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Stomach & Digestive
CONDITIONS
Food Poisoning Treatment
Something you ate is fighting back, and you don’t have to ride it out alone. Our ER-trained doctors in Lakewood evaluate food poisoning with on-site labs and treat it with anti-nausea medication and IV fluids when you need them. No appointment needed.
What Is Food Poisoning?
Food poisoning (foodborne illness) is your body reacting to contaminated food or drink: bacteria, viruses, or the toxins they leave behind. Symptoms usually start within hours to a couple of days of eating, and most cases resolve on their own within 1–3 days. The main job while you’re sick is staying hydrated. That’s also the part that most often goes wrong.
What Causes Food Poisoning?
- Bacteria: Salmonella (undercooked poultry, eggs), E. coli (undercooked beef, raw produce), Campylobacter (raw poultry), Listeria (deli meats, soft cheeses), Staphylococcus aureus toxin (food left out too long)
- Viruses: norovirus, the “stomach flu” that spreads through food handlers and shared dishes
- Parasites: Giardia and Cyclospora, often from contaminated water or produce
- Summer culprits: BBQ food sitting in the sun, undercooked grilled meats, potato salad past its window, and travel-related “Traveler’s diarrhea”
Urgent Care or ER? Know the Difference
Most food poisoning can be evaluated and treated right here, faster and at a fraction of the cost of an ER.
Come to ContinuEM if you have:
- Vomiting or diarrhea lasting more than 24–48 hours
- Trouble keeping fluids down, or signs of dehydration like dark urine, dizziness, or dry mouth
- Fever above 101°F with stomach symptoms
- Severe cramping or abdominal pain
- Recent travel abroad followed by GI illness
- Symptoms after eating undercooked meat, seafood, or food left out too long
Call 911 or go to the ER if you have:
- Blood in your vomit, or black, tar-like stools
- Signs of severe dehydration, such as confusion, fainting, no urination, or rapid heartbeat
- Blurred or double vision, muscle weakness, or trouble swallowing (possible botulism)
- A rigid, severely tender abdomen
- High fever that won’t come down
- Severe symptoms during pregnancy, or in an infant, elderly, or immunocompromised person
Not sure? Call us at (562) 731-3990. We’ll help you decide.
Symptoms We Ask About
Food poisoning usually announces itself with some combination of: nausea and vomiting, watery or bloody diarrhea, stomach cramps, fever and chills, headache, and weakness. Two questions help us narrow the cause: what did you eat, and how long before symptoms started? Toxin-type illness (like staph) hits within hours; bacteria like Salmonella take 6 hours to 6 days; some, like Listeria, can take weeks.
What Causes Food Poisoning?
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Bacteria: Salmonella (undercooked poultry, eggs), E. coli (undercooked beef, raw produce), Campylobacter (raw poultry), Listeria (deli meats, soft cheeses), Staphylococcus aureus toxin (food left out too long)
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Viruses: norovirus, the “stomach flu” that spreads through food handlers and shared dishes
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Parasites: Giardia and Cyclospora, often from contaminated water or produce
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Summer culprits: BBQ food sitting in the sun, undercooked grilled meats, potato salad past its window, and travel-related “Traveler’s diarrhea”
How We Diagnose Food Poisoning
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We listen.
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We examine.
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We test on site when needed.
We ask what you ate and when symptoms started, check your hydration and vitals, and run blood work, urinalysis, and stool studies when symptoms are severe, bloody, or prolonged.
How We Treat It
Most patients leave the same visit feeling noticeably better:
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IV fluids: restore fluids and electrolytes fast when you can’t keep liquids down
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Anti-nausea medication: so you can rest, and drink, again
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Antibiotics, only when they help: most food poisoning is viral or self-limiting; when a bacterial cause warrants treatment, we prescribe it
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Clear aftercare: what to eat (bland, small, slow), what to avoid, and the warning signs that mean come back
Why Choose ContinuEM for Food Poisoning
ER-trained, board-certified providers
On-site labs and IV fluids, so you’re evaluated, tested, and rehydrated in one visit
Walk-ins welcome; open until 11 PM weekdays, 6 PM weekends
$99 upfront fee; most insurance accepted
Faster and far cheaper than the ER for non-emergency GI illness
Conveniently located in Lakewood, CA, serving Long Beach, Downey, Cerritos, Bellflower, Paramount, Signal Hill, Norwalk, Naples, Belmont Shore, Huntington Beach, Seal Beach, Buena Park, Cypress, Los Alamitos, Rossmoor, and West Garden Grove.
Related Care at ContinuEM
One visit usually covers whatever the bad meal left behind:
- IV Hydration Therapy: fast rehydration when you’re losing more fluids than you can replace
- Diarrhea treatment: for when it outlasts everything else
- Dehydration treatment: the dizzy, dry-mouth drain that follows GI illness
- Abdominal pain: for cramping that’s more than a stomach bug
FAQ
Food Poisoning FAQs
Yes, if symptoms last more than 24–48 hours, you can’t keep fluids down, you have a fever over 101°F, or you’re showing signs of dehydration. Go to the ER for bloody vomit, black stools, confusion, or vision and swallowing problems.
Most cases resolve within 1–3 days. If you’re still sick after 48 hours, or getting worse instead of better, it’s time to be seen.
Yes. If vomiting or diarrhea has left you dehydrated, IV fluids restore hydration and electrolytes far faster than sipping can, and with anti-nausea medication on board, you keep the progress.
Sometimes you can’t; the symptoms overlap. Clues pointing to food poisoning: symptoms within hours of a specific meal, and others who ate the same thing getting sick too. Either way, the treatment path (fluids, rest, medical care if it persists) is the same, and we treat both.
PHONE
FAX
(562) 461-0082
HOURS & APPOINTMENTS
Monday – Friday
8 AM – 11 PM (last check-in at 10 PM)
Saturday & Sunday
10 AM – 6 PM (last check-in at 5 PM)
Times may vary. See Holiday Hours.
COVERAGE
We’ve Got You Covered
Most in-network and out-of-network insurance accepted. You pay a $99 upfront service fee; the rest is billed to your insurance.
*Exclusions apply for insurance plans without urgent care benefits — see cash payment options.
Medically reviewed by
Written by
ContinuEM Editorial Team
Last updated
July 28, 2026
ContinuEM Urgent Care is dedicated to delivering exceptional, convenient healthcare to the Lakewood community and its surrounding areas. Our board-certified providers deliver expert care with compassion, transparency, and respect for your time.
Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for any questions regarding a medical condition. If you’re experiencing a medical emergency, call 911 immediately.