydration here.

With the content of your stomach coming out like lava, you also lose a lot of fluids.

Basically, everything that comes out is water only in a different color. Even if you feel like you should puke, make sure to drink a little bit of water every few minutes. It’s better to drink little sips than gulp down half a pint in 1 go.

Make sure to drink bottled water or water that has boiled intensely. Do not drink alcohol, fruit juices, or anything with ice. Drink from your own water bottle, and don’t share it with others.

#3. Get yourself some ORS

ORS stands for Oral Rehydration Solutions.

It’s a mix of Glucose, Sodium, Chloride, and Potassium. You can buy it at any pharmacy and I recommend taking some sachets or tablets with your anywhere you go.

You do not want to run to a pharmacy in the center of Kathmandu and put up a show in front of the pharmacist where you demonstrate that water is bursting from your bum. Although hilarious, not the best way to do it.

Buy your ORS before you leave here.

In case you find yourself in the middle of the Gobi desert (like me!), without any ORS, you can always make it yourself.

ORS is not a Delhi Belly cure, but it does help the symptoms.

Make your own ORS

I was traveling in Mongolia when I got a bad case of the Delhi Belly. If you’re curious as to why I still think Mongolia is the best place to travel, read my 9 things to experience in Mongolia.

I needed to stop the traveler’s diarrhea but didn’t have any ORS with me. In that case, there are 2 things you can do:

• Ask for a can of cola and add 1/3 teaspoon of salt to it. It might not taste good, but the sugar in the drink and the added salt will have the same effect as ORS.
• Make your own ORS with 8 teaspoons of sugar and 1 teaspoon of salt and 1-liter water. I have a special spoon for it, which you can buy for a buck at many pharmacies or travel stores.

Take some ORS every time you go to the bathroom and get rid of some stomach content. I think ORS is the best answer to how to cure Delhi Belly because it works instantly.

I took it also when I explored the Iranian deserts and it worked like a charm for me. Now I never travel anywhere without it.

I did travel when I caught the Delhi Belly in Mongolia and I didn’t drink anything anymore because we didn’t have any clear water in the desert. I was dehydrated, parched and I couldn’t walk by myself anymore. On top of that, I had a fever and kept vomiting.

I should have done so many things differently but when our host family gave me a can of cola and some salt, I instantly felt better.

Luckily, I managed to make some ORS with a little bit of water and felt so much better that same day. Although traveler’s diarrhea will not kill you, dehydration might be the thing that lands you in a hospital.

Make sure it doesn’t go that far.

#4. Go see the doctor

I’m not a fan of self-medicating or experimenting with any store-bought drugs. I take enough medication for Crohn’s, as you can read here, and I do not know how my body responds to anything new.

When I take anything like Pepto-Bismol or Imodium, I get constipated for weeks and that might even hurt more.

So my advice, when all the above doesn’t help and after 48h hours you still cannot hold down any food and still experience the chocolate lava..

Then it’s time to see a doctor. Or a pharmacist who can help you with any store-bought medication. If you have bloody stools or do not trust the situation, it’s always best to consult a doctor sooner than later.

I hope you’ll never get to experience Montezuma’s Revenge. Or suffer from Delhi Belly. But in case you do, I hope my 4 steps give an answer on how to cure Delhi Belly quickly.

They will help you get back on the road in no time.

• Rest plenty
• Drink enough water
• Re-hydrate yourself with some ORS
• and in case it takes too long, go see a doctor for some medication to fight the infection

Let’s all stay healthy while traveling.

More tips on how to stay healthy during your travels.

How to Prevent Traveler’s Diarrhea?

It is always better to prevent getting ill on the road than to find a cure, so here are some quick tips. You might not avoid getting sick all the time but good personal hygiene will go a long way.

• Wash your hands. Before touching food, after going to the toilet and when you’ve had a long day of touching handrails, shaking hands, handling money and the likes. Don’t become obsessed with it (do not sanitize your hands after shaking someone’s hand, that is just rude) but do it regularly. I always carry a small bottle of hand sanitizer with me.
• Use wipes to refresh your face and hands. Do not flush them down the toilet and only use 1 at a time, but they can keep you clean and healthy.
• Don’t eat raw and uncooked food. Salads are usually washed with normal water which might not agree with your stomach. Ice-cubes are usually made with the local tap water, avoid them. Only eat fruit that you can peel yourself.
• Use your judgment for eating out. There is nothing wrong with a street vendor’s food as long as he prepares the food in front of you (and doesn’t take it from a heating plate where it has been sitting for the last 5 hours).
• Eat at places that are busy and have many other customers there. Chances that you’ll be served yesterday’s food are lower. Restaurants with a high turn around rate are more likely to serve fresh foods and cook to order.
• Don’t eat at places that are too crowded where all the food is standing outside and waiting to be served. This is usually the case at tour group lunch restaurants and buffet dinners. Better avoid or ask to have something freshly cooked in front of you.
• Practice good toilet hygiene. Squat, wipe, rinse if possible, wipe again if needed. And wash your hands, preferably sanitize them.
• Don’t touch your mouth or nose. I caught myself constantly resting my face in my hands, touching my lips, biting my nails. Refrain from this as much as possible. (this includes picking your nose).
• Be careful what you touch. At home, we always hold the rail of the stairs when ascending. But do you really need to do that in the crowded Moscow subway?
• Don’t play with the money in your pocket. According to this article, there are 3,000 types of bacteria on our money. Keep it in your wallet and only touch it when you need to spend it. The same applies for tokens or other kinds of ticket stubs.

What to pack in your traveler’s first aid kit to cure Delhi Belly?

Of course, you need the standard bandages, gauze pads, tape, and whatnot. If it’s too much hassle to make your own first-aid kit when you travel, you can always buy a standard first-aid kit before you travel that contains all the essentials. 

Even if I only travel to Dublin or go as far as Mongolia, I always bring a first aid kit. But I always add a few extra things that help me prevent diarrhea or cure it, in case I do catch it.

• ORS, or Oral Rehydration Solutions sachets. I never go abroad anymore without them. You can buy yours before you go.
• Although I’m not a fan of self-medication, I always carry a pack of Pepto-Bismol or Imodium. You never know when you might get desperate or someone else might need them.
• Your choice of painkillers. I can’t take Ibuprofen but these liquid tabs work like a charm. I just take Aspirin to relieve the worst pain and help me sleep.
• If you go hiking, camping, or backpacking in really rural areas, you might want to consider a Life Straw. These things are amazing. It is like a straw. But you can drink the unfiltered water through it and the straw filters it and you get clean drinking water.
• Blister Band-Aids. Ok, they have nothing to do with traveler’s diarrhea but I never leave the house without. I like the gel pads as they become a 2nd skin and stay on for several days.

My emergency toilet kit contains the following:

• an extra roll of toilet paper. You never know when you might need it or when you run out!
• Hand sanitizer, I like the one with Aloe Vera to give you that fresh feeling after usage.
• Wet Wipes. Although the pack says they can be flushed, I never do this as it harms the environment.
• Toilet seat cover. In case the situation is just that bad.
• I never managed to use one successfully but girl would I love to be able to use these urination devices! I’d pack one!

Have you ever experienced the worst case of Delhi Belly? Ever caught yourself in the desert without any good water to drink? How did you handle the situation? What is your best tip on how to stop traveler’s diarrhea?

Please share your story in the comment section below.