# What to do about food lodged in esophagus?



## Honey Berry

I fixed a pork roast for dinner last night and my husband had a piece lodged in his esophagus shortly after we began eating. It is still stuck this morning. It won't go up or down. He has tried sipping water and sipping vinegar but the liquids come back up. He has tried to vomit it up, but it is stuck tight. 

Does anyone have a remedy we can try? I'm afraid he may have to go to the ER.

Thank you,
HB


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## soulsurvivor

I'd suggest the ER. If it's lodged there's a reason and best to find out why so it can be avoided in the future.


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## Honey Berry

Husband has a narrow esophagus. This problem runs in his family. He has been stuck many times in his life, but this is the first time it has lasted this long.

I was hoping someone might have a remedy we could try at home..

Thanks.


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## lenii

has had to go to E.R. with that a few times. They have to give you something to relax and go in there and pull it out. Has your husband had the test to see if anything is wrong? Mine did, and he just doesn't chew his food well enough. He chokes at least once a day. He has dementia now, and can't remember to chew good.


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## keno12

If he has to go to the ER, don't tell them it was dinner last night, and expressly state he is having trouble breathing. Going to the ER (vs a family physician) for something that occurred a time period ago will get his waiting time pushed back, hence the no mention of time (you will be asked one, make up something more recent), and trouble 'feeling like' he is getting enough oxygen (as 02 sat screen may show differently).

In short, get him seen as quick as possible. Worry abt conscience and all that later. Has he had any upper GI work done?

I'm a medic and have worked in an ER, so I've seen both sides of street and ER medicine. You don't want him waiting, and *in this case* its ok to fudge details...since its possibly affecting his breathing, which is a minor important thing on a stay alive checklist.
Best of luck.


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## Cliff

I have that. I've never had to go to the er for it but was close a couple times. 

Try sipping a little oil. Yeah it comes back up but if you keep doing it it gets spread around down where the food bolus is and lubricates enough that it helps it go down. BUT since it has been stuck since last night there may be some swelling and you may have to go to the er, sorry.

This is usually the culprit:
Schatzki ring - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

It can be dilated - my mom had to have that done because it was getting so bad.


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## jwal10

I have heard to eat some bread, the muscles work it down together.... BUT in this case with it being stuck that long I wouldn't want to put something else down there on top of it and cut off his breathing. You said it happened near the beginning of the meal. Did he eat more the meat became lodged and he was able to continue eating? Better get him to some medical help....James


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## bluesky

Go to the ER now. Don't try to manage this at home and don't have him swallow oil - you're risking oil aspiration if it comes back up.


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## demeter

I wonder if something "fizzy" might help?

Demeter


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## Maggie

Any update?


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## Cliff

bluesky said:


> Go to the ER now. Don't try to manage this at home and don't have him swallow oil - you're risking oil aspiration if it comes back up.


?? Technically you are risking aspiration any time something goes into or comes out of your digestive tract orally...


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## RonM

Sounds like a no brainer to me.....ER....


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## TNHermit

I have the same thing and just had a pork dinner and had the same thing. I get in a hurry but I have learned to watch for it and drink a big gulp of water and force myself to relax.It can be scary especially when you are alone. And sometimes it hurts bad. Nothing!! works for me but pure water. Hope everything came out all right.


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## Judi Reilly

never but never eat or drink anything when something is stuck in the throat..get to the ER...as an EMT I've seen it happen many times when one thinks they day solve the problem..if his O2 is cut off...and your home...ya know how long you can stop breathing b/4 the heart stops????


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## bluesky

Cliff said:


> ?? Technically you are risking aspiration any time something goes into or comes out of your digestive tract orally...


Of course - but when you _know_ fluids are not going down you're already at higher higher risk of aspiration - avoiding oil aspiration and possible lipoid pneumonia would be smart, don't you think?


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## Cliff

But how does something stuck in your esophagus cut off your O2? 

We have to be able to use common sense, we can't just race to the er every time something happens. You can feel when you have something stuck in your esophagus - at least when it's as far down as a Schatzki's ring is - that it is not endangering your airway.

The danger with this kind of thing is not generally airway related, it's the inability to take in fluids and nourishment and possibly tissue necrosis from too much pressure for too long a time where the bolus is.


