Blog · Published 7 November 2026 · By Sober Counter · How we write these posts

Nausea after quitting alcohol: why you feel sick and how long it lasts

Why you can feel sick after you stop drinking, how long nausea from alcohol withdrawal usually lasts, what helps, and the signs that need urgent help.

Quick answer

Feeling and being sick (nausea and vomiting) is one of the withdrawal symptoms the NHS lists. Drinkaware says milder withdrawal symptoms usually start within 8 to 24 hours of the last drink, often peak within the first 24 to 72 hours, and most people feel better within a week. Small sips of a cold drink, ginger and small meals can help. Vomiting blood, vomit that looks like ground coffee, or a sudden, severe tummy ache needs emergency help.

If you drink heavily every day, speak to a doctor or a local alcohol service before you stop. Stopping suddenly when you are dependent on alcohol can be dangerous.

Why you feel sick after quitting alcohol

It is a withdrawal symptom. When your body is used to alcohol, taking it away causes withdrawal, and "feeling and being sick (nausea and vomiting)" is on the NHS list of symptoms, next to anxiety, difficulty sleeping, sweating and shaking. Drinkaware lists nausea, vomiting and loss of appetite among the typical symptoms.

Doctors take it seriously enough to measure it. The CIWA-Ar, the standard scale used to assess alcohol withdrawal, starts with it: "Do you feel sick to your stomach? Have you vomited?" The answer is scored from "no nausea and no vomiting" up to "constant nausea, frequent dry heaves and vomiting".

Your stomach is adjusting. Alcohol affects the stomach directly. A review of alcohol and the gut says that "in the stomach, alcohol interferes with gastric acid secretion and with the activity of the muscles surrounding the stomach", and that it can weaken the muscle between the food pipe and the stomach, which makes heartburn more likely. No study has measured how long the stomach takes to settle after you stop, but these effects may take time to wear off.

Other things can add to it. The NHS lists anxiety among the causes of feeling sick, and anxiety is common in the first days without alcohol. Our guide to anxiety after quitting alcohol explains why. Headaches often come at the same time: see our guide to headaches after quitting alcohol.

How long does it last?

No study tracks nausea on its own after quitting, but it follows the withdrawal timeline:

Start: the NHS says withdrawal symptoms begin within 6 to 12 hours of your last drink. Drinkaware says milder symptoms usually start within 8 to 24 hours.
Peak: Drinkaware says symptoms often peak within the first 24 to 72 hours, then gradually improve.
End: the NHS says withdrawal symptoms usually last 3 to 7 days, and Drinkaware says most people feel better within a week.

The NHS also says some symptoms can last for a few months, especially after heavy drinking. If you still feel sick after a few days, or the nausea keeps coming back, see a GP. Our timeline of what happens when you stop drinking shows what else to expect in the first week.

What helps

The NHS advice for feeling sick:

Get plenty of fresh air, and distract yourself, for example with music or a film.
Take regular sips of a cold drink.
Try ginger or peppermint tea, or foods with ginger, such as ginger biscuits.
Eat smaller, more frequent meals, and do not eat too quickly.
Avoid hot, fried or greasy food and strong smells.
Do not lie down soon after eating, and avoid clothes that are tight around your tummy.

If you are being sick, the most important thing is to avoid dehydration. The NHS says to drink lots of fluids, in small sips if you feel sick. A pharmacist can suggest oral rehydration powder if you have signs of dehydration, such as dark, smelly pee or peeing less than usual.

Going back to drinking will not settle your stomach: alcohol is one of the causes of feeling sick on the NHS list. If you also feel bloated, our guide to bloating after quitting alcohol covers that.

When to get help

Speak to a GP or a local alcohol service if you get withdrawal symptoms like nausea, shaking or sweating when you cut down or stop. Drinkaware says they can help you cut down safely. Our guide to shaking after quitting alcohol explains the signs of more serious withdrawal.

See a GP if you feel sick and do not feel better in a few days, or if you often feel sick.

Get urgent medical help if you keep being sick and cannot keep fluids down, you have been vomiting for more than 2 days, or you still have signs of dehydration after using rehydration sachets. In the UK you can call NHS 111.

Call 999 or go to A&E (or your local emergency number) if you:

vomit blood, or have vomit that looks like ground coffee
have green vomit
have a sudden, severe tummy ache, especially if it spreads to your back
feel sick suddenly and have chest pain that feels tight or heavy, or spreads to your arms, back, neck or jaw
have severe difficulty breathing, or are confused
are shaking visibly, seeing or hearing things that are not there, or have a seizure

The NHS says drinking a lot of alcohol is one of the most common causes of acute pancreatitis, which causes severe tummy pain and can make you feel or be sick.

Questions

Is nausea normal after quitting alcohol?

Yes. Feeling and being sick is one of the withdrawal symptoms the NHS lists, and the standard scale doctors use to assess withdrawal asks about it first. It usually passes as withdrawal does.

How long does nausea last after quitting alcohol?

Withdrawal symptoms usually last 3 to 7 days, according to the NHS, and often peak in the first 24 to 72 hours. Most people feel better within a week. See a GP if you do not feel better after a few days.

Why do I feel sick after I stopped drinking?

Most likely because of withdrawal: your body is adjusting to working without alcohol. Alcohol also affects stomach acid and the muscles around the stomach, and anxiety, which is common when you stop, can make you feel sick too.

When is vomiting after quitting alcohol an emergency?

Call 999 or go to A&E if you vomit blood or something that looks like ground coffee, have green vomit, have a sudden, severe tummy ache, or have chest pain or severe difficulty breathing. Get urgent advice if you cannot keep fluids down.

Sources

Need support right now?

In the UK, the NHS lists free alcohol support services: NHS alcohol support. In the US, the SAMHSA National Helpline is free, confidential and open all day, every day. Elsewhere, your local health service can point you to help near you.

Also in: Español · Français · Português · Deutsch · Polski · Svenska · Italiano · Nederlands · Русский · Čeština · Suomi · Dansk · Norsk · Türkçe · 日本語