How to Soothe Your Stomach After Eating Hot Peppers

All too often, having a delicious meal with hot peppers comes back to haunt you in the form of indigestion or heartburn. Peppers can pack a punch both during and after consumption due to capsaicin, the compound that causes the burning feeling. Soothe your stomach after eating hot peppers by trying one of a number of over-the-counter remedies.

Is This an Emergency?

If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.

Remove any tight-fitting clothing. The Mayo Clinic says this puts pressure on your abdomen and can aggravate heartburn 1.

Foods to Neutralize Stomach Acid

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Try a calcium carbonate antacid if the cause of your upset stomach comes from heartburn. Follow the specific instructions on the packaging.

Take an over-the-counter acid reducer. Unlike antacids, these pills are not chewed but swallowed with water. While it’s best to take these medications before eating the hot peppers, they can still be effective afterwards.

Can You Eat Anything to Get Rid of Heartburn?

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Consume a dose of liquid stomach medication like bismuth subsalicylate for indigestion or general upset stomach after eating hot peppers.

Drink one-half cup of skim milk if you don’t want to rely on medication. Family Education recommends this method for people not sensitive or allergic to dairy. The basic property of the milk helps to neutralize acid caused by hot peppers.

Tips

Wait at least two hours before going to bed after your meal of hot peppers to reduce the chance of heartburn occurring. If you wake up in the middle of the night with stomach discomfort, elevate your head 6 to 9 inches with pillows. This helps to keep acid in the stomach and out of the esophagus, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Warnings

Do not try more than one medical remedy at a time.

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