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## Cliff

bluesky said:


> Of course - but when you _know_ fluids are not going down you're already at higher higher risk of aspiration - avoiding oil aspiration and possible lipoid pneumonia would be smart, don't you think?


Basically what is happening is you are vomiting the stuff back up. If you are sober and not neurologically impaired you have as much risk of aspiration as of anytime you vomit. So no, I would not avoid trying the oil for that reason.


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## scooter

I would have had him into the emergency room last night!


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## MoonShine

Well what happened? Is he better now?
I remember someone posting about this very thing years ago. Her husband got a piece of turkey (If I remember right) stuck in his throat. I think her name was Rose. I wonder whatever happened to her.


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## Joshie

keno12 said:


> If he has to go to the ER, don't tell them it was dinner last night, and expressly state he is having trouble breathing. Going to the ER (vs a family physician) for something that occurred a time period ago will get his waiting time pushed back, hence the no mention of time (you will be asked one, make up something more recent), and trouble 'feeling like' he is getting enough oxygen (as 02 sat screen may show differently).
> 
> I'm a medic and have worked in an ER, so I've seen both sides of street and ER medicine. You don't want him waiting, and *in this case* its ok to fudge details...since its possibly affecting his breathing, which is a minor important thing on a stay alive checklist.
> Best of luck.


Don't lie. Telling the truth about something being stuck in your esophagus won't make you wait a long time. (Keno, this happened last night so I don't see how lying would be helpful.) If he's not having a hard time breathing don't lie. They need to believe what you're saying. Is your hubby feeling anxious? If so, tell them that.




Cliff said:


> But how does something stuck in your esophagus cut off your O2?
> 
> We have to be able to use common sense, we can't just race to the er every time something happens. You can feel when you have something stuck in your esophagus - at least when it's as far down as a Schatzki's ring is - that it is not endangering your airway.
> 
> The danger with this kind of thing is not generally airway related, it's the inability to take in fluids and nourishment and possibly tissue necrosis from too much pressure for too long a time where the bolus is.


Cliff, what you're saying is the truth. An esophageal blockage would have to be very large to cause shortness of breath unless you were anxious. 

We shouldn't go to the ER for every little thing. However, I would not have gone to bed with anything stuck in my throat.

OP, what happened? If this has happened before I hope the doc does a swallow study.


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## KrisD

I get that too, so frustrating and painful. I actually had my throat close while eating soup of all things. It takes forever to go down and the more anxiety you have the woese it is. I usually close my eyes and try and meditate, hoping if I can relax enough it will go down. If I had meat in there I too would try the oil. I now take Prilosec daily because my dr said that extra acid in my stomach would cause inflammation and scaring which would make it worse or at least more likely.


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## Travis in Louisiana

I know the feeling about not being able to swallow! I usually sip on HOT WATER to help food go down, or hot coffee. Any cold liquid will not allow anything to go down. I have ACID REFLUX, so I just had the scope down the throat done. The lining in my throat is gone. The acid had eat it away. The Dr. said to take my medicine and in three months the lining will grow back. Infact, I have to be re-scoped in a few months. I also have my bed tilted up to help. Yes, I watch what I eat and how big a bite I eat now. Certain foods are worse than others.


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## deaconjim

I've had this happen. If it hasn't already been resolved, go to the ER. They can give him nitroglycerine which will help dialate the esophagus.


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## mountainlaurel

My dh has had this happen for years. He even had it checked at Johns Hopkins and they couldn't find anything but a narrow esophagus. However, last year, he swallowed chicken and it got stuck. For 3 days it was stuck, he couldn't swallow so he had to spit into a cup. He couldn't eat and he couldn't drink. He got very dehydrated. Finally we went to the ER. They rotar routered it out. They told him he needed his esophagus stretched. 
Well, he didn't do it. Until last spring, when a piece of pork got stuck. We went to the ER, had it done again and the surgeon said, " I am afraid to do it anymore because I might perforate your throat."
So, he had it stretched. Out patient surgery, it works fine for now. But his esophagus was the size of a pencil, lead, not the whole pencil.


