Post: #1

I thought this might be a valuable thread so we know what to avoid.

Which countries did you get food poisoning?

What did you eat?

What did you do to cure it?

Feel free to share stories, and tips on how to avoid.

Post: #2

I've only had mild food poisoning, i.e. severe nausea but without vomiting or fever or the need to be rushed to the hospital. Once got it from a stale McDonald's burger when I was 18. Was laid up in bed with nausea for 2 days. Once from Burger King many years ago, and once from Roscoe's Chicken and Waffles. Even then I don't know if this was food poisoning or stomach virus or some reaction to something.

Never had any serious problems overseas other than the runs, but I'm super paranoid about what I eat in 3rd world countries. I damned near starved myself in Bolivia to avoid some risky looking meals.

Post: #3

Goa, India... I think it was the mussels that got me. I had plenty of fish there but after eating a sampler platter I was wanting to die for the next 24 hours.

Odessa, Ukraine... got poisoned with home made vodka. Sometimes the bartenders will swap out home made shit and pocket the cash. That was only the beginning of my problems that night. ha

Post: #4

anything in india is bad if it's made with the water that most people drink there. when i went there in 1992 i was the only one in the family to avoid the water and was the only one who avoided any of the nasty bugs in there.

coincidentally when i drank the water in cozumel, mexico i got a case of montezumas revenge. i was young and naive then.

Post: #5

After eating at dive restaurants and even a few street vendors in Colombia and the Dominican Republic, I wound up getting food poisoning at one of the nicest restaurants in Costa Rica. To make matters worse, the food wasn't even that good (I had a shrimp dish). I took some Imodium AD and it cleared up pretty quickly.

Post: #6

I had the shyts in DR . What had happened was that I ventured an hour off the resort by public transit to some city (can't remember the name) and wound up in some shack where this big butt lizard gave me fried plantain and fried chicken.

Next evening, I had the runs but I cleared it up with the Imodium that I purchased in North America prior to my venture.

Post: #7

Bali, Indonesia. Burger, coming out of both ends. Stick to Indonesian food there

Post: #8

I'm constantly hearing how people are getting worms and parasites from eating on Cruises. I always get some sort of flu virus from the tap water in Greece. As far as Mexico goes and the DR just drink beer all day and you'll be fine.

Post: #9

Probiotics help prevent food poisoning. Start taking these and these you'll be creating a new thread to rival your coconut oil and green tea posts.

Post: #10

Never had really bad food poisoning ever. Just 24 hour stuff a couple of times. Once I think from contaminated water in a sub-tropical rural area in South Africa and maybe a couple of times elsewhere from dodgy meat that had been curried to hide the fact that it was off.

But based on the experience of a friend I try my harderst to avoid shelfish when travelling. He was laid out cold for two weeks after eating some dodgy shelfish. You can get serious poisoning if it's contaminated. I eat it if I suss out the scene and am staying somwhere for months, but just passing through I avoid it like the plague. It's never come to it, but I'd make up shit about being Jewish and eating kosher if I had to to avoid a scene at a communal dinner.

My approach to minimise the likelihood of food poisining when travelling:

1) Bottled water only.
2) Avoid shelfish like the plague.
3) Avoid curried foods unless I've added the curry myself.

Post: #11

(03-12-2012 03:15 PM)MikeCF Wrote:  Probiotics help prevent food poisoning. Start taking these and these you'll be creating a new thread to rival your coconut oil and green tea posts.

MikeCF-

Nice.

Can you bust a thread on these and break them down a little.

I am interested.

Post: #12

Was just in India for 2 months. Take the following with you:
1. Anti-bacterial Norfloxacin or Cipro
2. Antiviral: Metronizadole
3. Cumin
4. Immodium

Take antibacterial for most issues, along with Immodium. Take antiviral for more serious food poisoning especially associated with bad water (giardia, etc). Cumin for bad meat. Take probiotics to replenish (good) bacteria. I was just in India, and there's practically nothing that this did not solve within a day or so.

Post: #13

Drank a glass of tap water in Costa Rica and had a little bit of the runs but it wasnt too bad. Even the locals there drink bottled water so I got what I deserved.

I had one brutal case of food poisoning from a Burger King in the DC area. Took about 8 hours for it to kick it but it was brutal. Basically your body says "everything out. dont care which exit. now." It was brutal for about two hours. After that you just drink a lot of water and start eating again and you are ok.

Post: #14

I always buy yogurt from grocery stores when I travel in developing countries. I've never gotten sick as a result. I think that's due to the live bacteria cultures in yogurt. Helps with digestion.

