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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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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:

emmaluvseeyore · 07/12/2019 10:35

I choked on an overcooked burger once. My windpipe was 100% blocked. Luckily I was with my mum and she noticed as I wasn’t able to make any sound at all. She’s first aid trained so instantly knew what to do. It took 5 massive back slaps to dislodge it. There were around 10 people with me and only my mum noticed what was happening. Quite scary really.

TheDarkPassenger · 07/12/2019 10:35

I choked on duck in a restaurant really bad, I thought I was going to die. Once all the commotion was over I burst into tears :(

amusedbush · 07/12/2019 10:37

When I was tiny I choked on a clementine segment. My mum says it was awful, she had to stick her fingers down my throat to pull it back out.

I don’t remember it and I haven’t choked as an adult but it’s something that scares me. I don’t know what I’d do if I started choking and I was alone

Eggies · 07/12/2019 10:41

In year 8 or 9 my friend wanted me to throw crisps (those football shaped ones) into her mouth one at a time to see if she could 'catch' them (I know, undiscovered genius') and I accidentally lobbed one of them right down her windpipe. Choking and a lot of coughing (and laughing on my part) ensued and she was fine

TheElfFellOffTheShelf · 07/12/2019 10:42

I was talking to my sister on the phone when in wetherspoons whilst trying to quietly eat some noodles when one noodle went down both my airway and my oesophagus. I panicked but also tried to choke quietly so as not to sound horrible in her ear and had tears streaming down my face. In the end I managed to cough it up and then swallow it.

The worst was when my youngest choked on a hotdog. I was sitting right next to them but because it was silent I didn't know until they pulled at my arm. I'll never forget that look of panic with those bulging eyes. I had to but them as hard as possible a couple of times before it dislodged. After that I took a children's 1st aid awareness course with Millie's Trust.

MadameGazelleIsMyHomegirl · 07/12/2019 10:44

Twice. Once on a piece of prawn toast and once on a piece of sausage. Both terrifying. No air or sound coming in or out. Proper blocked airway choking is silent, that’s the scariest thing. I’m still not 100% sure how to do the hrimlich tho

Dedoodoodoo · 07/12/2019 10:46

Not myself but had to with children depressingly many times. If you can lift them don't heimlich them, tip them upside down with more gentle back pat, gravity does 99 % of the work for you.

Celebelly · 07/12/2019 10:48

The thought of choking scares the shit out of me. It's probably the closest thing I have to a phobia. So I shouldn't really have read this thread.

ActualHornist · 07/12/2019 10:48

Yes. It was genuinely one of the most horrible things ever.

Was sitting at the dinner table, it was piece of garlic bread. I immediately knew it was a proper choke not just gone down the wrong way. I couldn’t breathe. I jumped up out of my chair and luckily DH realised and smacked me hard on the back which dislodged it.

I wet myself out of fear. I truly thought I was going to die. The stupid thing was, I’d only watched a video a few days before on how to give yourself the heimlich if you’re alone, but I panicked and it completely went out of my head.

Cried my eyes out after.

yunalis · 07/12/2019 10:51

6demandingchildren me too. My GP says it's just because my throat gets dry.

Jasmin82 · 07/12/2019 10:52

It seems to be part and parcel of my health currently. I've choked a few times, to the point I now have to avoid some foods.

katewhinesalot · 07/12/2019 10:53

I'm prone to choking and have had several near misses.

It's very scary.

What annoys me is the number of people who tell you to drink water when you are having a choking fit. That will finish you off after clogging any tiny breathing space left.

katewhinesalot · 07/12/2019 10:56

I like food very wet and saucy- perhaps that's an unconscious reaction to having a generally dry mouth that a previous pp's doctor said was the reason.

MuisingCruising · 07/12/2019 11:00

When i was about 6 or 7 i was rushing my tea to go and play back out and i swallowed a whole mini chicken kiev.

Its been 20 years and i still remember the fear. My mam and dad were in the back garden at the time and my dad had to reach inside my throat and pull the kiev out

Ive beeen terrified of choking since and worry about my children when they are eating certain things

SpuriouserAndSpuriouser · 07/12/2019 11:01

Just popping a couple of links in here!

