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Tonight I started to choke after starting a meal!?

48 replies

Bulldog02 · 02/12/2025 21:51

Tonight, I just started a meal,which made me choke,I have had a few if these episodes.Not regular.Every 3 months or so.Tonight was bad,started to cough,then started to choke.My Daughter looked over,as if she was annoyed.I left the room,asked my husband for some water.He came with the water.After 5-10 minutes.Felt normal again.Felt a bit emotional as,my husband and I are First Aiders.My husband chose not to carry out first aid.He was in the kitchen,as I was choking! Am I being, over sensitive? It's just, if someone is choking.I would stop what I was doing, immediately carry out all I had learnt in first aid.He later,after finishing his meal.Came upstairs to ask if I was ok,I said yes,but was disappointed that he did not carry out any first aid & I had to ask for water!

OP posts:
isitmytime · 02/12/2025 22:51

I’m a first aider and if you’re choking the last thing you should do is leave other people. As PP said a lot of people get embarrassed and go to the toilet or outside and there’s no one to help if it escalates.

when you say you were choking, were you able to breathe/swallow/cough? In that situation you monitor and don’t administer any intervention. In most cases the person choking can resolve it themself.
is it more your husband was slow to check on you?

if this is becoming a regular thing you should really seek medical advice so should make a GP appointment.

24252627a · 02/12/2025 23:21

Have you had Botox on your neck recently?

Dodie66 · 02/12/2025 23:29

This could be Achalasia. I have this. See your GP

StruggleFlourish · 02/12/2025 23:33

Now if you are first aid certified you will recall that if a person is able to cough or wheeze, then they have a partially obstructed air flow, and first aid intervention at this point can do more harm than good. A first-aider should recognize the signs that someone believes they are choking, ask if the person is choking, and encourage the person to try to cough it up. It is only when the casualty is unable to cough anymore, and the airway is completely blocked, that the Heimlich maneuver or back blows, be administered.
So doing nothing is actually the correct course of action in your particular example.

HOWEVER It sounds like you felt you were choking, your daughter gave you a look of annoyance and ignored you, your husband went away and you went into another room and 10 minutes later, you could have been dead. So for him not to check up on you, not to be in communication with you, was an exceptionally poor decision making on his part and honestly, I would send him back to first aid training because of that. I would sign them up for the next first aid course available and make him take it because obviously he failed.

I'm sorry you had the scary experience, feeling as if you're choking is quite frightening, but more than that I'm sorry that your family didn't give you any apparent concern. That's heartbreaking isn't it? It's bad enough if no one in your household is trained with first aid, because they may not know what to do, but when they are trained? And they have the knowledge? And they just choose to ignore it because it's more convenient for them? What the hell?

CandyCayne · 02/12/2025 23:36

That must've been scary and you need to see your GP as PPs have said.

But I'm curious as a first aider myself to know what else you expected him to do other than bring water?

There is no other first aid when a person can breathe, which you clearly could because you were talking.

dizzydizzydizzy · 02/12/2025 23:54

PigeonsandSquirrels · 02/12/2025 22:24

If you’re coughing then you’re not choking… and if you could ask for water then you weren’t choking. So it sounds like something just went in the wrong way and you handled it.

What did you need them to do?

I used to be a lifeguard and had first aid training every month for several years. We were taught to tell people to cough. If that didn't work, we had to give up to five hard slaps on the back. If that didn't work, then it's abdominal thrusts (formerly known as the Heimlich Manoever) and dial 999.

Also we were not taught to give water.

PammieDooveOrangeJoof · 02/12/2025 23:59

Checknotmymate · 02/12/2025 21:54

Could be EoE.

Yes this. You may need an Endoscopy under sedation with a biopsy.

Bungle2168 · 03/12/2025 00:07

Dysphagia. See your GP.

