The short explanation
Yes, please treat this as an emergency. Vomit that looks like coffee grounds usually means there has been bleeding in the stomach, and the blood has been partly digested by stomach acid. Regular use of common painkillers for joint pain is a known cause of stomach ulcers and bleeding. Please go to an emergency department now or call 112. Doctors will check your blood pressure, pulse and haemoglobin, and will usually arrange an endoscopy to look for an ulcer and treat it. Do not take any more painkillers until you have been assessed, and take the strip or bottle with you.
What depends on your situation
The parts of this that change from woman to woman. Uncertainty is stated, not hidden.
- Black, tarry stools, dizziness, fainting, sweating or a fast heartbeat suggest significant blood loss.
- The risk of stomach bleeding is higher with blood thinners, steroids, alcohol, smoking, older age and H. pylori infection.
- After recovery, your doctor can suggest safer ways to manage your knee pain.
What this answer cannot determine
The boundary of online education. These need a clinician who can see you.
- This cannot tell you where the bleeding is coming from or how serious it is. You need urgent assessment in hospital.
Questions for your clinician
Take these with you. You can add any of them to an appointment card.
- Do I have a stomach ulcer?
- Did my painkillers cause the bleeding?
- Do I need an endoscopy or blood transfusion?
- What can I use for knee pain safely in future?
When to seek help
Clinician-approved guidance for this topic. When in doubt, being seen is never the wrong choice.
Emergency — call 112 now
- Call 112 or go to the nearest emergency department now.
Get help the same day
- Even if you feel better after vomiting, you still need to be seen in hospital today.
Sources
The evidence this explanation is built on.
- Vomiting blood NHS
- Stomach ulcer NHS
- Peptic ulcers (stomach ulcers) National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIH)
Who wrote and reviewed this
Every AskHer answer names its author. A clinically reviewed answer also names the clinician who signed it off — if no clinician is named below, it has not been clinically reviewed.
- Author
- AskHer Editorial (AI-assisted draft) AskHer's editorial team — not an individual clinician Works in English, தமிழ், हिन्दी
- Clinical reviewer
- Nobody yet No clinician has signed this answer off, and no person on the editorial team has read it yet. That is what the “Written with AI assistance” label means. It is queued for an editor to read, and then for a clinician who works in this area. The sources it was drafted against are listed above.
- Review status
- Written with AI assistance — not yet reviewed by a person
- Last reviewed
- Not yet reviewed by a person
- Version
- 1
Correction history
Substantive changes are listed, not quietly edited away.
No corrections have been made since this answer was first published.
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