Suspected Food Poisoning, should I call the restaurant?

[LauraMc]

Way back when I worked in the ER, if someone came in with suspected food poisoning, they asked when, where and what they ate. The docs all said if it was true food poisoning that you would get more than one patient (there was only 1 hospital in town), they would get sick within 30 minutes of eating and they wouldn't get over it in 1 day.
But with seafood there is always that chance of one bad shrimp, etc. I got sick from crawfish once and I was sick for 3 days but no one else got sick. I think they just weren't purged. The other people had all had them this way but I had not. It was about 4 years before I ate crawfish again. And I never eat it at his house.

[justagirl]

I think LauraMC touched on what I was thinking...not everyone is going to have the same reaction even if they eat the same dish the same night.

I hope your wife is feeling better.

[flyinbayou]

I got sick from crawfish once and I was sick for 3 days but no one else got sick. I think they just weren't purged.

FWIW, crawfish shouldn't be purged, just rinsed.

[PNG]

Food poisoning is an extremely generic term. If you have been to a doctor and have been diagnosed with with some form of food poisoning, then report it and call the restaurant. There are many different "food poisonings" with many different symptoms and periods of development of symptoms. If you have not been diagnosed by a doctor, then do not bother the restaurant. Get a ServeSafe program book for good listings of food poisoning information.

[Jesse]

I agree with Isabella, I don't think I need to go to a doctor to figure out food poisoning. It's pretty clear, especially in this case. It is a generic term, but I personally have little interest in what virus or bacteria it is when I know she was feeling fine, we eat there and two hours later she's puking her guts out. I'm sure the restaurant just chaffed me off, and that's a shame because we went there a lot and I really like it. Oh well.

She is feeling significantly better, she spent the first day on gatorade and saltines but now seems to be over it, thankfully.

[ratcheese]

Well, I wish you would tell us which restaurant. You don't have to make direct accusations, she just got sick soon after eating at ......................

I think people should know.

[Isabella Maja]

Jesse, I just realized you're back home.
Is that for good?

Check your PM

[PNG]

I agree with Isabella, I don't think I need to go to a doctor to figure out food poisoning. It's pretty clear, especially in this case. It is a generic term, but I personally have little interest in what virus or bacteria it is when I know she was feeling fine, we eat there and two hours later she's puking her guts out. I'm sure the restaurant just chaffed me off, and that's a shame because we went there a lot and I really like it. Oh well.

She is feeling significantly better, she spent the first day on gatorade and saltines but now seems to be over it, thankfully.

You absolutely have to go to a doctor to be correctly diagnosed with some type of food poisonong. If you do not have it verified by a doctor, you have no basis for an accusation. I used to love getting calls from people who had gotten food poisoning in one of the restaurants:

"I have food poisoning. I started throwing up thirty minutes after eating at your restaurant."

"What did you have to eat?"

"I had a steak."

"Where were you sitting?"

We would pull their ticket to discover that they had eaten a steak, an appetizer, three sides, bread and two desserts along with three martini's and two beers. In their minds, they were throwing up from food poisoning, in reality, they were throwing up from eating like a goat! There are many scenarios were people claim to have food poisoning when they have no such thing. Without a qualified physician diagnosing your illness, you have no idea what you have.

[Isabella Maja]

You absolutely have to go to a doctor to be correctly diagnosed with some type of food poisonong. If you do not have it verified by a doctor, you have no basis for an accusation. I used to love getting calls from people who had gotten food poisoning in one of the restaurants:

"I have food poisoning. I started throwing up thirty minutes after eating at your restaurant."

"What did you have to eat?"

"I had a steak."

"Where were you sitting?"

We would pull their ticket to discover that they had eaten a steak, an appetizer, three sides, bread and two desserts along with three martini's and two beers. In their minds, they were throwing up from food poisoning, in reality, they were throwing up from eating like a goat! There are many scenarios were people claim to have food poisoning when they have no such thing. Without a qualified physician diagnosing your illness, you have no idea what you have.

Sorry, PNG, but I have to disagree.
I realize that this is your belief and will respect that.
However, I know differently first hand and have nailed many cases of food poisoning. I'm not a doctor.

Secondly, not everyone who gets food poisoning eats like a goat.
A few bites of a chicken salad on wheat toast with a few sips of an iced could hardly qualify as eating like a goat, yet produced violent food poisoning symptoms.

For years, I used to eat out for every meal. That's when I had all of those cases of food poisoning. I never once wanted or received compensation from the restaurants in question.
I do realize your statement above (in red) is what is needed to hold up in a court of law. But that is by no means the only way to tell.

[PNG]

I did not say that eating like a goat was the only way to get sick eating food. I was making the point that people get sick for various reasons and then claim that they have food poisoning when they in fact do not. You are completely wrong here. A medical evaluation is the only way to substantiate a claim of food poisoning. For example, when I was in fifth grade, I began throwing up and feeling terrible about an hour after eating breakfast one morning. I remember it because I missed a fishing/camping trip that I was looking forward to. I spent three days in bed eating soup and crackers and apple juice and throwing up. According to the reasoning here, I had food poisoning. According to the licensed medical doctor I visited, I had the flu. Again in the ninth grade, I missed five days of school when after eating lunch one day I began throwing up and feeling terrible. I remember that one because I was reading a set of books at the time which I finished while lying in bed for those days. I spent six days in bed eating soup and crackers and apple juice while throwing up several times a day. According to the reasoning here, I had food poisoning. According to the licensed medical doctor I visited, I had the flu. Unsubstantiated accusations against businesses such as the one being made here are the basis of thousands of frivolous lawsuits in the court system.