How mad is it to go to a London theatre show this afternoon having vomited in the night?

[yophoriac25]

Namechanged as my sister will recognise this and I don't want her to advanced-search my other threads (Hi sis. Love you)

Obviously I wouldn't consider this if I had an infectious vomitting bug but I am pretty sure the cause of me vomitting in the night was the home-made "cured salmon" that my lovely dad made and gave us for brunch yesterday. DH and DC didn't have any as each is either vegetarian or averse to unfamilar foods or both. It was delicious but I started getting really horrible abdominal cramps from 4pm and felt very sorry for myself all evening (took painkillers as period is due and frankly it felt mostly like early labour pains so I thought it might be gynaecological/perimenopause being unpredictable). Woke at 3am with pain all gone but feeling queasy so fetched the Sick Bowl and was soon vomiting quite a lot, then again an hour later. Started feeling much better right away. Went back to sleep and have woken now feeling 100% healthy.

We have tickets for a matinee show in London that I have been wanting to see for years. I bought the tickets back in March and have been looking forward to today all year. How mad would I be to go ahead and embark on a 2hr journey to London, matinee theatre show and 2hr journey home (it's a pretty easy day trip we do it regularly) under these circumstances?

(I will be chatting about this to DSis later to see whether she and her DH have also been ill as they also had the Salmon and if I decide not to go I will offer them the tickets, so want to have mumsnet advice before I have that conversation)

Personally, if you’re sure it was the salmon and have no further symptoms, I’d go.

If you are sure it was the salmon and have completely stopped vomiting/diarrhea then I'd go. If it's not food poisoning you still wouldn't want to take ill during a journey.

Food posioning can be contiagious so you’re thinking about it being the salmon so you can still go isn’t logical.

Bad. If it's not from over indulgence then you'd be pretty selfish. I caught COVID after a selfish Ahole thought it was still a good idea to go to theatre. 😡🙄

I was recently violently ill for about an hour in the night and I was convinced it was the food I’d had for dinner. I had to jump on a short flight the next day and went for it. I was totally clear the rest of the day. I very much doubt I passed it on. I did make sure I washed my hands really well throughout the day, but if I was you I’d go. Food can definitely hit different people differently.

I personally wouldn't go, but I'm a self diagnosed emetophobe. The thought of vomiting somewhere in public terrifies me.
If you feel fine now that's good. But it's only been a few hours since you were sick. And it's also a very long time from brunch, to 3am in the morning. Normally dodgy food has an effect within about 8 hours or so..I can't imagine it making you sick after 16/17 hrs.
But hey, I'm not a doctor. The only other thing that would sway me is not wanting to infect anyone else. I hate the idea of people going out or coming round when they're ill of just been ill. Especially with sickness.

Bacterial food poisoning cannot be airborne, it is only transmissible from poor hand-hygiene or if active symptoms get particles of vomit or other bodily substances onto surfaces, and I am quite capable of being careful with hand-hygiene and certainly won't go if I have any further symptoms before it's time to leave. It is absolutely clearly not viral which is a lot more transmissible. Comparisons with covid infection routes are totally irrelevant, that's a virus.

That’s a long time after eating to be sick, I wouldn’t be so sure it was food poisoning.

As someone taking two vulnerable children to a theatre show in London today I really hope you decide not to go. Sorry OP!

How is food poisoning contagious?

Yes of course I would go.

Ooh this is a hard one. I think if you are 100% this morning I would assume not a bug and go for it

It can be contagious if an uninfected person gets a fragment of material with a sufficient bacterial load into their mouth. Eg it would be possible (though I hope not and don't think it is likely) that a few particles got onto vegetarian DH as he kindly helped me in the night. Vulnerable people at the theatre would only be at risk if I vomit again later.

I would probably go but I'd go with sick bags, Imodium and a plan to book into a hotel if needs be.

So you had salmon yesterday lunchtime, started feeling rough 4 hours later, then went to bed and felt sick and you then were sick, I would say it was the salmon and your body getting rid of it, which is better than waiting for the diarrhoea to start which is what I get when I’ve had food poisoning. It might just be the salmon was very strong and didn’t agree with you, rather than actual poisoning.

Bacteria can spread through touching doors, other surfaces etc. No matter how careful you are about washing your hands you can’t keep them completely clean all day. I wouldn’t personally choose to go somewhere you’ll be sitting for several hours with hundreds of other people

Yes I was thinking eg you cough, involuntarily touch your mouth then as you go to your seat your hands are on seat backs etc which my dc touch. They then get ill.

I know it’s frustrating to miss things but I obey the 48 hour rules myself as an adult and with my own kids and those with immunocompromised family members eg cancer patients (not our situation but as an example), rely on people doing the right thing.

What if sis and dh haven’t been ill. Then it’s not the salmon?

OP already said they didn’t eat it…

Yeah this

Of course I’d still go if I was sure it was the salmon and I’d stopped being sick. Food poisoning symptoms can occur within a very short time, but can also take between 1-2 days to kick in, so a delay of 12 hours or so between eating the salmon and being sick isn’t at all unusual. If your sister and her husband haven’t been unwell in the night, that doesn’t mean it wasn’t the salmon, but it could have just been caused by a particular bit you ate, or or their digestive systems may not be quite as sensitive as yours.

No she said her dc and dh didn’t eat it

but her sis and bil did eat it

No one else in the family is ill despite many others eating the salmon (just not my own DH & DC - it was a big gathering). We've decided not to go to London, and have swapped the theatre tickets for a different performance in a few weeks.
Thanks very much all for your advice. Will have a sofa day instead. I appreciate it is still uncertain whether it's bacterial or viral or possibly a specific allergy/intolerance as there were other exotic foodstuffs that I don't nornally have. However, DH says he couldn't enjoy the theatre at all if he was on hypervigillance alert in case I prove to be properly ill, even if I feel well right now.

Aww disappointing as it is I think you made the right choice op. I hope you feel better soon and enjoy the rescheduled performance in a few weeks!