Have you ever been poisoned

[connda]

I've had food poisoning twice since arriving in Thailand.  Both times at international fast food restaurants (I won't name them as defamation suits are how the big boys keep us small fry in line).  I've never been sick from Thai street vendors or any Thai restaurants other than having the 'trots' for the first year I was here as my body was getting use to the local bacteria.  That's how we Westerns pay for being such 'clean freaks.'  You're never exposed to bacteria long enough to develop an immunity response to them. So once away from Cleanville, USA, or Antiseptic, Australia, or Bacteria-Free, UK, or Germfree, Germany - you get to a third-world country and your guts don't know what to do. Actually they do - they evacuate very efficiently.
However, it's a good idea to keep activated charcoal around for just this type of problem.  If you think you've eaten something that is making you sick, the activated charcoal will absorb the toxins if you ingest it before you're really, really sick.  Even though I haven't been poisoned before except at the aforementioned category of restaurants (and tend to stay away from international drive thru fast-food restaurants nowadays) I tend to keep activated charcoal around the home.  Also good if you have dogs.  Sometime they get into poisons like slug bait, and if you give them enough activated charcoal in time you can keep them from getting sick too. And then there's the problem if you have a gik and your wife finds out.    Bon appetit!

Edited January 15, 2018 by connda

[OneMoreFarang]

23 minutes ago, klauskunkel said:

 

 

"Meat a la Khlong":

found on the foot path along khlong Saen Saep, every now and again one of those canal boats would shoot by, marinating the meat... notice the puddle under the tray.

 

 

I guess the people who ate and survived Saen Saep marinating a couple of times must be immune against anything.

[MyFriend You]

Very misleading Title  -  I was ready to go into my lengthy spiel about being grazed (not entirely bitten) by a Caspian Cobra in Afghanistan, but just enough poison got into me to make me ill for days.  I Had the most incredibly livid dreams.  His fang got caught in my thick pant leg and scratched my leg so it wasn't sunk in entirely.

 

Oh well, back on topic - I have a cast iron stomach, will eat anything except Shrimp, Crab & Lobster (allergic) or any animal placenta's.     

[CLW]

I've had food poisoning twice since arriving in Thailand.  Both times at international fast food restaurants (I won't name them as defamation suits are how the big boys keep us small fry in line).  I've never been sick from Thai street vendors or any Thai restaurants other than having the 'trots' for the first year I was here as my body was getting use to the local bacteria.  That's how we Westerns pay for being such 'clean freaks.'  You're never exposed to bacteria long enough to develop an immunity response to them. So once away from Cleanville, USA, or Antiseptic, Australia, or Bacteria-Free, UK, or Germfree, Germany - you get to a third-world country and your guts don't know what to do. Actually they do - they evacuate very efficiently.
However, it's a good idea to keep activated charcoal around for just this type of problem.  If you think you've eaten something that is making you sick, the activated charcoal will absorb the toxins if you ingest it before you're really, really sick.  Even though I haven't been poisoned before except at the aforementioned category of restaurants (and tend to stay away from international drive thru fast-food restaurants nowadays) I tend to keep activated charcoal around the home.  Also good if you have dogs.  Sometime they get into poisons like slug bait, and if you give them enough activated charcoal in time you can keep them from getting sick too. And then there's the problem if you have a gik and your wife finds out.  [emoji3]  Bon appetit!

That's interesting because I read some time ago that activated charcoal is actually not effective in any way?
What I use for most remedies of the guts is the Thai medicine Flying rabbit.
Except for strong heartburn (I use omeprazol instead) it's very useful and available everywhere

[whaleboneman]

As many have mentioned with street food you get to see the "kitchen" and know kind of what you're getting. Funny thing though, I never get sick in SEA but in Latin America it's a given. No idea why.

[Lacessit]

I very occasionally have a problem. I tend to buy street food and market food from the ones I trust, as they have not poisoned me before.

