Chicken Food Poisoning Treatments

If you've recently eaten chicken and you're suffering from symptoms of diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, appetite loss, fever and fatigue, food poisoning may be the culprit, says the Mayo Clinic. Food poisoning may be caused by expired chicken, chicken that is not cooked properly or bacteria from raw chicken that has contaminated other foods. Consult a doctor if you feel you may have food poisoning from eating chicken.

Stop Eating and Drinking

While experiencing symptoms of food poisoning, you may not feel like eating or drinking, says the Mayo Clinic. For the first few hours you are feeling ill, stop eating and drinking to give the digestive system a break. Refraining from eating and drinking for a few hours will help your stomach settle and may prevent further episodes of nausea, vomiting and diarrhea.

Sips of Water

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Vomiting and diarrhea can cause dehydration, so as soon as you feel ready to drink water, take small and frequent sips, recommends the Mayo Clinic. Start with one or two small sips to see if you will hold the water down, says Dr. William B. Ruderman, chairman of the Department of Gastroenterology at the Cleveland Clinic-Florida in Fort Lauderdale. If your body does not reject the water, continue drinking small and frequent sips. Ideally, you should be drinking between eight and 16 glasses of water per day to prevent dehydration and hydrate the body, says the Mayo Clinic.

Bland Foods

After the symptoms of food poisoning have lessened, you may begin to feel hungry. Instead of going straight to a slice of pizza or bowl of ice cream, try bland foods such as rice, toast, bananas and soda crackers, recommends the Mayo Clinic. Eat slowly and in very small amounts to determine if your body is ready to digest food. Stay away from foods that are difficult to digest, such as dairy, caffeine, fatty foods, alcohol and spicy foods.

Intravenous Fluids

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If symptoms of food poisoning are severe and you cannot keep any food or water down, consult a doctor, who may rehydrate you with intravenous fluids in the office or in the hospital. The intravenous fluids contain water and salt, which will place nutrients into the body more quickly than drinking water will, says the Mayo Clinic.

Antibiotic Medications

If the food poisoning is caused by bacteria from chicken, a doctor may prescribe an antibiotic to kill the bacteria in the body. Although antibiotics may not be prescribed in all cases of food poisoning from chicken, they may be prescribed either orally or intravenously if symptoms are particularly severe. Additionally, a doctor may prescribe antibiotics if you are pregnant and suffering from food poisoning to prevent the unborn baby from becoming infected.