A brunch that turned into a late night, a rooftop bar, a beach club, a wedding or a work party: Dubai’s nights out are long, and so are the mornings after. Feeling sick after a night out is one of the most common reasons tourists and residents call a doctor at the weekend. In the UAE, people type things like “feeling sick after night out”, “vomiting after drinking alcohol next day what to do” and “dizzy after drinking the night before” into Google.
Most of the time it’s a hangover, dehydration or something you ate on the way home, and it settles with fluids, food and rest. Sometimes it isn’t. This guide explains why you feel sick, dizzy or keep vomiting after a night out, what actually helps, the warning signs of alcohol poisoning and drink spiking, and how to get a DHA-licensed doctor or IV drip to your hotel room, villa or apartment in Dubai, day or night.
Key takeaways
- Most sickness after a night out comes from a hangover, dehydration, low blood sugar or late-night food, and it usually settles within a day.
- Sip water or oral rehydration solution (ORS) little and often. Don’t drink more alcohol to feel better.
- Dizziness after drinking usually comes from dehydration and low blood sugar: sit down, get up slowly, sip fluids and eat something light.
- Confusion, being unable to stand, a fit, slow or irregular breathing, cold or bluish skin, or someone who can’t be woken can mean alcohol poisoning. Call 998 and don’t leave them alone.
- If you or a friend suddenly feel far drunker than you should, think about drink spiking. Tell venue staff and get help.
- A Vitals Healthcare doctor can treat you at your hotel or home, usually within 30–45 minutes, with IV fluids if you can’t keep anything down. Home visits are AED 199 this November (usually AED 299).
Still being sick, or the room won’t stop spinning?
A DHA-licensed doctor can be at your hotel or home in 30–45 minutes, day or night.
Why do you feel sick after a night out?
Alcohol makes you pass more urine, so you lose water and salts. It irritates the stomach lining, disturbs your sleep and can push your blood sugar down, especially if you didn’t eat. Add hours of dancing in a warm venue, not much water and a late-night shawarma, and it’s easy to see why the morning after can bring nausea, vomiting, a pounding head and dizziness. Here are the usual causes and how to tell them apart:
| Cause | Typical clues | What helps |
|---|---|---|
| Hangover | Headache, nausea, thirst, tiredness and feeling shaky the next morning | Water, food, rest and time. Usually settles within a day |
| Dehydration | Dizzy when you stand up, dark pee or very little pee, dry mouth, headache | Small, frequent sips of water or ORS. IV fluids if you can’t keep them down |
| Low blood sugar | Shaky, sweaty, weak or lightheaded, especially if you drank without eating | Something sugary, then a light meal |
| Food poisoning | Vomiting or diarrhoea hours after a late-night meal; friends who ate the same food are ill too | Fluids, plain food, and a doctor if you can’t keep fluids down |
| Too much alcohol, too fast (alcohol poisoning) | Confusion, can’t stand, vomiting while drowsy, slow breathing, can’t be woken | An emergency: call 998 |
| A spiked drink | Feeling far drunker than you should, sudden drowsiness, confusion, vomiting, memory gaps | Tell venue staff, stay together, get medical help |
Vomiting after a night out: what to do
Being sick once or twice after drinking is common, and it often settles by itself. These steps help you recover and keep you safe:
- Stop drinking alcohol. “Hair of the dog” only delays the hangover.
- Sip, don’t gulp. Rinse your mouth, then take small sips of water every few minutes. Once that stays down, switch to oral rehydration solution (ORS) from any Dubai pharmacy, mixed exactly as the packet says.
- Don’t force food. When the nausea eases, try dry toast, crackers, plain rice, khubz or a banana.
- Lie on your side, not your back, if you need to lie down, so you can’t choke if you’re sick again.
- Go easy on painkillers. Ibuprofen and aspirin can irritate an upset stomach and may make nausea worse. Stick to the dose on the pack for any medicine.
- Skip coffee and energy drinks until you can keep water down.
Call a doctor if you can’t keep any fluids down, you’re still being sick the next afternoon, or you have stomach pain, a fever or diarrhoea. Vomiting blood, or vomit that looks like coffee grounds, is an emergency: call 998. If friends who ate the same food are ill too, read our guide to food poisoning in Dubai.
Dizzy after drinking? Why it happens and what helps
Dizziness after a night out usually feels like one of two things: lightheadedness, as if you might faint, or a spinning feeling, when the room won’t stay still. Alcohol makes you lose fluid, which lowers your blood volume, so your blood pressure can drop suddenly when you stand up. Drinking without eating can push your blood sugar down too. Alcohol also affects the balance organs in your inner ear, which is why the room can spin even the next morning.
