PanicStation.org
UK USA
uk Health & medical scares

What to do if…
you vomit blood or pass black, tarry, or bloody stools

Produced and maintained by PanicStation.org Published: Last reviewed: Editorial policy UK guide

Short answer

Get urgent medical help. Call 999 or go to A&E if the bleeding is heavy or continuing, you have vomited blood and feel unwell, or you feel faint, dizzy, confused, clammy or breathless. Do not drive yourself.

Do not do these things

  • Do not wait for another episode if emergency signs are present.
  • Do not drive yourself to A&E.
  • Do not stay alone if you feel weak, faint, confused or likely to collapse.
  • Do not assume black stools are harmless because you take iron or have eaten dark food.
  • Do not change prescribed medicines on your own while deciding what to do.
  • Do not delay urgent help while trying to work out the cause.
  • Do not spend time cleaning up or searching online before contacting help.

What to do now

  1. Sit or lie somewhere safe, keep your phone nearby and ask another person to stay with you if possible.
  2. Call 999 now if the bleeding is heavy or non-stop, the toilet water turns red, you see large blood clots, or you feel faint, dizzy, confused, cold, clammy, pale or breathless. Also call 999 for rapid or shallow breathing, collapse, or severe tummy or chest pain.
  3. If you have vomited blood or material resembling coffee grounds but do not have those emergency signs, get urgent medical assessment now. Have someone take you to A&E; if the vomiting has completely stopped and you have no other symptoms, follow urgent local clinical advice.
  4. If your stool is black or dark red, or you have bloody diarrhoea, request urgent clinical advice today. In England call NHS 111, in Scotland call NHS 24 on 111, in Wales call NHS 111 Wales on 111, and in Northern Ireland contact your GP, GP out-of-hours service or local Phone First service.
  5. If there was only a small, one-off amount of bright red blood and none of the urgent signs apply, contact your GP for advice, particularly if it happens again or you are worried.
  6. Tell the clinician what the blood looked like, approximately how much there was, when it happened, whether it is continuing and what other symptoms you have.
  7. Take your medicines or an up-to-date medicines list with you. Mention blood-thinning medicines, aspirin, anti-inflammatory painkillers and any recent medication changes.
  8. Follow the instructions you receive, and call 999 if the bleeding increases or your condition worsens.

What can wait

Working out whether the cause is piles, an ulcer, food, iron tablets, alcohol, medicine or something else can wait. Cleaning, work arrangements, detailed research and long-term medication decisions do not need dealing with now.

Important reassurance

There are several possible causes, including some that are treatable, and certain foods or medicines can change stool colour. However, appearance alone cannot show whether bleeding is serious, so prompt assessment is the safest next step.

Scope note

This guide covers immediate first steps only. Tests, diagnosis, treatment and later medication decisions may require assessment by urgent-care or emergency clinicians.

Important note

This is general information, not medical advice. Follow instructions from emergency call handlers and healthcare professionals who can assess you directly.

Additional Resources

Closely connected guides that may be useful during the same situation or its immediate aftermath.

About this guide

This guide was produced and is maintained by PanicStation.org using its published editorial process. Official and specialist sources are checked where relevant, and AI-assisted tools may be used for drafting, organisation, and consistency checks. The site operator remains responsible for publication, revision, and removal decisions.

Support us