Anyone had mild food poisoning from a coffee machine??

[CarrieLouise25]

Last week I woke up at 2am all hot, and stabbing pains in my stomach, really wanting to be sick. Classic food poisoning symptoms. I panicked, as you do, as I'm 27 weeks pregnant and was petrified whatever this was, would damage baby.

Anyways, after a couple of hours of griping stabbing pains, some smelly farts (sorry TMI), and trying to breathe calmly to stop sickness, I fell asleep and eventually felt bit better in the morning. Felt rough the next day. Couldn't work out why.

A week on, same thing happened last night. Really bad, luckily not sick, but stomach in a lot of pain.

DH worked out that on both those days I'd had a latte from Waitrose.

Can you get sick from a coffee machine, I assume if it's not been cleaned? Anyone else been sick from a coffee machine?

DH had one the same day, and didn't feel 'right', but he wasn't ill. Although he attributes this to the alcohol he had afterwards and swears it would have killed any bacteria

Any thoughts most welcome! Thanks x

[Lenuccia]

Yes I think you can . I had a coffee on Eurostar en route to a wedding and was ill like you (but didn't actually hurl) - rest of family ok, - only I had coffee. I used to work in the bar (when I was a student) and they cleaned the plastic pipes with a strong detergent which isn't always washed out properly (IMO)- they use this on commercial coffee machines too.I have always stayed clear of the "pump" drinks in bars and get bottles but I broke my own rule. The wedding was a day from hell.

My sympathies.

[RealHuman]

I was once drawn into Subway by the prospect of a £1 cappuccino. Shortly after I drank it I had to run to the nearest public loos to be apocalyptically sick. I felt shaky for a few hours afterwards. I suspect that was probably cleaning fluid in the machine rather than ordinary food poisoning, though.

[AtSea1979]

Probably much more likely that it's just the pregnancy making you a bit ill. Baby lay in wrong place, surge of hormones, that kind of thing.

[CarrieLouise25]

Thanks Lenuccia - sorry you had a bad day, but at least I'm not going crazy trying to work out where the symptoms have come from.

DH said where he used to work, the coffee machine was supposed to be cleaned daily, but that rarely happened.

RealHuman - oh no, that sounds horrible. I think I will avoid Subway...

AtSea1979 - yes, I did wonder if it was just pregnancy, but I had HG for 5 months, and having had norovirus bugs and food poisoning before, I'm convinced I had mild food poisoning/bacteria related symptoms. Although, maybe am more sensitive being pregnant? Not sure.

Thanks for all your replies! x

[CarrieLouise25]

I saw the lady topping up the milk in a container at the bottom. They use fresh milk, thinking that was a good thing, but not sure now

[anotherbusymum14]

Yes I had a black filtered coffee from a possibly breaking down (dirty) machine in Asda somewhere on the way back from holiday. The machine didn't work for the person in front of me (in the line) but they had milk with theirs and I didn't need, I thought the plain coffee would be fine.
I said to my family if I'm sick it will be because of the coffee. I had the worst stomach ever. I did not throw up but had a really disgusting, painful stomach. ( Sorry TMI. ) I don't think the machine was ever cleaned to be honest. The countertops were left unwiped and the lady running the cafe used a mucky cloth to wipe the frother part of the machine (just my opinion). I will never get supermarket-cafe coffee again.

[CarrieLouise25]

anotherbusymum14 - oh no, poor you! That sounds about right, I wasn't sick, but oh my, my stomach was not happy at all. The lady who looks after the coffee machine in waitrose looks very very stressed, and they look short staffed. I'm not sure it gets cleaned to be honest...

[howtorebuild]

I use kitchen roll and Chuck after each use. I do at these barista people rubbing an old j cloth up and down the milk pipe.

I wonder what EH, would do if you asked them to investigate OP?

[CarrieLouise25]

Hmmm. I am wondering if I should write, as I don't want anyone else getting ill. I don't have 100% assurance that this was where it came from, but I can highlight it and hope they investigate.

Same here, I use kitchen roll and chuck, but anyone using old cloths make me shudder...

[howtorebuild]

We soak our clothes in D10 anti bac solution all the time.

My mind is at rest.

[CarrieLouise25]

I meant at home. Wiping the sides down etc, DH will use a random old cloth and I will scream at him gently remind him not to