The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Colleen (Honolulu, Hawaii, Usa) on 06/05/2011
★★★★★
I began to get food poisoning symptoms on Friday afternoon. I quickly took a Grapefruit Seed Extract pill. It seemed to help as I didn't get the usual painful cramping and the diarrhea seemed to have stopped. I took another pill that evening. The next morning, however, although still no pain, I had the runs. I wondered if there were other natural remedies and found this page. I happened to have some activated charcoal that I bought a few years ago and never tried. I immediately took two capsules. A half hour later I took the vinegar. The runs stopped in about 15-20 minutes! I was able to go out in the evening and eat normally. My stomach would feel queasy, so I continued to take the vinegar in smaller doses every few hours. This morning I'm totally back to normal!
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Co (Glendale, Az) on 01/06/2010
★★★★★
Hooray to active charcoal pills and ACV!
My teenage son woke me up around 2:00 AM, on a school night with vomitting and the runs. I almost knew instantly that it was food poisoning. It was a local eatery here, not my food, of course! I jumped on-line, saw this site and viewed all of the stories for active charcoal and ACV. He took two charcoal pills and two tablespoons of ACV, followed with a Sprite to kill some of the taste. He hasn't thrown up for four hours now, and only one rush to the toilet. He's been asleep now for two hours! This works! Hope it works for you too!
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Neilmorbs (Newcastle, Tyne and Wear, UK) on 07/18/2009
★★★★★
Hi,
~I recently had a nasty bout of food poisoning caused by some barbequed chicken (never leave chicken out of the fridge, even for an hour). I had fever, diarrhea, vomiting and horrible stomach cramps. It was only 4 days in that i discovered this website and i tried Activated Charcoal tablets and Cider Vinegar tablets from the local health food shop.
The charcoal was the first one i tried and within 10 minutes i found the cramps had eased considerably. I could even start to eat.
Later, when they returned I tried the Cider Vinegar and again 10 minutes wa all it took.
Overall I found them equally effective and I am using both in the final stages of the illness.
Thanks for all the great advice... I'll be using this site much more often!
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Al (Opelousas, USA) on 06/30/2008
★★★★★
I too had food poisoning so bad that I was sent to the emergency room, during which time, I was given 2 liters of Sodium Chloride(??). Of course the hospital wants you to pass (diahrrea) the poison, so nothing was administered. I sent a relative to the drug store for Activate Charcoal capsules and followed the recommended dosage; 1gm/hour...within 6-7 hours I could eat small amounts and not experience nauseau or diahrrea(sp?)You should keep a bottle in the refrigerator (safely).
Ginger
Posted by gus (elko, nevada) on 01/05/2008
★★★★★
I have been sick with some kind of stomach virus when I found something in a pamphlet about using ginger to help cure stomach pains and cramps. I asked my mom about itand she said she had some ginger root and ginger tea I tried the tea but that just made it worse. I tried a pill with ginger root in it and the pain went away within the hour. you can get ginger root at any drug store without a persciption. Also if you are puking so much you can't take pills try some ginger ale it doesn't have as much ginger in it so it won't work as well, but it could calm your stomach enough to take a ginger pill. take one pill wait 10 minutes and take one more pill. This ginger remedy helps with nausea, really works.
Hydrogen Peroxide
Posted by Deshawn (Chicago, IL) on 11/25/2007
★★★★★
Hydrogen Peroxide 3% works wonders for me. I used one cap size of HP (the cap on the hp bottle) and one cap of bottle spring water. I simply tossed the hp/water solution in my mouth and swallowed it. I did this three times a day for one day only. I had eaten some food that had badly upset my stomach (my stomach kept making rumbling noises)and it was cramping up so badly. the same day I immediately swallowed 1 cap full of hp and one cap full of spring water (hold the cap of hp in your mouth then chase it down with the capful of spring water). That same night I sleep like a baby and I felt so good in the morning. I hope that you have the same experience because food poisoning is never a good thing but quick relief is a miracle. I took this mixture immediately after my stomach started cramping.
Vitamin C
Posted by Darnell (Granite City, USA) on 05/06/2007
★★★★★
I always use 4000 mil of vit C, if I get food poisoning. It has worked well in the past.
Activated Charcoal
Posted by Shawna (Mountlake Terrace WA)
★★★★★
I have had multiple issues with food poisoning all throughout my life. I had a Naturopath tell me once to take 3-4 charcoal pills two times a day at the onset of pain and queasiness, then continue the same for 3 days afterwards. You can purchase charcoal pills from any health food store or in some local corner drug stores. I have used this remedy for about 15 yrs now and it's ALWAYS worked. My husband just had it and he took the pills and he felt better right away and was able to keep down food and water.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by KenValoa Kuki (EC's Facebook Page) on 05/25/2020
★★★★★
is my go to if I have food poisoning:
- Colloidal silver
- Aluminium free baking soda
- Activated charcoal
If i want the Colloidal silver to be more effective, I add 3-6 drops of DMSO with it.
