Got sick in China

[Oiler1]

Hi everyone,

I have no idea how I got sick in China recently. I had diarrhea and my stomach feels tight for the past 3 days. I finally feel better as I took immodium and some Chinese Medicine called Po chai pills.

I know you are not supposed to drink the water so I did not. I wonder if it was some contaminated food I ate?

Usually nothing happens to me other than mosquito bites here. I think one guyu told me he had food poisoning, so maybe that's what I got or Giardia.

What precautuons do you guys usually take?

Don

[Rhonald]

I usually try to drink yougart based products to get the healthy bacteria in me
they have these tiny bottle ( I can not remember the brand) drinks there that have the healthy bacteria.

[mustfocus]

Hi everyone,

I have no idea how I got sick in China recently. I had diarrhea and my stomach feels tight for the past 3 days. I finally feel better as I took immodium and some Chinese Medicine called Po chai pills.

I know you are not supposed to drink the water so I did not. I wonder if it was some contaminated food I ate?

Usually nothing happens to me other than mosquito bites here. I think one guyu told me he had food poisoning, so maybe that's what I got or Giardia.

What precautuons do you guys usually take?

Don

You could be dehydrated or food poisoned.  Po chai wan (little brown balls that have an herbal medicine smell to it right?) are usually to settle stomachs.  If the diarrhea is severe enough, you will be dehydrated and that will make the issue even worse.   First thing I would do is see if you can find a western convenience store or a supermarket and buy some sports drinks.  That'll help deal with the dehydration.  More po chai wan will help as well.  Don't take them too often... and no more than 2-3 a day.  Sleep will also help you feel better.

As for prevention, as I've mentioned, hep shots are important.  I think the vaccination is good for five years or so.  Dukarol is also handy (although I've never taken any).  I usually have some po chai wan in my checked luggage just in case as well as a vial of "ching po liang" (little yellow pills in a clear tube with a green and yellow motif).  Some Tylenol (panadol for you Brits) doesn't hurt.  And finally, two more things... first is hand sanitizer and the other one...is a UK thing (I've never found it here) called vapex...it's a smelling salt type thing except in a liquid...smells nice and can help with headaches....just don't put it on any cuts...and make sure it's legit (lots of fakes in Asia for this)

[Willy The Londoner]

Have I been Lucky or what!!  I have travelled extensively in India, West and North Africa, Turkey, Egypt  - non tourist places in teh main and have never carried any medicine at all.  Never taken anti malaria pills.  

Never gave these possible problems a second thought until I came onto this forum.

Willy

[ttwjr32]

thats why i stay away from the street vendors in china,
hell in restuarants you have to use hot water for your
dishes and chopsticks now do you really think the street
vendors are safe?? i would assume most are pretty good
but then again it only takes one

[Oiler1]

I think the water in China and HK is not drinkable. I use it to wash up and take showers only. I use bottled water to brush my teeth, but sometimes I forget and wash my toothbrush with tap water.

I ate breakfast today and the glasses still had water from the wash in it. I wonder if I will feel ill again. Ice cubes, washed fresh veggies, you can't prevent everything.

After the first bout I think the body gets used to it.

[ttwjr32]

oiler you always use hot water to rinse your dishes in the eateries

[David5o]

Written on here a few times about this.... Be aware there are some real nasties lurking around in China, especially in the water. As you say, it's not just the water you drink, it's the water you wash your veg with, brushing your teeth, mixing things with, ice cubes to name but a few.

Number 1 .... don't rely on electric kettles to boil tap water or water from unknown source for coffee and other drinks, many are fooled into thinking that once boiled it's OK...''It's Not'' water has to boil for at least 3 minutes to become safe to drink, and kettles don't boil for 3 minutes, they switch off when boiled!!! So always use bottled water for making coffee, washing veg, making ice cubes and brushing your teeth...

Number 2 .... Try to avoid food street vendors or at the very least, those that in anyway look suspect. This also includes rough looking restaurants too. Any fresh fruit drink street vendors, ice cream vendors....

You may not know this but the biggest loss of working man hours in China is due to water bourne bugs, and infected foods.... So ALWAYS use a little commonsense when your out and about, because if you don't, these bugs will knock you down flat, and you'll stay that way for at least 3 to 4 days with medication, without medication you can get in serious trouble... it just ain't worth it !!!

Oiler,
No, your wrong your body doesn't get used to it at all ...re-infect yourself and you WILL go down again, and just as bad as the first time!!!!

David...

