Red vomit that may not be blood: what should you know?

Red foods, drinks, medicines, or swallowed blood from the nose or mouth can change vomit colour. Bleeding higher in the digestive tract may appear bright red, dark, or like coffee grounds. Oesophageal cancer and stomach cancer can be associated with vomiting blood, but colour alone cannot identify the cause.

Consider what you recently ate or took, but do not rely on that explanation if the colour is unexplained or the episode repeats. Tell a clinician about abdominal pain, black stools, dizziness, faintness, weakness, trouble swallowing, weight loss, or ongoing vomiting. Keep a photograph or sample description if it is safe to do so.

Stop eating solid food until you have advice if vomiting is continuing, and take only small sips of fluid if you can keep them down. Do not drink alcohol or take medicines that may worsen bleeding unless a clinician has told you to use them. Do not drive yourself if you feel faint or weak.

Contact urgent medical services for any suspected blood, especially if the vomit is dark or grainy, the episode recurs, or you take blood-thinning medicine. A healthcare professional may check your circulation and blood count and decide whether further testing is needed.

Seek emergency help for vomiting red or coffee-ground material with faintness, confusion, fast breathing, cold clammy skin, severe abdominal or chest pain, black stools, or inability to keep fluids down. Do not wait for the colour to become clearer if you feel seriously unwell.

Explain the colour and texture, how much was vomited, when it happened, what you ate or took, and whether there was nose or mouth bleeding. Ask whether the oesophagus or stomach needs investigation and which symptoms should trigger immediate return.