If someone is vomiting after drinking and may have alcohol poisoning, call your local emergency number if they are confused, hard to wake, having a seizure, breathing slowly or irregularly, or look pale or blue. Stay with them, keep them sitting and leaning forward, or turn them onto their side if they must lie down. Do not make them vomit, give coffee, or let them “sleep it off.”
When Is Vomiting After Drinking an Emergency?
Vomiting can happen after drinking too much alcohol, but it can also occur with alcohol poisoning, a potentially life-threatening emergency. The important question is not just how much a person has vomited, but whether alcohol is affecting their breathing, alertness, or ability to protect their airway. Someone may need emergency care even if they do not show every warning sign.
The NHS identifies the following as possible signs of alcohol poisoning. If you notice these symptoms after drinking, seek emergency help rather than waiting to see whether they pass.
- Confusion, slurred speech, or difficulty responding normally.
- Repeated vomiting, particularly when the person is becoming drowsy or confused.
- Difficulty staying awake, fainting, or being unable to wake the person.
- Slow or irregular breathing, including fewer than eight breaths per minute or pauses of around 10 seconds or longer between breaths.
- A seizure.
- Skin that appears pale, blue, or gray, or feels cold and clammy.
Call your local emergency number immediately if alcohol poisoning is suspected, especially if the person is difficult to wake, has a seizure, or is not breathing normally. In the UK, call 999. Elsewhere, use the appropriate emergency number for your location.
What Should You Do When Someone Is Vomiting After Drinking?
The Mayo Clinic advises getting medical attention promptly when alcohol poisoning is suspected. Do not wait for every symptom to appear, and do not try to make the person vomit. While waiting for emergency services, the following steps can help reduce the risk of choking and other immediate harm.
- Call for emergency help. Explain that the person has been drinking and is vomiting, and describe any changes in their breathing or alertness. Do not delay the call to work out exactly how much alcohol they consumed.
- Stay with the person. Do not leave them alone to sleep or recover without supervision. Keep checking whether they respond when spoken to and whether they are breathing normally.
- Help them adopt a safe position. If they are awake and vomiting, help them sit upright and lean forward. If they need to lie down, or are unconscious but breathing normally, place them on their side in the recovery position to help reduce the risk of choking on vomit.
- Keep them warm. Cover them with a blanket or jacket while waiting for help. Avoid exposing them to cold conditions or using a cold shower.
- Respond to changes in breathing. If the person becomes unresponsive and is not breathing normally, tell the emergency dispatcher immediately and follow their instructions for CPR or other emergency care.
If you are alone with the person, put the emergency call on speaker if possible so you can follow the dispatcher's instructions while staying nearby.
Should You Give Water, Food, or Medicine?
Be careful about giving anything by mouth to someone who has been drinking heavily. Alcohol can affect alertness and swallowing, increasing the risk that food or liquid will enter the airway.
The Cleveland Clinic advises offering small sips of water only when the person is awake and alert enough to swallow safely. Do not give water while they are actively vomiting, and never give food, drinks, or oral medicines to someone who is very drowsy, confused, or unconscious. Do not force them to eat or drink to help them recover.
Also avoid the following commonly suggested remedies:
- Coffee or energy drinks: These do not reverse alcohol poisoning or make a person sober.
- Cold showers or baths: These do not remove alcohol from the bloodstream and can introduce additional risks.
- Walking around to sober up: This does not reverse the effects of alcohol and may increase the risk of falls or injury.
- Inducing vomiting: Do not put fingers down the person's throat or use other methods to force vomiting, because this can cause choking.
- More alcohol or unadvised medication: Do not give additional alcohol or medicines in an attempt to treat the symptoms.
Why Is It Dangerous to Let Someone Sleep After Vomiting?
Sleep does not make alcohol poisoning safe. According to the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA), alcohol can continue entering the bloodstream after a person stops drinking. Their condition may worsen even after their last drink.
Alcohol can also weaken the body's normal responses that help keep vomit out of the airway. A person who becomes unconscious may choke because they cannot sit up, turn their head, or clear the vomit themselves. This can lead to life-threatening breathing problems.
If someone has passed out after drinking, do not assume they are simply sleeping. Call emergency services if alcohol poisoning is suspected, place them on their side if they are breathing normally, and stay with them until help arrives. If their breathing is absent or abnormal, follow the emergency dispatcher's instructions immediately.
What If You Are the Person Vomiting After Drinking?
If you are awake and vomiting after drinking, stop drinking alcohol and do not drive. Sit upright, lean forward when vomiting, and ask a sober person to stay with you and monitor how you are feeling. Do not go to sleep alone if you may have consumed a dangerous amount of alcohol or are becoming increasingly drowsy.
Seek emergency help immediately if you have trouble staying awake, become confused, develop slow or irregular breathing, experience a seizure, or notice other warning signs of alcohol poisoning. Do not wait for these symptoms to become more pronounced. If you are alone and think you may have alcohol poisoning, call your local emergency number.
Teens and young adults can also experience alcohol overdose. The NIAAA notes that combining alcohol with opioids, sleeping pills, anti-anxiety medicines, or some antihistamines can increase the risk of dangerous effects on breathing and other vital functions. If any other substance or medication may have been taken, tell the emergency dispatcher or healthcare team.
What Happens When Someone Gets Medical Help?
Healthcare professionals assess the person's alertness, breathing, circulation, temperature, and other signs of their condition. They may also ask what the person drank, approximately how much they consumed, when they last drank, and whether any medicines or other substances were involved.
MedlinePlus explains that treatment for ethanol poisoning may include monitoring vital signs, checking blood or urine, and providing support for the airway and breathing. Depending on the person's condition, hospital treatment may also include fluids given through a vein. The care needed depends on the findings of the medical assessment.
If you know what the person drank, when they drank it, or which medicines they may have taken, share that information with the emergency team if it is available. Do not delay seeking help while trying to gather these details.
When Is Further Medical Assessment Needed?
Vomiting after alcohol consumption does not, by itself, establish whether alcohol poisoning has occurred. However, ongoing or worsening vomiting should not be ignored, particularly if the person cannot keep fluids down, develops significant pain, vomits blood, or becomes unusually weak or drowsy. Seek prompt medical assessment for concerning symptoms, and use emergency services for signs of possible poisoning.
The safest response to suspected alcohol poisoning is prompt medical help, close observation, and steps that reduce the risk of choking. Do not rely on home remedies or wait for the person to become unconscious before taking action.