Post: #15

After studiously avoiding the local water, icecubes, lettuce (which is mostly water) I got food poisioning in Lima Peru after eating in one of the best restaurants in the city, 'La Mar'. I had the ceviche sampler and I drank all the Tigre de Leche not realizing it was probably more water than lemon juice. Out of commission for 4 days.

Post: #16

(03-12-2012 11:10 PM)whosyourdaddy Wrote:  Was just in India for 2 months. Take the following with you:
1. Anti-bacterial Norfloxacin or Cipro
2. Antiviral: Metronizadole
3. Cumin
4. Immodium

Take antibacterial for most issues, along with Immodium. Take antiviral for more serious food poisoning especially associated with bad water (giardia, etc). Cumin for bad meat. Take probiotics to replenish (good) bacteria. I was just in India, and there's practically nothing that this did not solve within a day or so.

I was in India for almost three years. You can get Norfloxacin or Cipro at any pharmacy in India, without a prescription. I recommend taking something less powerful with you. I could not find anything less powerful there. If you read about these antibiotics online it says they can have serious side effects. Despite these side effects, I would end up taking them. Losing three days to throwing up or take a pill with possibly dangerous side-effects (later in life)? The pill always won.

There's anti-cholera drug you can take that will keep you from getting sick for about three months. A friend of mine used that and it worked for him.

Food poisoning in India was the worst part of living there. No restaurant in India is safe. I got sick even at high-end restaurants. After two+ years there, my body didn't ever fully adjust. I dont think anyone fully adjusts, not even locals.

During my time there, I had serious food poisoning five times (to the point of throwing up). Lesser food issues (loose motions as they call it) many more times than that.

Post: #17

I wouldn't say I've ever had food poisoning as I've always understood it to me more than just diarrhea and to include vomitting, fever and other nasty symptoms.

I've had diarrhea many times when on the road (everywhere from Europe to Aus to Asia to South America) but nothing an immodium won't stop and I have a bad stomach at the best of times anyway. I had it happen about 2hrs before I was due to board an overnight bus last week, bad timing, but immodium saved me. I couldn't ever pinpoint what caused it, would be impossible as food poisoning / diarrhea can come on anything from 2 to 24hrs+ after eating something bad. It may not even be food that made you sick, could be water, dirt, unclean cutlery or many other things.

Post: #18

Indonesia- Tap water got all of us. Some places would refill bottles with it. Make sure your bottle stays unopened until they serve it.

UAE- Forgot one morning and drank the tap water. Total newbie mistake. Almost had to call for a doctor on the plane ride out.

Thailand- Got the bright idea to eat 2 dozen raw oysters. 3-4 confined to the hotel until it passed.

U.S.- Another oyster incident. Went to the doc on that one.

England- Ate some pussy that almost made me fall in love.

Post: #19

(03-12-2012 03:20 PM)Bad Hussar Wrote:  Never had really bad food poisoning ever. Just 24 hour stuff a couple of times. Once I think from contaminated water in a sub-tropical rural area in South Africa and maybe a couple of times elsewhere from dodgy meat that had been curried to hide the fact that it was off.

But based on the experience of a friend I try my harderst to avoid shelfish when travelling. He was laid out cold for two weeks after eating some dodgy shelfish. You can get serious poisoning if it's contaminated. I eat it if I suss out the scene and am staying somwhere for months, but just passing through I avoid it like the plague. It's never come to it, but I'd make up shit about being Jewish and eating kosher if I had to to avoid a scene at a communal dinner.

My approach to minimise the likelihood of food poisining when travelling:

1) Bottled water only.
2) Avoid shelfish like the plague.
3) Avoid curried foods unless I've added the curry myself.

Good post Bad, i got laid out from eating shrimp in Hawaii at a Benihana style Japanese restaurant. Was puking, dizzy, felt poisoned, almost went to hospital. Also, I got laid out in Mexico from eating bad cheese in a soup, thought i was going to die. My heart started racing from the toxins, broke out in a cold sweat, dizzy, and got laid out for 2 days. Also, in Mexico, I usually get the runs no matter what.

Post: #20

(03-13-2012 05:03 AM)Aliblahba Wrote:  Indonesia- Tap water got all of us. Some places would refill bottles with it. Make sure your bottle stays unopened until they serve it.

UAE- Forgot one morning and drank the tap water. Total newbie mistake. Almost had to call for a doctor on the plane ride out.

Thailand- Got the bright idea to eat 2 dozen raw oysters. 3-4 confined to the hotel until it passed.

U.S.- Another oyster incident. Went to the doc on that one.

England- Ate some pussy that almost made me fall in love.

The last line is fuckin hilarious Ali, you had to throw some humor into this thread. So the pussy put a spell on you, similar to an illness. LOL .....