Has Anyone Had Food Poisoning?

Updated on July 06, 2010
J.P. asks from Brooklyn, NY
17 answers

My daughter and I ate some bad cake and i feel so guilty for giving it to her. She has fever very low grade but for some reason it feels that she is burning up. She is vomiting,and does not want to eat. I want to throw up but i can't, haven't eaten in a day and im not hungry. All i want to do is sleep,sleep. is this normal? the tired, fever. My daughter diagnosis yesterday at the ER was gastroenteritis/viral syndrome. weird

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So What Happened?

I should add this was Dominican cake with frosting which contains whites. My daughter ate some crackers and drank some apple juice this morning but I have not been able to eat anything yet. I forgot to add, We both got sick within 30 mins of eating this cake, No one else ate it, The cake was from last Saturday and we ate it on Thursday, My daughter does not have diarrhea but she did vomit yesterday twice, I have had loose stool but not diarrhea and no appetite at all. Just weak

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A.P.

answers from New York on

Unless you are both allergic to egg whites it sounds like a virus. I had food poisoning from a bad shrimp (yes, I remember the exact one that was mushy and flaky) over 20 years ago and will never forget the pain. My stomach and back ached so bad I had my father punching me in the back to massage the muscles. My stomach was so bloated and I could barely walk. Took months to fully recover and eat a slice of pizza without getting diarrhea. Sleep and feel better!

B.K.

answers from Chicago on

Doesn't sound like food poisoning at all, and cake, even with frosting, doesn't sound like something you'd get it from. Food poisoning comes on really quickly and is very violent. It sounds like you have a stomach virus. Did other people eat the cake? Did they all get sick?

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D.F.

answers from Boston on

Maybe a stomach bug or something like that. I have had food poisoning and its bad. You would be vomiting and having diarrhea non-stop. Your stomach would feel like someone is on the inside clawing its way out. Its the only way I can describe how it felt. The pain lasts a very long time. I still had cramps in my stomach a month after my bout with food poisoning. I was hospitalized for food poisoning.

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A.F.

answers from St. Cloud on

Food poisoning is by far the most violent sickness I have experienced. I did not have a fever. I think the ER was correct in assuming that it's a virus.
Please don't feel guilty about the cake! You didn't do anything wrong!
I hope you and your daughter feel better soon!

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V.W.

answers from Jacksonville on

I've, unfortunately, had food poisoning several times over the years. And this does NOT sound at all like food poisoning to me. Sounds like a virus.
With food poisoning, your body discovers the "bad" bacteria/germs from the spoiled/contaminated food, and within 6 hours (usually) begins to take drastic measures to eliminate it from your system, i.e., repeated forceful vomiting, and often, simultaneous diarrhea, Usually, to the point of exhaustion... where you feel like passing out in the bathroom between episodes. The worst of this is usually over in about 3-4 hours... as your body will have gotten most everything out of your intestinal tract by then. And then your whole abdominal area aches from the physical exertion of vomiting (takes a LOT of muscle power and you don't realize it).

For me, usually, it begins with something I have eaten at dinner out somewhere... then by about 1:00 a.m. I wake from sleep and feel weird... a little nauseous, and like there are rocks in my lower gut... I try to convince myself that it is nothing and go back to sleep. But usually within 15 minutes I start feeling hot (flushed) and more nauseous... and go into the bathroom, to be rewarded within 15 minutes or so of a wave of vomiting. By the next morning, the vomiting is long gone, but the diarrhea might linger for a few hours, depending on how severe it was, and what I have tried to put into my system after getting up.
I have found that sometimes the faster it "comes on" the better... b/c it doesn't get as spread around in your system, and the vomiting usually takes care of it pretty quickly and I get back to normal sooner.

The worst case I ever had, I felt like I had done an INTENSE stomach crunch workout about 3x in one day, and the aches lasted for about 2 or 3 days.... and I didn't feel much like eating anything for about 4 days. I probably should have gone to the hospital that time, but it was the first time I'd ever had it and I was young and thought everything always works out... I was in college... you know how that goes...

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M.H.

answers from Dallas on

I've heard that there can be problems with baking mixes that are out of date. But I thought that it was a trouble breathing. -- I hope you are both better soon.

B.C.

answers from Norfolk on

I doubt it was the cake. It was probably just the last thing you ate before you started feeling the symptoms. Rota-virus gastroenteritis is a mild to severe disease characterized by vomiting, watery diarrhea, and low-grade fever. Once a person is infected by the virus, there is an incubation period of about two days before symptoms appear. Symptoms often start with vomiting followed by four to eight days of profuse diarrhea. Dehydration is more common in rota-virus infection than in most of those caused by bacterial pathogens. So keep up the fluids for both of you. Tea, chicken broth, water, Pedialyte, Gatorade, etc. When I'm feeling yucky, I mix up some jello and drink it while it's warm and before it sets up.