Toddlerteaplease · 03/12/2025 00:08

If you have an effective cough then the best thing to do is leave you alone to cough it up.

browny1981 · 03/12/2025 18:01

Can i jump on this and im sorry if someones said this, but ive had this ! Multiple times and it was acid!! Id wake up, throat closed cannot clear it, panic sets in i coildnt ask for help i kind of instinvley dropped to my knees and finally a small gap, air flowing again! Horrifying!!
So it was reflux, im now on esomeprazole, seems to be working but i feel you ! Sorry noone seemed to jump into swift action :((

Fiftyandme · 03/12/2025 18:08

You could be having spasms - go to you GP. It sounds very unpleasant

EuroTour · 03/12/2025 18:21

Please see your GP. It could be acid or thyroid issues or anything else but it needs looking at. Flowers

Seemslikethat · 03/12/2025 19:12

Checknotmymate · 02/12/2025 21:54

Could be EoE.

This is what I was going to say! I’ve choked on food most of my life but only just got a diagnosis last year after going to the doctor for something completely different.

Contrarymary30 · 03/12/2025 19:18

Bulldog02 · 02/12/2025 21:51

Tonight, I just started a meal,which made me choke,I have had a few if these episodes.Not regular.Every 3 months or so.Tonight was bad,started to cough,then started to choke.My Daughter looked over,as if she was annoyed.I left the room,asked my husband for some water.He came with the water.After 5-10 minutes.Felt normal again.Felt a bit emotional as,my husband and I are First Aiders.My husband chose not to carry out first aid.He was in the kitchen,as I was choking! Am I being, over sensitive? It's just, if someone is choking.I would stop what I was doing, immediately carry out all I had learnt in first aid.He later,after finishing his meal.Came upstairs to ask if I was ok,I said yes,but was disappointed that he did not carry out any first aid & I had to ask for water!

I have this , it's very frightening. I was diagnosed with something called Laryingospasm , I don't thing that's the correct spelling ! When it happens I have to calm down and breath only through my nose , this helps to stop me panicking.

Curryingfavour · 03/12/2025 19:30

If this happens more then a GP visit is in order .
I eventually got an upper endoscopy because it was suspected I might have eosinophilic oesophagitis ( I have allergies and asthma too )
I couldn’t deal with many textures of food and it was getting stuck , I was gagging

Mcoco · 03/12/2025 19:32

I think you should see your g.p and get referred to ENT as you mention this has happened before.

LovingLimePeer · 03/12/2025 20:25

Definitely see a GP as soon as you can.
This can be one of the presenting symptoms of motor neurone disease, oesophageal cancer, oesophageal strictures etc.

Most of the time it is not anything serious but you will kick yourself if you put off seeking help and there is something sinister going on.

Sinthie · 03/12/2025 20:51

Do you struggle with nasal breathing? My deviated septum means if my nose is blocked I’m more susceptible to such episodes. I’m always alert when someone starts choking because of a terrifying episode where my trachea was completely blocked.

jjx111 · 03/12/2025 22:41

Please do get checked out by GP asap. Its probably nothing, but a family member just beeen diagnosed with osephagal cancer after just a few choking episodes. Better safe than sorry!

MomGran · 03/12/2025 23:02

I am sorry it happened to you. Please go to your GP and get thyroid tests done. Thyroid issues and nodules can cause symptoms similar to what you described. Hope you are ok.

Fairywingsandroses · 03/12/2025 23:15

My friend had a similar experience and was diagnosed with an oesophageal web. It happens with older people who are anaemic. You should go to the GP. And yes, your husband should have at least shown concern.

PeppyRoseBeaker · 05/12/2025 11:29

Did you chew it properly before swallowing?

DancingLions · 05/12/2025 11:45

Contrarymary30 · 03/12/2025 19:18

I have this , it's very frightening. I was diagnosed with something called Laryingospasm , I don't thing that's the correct spelling ! When it happens I have to calm down and breath only through my nose , this helps to stop me panicking.

I have this. I even once passed out for a few seconds from it. So frightening.

OP you really need to go to the GP and find out what it is going on. Be prepared for it to be a bit of a long road though as it took them months to conclude what my issue was.

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