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Suggest Remedies When Food Accidentally Goes Down The Wrong Pipe

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Posted on Mon, 10 Jul 2017
Question: Yes, I swallowed my nightlu pills and one ofmthem went down the wrong pipe, i cant st,op coughing, my chest hurts very much, what should I do?
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (18 minutes later)
Brief Answer:
Information

Detailed Answer:
Hello -

If you truly think it went down your airway (trachea) instead of your esophagus, and you are having trouble with breathing, go immediately to the ER. If choking, have someone do Heimlich maneuver.

It is possible that it did go down the esophagus but the esophagus is having a spasm, which will cause pain and a "stuck" feeling.

As I can't tell as I can't see you and feel there isn't time to ask you questions, please go to the ER.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
doctor
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Follow up: Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (2 days later)
Although i did not go to the hospital. I should have. But I had an appointment with one of my Drs. Already scheduled. i asked her to ckeck my lungs at first she said they were fine, as we continued to talk, she could hear the gasping and wheezing so she ordered an xray, sure enough the infecion had already begun. Thank you for your help. I live alone and its a hard call to make if I should go or not.
doctor
Answered by Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh (7 hours later)
Brief Answer:
I hope you are doing better soon!

Detailed Answer:
Oh I am sorry that you aspirated one of your pills. I imagine your doctor gave you an antibiotic for the infection and that the pill has dissolved or been absorbed. But if there is still evidence of a foreign body in your airway, you will need a bronshoscopy which is where a pulmonary doctor puts a tube with a camera into your bronchi (while you are sedated). Then he/she can see what is going on in there and remove any foreign material. But again, it may be gone by now. I advise discussing this with your doctor though.
Note: For further follow-up it is advisable to consult an emergency medicine specialist. Click here.

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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Answered by
Dr.
Dr. Bonnie Berger-Durnbaugh

General & Family Physician

Practicing since :1991

Answered : 3134 Questions

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Suggest Remedies When Food Accidentally Goes Down The Wrong Pipe

Brief Answer: Information Detailed Answer: Hello - If you truly think it went down your airway (trachea) instead of your esophagus, and you are having trouble with breathing, go immediately to the ER. If choking, have someone do Heimlich maneuver. It is possible that it did go down the esophagus but the esophagus is having a spasm, which will cause pain and a "stuck" feeling. As I can't tell as I can't see you and feel there isn't time to ask you questions, please go to the ER.