Why do I keep getting food poisoning when others don't?

[Poppins2016]

I've suffered food poisoning four times in the last 6 months (and the most recent bouts occurred twice in 2 weeks, so I'm feeling delicate and frustrated right now). Frustratingly, other people have eaten exactly the same food but not come down with anything. I don't usually react to the foods concerned (it's been scallops or meat), so I don't think it's intolerance.

Has anyone got experience of suffering in the same manner even when other people are fine? Does anyone know why?!

Irritatingly, it's always been food prepared by others and I'm starting to suspect poor hygiene standards (and yet, I'm the only one who reacts)? I'm seriously considering going vegetarian for a while in order to avoid eating meat... it won't do me any harm and I've been thinking of cutting back for various reasons anyway!

Google Post infectious irritable bowel. Could be that.

How do you know it’s food poisoning and not just a stomach bug?

I would say if it’s happened quite a few times in a short period maybe it’s not food poisoning. It could be, I suppose but it equally could be a new intolerance, or even psychological - anxiety around other people preparing your food?

Bug, intolerance, IBS. I doubt it's actual food poisoning.

Without being rude how’s your hand hygiene? If others aren’t getting ill from the food it may be something you're doing or not doing? Otherwise always worth doing all you can to boost your good bacteria- kefir, kimchi, pre and pro biotics
etc.

Ibs or lack of good gut bacteria - or both. Try taking a probiotic like Biokault. I’ve had horrendous ibs for many years and it’s made a huge difference to me.

I've pondered that myself... but stomach bugs usually tend to last a while (48 hours plus), don't they?

I tend to have episodes of diarrhoea and/or vomiting that come on fast and then disappear within 24 hours or much less (about 8 hours on average), which is what made me think it was something I ate/food poisoning rather than something like norovirus. It also doesn't spread through the household (DH/2 children).

maybe it’s your hygiene? Or you've got a food intolerance? What did you eat to make yourself ill?

This doesn’t sound like food poisoning or a stomach bug to be honest. Are you sure it’s not some sort of intolerance?

If other people haven't suffered same symptoms, I doubt it's food poisoning. More likely to be something to do with yourself, I assume.

My DM has started developing the same symptoms after certain foods - oysters was one example recently. Seems like she's developed an intolerance that's just appeared out of nowhere. There was another food that triggered it too, anchovies maybe.

My IBS is like that, I find certain foods cause it ( though usually only if I have too much) but the biggest trigger is stress.

I’m not a medic but I think Salmonella can come & go in the body when conditions are “right.”
This link might be helpful? Maybe get tested?

https://www.imperial.ac.uk/news/175356/bacteria-alarm-clock-cause-repeat-infections/amp/

Pretty good - I'd say I have a good understanding of basic food hygiene, principles of cross contamination, how to wash my hands properly, etc (they're actually quite chapped at the moment) and I never have any issues if I'm preparing my own food.

On the flip side, I'm not someone who goes nuts with disinfectants, bleach, etc unless deemed absolutely necessary, so it's not as though germs are a shock to the system either (the children and I spend a lot of time outdoors, we have cats and chickens and they're usually covered in a healthy amount of dirt until bathtime).

Pro buotics

Pressed post too soon....

Pro biotics might be a good shout. I hadn't made the connection but I've taken a few courses of antibiotics recently and I suppose that might well have something to do with it?! Thanks for that suggestion 🙂

I don't think you've ever had food poisoning, maybe IBS or something similar?

I've had food poisoning once in my 70+ years, it lasted way way longer than 8 hours. And it's was diagnosed via a sample. I can say it was like no other tummy upset I've ever had. It lasted over four weeks (mainly because, I think, I had to take imodium to get me home from abroad - a 45 minute ferry journey, a 4 hour + flight. A lot of imodium.).

I was on a drip and oral antibiotics. It was pretty bad.

There is a thing where tick bites can give you a meat allergy. Unlikely but it demonstrates anything's possible! Hope you find what's going on for you. www.cdc.gov/ticks/alpha-gal/index.html

Interesting, @user1471453601... (poor
you, that sounds horrendous)!

I'm seeing my GP this week for a follow up about exhaustion/possible long covid, I might ask whether this could be linked (it hadn't occurred to me as I just put it down to 'something I ate').

That's fascinating! I'm relatively confident that I haven't been bitten by a tick, though, and I'm able to eat meat without issue in between these episodes...

Some parasites can cause what seems like food poisoning to keep recurring (and disappear quickly again each time). I know someone who has these sorts of symptoms and it turned out to be giardia, which was easily treated.

Doesn’t sound like food poisoning to me? I had a nasty bout of food poisoning (from a salad) I was ill for weeks though. My symptoms started with feeling sick, being sick, explosive diarrhoea and high fever. The fever lasted 48ish hours. After about a week of non stop toilet visits (10 a day sometimes) I developed post infectious Ibs. Basically my stomach lining was so inflamed and took over a month to fully heal. The cramps and diarrhoea would come back if I ate anything that wasn’t boiled rice, mash or toast.
my sister also had food poisoning recently and she had diarrhea and sickness for 6 days with fever for 3 days. She didn’t develop post infectious Ibs though.

The antibiotics use could be linked. There has been quite a bit about this in the news recently. Google: Frequent antibiotic use linked to inflammatory bowel disease in over-40s.

Hope you feel better soon.

Only times I've had food poisoning, then others who have eaten the same food have gone down as well within a small time frame.
Interestingly though even with norovirus, we rarely pass any stomach bugs round the family. My sister's family almost always all get stomach bugs if one does. I'm not particularly rabid cleaner either; I think our family just aren't particularly inclined to get stomach bugs.

I'd agree with the others, sounds more like an intolerance or stomach bug.

How old are you OP? Perimenopause can cause reactions to food that you were previously fine with.