The scariest thing about choking is that if your windpipe is blocked you’re not able to make any noise, so it can be really hard draw attention to what’s happening. Apparently if it happens in a restaurant a lot of people get embarrassed and rush off to the loo, which is of course the worst thing to do because there is no one around to help.

www.nhs.uk/common-health-questions/accidents-first-aid-and-treatments/what-should-i-do-if-someone-is-choking/

www.redcross.org.uk/first-aid/learn-first-aid/choking##

x2boys · 07/12/2019 11:02

I have,nt but my dad has in a couple of occasions,he choked on a steak sandwich when he was I in a pub and rather than help he went to the toilets as he was embarrassed fortunately somebody came in and realised what was happening and slapped him on the back and dislodged it ,he also choked on a sprout a couple of Xmas,s ago and I did the Heimlich manoeuvre

thenightsky · 07/12/2019 11:10

So many of us! Makes me think the human body is badly designed.

SchrodingersKitty · 07/12/2019 11:13

I choked on a piece of bread dipped in olive oil in a pub. It was very spongey and completely blocked my airway. I managed to get DH’s attention and he hit me repeatedly on the back but it didn’t move. I got up and threw myself over the back of a chair multiple times - didn’t work. Then someone appears from nowhere and did the Heinrich manoeuvre and it finally cleared. We sat down again. I ate nothing for the rest of the meal. When we left we went to the kitchen to thank the saviour but it turned out not to have been a staff member, as we thought, but another customer, who had left already. A really terrifying experience - time slows down so you are absolutely aware of what’s happening and that you have no air. I knew completely that if I couldn’t get it out I would die.

LaurieSchafferIsAllBitterNow · 07/12/2019 11:14

My FIL did years back when they were visiting....both of them tend to eat really fast so it's not unusual but as he got up from the table I realised it wasn't just a normal cough and splutter and sent DH after him

...slaps on the back did not seem to be working and FIL was trying to sit down ...fear of making a fuss!! .. but as DH hauled him to his feet to Heimlich him a massive bit of meat flew out!

MIL just carried on in the kitchen with her meal but :o I cut my gammon up extra small after that.

Boiled sweets and those godawful lollies on a stick give me the raving heebiejeebies and my lot rarely were allowed them. Also freaks me out when people let children run around with food.

Sushiroller · 07/12/2019 11:16

Yes.
I was in a client meeting and it was terrifying, I truly thought I would die. My airway was completely blocked no air at all going in or out in response to a crumb going the wrong way.

I banged my hands on the table so people were aware quickly but basically they did nothing and just stood there watching me die.
For the first minute I was calm into the second I was panicking and a lot of thoughts rushed through my head. At this point I can hear is the client crying and someone trying to call security 🙄
I swallowed a lot of air into my stomach while struggling to breath which made an awful sound and my vision went completely.
I managed to hymlich myself on a chair (god knows what it did get i felt a silver of airwaY opening).
My eyes were totally bloodshot and I also wet myself in fear.
We sat silently then someone said why don't you go to the bathroom.
I did, then burst into tears and cleaned myself up and went back and held the final negotiation meeting.
Totally surreal... I cried a lot about it after.

DeathBySnuSnu · 07/12/2019 11:21

My (drunk) dad swallowed a whole asparagus spear and started choking. I sort of prised his mouth open, reached in and pulled it out.
I used to fall asleep with nicorrette lozenges in. Surprised I'm still alive, actually
Tothenightsky I disagree!!!! I think if there is a God he's bloody looking out for me xxx

MordredsOrrery · 07/12/2019 11:22

I choked on the foam/bubbles when drinking Pepsi. I swallowed it fine but when it hit my stomach it sort of expanded and filled up back to my throat. I couldn't breathe at all and I could feel myself blacking out. Luckily my sister noticed something was wrong, started smacking me on the back and managed to get the bubbles to go dissipate. It was terrifying.

I'm terrified of choking generally though as my lovely grandmother choked to death when the alzheimer's meant she could no longer swallow properly and they couldn't clear the blockage

CrossingTheAlpsInOtley · 07/12/2019 11:28

I have and it was choking. I knocked things off the table in a bid to get attention and someone did the Himlech (sp) manoeuvre on me which saved my life.

I have never forgotten it even though it was years ago and I was afraid to eat many things for a long time after...still cautious today.

The one thing I will say is try to draw attention to yourself-don't quietly choke to death and as another pp has said, never rush off to the loo.

You need people around to help. It is too easy to die quickly or cause severe brain damage in a choking accident.

CrossingTheAlpsInOtley · 07/12/2019 11:30

Also, everyone should learn how to use a chair to help because sometimes you might be on your own when it happens. Learn Today.

KurriKurri · 07/12/2019 11:31

I did it this week. It was a piece of toast. It was really scary because as PP said panic sets in very quickly when you can't breathe. My DD did the heimlich on me and dislodged it. To complicate matters - I currently have an abdominal wound so she was worried about damaging that, but decided the choking had to be dealt with as I had gone totally purple !
When I recovered she said 'Don't ever, ever do that again'

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