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## Cliff

Wondering what happened as well.

Joshie I wouldn't have gone to bed with it stuck either, it is horribly uncomfortable and I can't imagine how he managed to sleep. Plus I'd be worried about localized swelling from it being there too long


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## Chixarecute

DS 18 has had this happen. We took him to the ER, they gave him a small amount of something which fizzed in his throat, created some pressure against the esophagus (or caused the muscle walls to relax), and down it went. A friend of the family is an NP, we had called her before going in. She said not to wait, that long term damage to the esophagus can result. Now DS is a little better about cutting his meat into smaller pieces and not wolfing everything down.


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## Terri

Update?????????????


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## Honey Berry

Update:

The pork piece got stuck in his esophagus around 6pm on Wednesday night. It was still stuck at the bottom of his esophagus Thursday morning. He slept horribly all night because he was experiencing discomfort and he was worried about it. I really thought that it would move through on its own during relaxed sleep, and I was surprised that he was still stuck. We spent the morning trying different things to get it to move: bread soaked in olive oil, hot tea, water, but everything came back up. His saliva would come back up. A nurse friend suggested blowing air into his esophagus by keeping the neck down, not up during mouth-to-mouth to force it through. When that popped his ears he said he'd had enough and we went to the ER. He wasn't looking very good and it had been about 18 hours since he was able to get any water, saliva or anything into his stomach.

We spent another hour in the ER waiting to see a doc. He came in with a cup of cold water. He wanted to see DH drink the water. DH told the doctor he would just throw it up. The doctor wanted to see him throw it up. So DH held the cup in one hand and a pan to throw up in in the other. He drank half of the water. "It just went down", he said. After all that, it finally went through. I laughed and praised the Lord! And nearly fell out of my chair....

With no health insurance, I wonder how many hundred dollars that one cup of water will cost us? We had tried water at home to no avail...I think he may have relaxed at the ER knowing that he was going to get help. 

DH told me on the way home that he thought that my blowing down his esophagus may have started to push the pork through. It was just so uncomfortable for him to do the mouth-to-mouth that he gave up.

The doctor recommended that DH get his esophagus stretched soon. He is on soft foods that he can eat through a straw for the next week to give his esophagus time to heal. This thing runs in his family and other relatives have had this procedure done.

Thank you all for the advice. It was a busy day and I didn't not get a chance to get back here until now. Thank you.


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## Maggie

Well, go figure; hey?
Glad the problem was solved. That might be the most expensive glass of cold water ever!!


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## mountainlaurel

They had dh do this also, he couldn't. It all came up, they gave him nitroglycerin as well. It didn't work. So we had the rotor-router job. I have no idea how your dh slept. Mine had to sit up in a chair and spit his saliva into a cup. 
They told us it might be a combo of allergies, he's really congested in the spring and that's both times when we had to go to the ER for it. And acid reflux.He never complained about it, he didn't feel it but maybe he just mixed it in with his allergy problems. They think that narrowed his esophagus. 

I'm so glad for you that you didn't have to have the surgery. We have no insurance either and it cost us for both the rotor-router surgery and then the stretching surgery about $14,000. Our church paid for most of it though.


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## Harry Chickpea

Trivia. Food service laws generally prohibit anyone from charging for a glass of water. They can charge for the consult, but not the actual cup of water. Be pro-active and contact the billing department right now, explain the situation with your finances, and ASK for discounts, especially if they make the bill small enough that you can pay now. There is leeway, but you have to be honest and present your case.


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## missythemom

I have this same issue as well. I have been scoped and been told that my issue appears to be a reflux problem, and a very reactive esophagus. I was prescribed some medicine to keep my esophagus relaxed. I had to go the hospital for this as well, it was very scary. While I was there one of the nurses told me that they keep Coke on hand for that problem as their first "let's see if this works" course of action, and that it works quite often. So, I keep Coke on hand, take my meds, and pray to God that it doesn't happen again. I can tell you that I have to eat much slower than I used to and meat is not my friend either. I am kind of surprised to hear of so many others that have this issue, I kinda felt like I was just weird, LOL. (o.k. so I guess I am a little weird, but just for other reasons  ) I am glad your husband is ok.