The real issue with restaurants is recycled food which did not sell the day before, or is not spiced in order to cater for falang palates. At the other end of the spectrum, I can't eat food that is so highly spiced the liquid could be used as paint stripper.

I never have ice with any drinks, except what I have made myself.

 

[johnarth]

I have had 3 incidents so far 1 restaurant and 2 home cooked, both home cooks were from bad eggs, my wife had never been taught to put the eggs in water (deep enough to cover the eggs) before cooking them, if they float in any way throw them in the bin, bad eggs can make you so sick you think you are going to die and maybe can.

[OneMoreFarang]

1 hour ago, Lacessit said:

I very occasionally have a problem. I tend to buy street food and market food from the ones I trust, as they have not poisoned me before.

The real issue with restaurants is recycled food which did not sell the day before, or is not spiced in order to cater for falang palates. At the other end of the spectrum, I can't eat food that is so highly spiced the liquid could be used as paint stripper.

I never have ice with any drinks, except what I have made myself.

 

Is ice still a problem? I know it is, or at least was, mentioned in any travel guide. But I never had a problem with ice. I guess it's because the ice is all produced industrially (people buy bags with ice, they don't make it themselves). I thought there is no problem anymore.

[richard_smith237]

The In-laws have just rocked up with some food, as they usually do 2 or 3 times a week... 

 

This time some fish tasted slightly funky....  if I don't post anything over the next few days I've been poisoned !!!!

 

 

 

[catman20]

Or are you like me and avoid food from markets and street vendors  like the plague 

 

YES

[billd766]

3 hours ago, CLW said:

That's interesting because I read some time ago that activated charcoal is actually not effective in any way?
What I use for most remedies of the guts is the Thai medicine Flying rabbit.
Except for strong heartburn (I use omeprazol instead) it's very useful and available everywhere

 

I use ultracarbon activated charcoal tablets and they definitely work for me and also for my Thai son. Available at good pharmacies in most places.

[billd766]

1 hour ago, OneMoreFarang said:

Is ice still a problem? I know it is, or at least was, mentioned in any travel guide. But I never had a problem with ice. I guess it's because the ice is all produced industrially (people buy bags with ice, they don't make it themselves). I thought there is no problem anymore.

 

I buy my ice from the shop in the big village, 20 bags at a time for 90 baht if I take the sack back. I don't think that has ever caused me any problems.

[The Theory]

About 8 years ago I tried a farang food restaurant in Ragnam. The restaurant looked modern with a nice wood oven. 

In 2 hours I went trough the worse ever sickness I ever had in my life. No control up/down and high temp. I died several times during the nigh. I Passed out in the bathroom till 4:00 AM. I really don't know what kind of poison could be added in that food. But I'm sure it was not just a bad food. I lost weight in  a few days and I looked like a dead man walking.

i could be dead easily if I was not in good shape at the time. 

[lindlake]

i have been eating  thai food for 12 years only been very sick once. my wife rich uncle bought some yummy looking crayfish and hamburger and fries .i have never been so sick up all night it was coming out both ends it was so bad i couldn,t drink even water went to the pharmacy in the morning gave me some tablets 2 hours later all good. just love all the food on the street i just allways have a good look at the food first 

 

 

[The manic]

2 hours ago, The Theory said:

About 8 years ago I tried a farang food restaurant in Ragnam. The restaurant looked modern with a nice wood oven. 

In 2 hours I went trough the worse ever sickness I ever had in my life. No control up/down and high temp. I died several times during the nigh. I Passed out in the bathroom till 4:00 AM. I really don't know what kind of poison could be added in that food. But I'm sure it was not just a bad food. I lost weight in  a few days and I looked like a dead man walking.

i could be dead easily if I was not in good shape at the time. 

It's the kind of severe food poisoning sometimes with parasites that can require  Flagyl. I've had it once in Thailand in 25 years and 2 or 3 times in India in one year.  I've also had severe food poisoning in the UK.

