Appetite ruined by food poisoning! Can you relate?

Posted by cmitch987@reddit | AskUK | View on Reddit | 33 comments

About five days ago, on the second day of my holiday, I was hit by a savage bout of food poisoning. It came out of nowhere and turned my vacation into a disaster zone. Thankfully, I've bounced back pretty quickly physically, but my taste buds are on strike. Now, here's the twist. I'm usually a pretty healthy eater. Kale smoothies, quinoa salads, you name it. But ever since that food poisoning ordeal, my appetite has done a disappearing act. My beloved coffee? It's like drinking murky water. Sweet treats like chocolate brownies? They might as well be cardboard. Even the thought of enjoying a refreshing beer or gin and tonic has me shaking my head. Is there anyone else out there who's experienced this after food poisoning? I'm baffled, and I need some reassurance or advice. It's not like me to turn down delicious food and drinks. Help a fellow foodie out!

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33 Comments

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generalkriegswaifu@reddit

Just found this thread while looking into loss of appetite. Did you have any feelings of stomach hunger during this time but just not wanting to eat? Or did your stomach not make any hunger cues at all?

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saifobeifo@reddit

day 3 of food poisoning here, so far ive had one apple and a quarter of a water melon in all these days, i never felt hungry once, i ate because my mother cut them up for me, i had to force myself to eat since i felt very full already, mind you i vomitted everything on day 1 and have hourly bouts of diarrhea

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DraftSerious6081@reddit

I'm the same, had food poisoning 4 weeks ago, now anything I eat tastes odd, sometimes like fish or vinegar, I'm just hoping it gets better soon

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Monica101760@reddit

In 2014, I took an antibiotic for an upper respiratory infection and started getting very sick after the cycle of antibiotics. I realized that adult onset food allergies were developing and setting in. It took me almost TEN YEARS to get it all under control between my own research, my family doctor and an allergist. Then all my progress was shot to heck this June, when I attended a campground Tex Mex dinner. SO many people that attendedbl got food poisoning but mine seemed to be horrendous. Uncontrollable diarrhea for almost a week and totally out of sorts for at least a month after that. I lost 13 pounds since then and I have to force myself to eat. (I am losing that battle.) Nothing tastes the same. I can only eat a small amount at a time. My interest in food is waning.

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Lustwander46@reddit

did you get your appetite back in the end? If so, how long did it take? I'm on Day 5 here and eating is still a chore. Sucks because I normally have such a big appetite! As an added bonus I have some acid reflux and regurgitation so burping and spitting up food after eating. I've lost weight (and was already a bit underweight) so trying to force food down just so i start to gain weight.

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cmitch987@reddit (OP)

Seem to remember it taking weeks (unfortunately)

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dent_de_lion@reddit

Even a year later, this thread is still helping. I thought once it no longer hurt to eat, I was out of the woods. Nope! Glad this is normal…

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jupiterandmarsbar@reddit

I had the same thing (food poisoning followed by lack of taste). Nothing tasted good. Then I randomly tried an orange and it was so good. So for about a week all I ate were oranges and it must have reset my taste buds or something because after that I was ok

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Fenyxia@reddit

That's pretty interesting as oranges are full of vitamin C. All I can eat after that these last days are fruits although I'm in my luteal phase (which makes me very hungry habitually).

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LionLucy@reddit

I can relate. Being ill always puts me off eating, no matter if it's food poisoning or something completely different. (I'm asthmatic and have had things like bronchitis a lot). Often when I'm getting over an illness, I find that I'm hungry but don't want any food that actually exists in the real world. Eventually I think of something I want, and just have that. It doesn't matter if it's "healthy" in the usual sense, food is food. Things I find I crave after I've been ill include Fruit Pastille ice lollies, canned chicken noodle soup with extra salt added (I know, I know...), orange juice, diet coke with loads of ice, pasta with butter and marmite, grapes, salt and vinegar crisps, cream crackers dipped in hummus... if any of that sounds good, that's someplace to start. Your appetite will come back eventually!

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more_shallots@reddit

i still don't have an appetite after food poisoning two days ago, i've never had a scotch egg, and all i want in the whole world now is to make my own (baked). what's the deal here haha. thank you for mentioning it, who knew

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No-Jicama-6523@reddit

Possibly the salt.