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S.A.

answers from New York on

The diagnosis at the ER says they dont know what it is. You're throwing up.You knew that already! Its a stomach bug. Usually they last 12-48 hours, not longer. Eat the brat diet (bananas,rice,applesauce,toast). drink clear fluids, no juice, no dairy. Fluids are necessary even if you're still throwing them up. If you dont pee at least three times a day and more than a few drips, or urine gets dark. Call the Dr. hope you feel better soon.

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A.C.

answers from Boston on

I've had food poisoning twice. Never had a fever with it. If your not vomiting, It's probably not food poisoning. It's more than just nausea, it's severe pain, like you got got hit by a truck pain. Your whole body will hurt, and with the vomiting is also diarrhea. Sounds to me like you have a stomach bug. And you want to sleep because the body can heal itself when you sleep, so by all means sleep.

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M.H.

answers from Chicago on

I do not think that food poisoning comes with a fever. I know that there is a virus going around right now. My son has it and several co-workers kids from all over are sick.

J.L.

answers from Los Angeles on

I have had food poisoning, and to this day I can not eat clam chowder ever again. I don't remember having a temp. but I was a teen and didn't take my temp. I just remember vommiting so much I just laid my head on the toilet (in fact I fell asleep there). This might be too much info but I would take a sip of water and immediately throw it up...it would still be cold because it didn't sit in my stomach for more then a few seconds. That lasted about 24-48 hours, then of course got better but very slowly. I dont think I ate a whole meal until a week later. I did sleep a lot, especially from all the vomitting. I hope you guys feel better soon.

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E.M.

answers from Johnstown on

Are you sure it was the cake that made you sick? Fortunately, this is something that is "just going around" right now. Unfortunately, both of you ended up with it. I honestly don't think that you need to feel guilty about giving her the cake. Feel better soon!

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A.C.

answers from Houston on

Did you know the cake was bad (or that it was bad at all) when you gave it to her? If not, then don't waste time or energy feeling guilty about it. I know it is hard not to feel bad, but it is a waste of your own resources.

Sounds more like a stomach bug to me too. I've had food poisoning a couple of times (I travel a lot for work) and, at least for me, it is usually coming out both ends pretty uncontrollably--even a "mild" case.

If she can go fifteen minutes without vomiting, I would start giving her some fluids a tablespoon at a time. I always start with water and then go to natural giner ale or peppermint tea. Once she can go 1-2 hours without vomiting slowly introduce the BRAT (bananas, rice, applesauce, toast) diet (and yogurt, of course).

You should eat something yourself from the BRAT. Little nibbles to give some calories and make sure that you get as many fluids as possible.

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D.B.

answers from Charlotte on

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P.W.

answers from Dallas on

do your best to stay hydrated., and get yourself some pre and protiotics to help get your tummies back to where they should be. I take both every day!

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D.W.

answers from Gainesville on

It would be a rare case for a baked good to give you food poisoning. I agree with Erica M-it really sounds more like a tummy bug.

Food poisoning doesn't give you a fever and if you had it you'd be vomiting like crazy. That's your body's reaction to rid itself of the bacteria you ingested.

These tummy bugs are vicious and are very, very easily spread. Think about the cruise ship where one sick person gets on board and then boom 700 people are sick and they have to scrub down the whole ship!

After 1 1/2 hour-2 hours after an episode of vomiting (gives the tummy muscle time to relax after vomiting) offer her a tablespoon of something like pedialyte or even Gatorade (our pediatrician was at UF so of course they said we could use that lol) to keep her hydrated.

Make sure that even once she stops vomiting that you only offer the BRAT diet plus yogurt (to get the good back in her system). *** But you have to make sure that you give her body time to recover before introducing solids. If you introduce them too soon she will start the vomiting again and it will irritate her system. There is no need to rush to solids as long as she is able to keep down liquids but again you need to wait at least 1 /12-2 hours after an episode of vomiting to offer liquids. I learned this the hard way by offering my son liquids too soon and he kept vomiting. Finally called in and talked to the nurse. Once I followed her advice to wait we were good to go and he was able to keep small amounts of liquid down at a time.

J.S.

answers from Chicago on

I've had a food poisoning a few times. Never had a fever with it, but I was violently ill. Throwing up and watery stools within a few hours of eating whatever was spoiled. I took pepto in pill form when I could hold something down to help with the stools along with the BRAT diet. I had ice chips or ice cubes to suck on so I wouldn't get dehydrated, which can be a real problem with food poisoning.

Sounds like the ER was right - you and your daughter have a virus.

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