In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide link (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate link (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning.
Drink water, broth, or an electrolyte solution, which will replace the minerals that you lose with vomiting and diarrhea. Eat when you feel ready, but start with small amounts of bland, nonfatty foods such as toast, rice, and crackers. Get plenty of rest.
Acetaminophen (Tylenol) or ibuprofen (Advil, Motrin) can be helpful in these cases.
There are a range of anti-diarrhoea medicines available such as 'Imodium' but check before using them. These are not suitable for children but ask your GP or pharmacist for advice. But, you can take paracetamol or ibuprofen if you have a fever, aches and pains or a headache.
You may be given medicine for nausea or vomiting to help keep down fluids. Take these medicines as prescribed. You may use acetaminophen or nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) such as ibuprofen or naproxen to reduce pain and fever.
You need to give your body time to rest. You'll likely be feeling weaker than normal since you're not eating and drinking normally. Treat your body the way it deserves to be treated and take some time to lie down and fight off the illness.
Symptoms of food poisoning can appear anywhere between four hours and one week after ingesting a contaminated food item, and can persist for as short a time as 24 hours or as long as a week. This variability in both onset and duration of symptoms is another reason food poisoning so often goes unidentified.
Most people fully recover from the most common types of food poisoning within 12 to 48 hours. Some types of food poisoning can cause serious complications.
However, the key distinction is time: The symptoms of a stomach bug will take 12 to 48 hours to develop, while the symptoms of food poisoning typically develop much faster, usually with 6 hours of consuming an infected dish. Another common difference between the two is the length of illness.
Replace lost fluids and electrolytes
You should drink plenty of liquids. If vomiting is a problem, try sipping small amounts of clear liquids. Replacing lost fluids and electrolytes is the most important treatment for food poisoning. Eating saltine crackers can also help replace electrolytes.
Symptoms of food poisoning often include upset stomach, diarrhea and vomiting. Symptoms usually start within hours or several days of eating the food. Most people have mild illness and get better without treatment.
Food poisoning — by definition — is not contagious. It's an illness that someone gets from eating contaminated foods. And outbreaks can occur when many people eat the same contaminated food. So, in these outbreaks, the illness isn't spread from person to person like other infections.
Take a shower: Showering can help cleanse your body of unhealthy bacteria due to food poisoning.
Most cases of food poisoning are mild and clear up in a few days. During that time, the goal is to prevent dehydration. Dehydration is the loss of fluids and electrolytes (nutrients and minerals) your body needs. You should avoid solid foods and dairy products until the vomiting and diarrhea have passed.
It's hard to miss the main symptoms: stomach cramps, vomiting, and diarrhea. They can hit a few hours or a day or two after you eat the food that caused the problem. Your symptoms usually pass in a few days or even in mere hours.
How do doctors diagnose food poisoning? Doctors often diagnose food poisoning based on your symptoms. If your symptoms are mild and last only a short time, you typically won't need tests. In some cases, a medical history, a physical exam, stool tests, and blood tests can help diagnose food poisoning.
Abdominal pain is felt around the trunk of the body, or the area below your ribs but above your pelvis. In cases of food poisoning, harmful organisms can produce toxins that irritate the lining of your stomach and intestines. This can result in painful inflammation in your stomach, which may cause pain in your abdomen.
Home treatments to settle an upset stomach may include consuming small amounts of clear liquids, drinking plenty of fluids, small sips of water or sucking on ice chips, sports drinks, clear sodas, diluted juices, clear soup broth or bouillon, popsicles, caffeine-free tea, and the BRAT diet.
While many symptoms of the stomach bug and food poisoning are similar, it's important to determine which sickness you may have. The symptoms of food poisoning may: occur more quickly after exposure. become more severe than symptoms of a stomach bug.
The time it takes food poisoning symptoms to start can vary. Illness often starts in about 1 to 3 days. But symptoms can start any time from 30 minutes to 3 weeks after eating contaminated food. The length of time depends on the type of bacteria or virus causing the illness.
Food poisoning usually goes away on its own in a few days. You can do a few things to take care of yourself: Get plenty of rest. Drink liquids to protect against dehydration.
While it is not always necessary to visit an urgent care center when you have food poisoning, certain symptoms can be dangerous. Urgent care services are necessary when there is blood in the stool, when diarrhea lasts for more than three days or when you have been vomiting for more than two days.