If you’re reading this between waves of nausea, start here: take a few small sips of water or an electrolyte drink every few minutes. Don’t reach for a drink to settle your stomach. It may work for an hour, and then the next round hits harder.
Alcohol withdrawal nausea is one of the most common reasons people start drinking again in the first few days. It’s miserable, but it usually passes. Many of us remember waking up sick and shaky, knowing the fastest fix was the same thing that was hurting us.
Below is what causes it, how long it lasts, what helps, and the signs that mean you need medical care right now.
Why Does Alcohol Withdrawal Cause Nausea and Vomiting?
Alcohol withdrawal causes nausea because your nervous system swings into overdrive when alcohol is suddenly gone. Alcohol slows the brain down. After weeks or years of heavy drinking, your body works harder to balance that out. Take the alcohol away, and that extra activity has nothing to push against. Your gut feels it.
Other things pile on:
- An irritated stomach. Heavy drinking inflames the stomach lining, a condition called gastritis.
- Dehydration. Alcohol pulls water out of your body, and vomiting makes it worse.
- Low nutrients. Many people who drink heavily aren’t eating enough, which leaves the body short on vitamins and electrolytes.
- Anxiety. Withdrawal anxiety and a racing heart can make nausea feel even worse.
Withdrawal from other substances can cause nausea too. We cover opioids, benzodiazepines and stimulants below.
How Long Does Nausea Last During Alcohol Withdrawal?
For most people, nausea from alcohol withdrawal starts within 6 to 12 hours after the last drink, peaks in 1 to 3 days and eases within about a week. Here’s what that can look like:
- 6 to 12 hours: Nausea, shakiness, sweating, headache and anxiety can start, sometimes while there’s still alcohol in your blood.
- 24 to 72 hours: Symptoms usually peak. The risk of a withdrawal seizure is highest in this window.
- 48 to 96 hours: In severe cases, delirium tremens (DTs) can develop. DTs cause confusion, hallucinations and fever, and they are a medical emergency.
- 5 to 7 days: In mild to moderate withdrawal, nausea and other physical symptoms usually fade.
Everyone’s timeline is different. How much and how long you drank, past withdrawals and other health conditions all change it. Learn more about the dangers of alcohol withdrawal.
How to Ease Nausea From Alcohol Withdrawal
To ease withdrawal nausea, focus on small sips of fluid, bland food and rest. These tips help with mild nausea. They don’t replace medical care.
- Sip, don’t gulp. Take a few sips of water, an oral rehydration drink or a sports drink every 5 to 10 minutes.
- Try ice chips. If liquids keep coming back up, ice chips or frozen electrolyte pops can go down easier.
- Eat small and bland. Crackers, toast, rice, bananas, applesauce and clear broth are easier on your stomach.
- Try ginger. Ginger tea or ginger chews help some people.
- Stay upright. Sit up for a while after eating, and rest with your head raised.
- Cool down. Fresh air or a cool cloth on your neck can take the edge off.
- Skip the triggers. Avoid greasy, spicy or very sweet foods, and go easy on caffeine.
- Don’t drink to feel better. Alcohol resets the clock. You’ll go through the same thing again.
When Is Vomiting During Withdrawal an Emergency?
Vomiting during withdrawal is an emergency when it comes with blood, severe pain, confusion or signs of serious dehydration. Call 911 or go to the nearest emergency room if you or your loved one has any of these:
- Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds
- Black, tarry stools
- Not being able to keep any fluids down
- Signs of dehydration, like dizziness when standing, a very dry mouth or very little dark urine
- Severe belly pain, especially pain that spreads to the back
- A seizure
- Confusion, hallucinations or a high fever
- Chest pain or a pounding, racing heartbeat
Alcohol withdrawal can be life-threatening. These aren’t symptoms to wait out at home.
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Should You Take Anti-Nausea Medicine at Home?
Talk to a doctor before you take anything for withdrawal nausea, even an over-the-counter medicine. Some common anti-nausea and allergy medicines, like dimenhydrinate (Dramamine) and diphenhydramine (Benadryl), cause drowsiness. That can be dangerous with alcohol, benzodiazepines or opioids still in your system.
