Publish at January 12 2026 Updated January 12 2026
Many of the remedies of yesteryear would make us shudder today. We remember with disgust treatments with leeches or bloodletting supposedly designed to remove the evil from the blood. Fortunately, modern medicine has much more precise and effective techniques. Nevertheless, there are times when medical science finds itself faced with situations where the solution proves to be something other than medication or conventional therapies.
Hospital emergency departments are the scene of many strange situations. It's not surprising that fictional series use this setting to deal with a wide range of more or less dramatic circumstances. In the year 2025, a woman in her sixties comes to Brigham and Women's in Boston with a peculiar stomach complaint. She had severe nausea, vomiting and persistent stomach pains. She explained to the doctors examining her that for several months, she had been experiencing non-bleeding vomiting and a burning pain sensation spreading from her upper abdomen to her back.
The lady already had a thick medical file, including several diagnosed pathologies, including type 2 diabetes, chronic renal failure and gastro-oesophageal reflux. However, none of these ailments could justify the patient's condition. The hospital staff revealed to the New England Journal of Medicine that they had carried out various tests, scans and medical imaging. They noted dilated bile ducts and a stomach swollen with what doctors call "gastric bezoar" - a solid mass of undigested substances, often from fruit and vegetables.
This situation is very rare, according to specialists, and not very observable. So how do you deal with such an infrequent condition? On the contrary, it's easy to do. If a bezoar can be removed surgically or endoscopically, there's another technique that can be used: a small prescription of Coca-Cola.
In fact, the unhealthy soft drink has acidic properties that can break down the fibrous substances contained in a bezoar of this kind. They therefore prescribed 3000 millilitres of Coca-Cola, the equivalent of 8 and a half cans, to be drunk over 12 hours. The woman, not really fond of these drinks, preferred a smaller dose (1500 milliliters). In less than 24 hours, she felt better and the bezoar had disappeared, according to a subsequent endoscopic examination.
So, Coca-Cola could help with this type of ailment. On the other hand, doctors warn against its excessive use for stomach pain. Science shows that cola is only effective in aiding digestion during mild bloating.
Illustration: Shutterstock - 2636427005
References:
Hospitalized in emergency, doctors prescribe Coca-Cola... and she's cured in 24 hours - https://www.science-et-vie.com/corps-et-sante/hospitalisee-en-urgence-les-medecins-lui-prescrivent-du-coca-cola-et-elle-guerit-en-24h-213448.html
A Fizzy Fix - https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMimc2502450
Mass eating in the 21st century - https://cursus.edu/fr/25694/lalimentation-de-masse-au-21eme-siecle
Diagnostic dilemma: A woman's nausea was triggered by a huge mass in her stomach - which doctors dissolved with diet soda - https://www.livescience.com/health/diagnostic-dilemma-a-womans-nausea-was-triggered-by-a-huge-mass-in-her-stomach-which-doctors-dissolved-with-diet-soda
Preparing for medical emergencies with games - https://cursus.edu/fr/8417/se-preparer-aux-urgences-medicales-avec-le-jeu
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