Need happy heaving homecare tips

February 12, 2009 8:57 AM

Food poisoning! Now what?

Yesterday, I ate a runny omelet, and a can of dented peaches (yes, I should have asked if I should eat it first... and either one could be the culprit...)

I've parked myself in the bathtub with a sleeping bag (for warmth and easy barf access), laptop (to google for soft/hardcore taters), and am trying furiously to keep some gatorade down. Are there any other handy tips to make the next few days less ridiculous?

posted by grippycat to health & fitness (14 comments total)

Pediapops are a god's send. Or just straight pedialyte but I think the frozen pops are better.
posted by whoaali at 9:02 AM on February 12

Stay hydrated at all costs. If this is still going on tomorrow and you can't keep down liquids, have someone take you to the doctor to get an anti-nausea drug and possibly an IV. You DON'T want to get dehydrated. Keep up with the Gatorade.
posted by phunniemee at 9:02 AM on February 12

Call your doctor and see if you can get some anti-nausea suppositories prescribed. You'll need a pharmacy that delivers or a friend to pick it up for you. They can make a huge difference in making things not quite so unbearable. Feel better!
posted by zachlipton at 9:07 AM on February 12

I'm so sorry. Shellfish poisoning a few months ago had me more ill than I've been in years. I couldn't stand the nausea and dry heaving after about 8 hours and resorted to an anti-nausea suppository. Gross, but it allowed me to actually keep the gatorade and broth down. Worth a try if you're not feeling better later today.
posted by meerkatty at 9:07 AM on February 12

Everything above - stay hydrated. Other than that, you are just going to have to ride it out. Been that way a couple times in my life and it aint no fun. Never came so close to calling 911 after eating some bad salmon once. Yeesh. Good news is that it only lasts about 8-12 hours, so hopefully you are almost through it.

And it probably was the canned peaches. Not to freak you out, but if you experience any of the following symptoms (botulism), you need to get to the hospital NOW.
posted by elendil71 at 9:24 AM on February 12

Do you have some gravol you can try? It knocks you out so you sleep through the worst of it. My plan of attack is much like yours, lie on the bathroom floor and hope it ends soon. Make sure your friends know so they can check in on you or bring things you need. Please share any good tater porn you find with the rest of us.
posted by saucysault at 9:28 AM on February 12

Thumbs up on the Gatorade; years ago when I had this, it was probably the single most helpful thing. Once you're feeling better you should take in some yogurt marked 'probiotics' as this will help re-establish the flora in your digestive system. Other than that I don't think there's much you can do but ride it out. FWIW, the culprit was probably the eggs (esp. if factory farmed); the canned food is probably not responsible unless it was bulging or punctured, and the high sugar content isn't particularly hospitable to bacteria.
posted by crapmatic at 9:36 AM on February 12

What everyone else said. Stay hydrated and ride the wave. There's nothing you can do now except make yourself as comfortable as possible. I got food poisoning last year, and found that I could manage to fall asleep for an hour or so between trips to the bathroom. Try eating some toast if you get hungry. Hope you feel better soon.
posted by DrDreidel at 9:53 AM on February 12

a tip to staying hydrated--put your Gatorade in a cup and take a teaspoonful every few minutes. It's almost like an IV drip for your stomach. Do it all your waking hours. Increase it if you notice the vomiting starting to decrease in frequency.

Love the taters joke even in the throes of misery. There's hope for you yet.
posted by agentwills at 9:59 AM on February 12 [2 favorites has favorites]

Ugh, yeah, been there. Re: hydration, speaking personally, I had to try about four different liquids before I found something that would stay down (in my case, cranberry juice). So if you keep harfing up something, try something else.

I'm sorry if you find yourself throwing up Gatorade. I won't ever be able to face that stuff again. It was worse than the goddamn chicken stock.
posted by Skot at 10:05 AM on February 12

I was in this situation in December. I found it impossible to really chug down fluids, but when I (ok, my husband did this for me - not sure I could have accomplished it on my own in that state!) crushed some ice in a blender and added Gatorade to it, I could manage to "eat" a spoonful every few minutes. It was sort of like flavored ice chips or a snow cone. Also, although I normally prefer orange Gatorade, the fruit punch flavor tasted better coming up (ick - sorry - it's true!). When things settled down slightly I went for pretzels and jello. Reentry to normal eating took another couple of days. Good luck and be careful.
posted by katie at 10:17 AM on February 12

Cut the gatorade with water; it has enough sugar that it'll induce diarrhea on an empty stomach.

And yeah, it's horrible, you have my sympathies.
posted by orthogonality at 11:11 AM on February 12

Look into over-the-counter activated charcoal. Pedialyte and bananas will help you rehydrate, and Florastor and yogurt are good for your gut flora.

For what it's worth, I never take anti-nausea medicine: if my body is telling me it wants to get rid of something, it's usually for a good reason. As long as you can stay hydrated, you're better off "cleaning out".
posted by aquafortis at 11:36 AM on February 12 [1 favorite has favorites]

Thanks all! Cutting the gatorade with water and drinking a teaspoon at a time seems to be doing the trick!

Now, back to tater porn :)
posted by grippycat at 2:17 PM on February 12