Get your health question answered instantly from our pool of 18000+ doctors from over 80 specialties
188 Doctors Online

By proceeding, I accept the Terms and Conditions

Dr. Andrew Rynne
MD
Dr. Andrew Rynne

Family Physician

Exp 50 years

HCM Blog Instant Access to Doctors
HCM BlogQuestions Answered
HCM Blog Satisfaction

Can I Take Pepto Bismol For Food Poisoning?

Hi. I'm almost positive I have food poisoning. I ate a catered meal at 11:30 a.m., and by 3 I was feeling very nauseated and having watery bowel movements. I threw up once at 3:30 after taking some Pepto Bismol, then again twice around 4:30. Those three times, I threw up what looked like all of the food I had at lunch, and continued to have watery bowel movements. I had a low-grade fever (99. 4) at about 8 p.m., but it's now up to 101.5. The vomiting has eased, and so has the need to use the restroom, so I'm wondering if it's OK to take some Tylenol. I have no insurance, and i just finally started answer job, so I'm still catching up on bills. I can't afford the ER, and really need to treat this at home. Thanks for any help!
posted on Fri, 14 Mar 2014
Twitter Wed, 20 Dec 2017 Answered on
Twitter Fri, 22 Dec 2017 Last reviewed on
Report Abuse
General Surgeon,  's  Response
Hi.
Thanks for your query.
Noted the history and understood the concerns.
Vomiting and loose stools with fever is surely an indication that you have got food poisoning as you had eaten at caterers.
I agree with you about the difficulty in getting at ER without Insurance but one needs to see that the health is also maintained, proper medications taken in time to avoid further complications and more expenses.
You may please visit the walk in clinic or a Govt facility to get a clinical diagnosis and get a prescription based antibiotic, metronidazole and probiotics.
Take plenty of oral fluids, coconut water, fruit juices to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance.
Bananas, yogurt and activated charcoal tablets.
I find this answer helpful
Disclaimer: These answers are for your information only and not intended to replace your relationship with your treating physician.
This is a short, free answer. For a more detailed, immediate answer, try our premium service [Sample answer]
Share on
 

Recent questions on Pepto bismol


Loading Online Doctors....
Can I Take Pepto Bismol For Food Poisoning?

Hi. Thanks for your query. Noted the history and understood the concerns. Vomiting and loose stools with fever is surely an indication that you have got food poisoning as you had eaten at caterers. I agree with you about the difficulty in getting at ER without Insurance but one needs to see that the health is also maintained, proper medications taken in time to avoid further complications and more expenses. You may please visit the walk in clinic or a Govt facility to get a clinical diagnosis and get a prescription based antibiotic, metronidazole and probiotics. Take plenty of oral fluids, coconut water, fruit juices to maintain fluid and electrolyte balance. Bananas, yogurt and activated charcoal tablets.