Food Poisoning and Safe Food Handling - Medications
SYMPTOMS & TREATMENTS
Medicines are not used routinely in food poisoning. Medicines that stop diarrhea (antidiarrheals) can help with your symptoms. But do not use antidiarrheals if you have a high fever or bloody diarrhea. And do not give antidiarrheals to children.
Antibiotics are not needed for most cases of food poisoning, but they can be helpful in severe cases. On the other hand, antibiotics can make some kinds of food poisoning worse by causing toxins to build up in your body. Doctors try to use antibiotics only when they are really needed, because overuse can lead to resistance in bacteria and other organisms.
Types of food poisoning that may be treated with medicines include:
- Botulism, which usually requires the botulism antitoxin and close medical care.
- Listeriosis, which in pregnant women is treated with antibiotics to prevent infection of the fetus or newborn. Babies with listeriosis may also receive antibiotics.
- Toxoplasmosis food poisoning, which in pregnant women is treated with antibiotics. For more information, see the topic Toxoplasmosis During Pregnancy.
- Shigellosis, which may be treated with antibiotics. But some types of Shigella bacteria are not killed by antibiotics. This is called resistance. Because using antibiotics can make these bacteria even more resistant, mild cases of shigellosis are not usually treated with antibiotics.
For information on medicines and treating E. coli, see the topic E. Coli Infection.
| By: | Healthwise Staff | Last Revised: February 8, 2011 |
| Medical Review: | E. Gregory Thompson, MD - Internal Medicine W. David Colby IV, MSc, MD, FRCPC - Infectious Disease | |
1995-2011 Healthwise, Incorporated. Healthwise, Healthwise for every health decision, and the Healthwise logo are trademarks of Healthwise, Incorporated. This information does not replace the advice of a doctor. Healthwise, Incorporated disclaims any warranty or liability for your use of this information. Your use of this information means that you agree to the Terms of Use. How this information was developed to help you make better health decisions.
- Pregnancy & Parenting
- Health
- Entertainment
- Beauty & Style
- Food
- Home & Garden
- Love & Sex
- Message Boards
- Join
- About iVillage
- Message Boards
- Contact Us
- Advertising Info
- Jobs
- Sitemap
- Terms of Service
- Privacy Policy
-
AdChoices
- International
- Canada
- Mujer de Hoy
- Turkey
- United Kingdom
© 2000-2013 iVillage Inc. All rights reserved. A Division of
NBCUniversal