Prescription anti-nausea medicines need a prescriber who knows your full health history. Don’t take someone else’s prescription.
If you’re sick enough that you need medicine to stop vomiting, that’s a sign you need medical support for the withdrawal itself.
How Medical Detox Treats Withdrawal Nausea
Medical detox treats the cause of withdrawal nausea, not just the symptom. In a medical detox program, the care team can:
- Track your symptoms. Nurses check you on a regular schedule using standard withdrawal scales and adjust care as things change.
- Calm the withdrawal itself. For alcohol, this is often a short, tapering course of a benzodiazepine. For opioids, it may include buprenorphine, methadone or non-opioid medicines like clonidine or lofexidine. (See our comparison of Lucemyra vs. clonidine.)
- Treat the nausea. Prescription anti-nausea medicine, such as ondansetron (Zofran), can be given when it’s safe for you.
- Replace what’s missing. Fluids, electrolytes and vitamins, including thiamine (vitamin B1), which heavy drinking drains.
- Watch for danger signs. Seizures and DTs can be caught and treated early.
Detox is hard. You won’t do it alone. Learn how medication-assisted treatment can support you after detox, too.
Why Detoxing at Home Is Risky
Detoxing from alcohol at home is risky because withdrawal can turn dangerous fast, and you may not be able to tell when it does. Seizures and DTs can show up after you start to feel a little better. Vomiting can lead to dehydration before you notice it. And when you feel this sick, alone, that first drink starts to look like relief.
Many of us tried to quit on our own first. We told ourselves one drink would take the edge off. It did, for an hour. What finally worked was letting a medical team carry the physical part, so we could focus on getting through the day. Read more about whether you can detox at home.
Nausea From Opioid, Benzodiazepine and Stimulant Withdrawal
Opioids. Nausea, vomiting, diarrhea and stomach cramps are some of the most common opioid withdrawal symptoms. With short-acting opioids like heroin or oxycodone, they usually start 8 to 24 hours after the last dose and ease within about a week. With methadone, they start later and last longer. Opioid withdrawal is rarely deadly on its own, but dehydration is a real risk. Tolerance also drops fast, which makes a return to use after detox more likely to cause an overdose.
Benzodiazepines. Nausea can come with benzodiazepine withdrawal, along with anxiety, shaking and trouble sleeping. Never stop a benzodiazepine suddenly. Like alcohol, benzodiazepine withdrawal can cause seizures, so it needs a slow, doctor-guided taper.
Stimulants. Nausea is less common after stopping cocaine or meth. The crash is more about exhaustion, low mood, intense hunger and cravings.
Getting Through Detox Is the First Step
Nausea in detox ends. For most people, the worst of it passes within a few days. What comes next, like treatment, support and a daily routine that doesn’t revolve around drinking or using, is where recovery gets built.
You’re not too far gone to start. If you or your loved one is facing withdrawal, we can help you take the next step today:
Alcohol Withdrawal Nausea FAQs
How long does nausea last after quitting drinking?
Nausea usually starts 6 to 12 hours after the last drink, peaks within 1 to 3 days and eases within about a week for mild to moderate withdrawal. Severe withdrawal can last longer and needs medical care.
Is it normal to throw up during alcohol withdrawal?
Yes, vomiting is a common alcohol withdrawal symptom. But repeated vomiting can dehydrate you quickly. Vomiting blood or anything that looks like coffee grounds is an emergency.
What can I drink to settle my stomach during withdrawal?
Water, oral rehydration drinks, sports drinks, ginger tea and clear broth are good choices. Take small sips every few minutes instead of drinking a lot at once.
Can I take Zofran for alcohol withdrawal nausea?
Zofran (ondansetron) is a prescription medicine. Doctors sometimes use it in detox, but it isn’t right for everyone, including some people with heart rhythm problems. Only take it if a prescriber who knows your history gives it to you.
Why do I feel sick every morning when I drink every day?
Morning nausea and shakes after a night without alcohol can be early withdrawal. It’s a sign your body has become dependent on alcohol. That’s a good time to talk to a doctor or an alcohol addiction treatment team about safe detox.