[feisnik]

thats why i stay away from the street vendors in china,
hell in restuarants you have to use hot water for your
dishes and chopsticks now do you really think the street
vendors are safe?? i would assume most are pretty good
but then again it only takes one

You are missing out the adventure and some really good food by doing this. Just have a local help you choose good street foods, such as a interpreter or wife! That is what I do and have never been sick from street foods. Never gotten sick from any of it.

[brett]

Everyone gets sick in China lol. Even my lady got sick, although if you buy meat on a stick from a street vendor I guess you're asking for trouble. By the way, the only thing she didn't eat was broccoli, so there might be something to learn here.

You can't tell where the germs are though. We ate at a really unhygenic place while on our boat trip - I feared the worst but I was fine!

[David5o]

Nik,

Street food vendors are controlled in Hong Kong, they have to meet certain standards of hygiene, in China it's a free for all, with absolutly no control what-so-ever!!!  I for one wouldn't actually recommend visitors to China to start using these types of food vendors. But, as a general rule of thumb for street food vendors, any food that is being cooked in a pan of boiling oil, should be somewhat safe.

Now, just because to-date you haven't been struck down by these stomach bugs, doesn't mean that you won't at some time. When and if you are unfortunate to get knocked down by one, ...believe me you WILL be that much more careful of what and where you eat and drink. Because you won't want to experience it again, ...That i can guarantee!! ...hahaha!!!

David.......

[Irishman]

I eat from street vendors all the time and have never had an upset tummy. Last visit I found a one inch nail in the baozi i bought though, if i had munched down on that sucker any other way it could have been really nasty. I always brush my teeth with tap water as does Sunny and neither of us got tummy aches. I figure the years working in McDonalds when I was younger made me immune to most food bugs!

[David5o]

Ronan,

Can't tell you how lucky you have been, especially concerning brushing your teeth with tap water!!
That was exactly how the first time i got a bug into my system!!! (I was exactly like you in my early days in China) It's even more lucky that you didn't break the skin on your gums while brushing your teeth, because then the bugs get directly into the blood system. Around 4 hours later, and you would have known all about it !!! I think you need to see the state of Chinese plumbing and the amount of contamination within there systems, ...maybe you wouldn't be so keen to have that water in your mouth then ...hahaha!!!

It normally takes around 8 to 12 hours after injestion before you get the symptoms. ie, Stomach pains/cramps, (which get progressively worse), continuous Diarrhea, Vomiting like you have never known before, rapid dehydration, Thumping headaches, that never seem to go. and a very REAL feeling of Dying slowly ...hahaha!! ...I can laugh now, but i can tell you now i wasn't at the time!!! Getting anything in your blood stream and your talking around as little as 4 hours ....

As a last note, If any of you think that not taking precautions, is worth around 3 to 4 days of your Trip to China, then ignore everything others and i have said, I wish you lucky!!!!

David....

[Martin]

Eating at a street vendor should be a choice made by the individual, and not recommended by anyone here, based on past experiences.  I have certainly eaten at the vendors, and got away freely.  I also brushed my teeth using the tap water.  I drank tea from boiled kettle water.  However, that being said, that was MY experience.  Caution should be used, and everyone should make their own choices based on how they feel about the given situation.

Like David5o wrote, the food vendors being regulated in China...its a free for all.  At least from what I saw in Guangzhou, these are unlicensed vendors.  There is nobody to check health standards, or sanitary conditions.  These people also don't pay taxes.  This is why all the street vendors are on bikes.  When the authorities show up, everyone scrambles to get the hell out of there.  I have seen this first hand.  What was a bustling street of vendors, became a quiet street in about 30 seconds, with only a Police type vehicle coming down the street.

So, caution should be exercised if you are planning on going the risky route.  Do it for your reasons, and not because someone here (like me) got away with it.

[dude]

Martin...the police deal seems funny! I haven't seen this here in Changsha...street vendors are like the mahjong rooms here...illegal and everywhere!


I love the meat on the stick, my wife and I eat this almost daily...it's much preferred over McDonalds! The only time I got sick here, was on my last visit and this was from eating pizza hut(I had forgotten about the last time I got sick at a pizza hut in Arizona)...this happens anywhere! It was about 6 hours after eating that crap, that I had the sh*ts...this lasted about a day.

I drink boiled water here daily and it's great! Brush my teeth with tap water...no problems! I buy plenty of bottled water also, as I like drinking water and I do the same back in the states

We eat the little hole-in-the-walls often and love them...YES, my wife does the choosing! The meat and veggies on the sticks are the best!!!

We all have different immune systems and different bodies...This is just my personal experience and plan on eating more meat on a stick today!!!:icon_cheesygrin:

JUST REMEMBER just because you have an experience doesn't mean this will happen to everybody else...just use common sense!