Choking

[Deb 27]

So tonight at supper, I almost choked on a piece of steak. I went to swallow and it got stuck pretty high up right above my windpipe. It was so very scary. It was like my swallowing mechanism wasn't working. Luckily, I kept trying to swallow and it went down.  I've had food get stuck much further down before where it didn't affect my breathing. This was extremely scary. I wan t to make sure it never happens again.

I am not taking evoxac yet. I've resisted because I am afraid of the side effects   I have asthma but after this incident I am going to have to do it.

I had some trouble with GERD today. I wonder if that played a role. I am just grateful that I am  awake and breathing. I think I was close to passing out. Any advice for me to keep this from happening again?

[irish]

I have choked quite a few times plus I am an old retired RN who has done the Heimlich a few times on patients and on my 12 year old son who probably would have died had I not done it. I had just read about the maneuver in the REaders Digest and little did I know AIA would use it within a week to save my son.

It is scary to choke and I am going to mention some things to keep in mind.
When you first start to choke do not take a deep breath without thinking. Doing this can suck the food further into the airway where it could get stuck and obstruct the airway totally. Try to take a very slight breath to see if you can move air into your lungs. Keep the breaths small and try to cough the food out a few times. Remember that our cough reflex is very good and one has to give it a chance.

The other thing to do is to check a clock to see what time it is so that you can keep track of the minutes you are having trouble. This is important to do when you are with someone else when they choke.

If you can't cough the food up then place your fist under your diaphragm above your belly buttom where the ribs make a vee. Push in and up hard as you want to have the thrust move air from the lungs to help expel the food, I have used the back of a chair but the thing I like the best is kneeling at the side of the bathtub. You can push your belly into the side of the tub with your head hanging down into the tub. This use of gravity helps.

If you are home alone don't be afraid to go out into the street as you could arouse neighbors attention or the attention of cars going by. Also, having a phone that dials 911 easily that is worth doing also.

I choked one week after my spinal fusion. I was down in the basement bedroom watching TV and took my pills with water and a straw. The incision from surgery caused swelling up into the bottom of the right side of my mouth ....plus sjogrens and myasthenia I am high risk for choking. This one was weird. I could barely breath but able to breath a little air in. I could feel the pills in my airway/esophagus or both but could not get them down even with a little tint swallow of water. I knew I could not make it upstairs to wake my sleeping son. I did Heimlich, coughed breathed very little....just enough to no pass out.

As time progressed I could feel things moving some as the pills dissolved and moved some. I felt comfortable enough staying where I was cause I surgical pain but no pain meds in me. I just keep moving around and ponding chest, Heimlich, etc and slowly my airway started to open. Coughed up some dissolved pills etc and had a bunch dissolved and give me reflux. I coughed 2 1/2 hours to get it cleared out. Every time we choke it is different and we have to be conscious of our every move. Hope some of this helps. Irish

[Carolina]

I have a swallowing dysregulation, the peristalsis that should move food down sometimes just stops, and I also have frequent closure of the valve at the bottom of my esophagus.  Also stopping food from leaving my esophagus, so everything just backs up into my throat eventually. 

I am having a 'treatment' that involves botox (to stop the swallowing problem) and something done to keep the valve from closing at the bottom.

I guess I should read up on what the surgery involves!  It is hard to keep up with all that is happening to me these days.

I take Pilocarpine so that I have some saliva, but not enough.

Best wishes

Elaine

[Deb 27]

Thanks for the replies and advice Irish and Carolina.

From now on, I am going to cut my steak into tiny pieces and be very careful...I was trying to cut down on my reflux meds and I think it backfired on me. Back on the nexium I go!!! Ugh!!!!

[irish]

Hate to say it but chew good and put steak sauce or something wet on the meat to aid in swallowing.Irish

[cccourt1942]

