I'm having a little back pain from lifting, so I decided to take an Aleve liquid gel. I don't swallow pills too well (don't ask why, I just don't), but I figured being a liquid gel it would be fine. I couldn't have been more wrong. The pill became lodged in my throat, and I couldn't breathe. Of course I panicked, the water came back out, I was coughing, and finally it loosened so I could at least breathe a little, but it was still stuck. I was gurgling, water I swallowed just backed up, I was getting scared (I'll admit it). I walked outside and tried to keep myself calm and just take slow easy breaths, but it wasn't going down. I was coughing, then my mucus started backing up (I know...gross). Then FINALLY, it went down. I'm sitting here now with a SERIOUS case of what feels like indigestion, but at least the water is going down. No one was home, and I was in no shape to make an emergency phone call. I'm glad I can breathe again. I'm assuming the chest pains I'm experiencing are normal after something like this?
You could have found a chair and tried to dislodge it using the chair for the Heimlich. Its a good thing you didn't panic though, things would have went south fast.
Wow dude glad you're ok. Sounds like scary stuff. Way to keep your wits about you though, that could have gone a lot worse. I would suggest not swallowing pills anymore.
Thanks guys. Still feeling a little tightness and soreness there, but seems to be getting better. As a side note, about 6 years ago I had a similar thing happen when I was doing a barium swallow. Turns out I do have a somewhat more narrow esophagus (which is why I don't swallow pills well). It was probably a dumb move on my part even trying. I'm just fortunate it turned out alright. It was honestly the first time I had an instant thought of possibly dying cross my mind (granted it was brief), but wow, I don't want that happening again ever.
