My doctor gave me this recipe years ago to use for replenishing fluids in a child who is suffering from fever and vomiting/diarrhea.
Homemade Pedialyte
- 1 quart sterile water
- 1TBSP sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- can flavor with kool-aid granules
Keep refrigerated and use within a couple of days.
Personally, I forego the pedialyte if I can keep my children drinking water or juice or flat Sprite frequently on the hour. But sometimes you just need an ace in the hole, and this is a good recipe for freezing into popsicles for your patient, or just for drinking (with a straw for a treat!).
May you never need it! 
My parents always gave me flat ginger ale too!
I read that coconut water is naturally high in all the electrolytes humans need. Supposedly it was used as a plasma volumizer during World War 2 by medics in the field.
Well, coconut water sounds much healthier and better for you than this homemade pedialyte recipe! Thanks for the great tip! I’m getting farther away from using sugar, especially as part of a remedy for sick people. Thanks again for sharing this here!
Merry Christmas!
We always worry if our child get fever or diarrhea. So I guess that’s a easy made recipe and useful in accidential situation. I hope it really works.
Thanks for sharing.
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You are welcome. Pedialyte isn’t my first choice these days for rehydrating my child, but when in a pinch, this recipe beats making a midnight run to the store, that’s for sure!
Thank you so much! I was online searching all night (or at least it feels like all night), searching for something that could help my son. He’s been up every couple of hours sick, but doesn’t want to try to drink anything. I sent my husband out really early this morning to get the Kool-aid (I had everything else on hand), and when my son watched me put the Kool-aid in, he really wanted to try it. 1 hour later, and he’s not been sick! Thanks!
You’re welcome so much! I sure hope your little guy is much better by tonight. Glad this helped!
thanks for this….my daughter has health issues, and isn’t allowed juice really, dr sayd it’s formula, and pedialyte, but that stuff even store brand gets to be so expensive, and this sounds like it’s gonna be a whole lot easier….and less expensive, which is a plus!
Hi Carina,
I hope your daughter gets to feeling better soon! Hang in there! There are so many home remedies and herbal helps that are much more affordable and healthier alternatives than the over the counter meds. Keeping them hydrated can be a challenge at times though.
Hugs,
Mary
Thank God I found this post! My kid is feeling a little better already!
Thank you so much! I was online searching all night (or at least it feels like all night), searching for something that could help my son. He’s been up every couple of hours sick, but doesn’t want to try to drink anything.
Pedialyte (store-bought/homemade) is better for re-hydration than pure water when losing fluids through diarrhea, since diarrhea is an isotonic solution. Also, in order to absorb the electrolytes, it is important to have glucose in the mix (fructose doesn’t work). Table sugar (sucrose) is a mixture of glucose and fructose, so it works as well for electrolyte absorption.
I’m not sure about the baking soda, except for the calcium in it. Any ideas???? I saw another recipe with baking soda in it too, and another without. Just curious what it does in the pedialyte mixture.
Not sure, Arlo! Maybe someone else will chime in…
Thank God I found this post!
Hugs,
EsatZ
Glad it helped you out!
Arlo- baking soda does not contain calcium (nothing in the recipe contains calcium). It’s chemical name is sodium bicarbonate. In the body it separates into sodium ions (Na ) and bicarbonate ions (HCO3-). Both ions act as electrolytes in the body and help the body to retain the much needed water that is lost when children have diarrhea. Sodium is also essential for proper nerve and muscle function.
Mary- as far as your comment about avoiding sugar goes, there is really no point to avoid it in this case. If you’re using coconut water you’re still getting glucose and fructose– the exact same sugars that are found in coconut water. Sugars are necessary for the production of ATP, a molecule which provides a source of energy for cellular metabolism.
Thanks, Tyler! Fascinating to see the chemical explanation of how it works. We’ve come across a product called Emergen-C at the health food store. It’s wonderful stuff, full of vitamins and electrolytes. And all natural. The kids love it, and it comes in several flavors. It’s basically a packet of powdered drink mix that you add to water and stir. Very quick and easy. I try to keep it on hand. Flavors we recommend: Pink Lemonade, Super Orange, Tangerine, Cranberry Pomegranate.
I used to give my little babies some flat 7up… this one looks very interresting, I will try that next time, thank you very much.
You’re welcome, Rachel!
My friend was given Gatorade at the emergency room when her blood pressure went too low.I’m wondering if Pedialye might be better, maybe a higher or stronger amount than for children?
Joyce, I’m not an MD so I can’t answer this. But, I will recommend Alacer’s Emergen-C packets, available at most health food stores…it’s a wonderful and natural replacement of electrolytes with a powerful dose of Vitamin C and many other vitamins. We have switched over to it completely…no more pedialyte or Powerade, etc, in our house. Check it out. We keep it on hand all the time.
it works…its a home remedy to me
I also have health issues. Pedialyte always helps when the medication becomes too much. Remenber everyone is different.