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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:

GonnaBeMaayy · 08/12/2019 21:44

Mind you. I could have choked. Then I would’ve been really stuffed

Talcott2007 · 08/12/2019 21:57

It's not a matter to be embarrassed about. Choking should always be treated seriously.The DM of a friend choked during meal with her family - she left the table indicating she was going to the bathroom. She was found collapsed outside by a member of staff and she never woke up.

AnniePankettonne · 08/12/2019 21:58

You were very lucky @TwattingDog .

covetingthepreciousthings · 08/12/2019 21:58

Yes, on an M&S boneless fish cake when I was about 8 on a fish bone... had to go to hospital & have it removed. It's given me a really big phobia of choking & I no longer eat fish!

I have to chew everything a ridiculous amount now, and I rarely eat things like boiled sweets because of it too.

Comradesally · 08/12/2019 22:14

Agree talcot.

It hasn't been mentioned on thread and ambulance may not arrive on the time but I hope people dial 999 whilst back slapping and heimlich etc.

Can you text 999 if alone and can't speak?

Nat6999 · 08/12/2019 22:28

I choked on a piece of green pepper once in a hotel dining room, it seemed ages before I managed to cough it up. I have choked a couple of times on meat, I have a very sensitive throat & can choke on most things.

TwattingDog · 08/12/2019 22:33

Absolutely, it was a very near miss. I was well trained in first aid, and knew about heimlich, but had no way to do it. I really bruised my back with the force of trying not to die.

I wish they taught whatever it is you're supposed to do at first aid training, so you can save your own life!!

madcatladyforever · 08/12/2019 22:36

I choked on some water, my gastric band is too tight and I took a slug of water to try and get some stuck food down, it wouldn't go up or down and I'm trying to be sick and inhaled all the water. It was horrific.
I felt like I was being water boarded.

ILoveJoeBrown · 08/12/2019 22:44

Choked on a mars bar while walking home from work in London. Not a single soul stopped to see if I was ok & I ended up putting my hand over my mouth to make myself exhale.

Useful trick I learned - if you start to panic & hyperventilate and don't have a paper bag to hand. It effectively cuts off your oxygen and causes a reflex to make you exhale - literally to 'catch your breath'.

MzPumpkinPie · 08/12/2019 22:51

Every single damn day since August.
Had a little bleed on my brain stem and my swallow reflex is ruined.
I have to be very careful.
I can only tolerate very thick milkshakes or runny mash etc
Christmas is going to be boring this year but I'm alive, so I'll take that .

LearningPianoAgain · 08/12/2019 23:07

My son had chicken lodged in his throat- he could breathe - but I don’t think he could speak. Somehow I realised. I tried Heinlich (?) but it didn’t work

Took him to A&E but the Dr didn’t believe me. It was absolutely awful and the memory still haunts me.
He told me afterwards that thought he was going to die - he was only about 10 years old. Doctor didn’t really believe me, but she did follow the steps she needed to follow and eventually gave him buscopan which relaxed his oesophagus and the chicken came up

The Doctor apologised for not believing me. It was horrendous.

nocluewhattodoo · 08/12/2019 23:12

I choked on a mini egg in the back of the car as a child, was absolutely terrifying. I won't let DD have them

Branster · 08/12/2019 23:46

I personally haven’t had a proper chocking episode but one of my granddads died chocking on a piece of food so I am absolutely paranoid. Whenever someone chokes I don’t even ask I simply go and help - it’s automatic. I never eat whilst driving or walking, I always chew food properly and all that sort of nonsense. I still cut up grapes for my DCs (used to peel them as well when they were little) It’s really scary and it doesn’t take long at all to go from fully functioning to dead because of this.

nocoolnamesleft · 08/12/2019 23:52

A boiled sweet. I was alone in a remote back office (ironically of a GP practice), and knew I couldn't get to anywhere with people before I ran out of air. Obviously couldn't use the phone as no air shifting. Couldn't do the one person Heimlich because the only chair was a swiveller that kept shifting. Ran backwards, hard, at a wall, and thankfully shifted it. Scary as anything.

Enidcat5 · 09/12/2019 05:14

My DS choked on milk age 8 weeks, he fell asleep whilst feeding and I wasn't watching. He was under the breast and I had oversupply so milk was pouring into his mouth. I remember him suddenly jerking and going still, not breathing. I ran outside screaming and a lady passing grabbed him, turned him over and slapped him hard. Milk flew out and he took a big breath.

Really knocked my confidence feeding and I'm now extremely paranoid about choking. I can't stand it when you get children's fruit bags with whole grapes (Pret I'm looking at you!) or when there are whole grapes and cherry tomatoes at children's parties. And cocktail sausages are never cut up! I cut them lengthways.

Sweetpea55 · 09/12/2019 05:26

We were having Sunday lunch in a posh restaurant. The starter has watercress which was a bit long. Part of it got stuck down my throat while still in my mouth. Iv never panicked so much while trying to remain calm. It was horrible.
It was a restaurant were Posh and Becks go.. Luckily they weren't there to see my boaking and snotty nose

Original poster

BillHadersNewWife · 09/12/2019 05:31

Enid same thing happened to DD when she was only a few days old. We had to go to hospital and I'd had a c section...I don't think they realised because they sat me on a chair in the back of the ambulance holding DD and then sped round corners for 6 miles. I was barely hanging on when we got there...I had no seat belt or anything. I remember an orderly looking at me and getting a wheelchair and I was so relived. DD was fine in the ambulance just me that wasn't!

OP posts:

DoctorTwo · 09/12/2019 07:13

@Comradesally I could still breathe around the food bolus but I couldn't swallow, any attempt to do so was painful, so saliva had to be spat out into a bowl. The 1st time it happened they x-rayed my throat whilst the blockage was still there. Luckily it's not lethal as long as I get fluids in after 3 days or so.

I am not trying to make light of anybody elses experience, just relaying my own.

Tigerty · 09/12/2019 07:18

Yes on some meat. I was away with colleagues so tried to sort myself out at first. I couldn’t, it was a awful feeling. My colleague next to me realised and instantly whacked me on the back. Sorted. The rest weren’t aware I was dying quietly next to them

sockittome123 · 09/12/2019 07:22

Yes, on a bit of pineapple. I was wearing a plastic back brace so DM couldn't hit me on the back - she managed to get it half undone before I got it out myself. Ever since I have been petrified of choking, on and off, to the point where I have spat food out rather than swallowing it.

Comradesally · 09/12/2019 07:32

Doctor thanks I know someone with similar condition and just wondering if this is the issue.

Is there anything that can be done?

I think this is why we were always taught to sit down and chew food properly, don't eat in street. On back of this I've removed all sweets from child room, they shouldn't have been there anyway... But they are out now.

Comradesally · 09/12/2019 07:33

When I chocked I had no idea what to do so at least on back of this those reading will have better idea of what to do if alone and.... Everyone get ambulance going!!

MaryTeenOfScots · 09/12/2019 08:10

I choked on some fudge at work a couple of weeks ago. I tried coughing quietly then a couple of my colleagues heard and asked if I was okay. I tried to breathe, made a scary rasping sound and realised I couldn't get any air in. I didn't want to make a fuss as I was quite embarrassed, then remembered being told that more women than men die from choking because they take themselves off somewhere as they're embarrassed, and end up dying. Thankfully I dislodged it enough to then swallow it. All this time my colleagues just watched.

I think it's hard to believe that something as mundane as eating could actually kill you, so you don't want to 'over-react'. But choking is obviously absolutely life threatening so should be treated as such.

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