Food Poisoning - Sandies

[cuzzamundi]

Mate and I got a good feed of sandies the other arvo. Mate took them home, cooked them, then gave me some the next day. He had eaten some before I ate mine, and after I ate mine, and hasn't had a thing wrong with him. Three hours after mine last night I had my head in the bowl, dry retching for two hours. Never actually threw up, which made it kind've worse in a way. Two hours and the pain went enough for me to sleep, but all today I've been nauseous, but not enough to throw up.

Question is, do you think it was the crabs? I haven't had crab in a good twelve months, so am thinking it may have just been the adjustment. They were fresh and well kept (my mate is very particular with them). Any thoughts? Seems like too much of a coincidence for it not to be the crabs, but you never can be sure.

Thanks.

Cuzza

[stockhorse]

Not the crabs for food poisoning (food poisoning takes more than 3 hours)

[cuzzamundi]

Not the crabs for food poisoning (food poisoning takes more than 3 hours)

I had a read up on it today, and they reckon anywhere between one and forty eight hours, depending on the type.

[kc]

As someone who works in the food service industry in very large volumes I can say there are so many potential factors. What else had you eaten in the last 12 hours, what did you have with the crab, did you wash you hands before eating them, have other members of the family been ill??? Always easy to consider the last thing you ate to be the suspect, but, so many potential contaminates of which the crab is the least likely. Also need to know whether it was a physical reaction to the crab itself. A lot of people have allergic reaction to shellfish, crabs in particular and it can be late onset.

[cuzzamundi]

Yeah, I was wondering about having some sort of reaction, KC. I have never had a problem in the past, though. Does that matter, or is it still possible? I haven't eaten crab too often in the past - mainly a pure fish person - so could that be a possibility?

And yeah, had a good think about what I ate, but nothing out of my normal diet. Still, could have been off eggs or whatever. My mate certainly didn't get sick, and he ate the same lot as me. His old man did, too.

Cuzza

[bazza65]

It would be interesting if you now ate a small amount of fish to see if you have a reaction to it. You may have cicatera poision {excuse the spelling} Just a thought.

[kc]

Don't get Ciguatera from crabs and it has a very different set of symptoms to food poisoning. My thought was it is either something else you ate, or touched, or a reaction in general (mild shellfish allergy).

[cuzzamundi]

Yeah, thankfully not Cig.

Might have to resign to the fact that I may have a bit of a reaction to shellfish, as it seems way too coincidental otherwise.

Cuzza

[jackson4300]

My girlfriend gets sick if she eats too much crab, small amounts she is ok with but a full meal of crabs will get her sick within about 3 hours as well.

[cuzzamundi]

Sounds like me, Jackson. A small amount and I'm good, but this time I really went to town, and whack, off the boil I went. May well be the case I reckon.

Cuzza

[tunaticer]

My cousin was a top seafood chef on one of the big cruise ships for years.
One day he fell ill halfway through a shift, went to the doc and had a heart attack in the doc's office.
Survived that ok and went back to work the following day and had an immediate reaction.
Now completely allergic to all seafoods.

He now shuffles papers for the department of transport.

Seems the body reaches a limit then tells you no more quite harshly.

[cuzzamundi]

Gee, I bloody hope it doesn't apply to the rest of seafood for me, Jack. I've heard that ciguatera can build up like that, then be tipped over.

I did have fish the following night and was fine, so I might be right regarding all seafood. Still, probably gonna avoid too much crab from now on.

Cuzza

[Billy C]

Was the heart attack due to seafood?

[tunaticer]

It is not Cig poisoning my cousin has, it is an extreme allergy to iodine. even touching seafood now makes him crook.

[cuzzamundi]

That's crazy. What about alive fish? Can he at least catch and release, or does that make him crook, too? What a nightmare that'd be.

Cuzza

[tunaticer]

he avoids all contact with fish crabs and shellfish.......no longer goes fishing at all.

[cuzzamundi]

That really is a nightmare. I'm hoping that isn't ever the case with me. Can't imagine never being able to even handle fish. Just ate some fresh flattie tonight, and am all good, so hopefully it was just shellfish.

Cuzza

[Feral]

no itchiness of the hands or tingling on the lips when you were eating the crab?
I started getting that with redclaw, mentioned it to the Doc who went right off at me, early symptom of the onset of allergy reaction, told me one bite could go from that to in the ambulance if I was lucky. I dont eat or handle redclaw any more......I like them, but not that much.

[cuzzamundi]

No, Feral, no tingling. Just really bad nausea and dry retching three hours later, and into the next day.

Cuzza

[Dignity]

What does your doctor say. You need to get it properly diagnosed as if it is a shellfish allergy you need to be aware that such things as glucosamine which is derived from shellfish will possibly give you the same symptoms.

[Crunchy]

Interesting, my brother developed an allergy to shellfish late in life, we discovered it after he came out in a hideous rash after eating 2 dozen oysters...I ate the same and was fine.

[cqfreshie]

Cuzza, definately see your Doctor. Do not even go near crabs or prawns until you find out if it was a reaction. Allergies don't normally go away. You tend to react more with each exposure. I've seen too many anaphylactic reactions over the years as a Paramedic to not be concerned. I feel for you. I can not consider what it would be like not being able to enjoy shellfish.

[cuzzamundi]

Thanks for the advice, Cqfreshie.

Do I need to take anything to the docs? I threw all the frames out, so have nothing left of them. And yeah, mate, it's an absolute sh&tter if I can't eat the tasty mongrels anymore! Btw, good on you for doing such an important job - not many can do what you do.

Cuzza

[cqfreshie]

Thanks for your words, but not anymore. Last day tomorrow, then on leave for 12 months before I retire. More time for fishing yeah.

[Noelm]

Seems to be kind of common to develope shellfish/crustacean allergy later in life, my father did exactly that when he was about 75, been eating Prawns and Lobsters all his life, then almost over night they started near killing him every time he ate them!

[cuzzamundi]

Crazy stuff, Noel. This time was my first, and it was pretty minor - nausea/dry retching for 24 hrs, but it sounds like it could get worse. Am going to book a Dr appointment next week and see if I can get tested for allergy.

Cuzza

[cuzzamundi]

UPDATE

Went to dr's today, and he was adamant it wasn't any sort of allergy. Reckons I'd have different and severe symptoms, like a rash, tingling etc if I was actually developing an allergy. Said I probably just ate a portion that was handled badly/had germ on it, and away you go.

Bloody stoked I don't have to avoid all shellfish!!!

Cuzza

[tunaticer]

Allergies tend to bring on other reactions than upchucking.....sometimes very severe.
Good you saw the quack about it.....there could have been something else involved.

[cuzzamundi]

Yeah, Tunaticer, he reckons it'd be something as simple as me getting the pieces that had bacteria on them from poor handling. Said definitely wouldn't just present as gut problems if it was gonna be an allergy, which is a relief.

Cuzza