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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask if you've ever choked on food?

173 replies

BillHadersNewWife · 07/12/2019 08:06

I did today...on a Dorito. It was the WORST thing ever. What surprised me was that I could feel it lodged in my breathing hole...whatever that's called...but there was a small gap which allowed me to suck in a TINY bit of air...about 30% of what was normal....and I knew that if I struggled to breathe too hard, that the crisp might move and further block my breathing.

I was in the shopping centre with DD aged 11...she took one look at me and WALKED OFF! She left me there dying on a Dorito beside a display of Christmas trees! 😂

I sat on the floor and carefully breathed again...assessing the situation...then I coughed and it came up...my eyes watered...it was horrible!

DD and I did laugh about her dumping me to die alone...she said she was too embarrassed! My God! That'll teach me to eat in public whilst walking won't it! ONE crisp it was!

OP posts:
easyandy101 · 07/12/2019 08:31

Yeah i choked on a piece of meat, i couldn't breathe anything in. I heimliched myself on the edge of a sink

It's amazing how quickly you can feel the panic setting in

Gramgram · 07/12/2019 08:49

I haven't choked on food, but DH did earlier this year. It was terrifying, he started to go blue and really struggling. I've been on first aid courses and managed to thump his back and dislodge the meat that was blocking his air way. He was fine but we were both tearful afterwards. I hurt my thumb doing it, but it was fine after a few days.

Maybe your DD would benefit from a first aid course.

MadameJosephine · 07/12/2019 08:52

I choked on a sandwich at work. My colleagues are all first aid trained but because I panicked I ran around the room and wouldn’t sit still for them to slap my back! I managed to dislodge it myself in the end but it was terrifying

BloodyCats · 07/12/2019 08:53

When I was about 10 or so I was walking down the stairs eating bon bons, slipped on a step and got the whole sweet lodged in my throat.
I could see my mum and her friend chatting in the living room but couldn’t shout to get their attention.
Thank god they noticed me. My mum turned me round and pushed me against the banister, whacking me on the back and it came up. I think I cried solidly for a good 30 minutes!

Monkeychunkyfunky · 07/12/2019 08:55

I chocked on an ice cube as a child, I was alone in the room and somehow managed to get it to come back out by myself.

MissCharleyP · 07/12/2019 08:56

Yes, on a mange tout, the stringy bit got stuck and I couldn’t breathe. Luckily, I was at work and a colleague thumped my back. I lived on my own and it scared me to think what would happen if I’d been at home. I don’t eat them now.

CottonHeadedNinyMuggins · 07/12/2019 08:59

I got a roast potato stuck in primary. Managed to get up and get to a dinner lady who banged me on the back and got it up.

Thank you Mrs Stannard, I still remember you around 25 years later 🤣

CatstorTroy · 07/12/2019 08:59

I suck on lozenges during my sleep when I have a cold so it's happened a few times. Still not often enough for me to stop apparently.

whoami24601 · 07/12/2019 09:05

I choked on a McMuffin (classy!) while I was driving! Luckily there was a pub so I could pull in but I had my kids in the car and if it had been 10 minutes later we'd have been on the motorway! Though the fact I was driving meant I had no choice but to stay calm. Bloody scary though!

Sparklybaublefest · 07/12/2019 09:06

on a chilli salmon pasta, with dm and dd, they just looked at me! i guess i wasnt actually choking in the way you mean but i was choking on how hot it was

6demandingchildren · 07/12/2019 09:11

I choke all the time on food and drink, latest episode was about 20 minutes ago on a swig of tea. I thought everyone choked more than what you now lead me to believe.

hazeyjane · 07/12/2019 09:15

Yes, on a grape at work when a friend mafe me laugh and I inhaled it and it lodged in my windpipe, fortunately someone knew how to do the Heimlich manouvre. It was bloody terrifying, I have been a bit obsessive about chopping grapes ever since!

BaolFan · 07/12/2019 09:18

Yes, a couple of years ago and it was absolutely terrifying.

I got some meat stuck and could not breathe. I ended up clawing inside my mouth to try and get to the blockage. DH panicked and was asking me what was wrong and got really agitated because I couldn't tell him - the dolt! He did twig after what felt like an endless amount of time and gave me the Heimlich manoeuvre, whereupon I was sick all over the floor.

Really thought I was going to cark it; I could feel myself going dizzy. My throat was sore for a few days afterwards because I'd scratched it raw trying to get to the blockage.

Moral of the story - chew your bloody food properly!

Original poster
BillHadersNewWife · 07/12/2019 10:11

I suck on lozenges during my sleep when I have a cold

Wtf!?

OP posts:
KaptainKaveman · 07/12/2019 10:14

Several years ago a fish bone lodged in my throat and, whilst i could breathe a bit, it was really painful and I started to panic. I managed to stick my fingers down my throat and dislodge it, whereupon I vomited ( sorry folks, TMI) and the bone came out.

Queenoftheashes · 07/12/2019 10:17

I also had a fish bone. I managed to swallow it in the end but it was horrible! So scary.
I inhale my food so reading these, eg grape, I’m surprised I’m alive.

SexlessBoulderBelly · 07/12/2019 10:18

I’m another one that sucks cough sweets in bed, often falling asleep with them in my mouth then waking up to find it still stuck to the roof of my mouth or cheek.

That’s only when I am really, really poorly though 😬

WombleishMerryChristmasOfThigh · 07/12/2019 10:19

Yes, I got a plum stone stuck. It was in the staff break room. There were other people sitting at the table with me and none of them noticed. I could have choked to to death! Luckily, I managed to dislodge it myself, after going this -> Angry colour.

EKGEMS · 07/12/2019 10:19

Angel food cake as a child my father saved my life with Heimlich maneuver

willowmelangell · 07/12/2019 10:23

I was chewing a mint at Reading train station. Started choking. Could not breathe. Was too embarrassed to ask for help. It actually crossed my mind, "I am going to die in public, because I am so British, I won't ask a stranger for help."

Ffsnosexallowed · 07/12/2019 10:23

A cinnamon lozenge when I was about 9. Scariest one was dd who cooked in a bit of chicken nugget in middle of a busy restaurant, we managed to dislodge it by hitting her back, but not one other person noticed.

roiseandjim · 07/12/2019 10:23

I choked on some meat in a curry. It was the scariest thing that's ever happened

thenightsky · 07/12/2019 10:25

I've done it a couple of times. Each time I really thought I was going to die.

I remember reading this a few years ago and it really freaked me out how quickly you can die!

life.spectator.co.uk/articles/how-i-nearly-choked-to-death/

roiseandjim · 07/12/2019 10:25

Actually- the scariest thing was my little sister chocking. She had massive tonsils and food would always get stuck, my mum was trying to get it dislodged with back slaps which usually works but nothing happened, she put her over her knee and kept slapping and it came out. She was only small it still brings tears to my eyes now it was petrifying. Tonsils have now gone 🙌🏽

chesterfuckingdraws · 07/12/2019 10:33

I choked on a jelly sweet when I lived alone. Like OP I could still get a tiny amount of air in but had an ineffective read feeble cough and was really panicking.

I went all tingly and had hazy vision, and really though I was going to die all alone. Thankfully it came out when I threw myself over the arm of the sofa and managed a wee cough. I was sick after and cried for about 2 hours, it was awful still way too many jelly sweets though

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