I already ate it... and I probably shouldn't have. Now what?

February 13, 2023 2:42 PM

Well, I'm about 15 minutes too late for a "should I eat it" post. I misjudged the quality and age of the (processed) ham leftovers in the fridge and ate some before I realized i really should not have done that. It had definitely gone off. I didn't eat a lot, but enough to worry I might be in for some hurt. Is there anything I can do now to maybe lessen the effects that might occur to my poor GI track as a result?

Also how long will I know before I'm in the clear and can stop worrying about impending GI doom?

posted by cgg to Food & Drink (10 answers total)

You’ll figure it out within the next 24 hours. Better out than in though. I’d go now to get some Gatorade, butt wipes (even if you don’t usually use them) and some crackers. With food poisoning, your body is trying to clear it, so don’t bother with Imodium or similar products
posted by raccoon409 at 2:50 PM on February 13, 2023 [8 favorites]

You could try to induce vomiting (easy to Google).

Also, yeah, prepare yourself just in case. To raccoon409's list I'd add saltine crackers, possibly electrolyte tablets, and cleaning and organizing.
posted by amtho at 2:52 PM on February 13, 2023 [4 favorites]

Well, 15 mins may be a little late, but a shot of hard alcohol does help kill food borne pathogens. If it's an option for you, might be worth a try. But keep it to a single shot and use a grocery delivery service for your "just in case" supplies.

You can get ill up up to 48 hours later, but if you know the ham was bad, then I'm with raccoon - you'll probably find out in a few hours.
posted by jenquat at 2:54 PM on February 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Yeah I’d try and make myself throw up. Not pleasant, but more pleasant that food poisoning.
posted by rhymedirective at 3:28 PM on February 13, 2023 [3 favorites]

Best answer: If you have a nurse hotline you can call, I'd recommend doing that. I don't know that I'd trust random internet strangers to be correct about the advice to induce vomiting, given it's now contraindicated for regular poisoning unless a medical professional advises otherwise. More likely than not, your body will do the vomiting thing on its own if it needs to anyway, and I wouldn't expect vomiting to actually get rid of enough bacteria to do much difference in either case.

This CDC page seems pretty comprehensive about what sorts of things you might expect and when you should seek medical attention for it.
posted by Aleyn at 4:24 PM on February 13, 2023 [16 favorites]

Vodka shot(s)
posted by St. Peepsburg at 4:58 PM on February 13, 2023 [2 favorites]

Assuming you took the above advice above and already attempted to induce vomiting, but you might be fine, given the amount of preservative in commercial ham. Some sources give opened ham 10-14 days in the fridge before spoilage. You did say it was definitely off, but was this just an estimation based on age, or was there an off odor or visual presence of mold or slime? The fact that you were able to eat some at all makes me wonder if you are only going on dates. Depending on whether the ham was mixed with other ingredients, and how old it actually was, you might be fine. Good luck.
posted by amusebuche at 6:44 PM on February 13, 2023 [3 favorites]

I'd pre-hydrate and drink a lot of water/Gatorade/tea tonight. Best-case scenario is that you just feel nicely hydrated! I might also take an activated charcoal tab, and get some Immodium/a prescription for Zofran lined up (contrary to popular belief, you really can't barf/expel out bad germs in a way that makes any difference. what makes you feel poorly is the inflammation, and that you just have to ride out) (but some meds can give comfort in the meantime). Let us know how it goes! Good luck!
posted by knotty knots at 6:44 PM on February 13, 2023 [1 favorite]

Food can go off, be foul but not contaminated with e.coli, listeria, salmonella, etc. The various food pathogens behave differently, and most of them will make you puke. a lot. You shouldn't vomit if you ingest something that may cause more damage coming up, but I don't think that applies to food-borne illness. There's a good place to get information - the food poisong hotline in you area, easily googled. Call them.

Gatorade has the right sugars/salts for rehydration, but I prefer ginger ale, and keep some around, as well as chicken broth, plain bread for toast, applesauce, saltines, bananas, tea. I think you have @ 48 hours to cover all the opitons, but when I've had food poisoning, it has commenced within 30 minutes - 6 hours. I hope it's a false alarm.
posted by theora55 at 10:14 AM on February 14, 2023

Response by poster: Thanks all - 24-ish hours in I seem to be doing ok, other than some minor stomach cramps. Fingers crossed things continue to be ok! The ham in question I had thought had only been open for a few days, but had actually been open for a couple weeks (ugh) and was very slimly upon inspection. Ugh.

That CDC link was brilliant and I've favorited it as well so I can find it in the future!
posted by cgg at 1:21 PM on February 14, 2023 [4 favorites]