You've got a stomach flu, you don't feel like eating, and it's hard to keep down even sips of liquid. What should you try to eat? And if you're on insulin, should you stop taking it?

Our top tips from our three noted experts will help you feel better soon.

Do not stop taking your insulin if you have Type 1 diabetes, says Loren Wissner Greene, MD. "You must have insulin even when you are sick," she says. "Even if you are vomiting, you can't go without insulin or you could go into ketoacidosis."

This dangerous, potentially life-threatening state, in which the body burns fat for energy, can develop when the cells simply aren't getting the sugar they need for energy. To prevent this insidious condition from developing, check with your health care provider to see how to adjust your insulin dose during an illness. You'll want to keep in close contact with her to make sure you are getting the right dose of insulin during your illness until you're feeling better.

Monitor your blood glucose levels extra carefully, at least every four hours. Being sick can raise your blood sugar even if you're not eating as much as usual, says Rasabi. If your blood sugar is more than 240, check your urine for ketones.

Take small sips of a beverage such as Gatorade every 15 minutes. If you are unable to keep this down, contact your doctor. You may need to be rehydrated with intravenous fluids at the hospital to avoid becoming dehydrated.

Don't try to change your medication type or dose without checking with the doctor. While it's often recommended not to stop taking your diabetes pills or insulin when you're sick, do not take Precose, Glyset, or Prandin if you're ill and not eating.

Keep anti-nausea medications close by in case your doctor wants to prescribe some. Be sure to have rectal suppositories in case you can't keep anything down.

Aim to have one serving of a food that has 15 grams of carbohydrate every hour while you're awake, if you can't follow your everyday meal plan due to nausea, says Greene. Examples of some foods you could choose are

  • 1 cup of chicken soup
  • ½ cup of apple juice
  • ½ cup of regular ginger ale
  • ½ cup of vanilla ice cream
  • ½ cup of regular Jell-O
  • 1 cup of Gatorade
  • ½ cup of cranberry juice
  • ½ cup of cooked cereal

If you have any of the following symptoms, says Greene, call your doctor right away:

  • You've been sick for two days and feel no better.
  • You've been having diarrhea or throwing up for more than six hours.
  • Your blood sugar stays over 240 mg.
  • You have ketones in your urine.
  • You have trouble breathing.
  • Your breath that smells fruity.
  • You experience chest pain.

One last reason to call your health care provider:
You aren't sure what to do. This could be a sign of disorientation, so place a phone call to your health care provider.

Our Expert Sources:
Adee Rasabi, RD, CDN, CDE, senior dietitian of the Ambulatory Care Network at New York Presbyterian Hospital,

Carol Ash, MD, of the Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, New Jersey

Loren Wissner Greene, MD, clinical associate professor of medicine at NYU School of Medicine and co-author of "The Unofficial Guide to Living with Diabetes"