topic Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug? in Community Chat

How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Nataliesgramma — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:01:39 GMT

I went to a Spaghetti dinner for the Firemen in our community yesterday. You sat down and they brought you a plate of spaghetti and meatballs, which were hot. Another fireman brought you a small bowl of salad. You went and picked out your own desset which was donated, but was on individual plates and wrapped with saran wrap. The people handling the food wore gloves.

On the way home I started getting a stomach ache. I took Pepto Bismol, thinking maybe the sauce was too acidic for me......didn't help. It got worse and nausea started. After about 3 hours I threw up. I felt a little better and had a few sips of Ginger Ale and my stomach ache went away.

This morning I only feel a little tired and achy, but no stomach issues. Did I have a stomach bug or did I eat something (dessert?) that was bad?

Hubby ate the same thing as I did other than the piece of cake I had for dessert.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Campion — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 11:21:49 GMT

It's hard to tell such a thing, but there IS a stomach bug very "popular" right now. I have it and I think some people at a meeting I went to recently suddenly came down with something.

I was eating at a friend's house last night (thought I was recovered.) She served some cauliflower but it had a LOT of cayenne in it (I didn't realize that until I ate it.) I got so sick they had to BRING me home. Couldn't drive. The gastritis from the bug left my stomach sensitive and the pepper threw it over the edge. It irritated my already irritated stomach lining and I had pain and nausea. Right after I ate.

Generall, food poisoning takes some hours.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

drizzellla — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:06:14 GMT

I have had an immediate reaction to something I ate twice in my life. And I think is was more a reaction to a spice or something in the food rather that bad food. Both times I reacted within minutes of eating. Never figured out what it was but all I have to say I was thankful I made it to the bathroom in time.

I have also reacted to food I ate but it was not immediate. Thankfully that was usually one and done.

I also heard that it takes hours to react to bad food.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

MaggieMack — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 12:39:06 GMT

Twice in the last couple of years I thought I had a bug but it came and left so quickly it had to be food poisoning. The worst time, a girlfriend gave me a tub of creamed sausage soup. Ate it that night, about two hours later I started feeling sick, with a fever that kept climbing. I thought I was going to die. I decided if it got to 103 I was calling 911. I started getting violently sick top and bottom and my fever started dropping. Although feeling very skinny, I felt normal two hours later.

I think food poisoning comes quickly and leaves quickly if you empty your stomach.

That incident made me marvel at how miraculous our bodies and immune systems really are.

...

debic — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:05:45 GMT

@MaggieMack That's how it pretty much with me. I thought I was going to die. Buttered popcorn at the theater. I've never eaten popcorn at once since.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

silkyk — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:30:54 GMT

DH and I stopped at Jack in the Box late one night and those tacos just about killed me. I was sick for 2 weeks....the only good thing was I lost 5lbs! woo-hoo Best diet I was ever on! LOL.But never again with the late at night tacos.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

KingstonsMom — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 13:45:00 GMT

I had food poisoning once while traveling and the ER Dr. told me that with it, vs. a virus, you usually have vomiting and diarrhea at the same time (which I did), a couple of hours after eating the tainted food.

He gave me something for nausea and said to let it run it's course.

Unless you had both actions at the same time, it was probably a coincidental stomach 'bug', especially since DH was fine after eating the same thing except for the cake.

The cake should've been fine unless it contained cream cheese, etc. and was left unrefrigerated too long.

Hope you're feeling better!

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

jaxs mom — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 14:23:38 GMT

I ate bad oysters once, and let me tell you the reaction was even worse than when I had chemo. I've never eaten an oyster since.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

jonbon — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:05:37 GMT

I've had food poisoning one time, many years ago in a foreign country. Without providing TMI, it was far worse than throwing up one time an feeling better shortly thereafter!