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bownyboy@reddit

Reminds me of when I was at uni many years ago and had a very flu. I was bedridden for a week and lost my appetite completely. Once I was feeling better I expected my appetite to come back except it didn't. Was weird. For days eating felt like a chore and I was just plodding along. The one day, BAMN! It was like someone flipped a switch and I could taste and smell everything amped up to 11. Have patience my friend. I'm sure it will come back.

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Winter-Positive-2968@reddit

Need this to happen to me :(

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Few-Athlete8776@reddit

YES! I had norovirus and I'm over the sickness but I noticed nothing tastes the same. All of the foods I normally love have a flat weird taste. The only thing that tastes normal and good are grape popsicles. So I have been enjoying those but I just force myself to eat normally. It's just I can't eat as much. Which is actually good since I was trying to lose weight before I got sick. I lost 6 pounds with norovirus. Not the ideal diet tho! Lol

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OneRandomTeaDrinker@reddit

Get some nutrient/protein shakes if it’s causing you to miss meals, you need to eat to get better. Huel is 400kcal and I’ve not tried it but is allegedly not very nice, but if you can’t taste it it might not matter. I like Arla protein shakes as a first choice, followed by Grenade. You can also make a smoothie with yoghurt, oats, frozen berries, some fresh fruit or veg like spinach, a scoop of protein powder, milk of choice (I like almond but whole is good for recovery), and some honey or maple syrup. Blend it all up and it’s not unhealthy, a bit high in free sugars but it’s better to get some fruit and veg down you than nothing.

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gazchap@reddit

The banana Huel is, for me at least, tolerable. The chocolate one can piss right off though, awful stuff. Haven't tried any other flavours.

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cmitch987@reddit (OP)

Smoothie sounds like it the smoothie will taste good, thanks!

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Slight-Influence-581@reddit

It's often people who haven't actually tasted Huel who say it isn't very nice.

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Unfair_March266@reddit

yesss i felt the same after getting quite sick from food poisoning a couple months ago... it took me a couple weeks to get my appetite back again :(

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peachpie_888@reddit

Not due to food poisoning but I’m on a medication that has reduced my appetite significantly, increased my metabolism, but as a bonus also gave me food aversions which is what you’re describing - things no longer taste good or you maybe don’t even want certain things. The only way I’ve been able to not go insanely underweight is my maxing out the “acceptable” foods and amending some of them to hide extra nutrients (eg making mashed potatoes that are 50% potato and 50% broccoli). My brain and taste buds have refused to buy into smoothies, peanut butter and most other things that can successfully help calorie loading. But yeah… losing my relationship with food was one of the most challenging experiences I’ve ever had. Just stay positive and know yours is likely to return and you’ll be very grateful for something you took for granted 🤗

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NotTheOnlyOutcome@reddit

You sure you've not had covid?

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Dissidant@reddit

I would had said the same.. people react differently when they aren't well No way of knowing for certain without a test

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cmitch987@reddit (OP)

I did consider this, but was definitely FP as symptoms were vomiting and diarrhoea etc.

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Sc4rl3ttD@reddit

My family experienced both those with covid a few weeks ago. My sister threw up out the window of a moving car as she didn’t know she had it. They all lost their sense of smell and taste after too.

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NotTheOnlyOutcome@reddit

You can have more than one illness at a time....

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cmitch987@reddit (OP)

Agreed, but not had covid symptoms. Just asking if anyone else can relate to what I've had after FP.

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Appetite ruined by food poisoning! Can you relate?

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33 Comments

generalkriegswaifu@reddit

saifobeifo@reddit

DraftSerious6081@reddit

Monica101760@reddit

Lustwander46@reddit

cmitch987@reddit (OP)

dent_de_lion@reddit

jupiterandmarsbar@reddit

Fenyxia@reddit

LionLucy@reddit

more_shallots@reddit

No-Jicama-6523@reddit

bownyboy@reddit

Winter-Positive-2968@reddit

Few-Athlete8776@reddit

OneRandomTeaDrinker@reddit

gazchap@reddit

cmitch987@reddit (OP)

Slight-Influence-581@reddit

Unfair_March266@reddit

peachpie_888@reddit

NotTheOnlyOutcome@reddit

Dissidant@reddit

cmitch987@reddit (OP)

Sc4rl3ttD@reddit

NotTheOnlyOutcome@reddit

cmitch987@reddit (OP)

NotTheOnlyOutcome@reddit

emmaj33@reddit

madethistosayhello@reddit

OccidentalTouriste@reddit

Dahnhilla@reddit

Feckthecat@reddit