Colloidal Silver
Posted by Pam E. (SouthWestern California) on 08/14/2023 148 posts
I just want to note that, from what I've read, Activated Charcoal adsorbs Silver ...
Peppermint Oil and Probiotic
Posted by D. Arro. (Phoenix, Az) on 12/04/2016
★★★★☆
Got FP last night after spaghetti sauce cooked with frozen broccoli, pinto beans, onion, with gluten-free garlic bread. Before that I had egg casserole with onion, chard, squash and potatoes. Could have been the onion or the egg, but I didn't feel queasy until I finished downing 3 small pieces of the garlic bread with olive oil (the bread was refrigerated but probably ~2 mo. old)...Then I was burping the toast for the next 8 hrs. Threw up around 10 am, super chunky but not everything came up, had hourly diarrhea for the next 3-4 hrs. Still felt weak and gurgly for the next 8 hrs. (That meal was sitting in my stomach for a good 16 hrs and would not move).
Took 1tsp. Activated Charcoal mixed in water, then 2 T Apple Cider Vinegar with water. Still felt nauseous for ~5 hrs. Took 1 drop peppermint Essential Oil mixed with water a few hrs later. An hour after that, I opened a can of peaches and drank the juice/ate a few a long with taking a strong probiotic from my ND. Now my stomach finally feels empty and I feel ok. I think the peppermint helped move it through and the probiotic is helping too.
Echinacea Tea, Lemon Vinegar
Posted by Valerie (Queens, New York) on 10/18/2016
★★★★★
I needed some sort of treatment after having eaten underdone chicken at a restaurant and wanted to stop what ever was coming towards me in its tracks. I boiled enough water for two cups of tea and steeped Echinacea tea bags in them for 5 minutes. You can get this type of tea at any store that sells medicinal teas (Vitamin World, Home Goods, etc.). I added a teaspoon of lemon vinegar to each cup. I find lemon vinegar at Asian-variety supermarkets. I added a tablespoon of honey to each and mixed. I drank this down quickly and it stopped my cramps immediately. The mixture created some heat internally (around my stomach area), which quickly subsided about 5-10 minutes later. I did not have any cramps, bloating, discomfort, or liquid stool for the night and the next couple of days.
I have undiagnosed symptoms of irritable bowels and go to the bathroom very frequently throughout the day either due to food or stress. I have a few food allergies and am sensitive to many food items. I also get cramps almost daily after eating. I am always trying to look for ways other than staying away from these problematic foods, to stop the pain part of my issue. Therefore, it is very important that I do not consume raw or rare meat, since even rare meat gets me sick.
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Same (Cambridge, Ma) on 07/17/2016
★★★☆☆
Ciguatera
Hey Peeps, this phytoplankton poisoning ain't no joke. In tropical regions, reef fish eat it and then are eaten by predator fish; fish like Tuna(Ahi)! After eating a big piece of fish at a Fourth of July barbecue, I'm not sure I will ever eat fish again. Constant diarehea for two weeks. Uggh.
Research shows that the bigger the fish is, the more poison it can carry. Ciguatera shows up as a neurotoxin in the host, and after ingestion can be stored in our fat cells for an eternity. There is no cure. Immune compromised people will be hit harder and for a longer duration (months or possibly years.) Maybe a dose of activated charcoal early on, could have nipped this in the bud but as it stands, I was a little late to that game. After a week it got worse so I did a couple of days of the charcoal which felt harsh on my system then moved to a regimen of acidophoulis before small meals, a cup of coconut water mixed with aloe vera juice (2tbsp daily) and spirulina mixed into a banana smoothie. Couldn't stomach anything at all the first week. Now all I can handle are breads and fats like cheese and butter. Weird right? Anything acidic is out, no tomato sauce and my fresh pineapple I watched grow for 6 months is now ripe and untouchable.
So prevention is the key. A friend of a friend got the illness from canned tuna. Apparently it doesn't matter how fresh or well cooked it is, even freezing doesn't affect the toxicity of the fish. I normally eat a good amount of Tuna and I think the reason I have never gotten sick before is that I always buy it fresh, myself. My rule is, if it isn't the color of rubies or garnets, don't buy it. At the party I attended, it was dark and I was half way done eating the darn thing before the chef said he had never cooked it before. Politeness got the better of me. Learning the hard way, as per usual.
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Pamela (Chicago) on 06/19/2015
★★★★★
It was a bad call, but I'd left some unfinished beet juice out overnight by accident. It didn't smell bad, so I thought maybe it would be okay. Drank the rest in one go, even though it was a bit congealed. Shortly thereafter (this was pretty much the only thing I'd had all day), I started to feel sick to my stomach. Symptoms didn't really escalate but I was afraid of it "coming out of both ends." I didn't want to ingest anything else and really wanted to prevent vomiting/diarrhea for obvious reasons, yet also because ... beet juice. If it did come out of both ends, it would be particularly revolting.
