TEMPORARY INCAPACITATION OF A B757-200 CAPT DUE TO FOOD POISONING OR CONTAMINATION WHILE INFLT AT FL410; 30 MI SW OF ATL; GA.

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WE WERE AT CRUISE ALT; ENRTE FROM SJU TO STL; WHEN I BEGAN TO FEEL RATHER NAUSEATED. I ALSO DEVELOPED A BOUT OF DIARRHEA. MY FEELING WAS THAT I MUST HAVE EATEN SOMETHING AT BREAKFAST THAT DID NOT SET WELL WITH ME. AFTER A FEW MINS; I HAD A SECOND ATTACK OF DIARRHEA AND UPON RETURNING TO THE COCKPIT I IMMEDIATELY BEGAN TO FEEL EXTREMELY SLEEPY. MY FIRST THOUGHT WAS TO FIGHT THE DROWSINESS WITH DISTR; SO I BEGAN TO REVIEW MY APCH CHART THAT WAS LYING OPEN UPON MY FLT KIT; WHICH WAS ON THE FLOOR TO MY L. MY NEXT RECOLLECTION WAS OF BEING SHAKEN BY ONE OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS AND SHE WAS ASKING ME IF I WAS OK. I THEN EXPLAINED TO BOTH SHE AND THE COPLT HOW I HAD BEEN FEELING AND THAT I MUST BE EXPERIENCING A TOUCH OF FOOD POISONING. THE FLT ATTENDANT ASKED IF I WAS FEELING ANY CHEST OR ARM PAIN AND I ASSURED HER THAT I WAS NOT. MY COPLT AND I DISCUSSED THE PROGRESSION TO THE INCIDENT; THE FOOD POISONING LIKE SYMPTOMS; MY CHART READING WHICH PUT ME IN A SLUMPED OVER POS; AND THE CABIN ALT AT WHICH WE WERE FLYING. SINCE I HAD EXPERIENCED NO OTHER UNUSUAL FEELINGS; NOR WAS I AT ANY TIME CONFUSED OR DISORIENTED; WE CONCLUDED THAT WE NEED NOT PURSUE IT FURTHER; IF I CONTINUED TO IMPROVE OVER THE SYMPTOMS I HAD BEEN FEELING. I ASSURED EVERYONE THAT IF I SHOULD START TO FEEL ILL IN ANY WAY; I WOULD TAKE MYSELF OFF MY NEXT TRIP. (THE FO AND I WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY THE SAME TRIP PAIRING THE NEXT DAY AND THE FLT ATTENDANTS WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY WITH US OFF THEIR LAYOVER.) SINCE I DID NOT HAVE ANY MORE ATTACKS OF DIARRHEA AND THE NAUSEA WENT AWAY; I RPTED FOR MY FLT THE NEXT MORNING AS SCHEDULED. DURING MY BRIEFING WITH THE CABIN TEAM THE NEXT MORNING; EVERYONE SEEMED RELIEVED THAT I WAS FEELING FINE AND NO ONE EXPRESSED ANY CONCERNS ABOUT MY OPERATING THE FLT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 522885: DURING CRUISE FLT; THE CAPT SLUMPED OVER AND LEANED TO THE L SIDE OF CAPT'S CTL YOKE. CONCERNED; I TRIED TO VERBALLY GET HIS ATTN WITHOUT RESPONSE. I THEN CALLED THE FLT SVC MGR TO THE COCKPIT. SHE LIFTED THE CAPT UPRIGHT IN THE CAPT'S SEAT AND HE APPEARED TO SLOWLY WAKE UP. WE QUESTIONED HIM ABOUT HOW HE FELT AND CONSIDERED A DIVERSION TO THE NEAREST SUITABLE ARPT (ATL). HE ASSURED US HE WAS ABLE TO CONTINUE WITHOUT ASSISTANCE. THE FLT ATTENDANT BROUGHT A PAX OXYGEN BOTTLE FROM THE FIRST CLASS CABIN; BUT THE CAPT REFUSED ITS USE STATING THAT IF HE NEEDED OXYGEN; HE COULD USE THE CAPT'S QUICK DON MASK. I HAD 1 FLT ATTENDANT SIT IN THE COCKPIT AND OBSERVE THE CAPT'S ACTIONS UNTIL APPROX 30 MINS FROM LNDG. WE DISCUSSED OUR CONCERN AND SUGGESTION THAT HE SEE A DOCTOR UPON LNDG FOR A CHK UP. HE SAID HE HAD BEEN NAUSEATED AND HAD DIARRHEA SINCE THE FLT BEGAN AND FELT LIKE HE NEEDED TO THROW UP. (THIS CONFIRMED BY 3 TRIPS TO THE ACFT LAVATORY DURING THE FLT.) THE FLT LANDED SAFELY AT ORIGINAL DEST.