# If you eat something that may've gone bad, is there anything you can take to prevent food poisoning **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 11, 2017, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663 "2017-06-11T01:37:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Enuma\_Elish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5e9695/32.png) [@Enuma\_Elish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enuma_Elish)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 5:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/21 "2017-06-11T05:35:03Z")
Like Velocity said, honey - best in its rawest form - will kill bacteria not just in the stomach, like modern drugs do, but all the way through the intestinal tract. Honey has been known as a natural bacteria killer/antiseptic from ancient Egypt to the present. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 7:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/22 "2017-06-11T07:15:13Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > No there isn’t. That drug was removed from the market in 2010. Studies indicated it caused far far more harm than it prevented. > > I would **NOT** recommend taking any of the advice offered in this thread thus far. Eating something that has ‘gone bad’ covers such a wide array of possible (but not particularly likely) toxins or exposures or situations that there’s no one solution to such an open ended concern. Milk past its expiration date? A fish taco that tasted funny? Food from a can with weird bulges in it? All probably harmless, but if not, all with completely different mechanisms of pathology. AND completely different treatments **if** a real problem is present. > > Best bet: If you feel like vomiting, don’t fight it, throw up. Otherwise rest, drink some clear fluids to stay hydrated, and wait to see what happens. If significant untoward symptoms occur, seek medical help. If you find you’ve eaten food that was found to be tainted by public health authorities, contact them to see what you should do. Good, sensible advice. Thanks. On the fluids thing - I’ve always found that, if I have a condition that means I am guaranteed to be throwing up (e.g. norovirus), it helps to drink water when I can - not because it prevents the vomiting, but because it seems to make it a less strenuous and damaging event when it does happen. Is there any sense to that? I can see that there could be a counterargument that dry retching is safer for the airway. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 11:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/23 "2017-06-11T11:04:59Z")
As long as the substance has been [del]brought up[/del] mentioned, how do you activate charcoal? I presumre it doesn’t have a switch… ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/24 "2017-06-11T11:38:50Z")
Honey kills germs _only when it’s undiluted_. The way it kills germs is simply by being such a strong solution (of sugar, of course\*) that most microorganisms’ cell membranes can’t keep them from being dried out, like a slug that’s sprinkled with salt. Mix it with anything else, though, like the rest of the contents of your stomach, and it not only ceases to be antibacterial, but it actually becomes a very _good_ breeding ground for nearly everything (again, because of the sugar). Meanwhile, even if it did kill germs, that wouldn’t necessarily help with food poisoning. Many types of food poisoning, including the worst ones, aren’t caused by bacteria themselves, but by the toxins the bacteria produce. Even if you kill off the bacteria, the toxins remain, and can still make you sick or kill you. \*Specifically, the sugars in honey are mostly glucose and fructose. Even more specifically, they’re glucose and fructose in the same proportions as are found in high-fructose corn syrup. That’s right, honey, which is touted as being such a wonderful miracle food, is almost identical to the evil HFCS. ---
**Author:** ![naita](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/naita/32/5862_2.png) [@naita](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/naita)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/25 "2017-06-11T11:41:14Z")
> [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](#): > > **Qadgop** , while we have you here, I mentioned ipecac because I had seen it in Walmart recently. It’s in pill form, made in America, blah, blah. What gives? > > ETA: [Walmart listing](https://www.walmart.com/ip/Hylands-Ipecac-30x-250-CT/54136373) Already mentioned, it’s homeopatic and supposed to work against vomiting and the description is hilarious. > [@](#): > > Enjoy Hyland’s Ipecacuanha 30x - 250 Tablets every day at these amazing prices! Hyland’s Ipecacuanha 30x Description: Nausea and Vomiting Primary remedy for nausea and vomiting, gagging cough, upset stomach. Also aids in stopping nosebleeds or bleeding from any part of the body. Yeah, enjoy this useless sugar pill every day! ---
**Author:** ![Trinopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/2bfe46/32.png) [@Trinopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trinopus)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/26 "2017-06-11T15:41:11Z")
I take Immodium and Pepto\*\* to combat the symptoms;\*\* at the first tinge of discomfort – when you see the handwriting on the wall – dose up. ---