- Sit or lie down straight away, somewhere cool and safe.
- Get up slowly: sit on the edge of the bed for a minute before you stand.
- Sip water or ORS, and eat something light such as toast, a banana or a few dates.
- Don’t drive, ride a scooter or go swimming until you feel completely steady.
Call 998 if dizziness comes with chest pain, a racing or irregular heartbeat, fainting, a sudden severe headache, slurred speech, a drooping face, or weakness on one side of the body. These aren’t a hangover.
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Rough morning after? IV hydration in your hotel room
If you’re dehydrated and can’t keep fluids down, a Vitals Healthcare nurse can give IV fluids in your hotel room or home after a doctor’s check. Home doctor visits are AED 199 this November (usually AED 299).
Hangover: what helps and what doesn’t
There’s no real hangover cure, whatever the internet says. Symptoms are usually worst as the alcohol leaves your body, and they can last 24 hours or longer. What helps:
- Water, and ORS if you’ve been sick or had diarrhoea.
- Painkillers for the headache and aches. Paracetamol is gentler on the stomach than ibuprofen or aspirin. Never take more than the dose on the pack.
- Something sugary, then bland food, to bring your blood sugar back up.
- Sleep and rest, somewhere cool and dark.
- Not more alcohol. It only puts the hangover off.
For more on recovering on holiday, including IV drips at your hotel, read our hangover treatment guide for Dubai.
Is it alcohol poisoning? Know the warning signs
Alcohol poisoning happens when someone drinks alcohol faster than their body can process it. There’s no safe “limit” that rules it out, and blood alcohol can keep rising for 30–40 minutes after the last drink, so someone can get worse even after they stop. Don’t let a friend “sleep it off” if you see any of these signs:
Call 998 for an ambulance if someone has:
Signs of alcohol poisoning
- Confusion
- Slurred speech, or they can’t speak
- They can’t stand, walk or pick things up
- Vomiting, especially while drowsy
- A fit (seizure)
- Slow or irregular breathing
- Pale, bluish, cold or clammy skin
- They’ve passed out and can’t be woken
While you wait for help
- Stay with them: they could choke on their own vomit or stop breathing
- Sit them up if they’re awake, or put them in the recovery position if they’ve passed out, and check they’re breathing
- Keep them warm with a jacket or blanket
- Give sips of water only if they’re awake and can swallow
- Don’t try to make them sick, don’t give them coffee, and don’t put them in a cold shower
If you’re not sure, call 998 anyway. For anything less urgent, call us and we’ll tell you honestly whether a home or hotel visit is right.
Think a drink was spiked?
You usually can’t see, smell or taste a spiked drink. The signs come on suddenly: feeling much drunker than you should, drowsiness, confusion, dizziness, vomiting, losing your balance or passing out, and memory gaps the next day. If you think you or a friend has been spiked:
- Tell bar or venue staff straight away, and don’t finish the drink.
- Stay with your friend. Don’t let them leave alone or travel home alone in a taxi.
- Call 998 if they’re very unwell or can’t be woken, and 999 for Dubai Police.
- Get medical help, and tell the doctor you think you were spiked.
Sick after a night out? Your doctor comes to you.
No taxi, no waiting room, no explaining yourself in a busy clinic. Our DHA-licensed doctors visit hotels, villas and apartments across Dubai, from Dubai Marina, JBR and Palm Jumeirah to Downtown and Business Bay, 24 hours a day, including weekends and public holidays. Every visit is private and discreet.
- Full examination, including checks for dehydration and blood sugar
- Medicine for nausea, vomiting and pain when you need it
- IV hydration in your hotel room or at home
- Clear advice on when you’re safe to rest and when you need hospital
- Sick leave certificates and itemised invoices for insurance
DHA licence no. 3728742 · No hidden call-out fee · Cash, card or secure payment link
When to call a doctor after a night out
Book a doctor, at your hotel, at home or in a clinic, if:
- You keep being sick and can’t keep fluids down.
- You’re still vomiting or very dizzy the next day.
- You have signs of dehydration: dark pee, peeing much less than usual, a very dry mouth, or feeling faint when you stand.
- You have stomach pain, a fever or diarrhoea as well.
- You have diabetes or a heart condition, you’re pregnant, or you take regular medicines.
- You’re not sure whether it’s a hangover, food poisoning or something else.
What the doctor does: a Vitals Healthcare doctor asks what you drank and ate and when the symptoms started, checks your temperature, pulse, blood pressure, blood sugar and signs of dehydration, and examines your abdomen. Treatment can include medicine for nausea and pain, clear advice on fluids and food, IV hydration if you’re dehydrated or can’t keep anything down, and blood tests at home if needed. If you’re not fit for work, the doctor can issue a sick leave certificate after examining you.
