“What is the best way to treat food poisoning?”
What is the safest and quickest way to treat food poisoning?
2 Answers
Before starting on any antibiotics, make sure we find what is causing it. It could be viral, bacterial, or unspecified. Get your stools checked and take clear liquids every 12 hrs and gradually advance the diet to semisolids. May need IV fluids.
The first thing to do is be sure it is "Food poisoning", which we call "Food-borne illness". Typically if it is a food borne illness, patients will have both vomiting and diarrhea. If no diarrhea, a food borne illness is less likely. Treatment at first consists of simply treating the symptoms. Start a clear liquid diet, drink small sips of a clear liquid such as water. If vomiting and can't keep liquids down, the patient will likely need a prescription medicine to stop the vomiting. Preventing dehydration is the main goal. When you have vomiting and diarrhea, you are losing electrolytes such as sodium and potassium, so drinking gatorade or pedialyte is good to add to drinking water. For the diarrhea, use only pepto bismol. I advise against using otc medications like lomotil, imodium, etc. They paralyze the smooth muscles of the colon, and if the diarrhea is infection related, those will make things worse.
If vomiting and diarrhea go on for more than 2 days, or if there is fever, it is most likely a bacterial infection and antibiotics will be needed. Most food borne illness is viral, and should resolve within 1-3 days. Anything longer than that will require a dr visit. In short, prevent dehydration is the primary goal in the treatment, and stopping the vomiting.
If vomiting and diarrhea go on for more than 2 days, or if there is fever, it is most likely a bacterial infection and antibiotics will be needed. Most food borne illness is viral, and should resolve within 1-3 days. Anything longer than that will require a dr visit. In short, prevent dehydration is the primary goal in the treatment, and stopping the vomiting.