**Author:** ![SamuelA](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c77e96/32.png) [@SamuelA](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SamuelA)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/27 "2017-06-11T15:53:41Z")
Qadgop, under what circumstances would throwing up the suspicious food item make things worse? Whatever pathogen it has, less of it is better, right? As long as you don’t inhale the vomit or something. I suppose that’s why it’s no longer the recommended treatment - because of the risk of aspirating vomit exceeds the risk of dying from whatever the bad food contains? ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/28 "2017-06-11T16:17:26Z")
Vomiting is **not** a benign process. There are significant risks, which go up exponentially as the severity of the vomiting increases. Chief among them are Mallory Weiss tears, rips in the esophagus from the force of hurling. These can hemorrhage catastrophically. Severe vomiting also increases intracranial pressure, and can precipitate strokes. It elevates blood pressure which can precipitate those same strokes plus heart attacks and arrhythmias. Chronic vomiting dissolves teeth, disturbs the blood electrolytes, and causes esophageal erosions and inflammation. To make yourself vomit when there’s no demand from the body to do so, nor a clear, obvious need (need such as the acute ingestion of a known poison) generally is more likely to damage one’s health than to save it. And vomiting some things like caustic agents (acids, alkalis) often causes more damage on the way back up. These substances should be diluted with the right medications/substances, and this is better done in an emergency room setting. And one cannot possibly safely ingest enough honey to kill bacteria in the gut. Besides, most causes of food poisonings are the toxins, not the bacteria which occasionally produce the toxins. DO NOT INGEST HONEY to try to conteract poisoning. You’ll only run the risk of hyperglycemia and hyperosmolar state. ---
**Author:** ![scr4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/59ef9b/32.png) [@scr4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scr4)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 4:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/29 "2017-06-11T16:43:47Z")
> [@kaylasdad99](#): > > As long as the substance has been [del]brought up[/del] mentioned, how do you activate charcoal? I presumre it doesn’t have a switch… [Producing activated carbon](http://www.thomasnet.com/articles/chemicals/producing-activated-carbon) Basically, activated charcoal (activated carbon) is a highly porous material. The microscopic pores provide a huge amount of surface area where toxins and contaminants can stick to. If I understand correctly, it is made by burning off everything but carbon (which leaves behind the pores) then oxidizing the carbon. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [June 11, 2017, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/30 "2017-06-11T18:32:58Z")
> [@Mangetout](#): > > I can see that there could be a counterargument that dry retching is safer for the airway. It’s easier to vomit up a neutral substance like water than it is to dry heave. And it’s MUCH more pleasant to bring up a little bile in a lot of water than it is to bring up nothing but bile. If you’re gonna puke, go ahead and drink water. Unless you have significant airway problems to start with. Then proceed with caution. ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/31 "2017-06-12T14:07:09Z")
And vomiting is an even worse idea for us emetophobics out there… I haven’t thrown up in over fifteen years, because every time I get nauseous, I have a panic reaction and just sort of focus all my will on not throwing up. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/32 "2017-06-12T14:47:14Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > It’s easier to vomit up a neutral substance like water than it is to dry heave. And it’s MUCH more pleasant to bring up a little bile in a lot of water than it is to bring up nothing but bile. > > If you’re gonna puke, go ahead and drink water. Unless you have significant airway problems to start with. Then proceed with caution. That’s what I thought/hoped - thanks for the info. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/33 "2017-06-12T15:21:08Z")
> [@Joey\_P](#): > > It also states that it “aids in stopping nosebleeds or bleeding from any part of the body.” Even my whatever? ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2017, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663/34 "2017-06-12T18:47:49Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > If you find you’ve eaten food that was found to be tainted by public health authorities, contact them to see what you should do. If the public health authorities are tainting your food, I would not contact them. I would go up a level in the chain of command. 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/if-you-eat-something-that-mayve-gone-bad-is-there-anything-you-can-take-to-prevent-food-poisoning/788663.md?page=1)