I had an odd thing occur to me and was wondering what this was?
On NYE I like to have egg nog. But I don’t like the calories. So I only had a yougurt for breakfast. Since I new I would be working all day on year end all I had was coffee. Cream and Equal sweetener.
So when I got home I was too tired to go out so I went out and got some egg nog. It was about 1,000 calories (1 pint). That is why I didn’t eat a lot before.
So I drank it, it tasted OK…Blah blah blah…I woke up at 2:30am (after going to sleep about 12:30a) sick as a dog. I felt like I was going to throw up (I haven’t thrown up in 25 years), my body felt weak, I thought I was going to have to go to the hospital.
I actually debated whether to call an ambulance. I didn’t throw up but I had bad stomach pain. Anyway about 5am I was able to get to sleep (I didn’t throw up or anything) after taking a bunch of Pepto Bismol. Then I felt achy, my bones ached, had a slight fever, and run down. I took some Tylenol and had to go to work.
By the time I got home I was better, the next day (the 2nd) I had diareha (sp?) and that was out with one dose of Imodium and boom I was all better.
I thought at first I had a 24 hour flu but now I was wondering was it more likely to have been food poisoning. After all I did have the same brand of egg nog on Christmas and no problems. (drank the same amount etc). I know in the end it makes no difference as I am feeling better but I was wondering if it is more likely to have food poisoning than a 24 hour stomach flu?
Given the very high incidence of the Norwalk Virus this year, and given its typical 24 hr sick-as-a-dog-then-you’re-better symptomalogy, I suspect you had Norwalk.
Food poisoning usually comes on about eight hours after you’ve eaten the contaminated foodstuff. We have a saying in the Foreign Service (where you’re exposed to various unsanitary foodstuffs that you have to choke down in the name of international amity)–
" The first time you have food poisoning, you feel awful because you think you’re going to die. The second time, you feel awful because you know you won’t."
Given the fact that you felt bad after drinking the eggnog, I’d assume it was tainted. However, food poisoning usually doesn’t have fever associated with it. Was the eggnog pasteurized? I can’t stand the stuff myself, and I think it’s a big salmonella risk. I would come down on the side of either a viral infection of gastroenteritis rather than stomach flu, especially if you weren’t experiencing the “Woodsman’s 180”; i.e., violent eruptions from both the oral and anal orifices.
I had Salmonella in '98. It did not come and go quickly for me. It was the most excruciating pain I have ever felt in my life. I did not vomit, I didn’t have a fever. The 2 main symptoms I had were severe and violent abdominal cramps (I’m not talking menstural either) and diarhea that was pure liquid (sorry to be graphic). I figured out there was something really wrong when the Imodium Ad didn’t work, that stuff can stop up the Hoover Dam, didn’t do a damn thing for me though. Plus I swelled in the stomach region. I thought I had colon cancer and kept putting off the doctor visit because, when you don’t have insurance you can’t run there everytime you feel sick. My doctor had me do stool samples (not fun) and that is how I found out. There were 3 samples, the first 2 came back negative and the 3rd was a positive hit for Salmonella. By the time I found out what it was 2 weeks had already passed and I couldn’t possibly tell you where it is I got it from. I can say this. I wish I had vomited. I believe to this day that would have helped. Why? I didn’t vomit which meant I digested everything and kept it down. It caused me problems months down the road. If my stomache got the least bit upset it was back to the bathroom for me. Fortunately I only had to endure the most severe pain for 2 weeks or so. Shewww I never want to go through that again!
Ashkicker, you paint a vivid and acurate picture. If you ever have Salmonella you’ll know it isn’t the stomach flu! My butthole has never been the same since. I’ve also had an experience with e-coli which is hell and you’ll beg for death!
Markxxx: I had the exact same thing between x-mas and NYC. I called my doctor and he said if got worse, to go to the ER. It was pretty had, very dull but agonizing stomach pain (not gas as I am more use to :o ) with a bad headache and muscles cramps and soreness in my back.
There has been a virus going around here (had no idea it was called Norwalk virus) that causes body aches, lethargy, moderate stomach/intestinal cramping, but with little or no vomiting, some diarrhea and simply drains you for a few days. I had this and it kicked me mildly for the whole weekend right before Christmas, but then I was great. My fiancee and I had eaten the same things (including egg nog) but I was the one who got sick. He had something similar the week before me… again we ate the same foods, but only he got sick that week. I have had food poisoning in the past and there was a definite difference between the two.
I had had some bouts many years ago with what some people called “stomach flu”, but my doctor told me that is usually what people call any crampy-pukey-poopy GI condition that comes and goes away fast. It isn’t a real diagnosis, according to him, just a “garbage-pail” term.
I’ve had problems consuming egg nog on an empty stomach and I’ve found that if I drink more than a glass within a 24 hour period, I feel sick as a dog afterwards. It might be that I’m sensitive to something in egg nog or perhaps there’s something else going on.
If you ever have Salmonella you’ll know it isn’t the stomach flu! My butthole has never been the same since. I’ve also had an experience with e-coli which is hell and you’ll beg for death!