[The Theory]

59 minutes ago, lindlake said:

i have been eating  thai food for 12 years only been very sick once. my wife rich uncle bought some yummy looking crayfish and hamburger and fries .i have never been so sick up all night it was coming out both ends it was so bad i couldn,t drink even water went to the pharmacy in the morning gave me some tablets 2 hours later all good. just love all the food on the street i just allways have a good look at the food first 

 

 

It is not easy just by looking at the food. That hamburger could be made by old meat. Lots of bacteria generated poison. By cooking the meat you can kill bacterias, but the poison will not go away and you can not see it. And seafood poisoning is very dangerous. 

Edited January 15, 2018 by The Theory

[rickudon]

In 10 years i have only had 2 bouts of severe diarrhea in Thailand. Otherwise, just an occasional looseness which caused no problems apart from a greater urgency to find a toilet. Even on my first holiday i had no significant issues, never needed any tablets.  I have suffered far worse in Africa and Australia (In Australia i was in a mining camp with a dodgy water supply direct from a billabong). Apart from the looseness, not really any different to the UK. Yes, I eat street food, not a lot and only from selected stalls. I also do not eat shellfish (they go off really quickly in a hot climate). Biggest issue is keeping your hands clean - i have possibly suffered more often after gardening and touching food with my hands without washing them properly. Ice, as said, never an issue here.

[duanebigsby]

On 1/14/2018 at 12:19 PM, The manic said:

In Thailand one of the main causes of upset stomachs and diarrhea is draught beer. NEVER drink draught beer in Thailand where slops are recycled and their is no cellar man tradition of cleaning the lines. Draught beer is an invitation to get the  'ten bob bits' for sure.

Most organisms which affect beer just sour the beer. You'd know right away it was off. You don't get sick from it.

[jacko45k]

I seem to be more prone to bouts of mild food poisoning as I get older.The worst ever cases were outside Thailand though.

Deep fried chicken from small stalls has got me a couple of times, the stuff sits there after cooking with flies everywhere. I wouldn't dream of consuming that soup they serve here where tepid water is simply poured over bits of offal and bean sprouts that have been sitting out for hours, and BBQ bits of meat on sticks at a beer bars is in my past. A bout like I got in India once, and once from a UK Indian restaurant, might well kill me now.

 

Even pineapple in a bag has its risks as sometimes it is old stuff slightly cooked with a bit of sugar.

[mick220675]

Been poisoned in Pakistan, India, Germany but never in Thailand. But the worst incident was in York UK, I was bad but two others with me were hospitalised.

 

If you see the food cooked fresh and don't eat salad, I think Thailand has some of the best food in the world. 

[sharktooth]

Never had food poisoning here but around twelve years ago I got dysentery in the Philippines. Thought I was going to die. 

[connda]

22 hours ago, CLW said:

That's interesting because I read some time ago that activated charcoal is actually not effective in any way?
What I use for most remedies of the guts is the Thai medicine Flying rabbit.
Except for strong heartburn (I use omeprazol instead) it's very useful and available everywhere

Did a search for 'activated charcoal + poison' and picked the first topic to pop up.  You could have done the same.  It absorbs toxins. I'll leave it at that.
https://www.poison.org/articles/2015-mar/activated-charcoal

[billd766]

5 hours ago, connda said:

Did a search for 'activated charcoal + poison' and picked the first topic to pop up.  You could have done the same.  It absorbs toxins. I'll leave it at that.
https://www.poison.org/articles/2015-mar/activated-charcoal

 

As I explained it to my son, the activated charcoal eats the bugs that give us the stomach problems without bunging us up as Imodium does.

 

Two are usually enough for me and my 13 year old son takes only one. If we aren't fixed in 6 hours we take another dose and that definitely kills the bugs.

[canthai55]

Centipede bite count ? My advice - don't

[Justfine]

Yes I had beer Chang once.