Restaurant Food Got Me!

10 days ago I began to experience cramping, bloating, some diarrhea and nausea. Because I ate at a local restaurant before I had those symptoms. I suspected bacteria (or other bugs) or allergens (maybe cross-contamination) from the restaurant food caused my symptoms. However, I had eaten the same entree at that restaurant many previous times and had NO reaction. So I was really puzzled.

However, I put away (froze) 2 meals from my leftovers before I got those symptoms. I decided to wait until I recovered from the symptoms to eat one of those (frozen leftover) meals. If I again experienced those (cramping, bloating, nausea) symptoms after eating the lefotver meal, I would know something in the food caused my symptoms.

Friday night (2 days ago) I felt well and decided to try the restuarant leftovers again. Saturday morning I began having the same (but more intense) symptoms of bloating, nausea, diarrhea andd cramping pain. So I know for sure that resturant meal caused my symptoms. Last week I didn't know whether a foodborn bacteria (or parasite) in the food caused my symptoms or whether I was reacting to an allergen. This week my symptoms seem more like previous allergen reactions, maybe because the symptoms are more intense. (I remembered my reactions to gluten, dairy and soy being more painful.)

Today I visited that resturant and talked to the waitress who often serves me the same entree I always eat. She reassured me that the dish containined none of my allergens. However, since we visited the restaurant on a very busy night, I suspect cross-contamination. Perhaps one of the cooks used hastily washed utensils or pans to prepare my dish. That utensil or dish could have been contaminated with wheat (from flour tortillas) or dairy (from cheese or sour cream) from other previously prepared dishes. The waitress told me that the cooks are very careful, but my body says it was exposed to an allergen.

I won't return to that restaurant again very soon. However, when I do want to eat there again, I'll go at a slower time when the staff isn't so busy. I can't risk cross-contamination. Even though I eventually recover (symptoms disappear), allergen antibodies damage my intestines and make me more susceptible to new allergies or other autoimmune diaeases. I already have celiac disease, 6 other delayed reaction food allergies, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, and Sjogren's disease. I don't want more autoimmune conditions. SIGH