Throwing Up (Vomiting) Bile

Throwing up bile is when your vomit is a green or yellowish color. Healthcare providers may say you have bilious vomiting. It’s normal for your vomit to have very small amounts of bile. But you may throw up vomit that’s mostly bile if you have:

• A condition that makes you throw up so much that your stomach is empty, so bile is the only thing left for you to vomit
• Bile reflux or a bowel obstruction

Throwing up bile isn’t pleasant and may not be a symptom of a serious or life-threatening issue. But a bowel obstruction is a medical emergency that requires immediate medical care. Without treatment, a bowel obstruction can cause complications like a tear in your intestine. It can put pressure on blood vessels and affect blood flow to your intestines.

What does bile look like?

It’s a sticky fluid that helps your body to digest fat. When you eat food, your gallbladder sends bile to your small intestine to help digest food coming from your stomach.

A healthcare provider may consider the color of your vomit as they diagnose why you’re throwing up bile:

• Green bile: This is undigested bile from the upper part of your small intestine. Green vomit may be a symptom of a bowel obstruction.
• Yellow bile: This is digested bile. If your vomit is yellow, it could mean you’re throwing up bile that was in your small intestine and backed up into your stomach. It often happens when you throw up a lot on an empty stomach.

What are the most common causes of throwing up bile?

Many things can lead to throwing up bile. Issues that may cause it include:

• Bile reflux: This happens when bile in your small intestine washes back into your stomach and your esophagus.
• Bowel obstruction: You may vomit bile if something blocks your small intestine and its contents back into your stomach.
• Alcohol poisoning: Drinking a lot of alcohol in a short period of time can cause vomiting.
• Food poisoning: Severe vomiting from food poisoning can lead to throwing up bile.
• Stomach flu or gastroenteritis: These conditions make you vomit so much there’s nothing but bile left in your stomach.
• Hyperemesis gravidarum: This is severe nausea and vomiting during pregnancy. If you can’t keep food and liquid down, you may throw up bile.
• Cholecystectomy: This surgery to remove your gallbladder may make you throw up bile because there’s too much bile in your small intestine. After surgery, you have a continuous flow of bile from your liver to your small intestine
• Migraine: Severe headache attacks from a migraine can make you throw up bile.
• Severe dehydration: You can have headaches that make you vomit so much that you throw up bile.

How do I stop throwing up bile?

That depends on why you’re throwing up bile. For example, if you’re throwing up because you have gastroenteritis, you may not be able to stop. You may have to let the condition run its course.

But sometimes, more serious conditions can make you throw up bile. Contact a healthcare provider if you can’t stop vomiting or can’t keep food or liquid down. They may prescribe medication to help ease vomiting.

What can I do at home to treat throwing up bile?

Vomiting bile is tough on your stomach. It’ll need time to recover. These suggestions might help:

• Sip water and suck on ice chips. If you can keep down water, add clear fluids like diluted juice.
• Ease back into eating. Start with small bites of easy-to-digest, bland foods like crackers and bread.

What are the possible complications or risks of not treating throwing up bile?

Throwing up bile can be a symptom of a serious disease that may be life-threatening. Without a diagnosis, you won’t know why you’re vomiting bile and receive treatment.

When should vomiting bile be treated by a healthcare provider?

Whether or not your vomit has bile, you should contact a healthcare provider if you:

• Have severe belly pain
• Can’t poop or pass gas
• Can’t stop vomiting
• Can’t keep food or liquid down

These symptoms may mean you have a bowel obstruction, which is a medical emergency that requires immediate care.

What does it mean if I’m throwing up bile in the morning?

You may throw up bile in the morning if you’re pregnant and have morning sickness or if you have a hangover.