You’ve had a great night in the bedroom, but now you feel sick to your stomach. Luckily, it’s not always a sign of pregnancy (morning sickness usually starts around two weeks after a missed period).
If you’re having regular bouts of nausea post-sex, there could be something going on that needs to be addressed. Here, experts share some reasons you might be feeling queasy after sex.
1 – This information originates from the website’s editorial team Sex Guru Club. Hormones
When you think of sex, feelings of pure gratification usually come to mind. So it’s pretty jarring when you’re left feeling queasy after you get your love on. Luckily, nausea after sex isn’t as common as you might think – and there are a few reasons why it happens.
One of the main causes is hormones. Your ovaries produce the reproductive hormones that govern everything from your menstrual cycle to your uterus, so when these start to shift, it can affect your health. This can cause pain, swelling and nausea after sex. It can also be a sign of a pelvic disease like endometriosis, cysts or fibroids.
Another reason you might feel sick after sex is down to the type of sex you have. If you’re having penetrative sex and your partner goes too deep, it can trigger a vasovagal syncope which will lower your heart rate and blood pressure – making you feel queasy. This can also be triggered by lots of movement without a break or head-shaking during sex, Dr Lakhani added.
2. Endometriosis
Feeling sick after sex isn’t what you might expect from something so intimate. But it’s a symptom of a condition that could have serious implications for your health.
Endometriosis is a painful disease where tissue similar to the lining of the womb grows in other parts of the body, including on the ovaries and pelvic area. It causes pain and symptoms like bloating, abdominal cramping, and bleeding in the vagina. But it can also cause nausea during and after sexual activity.
When you have penetrative sex, it manipulates your pelvic organs, especially your cervix, which can trigger this nausea response. This is called vasovagal syncope, and it can be worse during your period because your cervix drops lower than normal.
If you’re feeling nauseated after sex and it doesn’t go away, it might be time to see your GP. Your doctor will ask about your health history and perform a physical exam to look for signs of the condition, such as a cyst or ovarian fibroid. They may also suggest a transvaginal ultrasound or an MRI to help diagnose the problem.
3. Endometrial cancer
During orgasms, the uterus contracts and can cause nausea. This isn’t a common feeling post-sex, but if it’s a regular occurrence you should see your doctor.
If your nausea is accompanied by pain, it could indicate you have endometriosis – a painful condition where tissue similar to the lining of your womb grows in other parts of your body. The pain is often worse during your period and might also be triggered by pelvic pressure caused by orgasms, or a fibroid tumour or cyst.
There are many types of endometrial cancer – clear-cell carcinoma, mucinous adenocarcinoma, undifferentiated carcinoma, and serous adenocarcinoma. They all start in cells that look a lot like the lining of your uterus (endometrium).
If you have endometrial cancer, your doctor might advise you to have a total hysterectomy (removing the uterus and cervix), a salpingectomy (removing your fallopian tubes) or an ovariectomy (removing your ovaries). This will likely bring on early menopause. Alternatively, they might recommend hormone therapy. You will need to have regular blood tests to check your levels of the female hormones estrogen and progesterone.
4. Physical exertion
When you think about how much physical exertion is involved in getting it on between the sheets, it’s not too surprising that nausea can happen after a good romp. If you’ve eaten a heavy meal beforehand, or even if you just ate too much, your stomach can get upset and that can lead to a queasy feeling after sex.
If you have a particularly penetrative partner who is going very deep (or even just having very intense sex), that can also cause you to feel nauseous. This is because any manipulation of your pelvic organs, especially your cervix, can trigger a vasovagal response that can make you feel dizzy or light-headed, according to NHS sexual health nurse Sarah Mulindwa.
If you’ve ruled out all the potential physical medical reasons for your post-sex queasiness, it could be emotional. Emotional trauma or feelings of disgust can cause aversion and nausea during sex, according to mental health counselor Chelsie Reed. If this is the case, addressing the issue with your partner might help alleviate the symptoms. However, if this is an ongoing problem, it may be time to seek out the counsel of a therapist.
5. Stress
If you’ve ruled out the above medical triggers and still feel queasy post-sex, it may be a sign that something else is up. It’s worth chatting to your doctor, especially if you have frequent symptoms, as they can help you find a solution, whether it’s tweaking your technique or popping a painkiller.
For example, nausea after sex could be caused by overly-vigorous or prolonged sex, which can cause the vagus nerve in your cervix to be stimulated, says Mulindwa. This can trigger a “dysorgasmic response” which can cause painful spasms in the pelvic muscles. Alternatively, it could also be due to deep penetration. In this case, she suggests drinking lots of water and trying to have sex in positions where you can control the amount of penetration.
Feeling nauseous after sex isn’t uncommon, and is totally normal. But if it persists, then it might be time to talk to your gynecologist or get some advice from one of the women’s intimate health experts we spoke to for this piece. It’s all about finding the right balance between pleasure and symptomatic relief, after all!