When to Call the Doctor About Abdominal Pain

If your abdominal pain is serious, doesn’t go away, or keeps coming back, talk to your doctor. Call 911 right away if your belly hurts because you had a recent injury there or if you have chest pain.

You should also contact your doctor as soon as you can if you have pain along with other symptoms, such as:

Inability to keep food down for more than 2 days
Signs of dehydration, including not urinating frequently, dark-colored urine, and being very thirsty
Inability to have a bowel movement, especially if you’re also vomiting
Pain when you urinate or you need to urinate often

Also call your doctor if:

Your belly is tender to the touch
Pain lasts more than a few hours

You may have other symptoms that could be signals of a problem inside your body that needs immediate treatment.

Get medical care right away if you have abdominal pain and you also:

Vomit blood
Notice bloody or black, tarry stool
Have trouble breathing
Vomit constantly
Have swelling in your belly
Have yellow skin
Are pregnant