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Another new name Sue — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:23:20 GMT

It's difficult to say. You could ask others if they felt ill too.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

esmeraldagooch — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:29:00 GMT

Most types of bacteria's onset time is 30 minutes to 36 hours Some can take a day to three weeks to show up.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

songbird — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:58:52 GMT

When I was 18, I went to a restaurant for dinner. I was with a date. I ate a chicken salad. My date didn't. I thought the chicken tasted a little too sweet. But I ate it. After dinner we were talking....and oh yeah. My stomach was hurting. My date sensed I was getting sick....so embarrassing It was my first date with him. He drove me back. I could barely make it the bathroom in time. Then I threw up everything. I felt a little better, but then my stomach started to hurt again. I kept tossing my cookies. I felt like a prune. I would up in the hospital. They told me it was food poisoning. I called the restaurant. They must have known this before. They told me to contact my insurance company, etc. I was out of work for a work and sore. They gave me some money...not very much. My health insurance had to paid back, etc. Now that's food poisoning.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Scooby Doo — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 15:59:38 GMT

Do you still have your gall bladder? That kind of a meal would set mine off quickly. An ulcer will do the same thing. Tomatoes, acid, spices, grease. I'm getting queasy just thinking about it.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Nightowlz — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:16:36 GMT

DH said it's probably from eating the chocolate with spaghetti. He said the 2 don't mix. You should be able to find out if anyone else that ate there got sick or not. Hope you feel better soon.

When I had food poisoning I was vomiting, diarrhea, 103° or so temp. I passed out a couple of times. I was only 16 or 17 yrs old. I woke up in the middle of the night sick. Woke my parents up as I felt like I was dying. I was sick in bed for several days. Not vomiting or diarrhea anymore just felt horrible after so much vomiting & diarrhea. Mayo on my sandwich spoiled. I was working for a bricklayer at the time during summer break.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

ladyroxanne — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:00:38 GMT

i've had stomach virus, food poisoning and food allegies. with both the food poisoning and and allergies once you have digested and gotten rid of the food you are better. a stomach virus can linger for weeks.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Lipstickdiva — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 16:28:19 GMT

As someone else said, there is a stomach bug that is going around. My DH got it and it started about 30 minutes after he had dinner. He thought the food didn't agree with him. Then everything started to hurt on him, including his stomach. He was sick for 24 hours and then he was fine. About a week later, I got it.

Perhaps you were already getting sick and eating is what pushed you over the edge?

I had food poisoning once. I mean, had to go to the hospital and get my stomach pumped, food poisoning!

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

RedTop — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 17:10:37 GMT

Since your reaction started so soon after eating, I think you already had an internal issue forming, and the heavy food was just not tolerated. If you still have your gall bladder, I would start watching your reaction to certain foods known to cause problems.

Every time I've had gastro, I was sick nonstop for 24 hours, with vomiting and diarrhea.

My last bout of food poisoning sent me to the ER severely dehydrated. I ran a high/low fever for 5 days, along with the nonstop vomiting and diarrhea, saw my doctor twice, went to the ER, and later had a colonoscopy, all at a cost of $6500. Haven't eaten at that Mexican restaurant since!

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

RazorSharp — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 17:16:39 GMT

I've had stomach bugs, food poisoning, and a listeria infection. Food poisoning generally takes at least 6 hours before you have symptoms. In my two instances, I woke up in the middle of the night with the room spinning and feeling nauseous, or woke up to go to work, and after getting out of the shower, felt like I was hit by a truck. Not only does it make you have diarrhea and vomit, it takes away all your strength and energy. Standing up is a chore. In both those cases, I just stayed in bed and felt better after 24 hours. When I had a listeria infection, those symptoms were like the food poisoning ones, except multiplied, and it lasted for days. It was brutal. Aside from running to the bathroom and feeling nauseous, a stomach bug has never felt as violent and draining as food or listeria poisoning.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

Dorothy11 — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 18:04:50 GMT

Most food borne illness takes several hours to 48 hours to develop. It is possible you got sick from something eaten before the spaghetti. The last time I had a food borne illness, I had brunch at a restaurant and symptoms developed about 7 hours later. It was most likely from the salad greens. You should let the producers of the dinner know you got sick in case there was some contamination.

Re: How to tell eating bad food from a stomach bug?

LTT1 — Mon, 07 Mar 2016 18:26:31 GMT

@Nataliesgramma@MaggieMack

Twice I have had food poisoning.

The first time (after eating Mexican food) my intestines were cramping so painfully that I laid on the floor in a cold sweat. That incident occurred about 2 hrs after eating and it was over after two hours.

The next time my symptoms were milder, but unpleasant, so I stayed home from work. Our teaching department had a pot-luck the day before. When I returned to work, others had been ill, too! Same symptoms.

My new rule became "don't eat at a potluck" it was thought that a fruit-tray was the culprit. I just won't eat melon that has been cut up by someone else.

Hope you are well now!❤️