Deb...what Irish said.
    About five or six years before my dx I would choke on foods..but I would evacuate. (throw up)  In the beginning I hated doing this, later it was blessed relief.
Then, about 2 years before dx, I would wake up about 2:00am (regularly) "coughing."  Thing was, I couldn't go back to sleep because I would continue to cough a rather deep yet unproductive cough. 
    Fast forward until about 6 or 8 months after dx and taking pilocarpine.  (Plus about 9 or 10 months after finding this forum)  I pieced together I hadn't been coughing at night--I was swallowing (autonomic) and I had no saliva.   Therefore, I was choking!!  Of course I'd drink water, but it doesn't coat your esophagus.  None of us know when all our juices dwindled.  But we have suffered the same symptoms and discomfort for decades without having a clue as to where they were coming from.
     I think one of the most amazing things I've read on this forum is how many of us learned to eat with sauces, gravies, sour cream, etc...and all on our own.  This is called survival!! 
     What Irish said about chewing is key.  As we age, this becomes a problem for all older people.  But is the condition life threatening?  I can't say.  I can say I've heard of esophagus stretching since I was in school.  We had to understand to learn rationale for dysphagia swallowing therapy.  At the same time you learn about the basic elasticity of the mechanism.  What we did NOT learn was how to create "sliders" on our own...or recommend it.  I, personally, had to learn about (and be diagnosed with) Sjogren's and be old!  Survival!!
      For at least 25 years before my dx, I didn't stop eating beef...but I stopped eating any beef but for filets/Med rare.  I really thought it was my jaws and teeth...ability to chew.  But that was when I began chewing food till I completely felt mastication was fulfilled.  Choking/evacuation didn't stop...except for when I was eating a filet.  You'd think I would have generalized.  I didn't.
      I think of most of you (and you Deb) in that 45-55 range.  It's a process..and WILL improve when you start the salivation "pill".  It will take you awhile for your body to adjust to your newfound saliva.  Be wary.  Don't forget to chew, and keep your bites small...and watch what you eat.  It will cut down on choking. 

     Merry Christmas,ccc

[bluegardenia]

yes im also so terrified to choke that it takes one hour for me to eat a normal meal that for others takes 20 minutes. i forgot sandwiches and everything is cut in extremely small pieces with lots of olive olil( im in italy so its easy) and sauces. and im never relaxed...80% of pleasure of eating is gone. if i do not have  along time in front of me to eat, well, i avoid eating. people looks at me like if i was crazy

[irish]

When I had most of my teeth pulled under anesthesia I could not chew food yet knew that I had to eat nutritious food in order to heal well and help prevent infections. My hubby would boil the potatoes an make gravy or use creamed corn on the potatoes, etc. He would put the beef in the food in our little food processor and grind it up and then put gravy on it. I had a worse swallowing problem then but this way of eating was zoo easy and yummy. EWven if we cut up our meat pro harder foods we still have to chew and this is hard to do cause we do't know when it is really chewed up enough.

One of the best meat foods to eat is a sloppy joe on a bun. We can cut it up with a fork and it doesn't take a lot of chewing. There are so many foods that we can use and they keep us nourished and really aren't that hard to fix. Grinding any neat in those little food processor is great, Also remember to turn your head to either side a wears when you swallow and you will be amazed at how much the airways is opened up allowing easier swallowing. Good luck all. Irish

[Deb 27]

Well, I have to confess I am a fast eater and now with the SJS, I am going to have to slow down. Yep, and chew, Irish! LOL.....Sometimes I get to talking and forget to focus on the food.

I will try the trick with the steak and mash potatoes. I swore off nightshades for a while b/c they made my RA pain worse but I seem to tolerate them well.

bluegardenia, I like the idea of olive oil !!!!

court, my mom used to have to do that too. Now I wonder if she had SJS or just reflux that scarred her esophagus.

Sorry that you had to use the Heimlich on your son but so glad it worked for you!!!!!

Some scary stories here. I am glad we are all ok. Thanks again to the new tips!!!! I didn't used to eat red meat but now b/c I have low ferritin, I eat it beef. Gonna have to be conscious and careful from now on!!!! Note to self!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

[Lotus1]

I've never chocked, nearly.  Learnt to eat small pieces of meat & drink water if necessary.

Yes, I use gravy with cooked leek or onion to be healthy or cooked tomatoe spread over my meat & vegies.
I find cooked beetroot helpful with meat etc also if I don't want gravy/sauce.
My lightly toasted bread is smothered in butter while hot, nice.

Shame there isn't a sauce to smother our dry eyes with lol

With a few teeth missing & most teeth worn out in the middle along with my dry mouth I cook carrot, celery etc when we have salad.  I don't cook lettuce or spinich

I'm no longer a fast eater which is a good thing.

SS is a change of lifestyle like many illnesses.

Lotus1