How to get a doctor to your hotel or home in Dubai
Have ready: your hotel name and room number or your full address, roughly what you drank and ate and when, any medicines you take and any allergies, your passport or Emirates ID, and your insurance details. Keep sipping water while you wait.
Prices, payment and insurance
| Service | Price | What’s included |
|---|---|---|
| Doctor home visit | AED 199 this November (usually AED 299) | A DHA-licensed doctor at your villa, apartment or office: consultation, examination and treatment plan |
| Hotel doctor visit | AED 349 | The same visit in your hotel room anywhere in Dubai |
| IV drip at home or hotel | AED 1,050 | Given by a DHA-licensed nurse after a health check |
| Blood tests | As needed | Explained and agreed with you before the sample is taken |
| Medicines | As needed | Prescribed by the doctor and collected from any pharmacy |
There’s no hidden call-out fee, and you can pay by cash, card or a secure payment link. Insurance cover depends on your policy. If you plan to claim, ask us for an itemised invoice and a medical report. See all our doctor on call prices.
Tips for a safer night out in Dubai
- Eat a proper meal before you go out.
- Alternate every drink with a glass of water, and slow down on shots and drinking games.
- Never leave your drink unattended, and keep an eye on your friends’ drinks too.
- Drink a big glass of water before bed, and keep another by the bed for the night.
- Plan your ride home before you go out, and never drive after drinking.
- Save our number, +971 58 131 0801, in case anyone in your group needs a doctor.
Find the right help fast
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Frequently asked questions
Why do I feel sick after a night out?
Usually because of dehydration, an irritated stomach, low blood sugar and poor sleep, all caused by alcohol. Late-night food that wasn’t stored or cooked properly can add food poisoning on top. Most people feel better within a day with fluids, food and rest.
How do I stop vomiting after drinking alcohol?
Stop drinking alcohol, rest, and take small sips of water every few minutes, then oral rehydration solution once water stays down. Don’t force food. If you can’t keep any fluids down, or you’re still being sick the next day, a doctor can give anti-sickness medicine and IV fluids at your hotel or home.
Why am I dizzy the day after drinking?
Alcohol dehydrates you, which can make your blood pressure drop when you stand up. Drinking without eating can lower your blood sugar, and alcohol affects the balance organs in your inner ear, which can make the room spin well into the next morning. Sit down, get up slowly, sip fluids and eat something light.
How long does a hangover last?
Symptoms are usually worst as the alcohol leaves your body and can last 24 hours or longer. If you’re still vomiting, very dizzy or unable to keep fluids down the next day, see a doctor.
When is vomiting after drinking an emergency?
Call 998 if the person is confused, can’t stand, has a fit, has slow or irregular breathing, has pale, bluish or cold skin, can’t be woken, or is vomiting blood. Stay with them, sit them up or put them in the recovery position, and don’t try to make them sick.
Can a doctor come to my hotel in Dubai after a night out?
Yes. A Vitals Healthcare doctor can visit your hotel room, villa or apartment anywhere in Dubai, 24/7, usually within 30–45 minutes. Hotel visits are AED 349, and home visits are AED 199 this November (usually AED 299).
Can I get an IV drip after a night out in Dubai?
Yes. After a health check, a DHA-licensed nurse can give IV fluids in your hotel room or home for AED 1,050. It suits dehydration from vomiting or diarrhoea when you can’t keep fluids down. It isn’t right for everyone, and the doctor will advise you. IV fluids don’t treat alcohol poisoning, which needs a hospital.
Is it safe to take painkillers for a hangover?
Painkillers can help with a headache and muscle aches. Paracetamol is gentler on the stomach than ibuprofen or aspirin, which can make nausea worse. Always stick to the dose on the pack, and ask a pharmacist if you take other medicines.
Can I get a sick leave certificate after being sick?
Yes. After examining you at home, our doctor can issue a sick leave certificate if you’re not fit for work.
Don’t spend your weekend feeling this bad.
One call or message, and a DHA-licensed Vitals Healthcare doctor is on the way to your hotel, villa or apartment anywhere in Dubai, day or night. Home visits are AED 199 this November.
- NHS. Alcohol poisoning.
- NHS 111 Wales. Hangover.
- Drinkaware. Alcohol poisoning.
- National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Hangovers.
- First Aid Training Co-operative. First aid for alcohol poisoning.
- GOV.UK. Spiking: advice and support.
- Drinkaware. Drink spiking and date rape drugs.
This article is for general information and doesn’t replace advice from a doctor who has examined you. In an emergency, call 998.
