Freaking out over brie

[Changednamesorry]

Hi please bear with me I'm feeling pretty anxious and looking for reassurance.

I am mildly immunocompromised due to medicine I take for RA.

I just stupidly stupidly ate a piece of brie that looked a bit funny and as soon as I bit into it it tasted off. I think I spat most of it out but I swallowed some. I'm now panicking that I'm going to get really unwell. It was pasteurised brie and was in date according to the label.

Can anyone reassure me that I'm being silly please?

Normally I'm a very calm person so I'm not very good at dealing with anxiety because I don't get it often. But right now I'm feeling very freaked out.

I am sure you'll be fine. You didn't swallow it, and even if you did it was only a mouthful. I have had gone off dairy before. It made me a bit sick but it only lasted a day and I am still standing. Take that as your worst case ( but very unlikely) scenario. It will all be ok.

I take similar meds.

Nothing's got me yet - if nowt else, we're taking those drugs to try and get our immune systems down to the level of mere mortals, rather than having the shit hot ones that see everything as a bug that needs to be exterminated - including our own bodies. Pretty sure that short of a medical emergency shown on blood test or bubonic plague outbreak (and we'd probably survive that as well), we're tougher than the average person.

You won't get sick from brie that you didn't swallow. Try not to worry.

Basically if your ill then it's likely head over toilet that said or trots, either way in theory your immune system is likely to be able to combat any side effects

If it’s pasteurised, still in date, and you only swallowed a little bit, then you’re very unlikely to get unwell. Even if you’re on immunosuppressive meds.

Is there a chance your anxiety is at least partially related to the extremely unpleasant smell/taste of dairy that’s going off? I once poured cream all over my strawberries and didn’t realise it was off until I put the spoon in my mouth 🤢. It’s enough to make anyone a bit panicky.

Thank you so much for this. I really appreciate it

Yes a good chance. I was vegan for some time (it helped with my RA pain, I found) prior to getting pregnant with my third and I am currently an omnivore as still breastfeeding. So yes, it's very possible.

I'm dialing it down slowly. I also run my own business and have 3 kids so it's one of those noooooooooo I don't have time to be I'll freakouts also

Oh gosh, you’ve got a lot going on! I completely sympathise with the fear of being ill when you’re breastfeeding, managing work and children and a chronic illness, along with a diet that isn’t your preference. But you will almost certainly be fine.

Do you have something else nice you can eat as some kind of compensation or to reset your nose and taste buds? Maybe some fruit?