Don’t put this gift in your mouth : Our son kindly sent... - NRAS

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Don’t put this gift in your mouth

Matalow profile image
26 Replies

Our son kindly sent a anniversary gift of Foie Royale ( goose liver pate ) I forgot about the warning not to eat pate whilst on Humira.unfotunately I was suffering upset stomach for 24 hrs +.i wouldn’t mind but I’d had very little just 2 small crackers with a smear of deliciousness.

What a shame it’s now in the freezer awaiting a dinner party when things return to normal , I’ll naturally give it a miss.

Hope you are all as well as you can be.

Regards Mike

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Matalow profile image
Matalow
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26 Replies
sylvi profile image
sylvi

Wow not good darling. I hope you feel brighter now.xxx

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr

I didn't know that Matalow, why should you not eat pate whilst on humira ?

charisma profile image
charisma in reply to Mmrr

Nothing from meat and dairy that is not cooked eg mayonnaise from raw eggs.

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr in reply to charisma

I'm on my 3rd biologic and did not know this !

I've had a quick look at the patient information again, and no mention of it, nor has anyone told me this.

I don't eat much in the way of uncooked dairy, but it would have good to know.

charisma profile image
charisma in reply to Mmrr

My rheumatology nurse made sure I had the right info a year ago. Leaflet too. Probably on NRAS website somewhere, versus arthritis produce the leaflets.

Things like eggs must be well cooked, no runny yolks. All can cause food poisoning when immune system suppressed with biologic drugs. I don’t want to be acquainted with Sam ‘n Ella!!

Carolsos profile image
Carolsos in reply to charisma

Wow! I did not know that! I need to read the instructions of that medication again.

Carolsos profile image
Carolsos in reply to Carolsos

Just realized I am not on this drug! Silly me

charisma profile image
charisma in reply to Carolsos

😃😆

Matalow profile image
Matalow in reply to Mmrr

As Humira lowers your immune system foods to be avoided inc mould ripened cheeses Brie and blue cheeses etc also all types of pate,raw meat so no steak Tatar’s.

This info comes from NHS but there’s no warning on the latest leaflet that comes with the Humira but I’m sure the previous leaflet had warnings included

Mike

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr in reply to Matalow

Thanks Mike. I'm aware of the food warnings in other situations, just not with biologics.

If there is no warning on the patient information leaflet, and no warning from rheumatology nor the specialist biologic pharmacist I'm assuming the risk isn't great. But I will ask the rheumatologist at my next consultantation, thanks for alerting me

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix in reply to Matalow

There’s a 2014 leaflet from Bath Hospital about raw food, but that was replaced in 2019 with advice about avoiding food poisoning from all/any sources and advice to avoid raw food was dropped. Is there anythi g national?

I can imagine that when biologics first started to be used in early 2000’s people were being very cautious. But perhaps now there’s a better understanding of infection risks for people on biologics as I seem to recall sepsis and pneumonia are the big ones?

springcross profile image
springcross in reply to Matalow

I'm on MTX and was warned about unpasturised cheese, blue cheese etc.

charisma profile image
charisma

Good you only ate such a tiny bit! I forgot about not eating soft cheese eg Brie or Boursin. But when I examined packaging, found those two were in fact pasteurised.

Biologics are inconvenient in some ways (especially infusions during pandemic, cannot stop or get it out of the system!) but if they work, such a relief!

Hope the two of you can enjoy the pâté at some future date.

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix

I eat paté, unpasteurised cheeses, raw eggs and the like every week. My rheumatologist told me that I should not worry as long as I am eating properly produced products. I will not eat from an open buffet, or buy low quality products where hygiene standards could be low, or eat things that have been left out of the fridge. If something has been produced properly (and hen farms are now regularly checked for salmonella) then the risk of the food being contaminated is very, very small. The cheeses I eat are all artisan produced and their businesses would be finished if they didn’t keep high safety standards.

With foie royale which is also trading on its high quality credentials I imagine they are scrupulous about contamination. So it is far more likely that your stomach was upset by the extraordinarily high fat content!

And if you truly think it was that the foie gras contained bacteria then you should not serve it to anyone else either... The risk of getting infected by X is the same for everyone it is just that the infection could be more serious for you.

(Edit, having said that I am only in my 60s in good health, and it may be the case that more fragile people should take more care.)

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr in reply to helixhelix

I am so pleased to hear this HH. I don't regard myself as uninformed, I'm well read on things affecting my health, but as said have never heard , nor read these cautionary tails about biologics. Not a mention of it on the patient information leaflet, so my guess it can't be a big risk.

But each person should follow medical advice given to them.

It kinda reminds me of the advice given to pregnant women, highly restrictive with some foods in the UK and almost the opposite advice given in some European countries. My daughters friend is French, lives in Scotland, but followed French maternity guidance during her 2 pregnancies

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix in reply to Mmrr

My rheumatologist is french of course! (I won’t tell you her reaction when I asked her the question as it could upset people!).

It is a cautionary approach promoted by some, but as you say it is for each of us to make our own decision. I personally am more worried about infections from getting cuts and scratches in the garden going septic, or for the fungal nail infection on my toe going mental. We do have something like a 10% increased risk of serious infections in general, so do need to think about our approach to managing that. Mine does not include avoiding nice food.

Mmrr profile image
Mmrr in reply to helixhelix

Yes, I'm aware of the food guidance information in other health care settings but rather foolishly I suppose did not transfer the knowledge to biologic drugs.

I'm highly sceptical of the information given out to pregnant woman for example in the UK (but please don't listen to me, listen to your midwife). I'll adopt the same healthy sceptisicm with biologics too. Not that it really applies to me much, but hey.

If a wee bit of well cared for cheese might kill me, I'm in big trouble I think.

CagneysMum profile image
CagneysMum in reply to helixhelix

Music to my ears helix 😁 my consultant is considering moving me to biologics and the thought of not being able to eat soft boiled eggs, pate or blue cheese is very grim.

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix in reply to CagneysMum

You need to be very sensible about food hygiene in general, as you will have a higher infection risk. But to me this is more general than blue cheese.....do you remember the outbreak of listeria last year from NHS meat sandwiches? And meat, not paté. So I keep to properly produced, stored and cooked products. And if you are over 75 take even more care.

Matalow profile image
Matalow in reply to helixhelix

You mat be right as I don’t have a gall bladder and the pate is very high fat content. Thanks-for info.

Mike

Barrister profile image
Barrister

I’ve never been told this and have taken Humira, Enbrel and Benepali.

KittyJ profile image
KittyJ

Never been told this either. Oh well 🤷🏻‍♀️

benjijen profile image
benjijen

Maybe look at how this is produced?

helixhelix profile image
helixhelix in reply to benjijen

Foie royale is supposed to be more “ethical” than normal stuff. I still wouldn’t touch it, but that’s my choice.

Matalow profile image
Matalow in reply to helixhelix

Agree

Mike

GolffanaticBob profile image
GolffanaticBob

Just another item that I was told to avoid were prawns & shellfish. Sorry if someone has already included these.

Meanwhile everybody keep safe.

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