Is It Normal to Throw up Bile on an Empty Stomach?

Vomiting bile when the stomach is empty can occur when there's nothing else to expel. Bile is a yellow-green digestive fluid produced by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. When your stomach is empty for extended periods—typically 6-8 hours or more—continued retching brings up bile from the small intestine. This commonly happens during morning sickness, food poisoning, or stomach flu when repeated vomiting has emptied stomach contents. While unpleasant, bile vomiting usually isn't dangerous unless accompanied by severe dehydration, blood, or persistent symptoms lasting over 24 hours. Contact your healthcare provider if you have persistent vomiting.