Thankfully, I came across this forum and immediately tried the apple cider vinegar diluted with water. Felt a bit better, good enough to go out and buy some activated charcoal capsules (100% of the workers at pharmacies I called were confused about this -- fair enough -- so I located it at a local Fresh Thyme, which is vaguely like a Whole Foods). Took two capsules.
I feel so much better! Thanks for posting this!
Apple Cider Vinegar, Charcoal, Garlic
Posted by Mmsg (Somewhere, Europe) on 01/01/2014
Melissa, if I were you I would let at least a whole day go by without any remedies, but WITH lots of water to drink.
Apple Cider Vinegar, Charcoal, Garlic
Posted by Man (America) on 01/01/2014
★★★★★
As far as the food poisoning issue or nay kind of poisoning issue, I like the activated charcoal. To my knowledge there is no limit on how much you can take. It is completely inert. I have never heard of anyone dying from an Activated Charcoal Overdose. You might need to eat some extra oil like coconut oil or Extra virgin Olive oil to help the stool pass, but other than that I don't know of any danger. If you are still feeling sick then I'd do another dose until you don't feel sick anymore. You will have to determine for yourself how long you want to wait between doses. Some times I will wait ten minutes, some times twenty depending upon how bad I feel at the time. Just a matter of determining how you feel at the moment. I'll take a tablespoon in water, and then after a while I'll do another and if I still feel bad, I'll do another. What I do is put a scoop into a glass and then put in distilled water into the glass and I chug it.
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Debra (Ohio) on 09/11/2016
I mix 1 part organic apple cider vinegar with the mother to 1 part raw honey to 2 parts filtered water. Mix well. Drink. Tastes much better this way in my opinion.
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Brandon (Calhoun, Ga) on 01/08/2011
★★★★★
I feel for everyone here, Just had my first experience with food poisoning... Not fun.. Ate some tuna I mixed with some spices and mayo that was left out for about 1-2 hours thinking it was okay to eat about 6-12 hours before I woke up at 3AM. Starting to diarrhea a lot and took some pepto bismol (which I never do because prescription and non-prescription drugs are trash ) But the stomach cramp was just too much for me. Went back to sleep waking up at about 10AM thinking it was just indigestion but from then on till about 6PM I had to diarrhea about about every 30 minutes to an hour, threw up, starting shaking, felt cold, and had SEVERE cramps when I went to the bathroom.
A WORD OF ADVICE TO ALL WITH FOOD POISONING: The activated charcoal I took ( a 256 mg capsule ) at about 3:20PM helped, it made the pain more tolerable and made the cramps and diarrhea less frequent. The apple cider vinegar though, which in total was only about a few gulps worth did the trick! Within a couple hours of sipping on that vinegar I had no more sever cramping when I went to the bathroom, I felt 90% better, had a sore stomach afterwards but a few more sips did away with that! Best of all, I could eat solids again without having to rush to the bathroom. I didnt eat too much though, maybe a couple handfuls because I'm still weak from the experience and didnt want to overdue it.
Activated Charcoal, Apple Cider Vinegar
Posted by Nan (Ridgewood, Nj) on 12/12/2009
i wanted to ask if anyone had tried the apple Cider vinegar first before eating out? Last Christmas party 2 people got food poisoning.. we all ate the same food. I took a Tablespoon of ACV 1 hr. before eating at the party. i ate everything, including salmon, chicken and veggie dishes but did not get sick. Now, of course there were many who did not get sick or who didn't complain of it. But i'd like to know if anyone else has heard about this little pre-party preventative.?
EC: Yes, heard that tip in DC Jarvis's book Folk Medicine!
Multiple Remedies
Posted by Yuriyanna (Orlando, FL) on 02/06/2009
★★★★★
I was at work on Wed. and around 5pm I started feeling cramps and gas pains in my entire stomach. It started to go away when I drove home from work but as soon as I ate dinner and tried to go to bed MASSIVE cramping started to occur. I have never experienced pain like this before. Around 1am I was in so much pain I actually went and woke both my parents up with tears streaming down my face. My dad had food poisoning 3 years ealier and actually went to the hospital for it for a couple of days. My dad studies homeopathic medicine and went out and bought garlic tabs, arsenicum album (helps with diarrhea), charcoal activated (captures unwanted materials and gas), and kelp with iodine (helps with metabolism). I already take an ounce of ACV everyday so needless to say I'm feeling awesome on day 3. Not saying in order to feel better you have to go out and buy all this stuff but it's great to take even if you're not sick...I prefer all natural remedies with any sickness. Just a couple of suggestions that worked wonders for me.