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## MoonShine

I'm glad to hear he's okay now!


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## ChuckDee

I found this (you) on the web. I had swallowed some steak and it got stuck 2 days ago. It has happened before but this time it would not go down or come back up. 
After about 45 minutes of trying to get it down, I went on the internet to see what would help. I tried;
1. Diet Coke
2. Liquid Kava Root
3. Vegetable oil
4. Hot/warm water
5. Benedryl strips
6. Exercise/stretching 

None of which worked. I went to "bed" that night and thought it would pass. I was relaxed but didn't sleep too much. I tried the above remedies again but to no avail.
I finally went to the ER and they tried the "fizz" and some relaxant in my IV. Didn't help.
They finally had to scope it out. The Dr. said that it was a large mass and going in was the only way to get it out. I was diagnosed with esophilic esophagitis. An allergy and I've been given a script for that.

So be careful and chew your food thoroughly! 

-Chuck Flight School aka the fly guy


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## Taylor R.

We have the same issue in our family, but didn't know it until my little brother wound up in the ER with a piece of steak in his throat. They had to scope him and grab it out.


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## po boy

Have had this about 15 years and the first time was lean pork. Went to doc and got an rx for oral and a suppository. The suppository did the trick. This has happened about a dozen times......................... Usually with lean/dry foods.
The trick:
Eat slowly
Have a glass of ice cold water and at the first indication of stoppage take a very large drink of the water. This seems to work better if you stand up when you drink the water. The water feels like molten lava, but it helps. If you are able jump up and down on a hard surface or off a chair


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## ChuckDee

Taylor R. said:


> We have the same issue in our family, but didn't know it until my little brother wound up in the ER with a piece of steak in his throat. They had to scope him and grab it out.



Right at first when it happens, it's scary. Gasping for air and pounding on your chest to get it out....worst feeling. Hope your bro is ok.

Chuck aka the fly guy


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## deaconjim

I have been told by an RN that nitro glycerin can help.


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## mnn2501

This thread is over a year old


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## po boy

mnn2501 said:


> This thread is over a year old


 Me to!


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## louisblanc

I have been living with this problem for quite a long time, over 10 years, and I have these 'episodes' maybe twice a month. Initially I used to panic causing me stress. They always say stress is a pre-cursor to getting cancer. Anyway if I couldnt dislodge the food particles with fluids I used to wait some time hoping it would slide down my gullet which it would do. I have been to the gastroenterology dept in hospital where they stretched my oesophagus but this procedure only lasted a few weeks before my oesophagus narrowed itself again. They said the cause was acid reflux. They gave me tablets to reduce the acid in my stomach and told me I had to take these tabs for rest of my life. Well over time I couldnt swallow these tabs whole so had to crush them. I changed my eating habits to reduce the reflux and now live with this condition. I avoid restaurants! If I chew my food a million times I can generally swallow food. I have found that if I feel a blockage coming on then sipping hot tea helps the food go down. But this is not a 100% panacea. Approaching retirement age and being by myself I am going into a retirement home because you never know when you might need someone's help if the worst happens. I heard they can insert a flexible, plastic stent into your oesophagus to help you swallow. That might be the answer for me.


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## Honey Berry

It has been a year-and-a-half since I first posted this thread. DH hasn't had an episode since. He has been more mindful of taking smaller bites, chewing slowly. Generally, not getting so excited to eat!!! And he has reduced his intake of hot sauces which brought on GERD. So I think he has healed and finally learned his lesson! :clap:


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## Honey Berry

Oh yeah, the two or three hospital/doctor bills totaled around $500.00. That was a very expensive cup of water....


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## Maura

I have read that for acid reflux you should take a teaspoon of vinegar before eating. True Balsamic is very tasty. Anyway, the introduction of acid tells your body to not make acid.

For something stuck in the throat I have always raised the arms. For a child, I take the arms, lift up, lifting him/her out of the chair, and this dislodges the item.


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## unregistered358967

If it hasn't already been mentioned, it'd be a good idea to send him for a swallow study or a modified barium swallow. They can also give him techniques for swallowing, like a chin-tuck maneuver as well as taking smaller bites and sips.

I'm thankful he's okay...


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