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!

I agree about it not sounding like food poisoning. I had salmonella once and was ill for a fortnight.

I'm not old enough for perimenopause yet (and women in the family tend to go through it late)! I do have endometriosis and PCOS, so there is potentially some interesting stuff going on homonally... I'm also breastfeeding my 1.5 year old.

I was going to ask the same thing.

Everything goes to shit during perimenopause.

Are you taking omeprazole/esomeprazole? I seem to get food poisoning easily and I think it’s because I have no stomach acid from taking proton pump inhibitors.

I highly recommend using symprove for a couple of months. It was recommended to me and I used it daily for the first few weeks then alternate days for a few weeks. I don't need it now but I keep it in in case I get a flare up. It's brilliant for rebalancing your gut.

I developed some food intolerances in the last 2 years (age 35 now) having never had an issue before. Had to do a food elimination thing to figure it all out

Exhaustion and sudden issues with food could easily be something like coeliac disease.

it's an autoimmune condition and can be triggered by things like pregnancy.

Next time you have an episode, you need to have it investigated. This will be done with a stool sample.

It's possible your chickens are giving you salmonella or campylobacter.

You and your family shouldn't have a healthy coating of dirt all over you until bathtime. Everyone should at least wash hands before lunch and dinner, using a nailbrush each time if you've been dealing with outdoor cats and chickens.

In addition, you need to have the family remove shoes indoors if you've all been exposed to chicken poo outside. You need to disinfect doorknobs, fridge handle, kitchen cupboard door handles, etc.

There are a number of bugs that you could have picked up from your chickens. …campylobacter,salmonella,e.coli. I’ve known someone who had an initial episode of food poisoning then recurrent bouts and was later diagnosed with salmonella. But also long Covid is sometimes associated with gut issues.

I was posting somewhat tongue in cheek... just trying to make the point that I don't douse everything in unnecessary disinfectant every 5 minutes! The children wash hands and faces regularly, when coming in from the garden and before eating, etc. They're fit and healthy with no signs of illness, so no concerns about hygiene there. I don't always change their clothes or manage to get all the dirt off their neck (for example) before bathtime later in the day and that's the kind of 'healthy attitude towards dirt' that I was referring to... I prefer my children to live a little and enjoy life than be pristine at all times (an attitude that my GP agrees with)!

Re the chickens - boots are taken off before traipsing indoors and hands are washed before coming into contact with anything else in the kitchen/elsewhere. If anything, we're more scrupulous than usual due to avian flu and trying to reduce the risk of cross-flock/bird contamination from other sources too. This is partly why I think I have such chapped hands!

I'm reasonably sure it's not salmonella (been there, done that, decades ago... it was utterly horrific) and last time I was tested for campylobacter it was negative (although I appreciate things can change).

I'll mention to my GP this week and see what he thinks...

Ha, should add that I wash my hands after dealing with the birds too, not just the children... 🤣