How long does it take to get sick from eating bad shrimp?
Symptoms usually appear 30–60 minutes after eating contaminated shellfish, but it could be a few hours before you start to feel sick. Severe cases may be fatal. Symptoms vary based on the type of toxin in the shellfish and can include: Numbness and tingling.
Raw or frozen uncooked shrimp is often ripe with bacteria when it's fished out of the water. That's why vigilance when it comes to shellfish best before dates and thorough cooking practices is so important. Eating spoiled shrimp can lead to an awful case of food-poisoning.
Yes, you can get sick from eating old shrimp. Shrimp should be eaten within one to two days of being caught. After that, they start to spoil and can cause food poisoning.
They are ciguatera poisoning and scombroid poisoning. Ciguatera poisoning symptoms include abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Symptoms can progress to headache, muscle aches, and itchy, tingly, or numbness of the skin. One early sign can be numbness of the lips, tongue, or area around the mouth.
According to Smarter Home Baker, fresh shrimp should look slightly translucent and the flesh and the shell should appear taut and have a glossy finish. If the shrimp flesh doesn't appear to be flush to the shell or there's discoloration or a dull look to the shell, it's probably best to discard it.
Some shrimp packaging may have a "Best-By" or "Use-By" date, which indicates the packagers' estimate of when the product will be of best quality. Shrimp may last beyond that date for two days, but if you're unsure check the texture and smell. If the shrimp is slimy or smells like ammonia, it's best to toss it.
Raw shrimp can last in the fridge for 2 days, and cooked shrimp can last even longer. If you want to store them for a longer period, you can freeze them. Before eating your shrimp, ensure you check them for spoilage. Practice proper hygiene and avoid food poisoning the best that you can.
Bad cooked shrimp will have a fishy and rotten flavor — it can also have a very strange rubbery texture that's very chewy. There aren't way different “flavors of bad shrimp,” but they are easily recognizable.
The symptoms of food poisoning usually begin within one to two days of eating contaminated food, although they may start at any point between a few hours and several weeks later. The main symptoms include: feeling sick (nausea)
Stop eating and drinking for a few hours. Try sucking on ice chips or taking small sips of water. You might also try drinking clear soda, clear broth or noncaffeinated sports drinks. You might also try oral rehydration solutions if you have severe dehydration symptoms or diarrhea.
Can cooked shrimp give you food poisoning?
In 16% of cooked, ready-to-eat shrimp, we found several bacteria, including vibrio and E. coli. Those bacteria can potentially cause illnesses such as food poisoning—which could include diarrhea and dehydration—and, in rare instances, can even prove fatal.
Some germs make you sick within a few hours after you swallow them. Others may take a few days to make you sick. This table provides details about the symptoms caused by different germs, when they usually start, and common sources for those germs.

Bad Shrimp has a very prominent and strong acidic taste. It is bitter, sour, extremely unpleasant, and highly hazardous to health. Before the taste, it is the foul odor of ammonia-covered meat that acts as a warning sign for bad shrimp.
The best way to maintain the quality and safety of your cooked shrimp is to store it properly, and refrigerate it. If cooked shrimp has been refrigerated, then it can be consumed for up to 3 or 4 days after it is cooked. After that, it should be thrown away.
There's no need to refreeze the shrimp. Defrosted shrimp can remain in the fridge for up to 2 days only. However, if you used warm water or the microwave for quick defrosting, the shrimp should be used right away due to bacteria growth.
Shrimp Color
If you are buying cooked shrimp, they should be pink. Bad shrimp look discolored, and that discoloration might indicate that the flesh is spoiled. Also, look to see if the shells appear yellow or gritty. This may indicate that a chemical such as sodium bi-sulfate has been used to bleach the shells.
The best way to tell if shrimp has gone bad is by looking at it and smelling it. If it has an unpleasant or sour smell, then you should dispose of it straight away. What is this? Similarly, if the shrimp is particularly slimy in texture or looks off in any way, you will need to throw it away.
In some cases, adults can take over-the-counter medicines such as loperamide link (Imodium) and bismuth subsalicylate link (Pepto-Bismol, Kaopectate) to treat diarrhea caused by food poisoning.
Food poisoning usually resolves on its own in 1-2 days, while the stomach flu can last 1-3 days (although sometimes longer). It's important you know what is causing your symptoms so you can properly treat your illness.
Over-the-counter medicines may stop the symptoms of food poisoning. Bismuth subsalicylate — you may know this medicine as Pepto-Bismol — can treat nausea and diarrhea. Loperamide — you may know this as Imodium — is an antidiarrheal that stops diarrhea by slowing down the digestive process.
How long does it take to get sick from bad shellfish?
Symptoms usually occur within 2 hours of eating contaminated shellfish and include chills, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. Symptoms usually resolve within 2–3 days.
What is the treatment? There is no antidote for Paralytic Shellfish Poison. The only treatment for severe cases is the use of life support systems such as a mechanical respirator and oxygen until the toxin passes from the victim's system. Survivors can have a full recovery.
- Diarrhea.
- Stomach pain or cramps.
- Nausea.
- Vomiting.
- Fever.
If you eat shrimp that has been left out for too long, even if it is well cooked, you can be susceptible to food poisoning, and you may become very sick.
In 16% of cooked, ready-to-eat shrimp, we found several bacteria, including vibrio and E. coli. Those bacteria can potentially cause illnesses such as food poisoning—which could include diarrhea and dehydration—and, in rare instances, can even prove fatal.