Death by chocolate?

[roadracer]

Just a little bit ago I chocked on a piece of chocolate, to the point I thought I was going to pass out, thought it was going to be the end for me. I think the chocolate melted and that is what saved me. What ever happened I think some of it is down the wrong tube because I have been coughing like crazy and it still feels like there is some in there. I will have to wait and see if I can stop coughing. I would say it was scary, but I think I was/am more in shock about it then anything else.

[Aspigander]

That would be scary/shocking. Are you okay now?

[milivica]

I know this might sound overboard, but if you think you got any into your windpipe, you should get it checked out at a doctor. Seriously. You don't want even a speck of chocolate in your lung. I would think it would make your lungs fill with fluid...then again maybe it would dissolve and be absorbed. Be careful, don't hesitate to see a doctor if you feel at all concerned.

One of my friends is a doctor, she had to surgically remove a small piece of hot dog down a kids windpipe. I know that if water from say a pool gets into your windpipe, you can drown days later when your lungs fill with fluid. If you're not sure if all the chocolate got out of your windpipe, I dunno, get it checked out even though it most likely is fine. I'd be paranoid personally.

[peglem]

Again, not to get you all paranoid, but aspirating food can cause pneumonia...and since you are already prone to that.... I know you don't have insurance right now, but monitor yourself closely for that.

[Keggy]

I know that if water from say a pool gets into your windpipe, you can drown days later when your lungs fill with fluid. If you're not sure if all the chocolate got out of your windpipe, I dunno, get it checked out even though it most likely is fine. I'd be paranoid personally.

an adult has larger lungs, would take more water in to hurt the lungs, plus would acknowlege that he/she felt awful.
that happens to kids .. a child would puke, wet their pants...get exhausted quickly.. feel awful and not express it well enough.
the caregivers tend to think they just over did it. it tends to happen to first time swimmers (just like surfing paralylis).
when you choke on food and somebody does a heimlich manuever on you, or you do it on yourself do you risk having problems later on and should see a doctor.

[Kristen (ColeysMom)]

It sounds like you have GERD. I wonder if your tendency toward pnemonia is caused by this...I forget whether GI is on your list, if not...I'd add it. In the short term, you may want to get an OTC aid for this to see if it helps. Prilosec is one but there are others. They all 'attack' the problem from different angles...it's easy enough to google GERD and find the information and the complications of untreated GERD.

But one thing to keep in mind too...GERD is NOT a condition, it is a symptom of something else. It should be managed until the source is found and dealt with though as there are serious complications from it...like pnemonia and aspiration.

The causes can be functional or it can be a food reaction or anything in between. This is why a good GI can be so helpful.

[roadracer]

I think I am okay, I have this nasty cough now, where I get that feeling and go into a coughing fit, but I am not sure if it is just some asthma symtoms from it, or just that something got irritated or something like that. Other then that I feel fine so I will just wait and see if anything happens. I skip my training ride today and am going to go on a hike instead, and I have races this weekend, but I am guessing I will be fine.

[roadracer]

It sounds like you have GERD. I wonder if your tendency toward pnemonia is caused by this...I forget whether GI is on your list, if not...I'd add it. In the short term, you may want to get an OTC aid for this to see if it helps. Prilosec is one but there are others. They all 'attack' the problem from different angles...it's easy enough to google GERD and find the information and the complications of untreated GERD.

But one thing to keep in mind too...GERD is NOT a condition, it is a symptom of something else. It should be managed until the source is found and dealt with though as there are serious complications from it...like pnemonia and aspiration.

The causes can be functional or it can be a food reaction or anything in between. This is why a good GI can be so helpful.

Yep, I got that GI on my list, I wonder what the lucky doctor that I go to is going to think when I walk in there with these lists of symtoms and problems. I am thinking I need to consolidate it to only be the most important things at first, or should I just hand him a bunch of pages of my symptoms with the history. I am not sure what is important and what is not.

anyway, I am pretty sure that I dont have anything like GERD, I can eat pretty much anything without having stomach problems. Like I can eat fried food all day long without trouble. Every now and then I do get a little heart burn, but a tums clears it up. My dad has major issues with GERD and takes a couple meds for it and is lactose intolerant and many things he cant eat.
For me I have no problem with the stomach, I just avoid anything runny like soups, and cant swollow anything like bread without a drink to wash it down, if I dont take the drink it just goes to the very back of my throat like where it starts to go down, but it just stops there. So eating a sandwich requires a drink. I have found that some other things, like say mashed potatos I can swallow without a drink, but I can still feel clumps of it in the back there, so I need to wash it down. I never knew there was a problem or that this was not normal. So you people never need to take a drink while your eating?

[Keggy]

I just avoid anything runny like soups, and cant swollow anything like bread without a drink to wash it down, if I dont take the drink it just goes to the very back of my throat like where it starts to go down, but it just stops there. So eating a sandwich requires a drink. I have found that some other things, like say mashed potatos I can swallow without a drink, but I can still feel clumps of it in the back there, so I need to wash it down. I never knew there was a problem or that this was not normal. So you people never need to take a drink while your eating?

I have something weird that scares me... wish I knew what it was. It used to be only when I ate rice, a feeling like choking but not choking. Its a pressure in the chest I guess? My mom has it too. Over the recent years it has expanded to other foods as well, mostly things that are dry. They get stuck in my chest and I feel like I will die... must drink. Sometimes the drinking is scary too cause it feels like you are just piling on the choking.
oh yeah.. that and I get brain freeze much easier and much more intense then when I was younger. Its like 911 bad.

[Kristen (ColeysMom)]

RR, I have no idea whether you have GERD or not, a GI would be able to determine that best. Usually done with a swallow study. But I wanted to just make sure that you know GERD has nothing to do with your stomach or the foods you eat, unless of course you have a sensativity that is causing it. It's not indegestion, which is what it sounds like is your understanding of it.

GERD is when food doesn't go doen the esphogus right, and comes back up. It has much more to do with swallowing, and can have an affect on speech issues as well.

Here is a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gastroesophageal_reflux_disease

It includes the various types of Rxs...tums is an antacid...it can be helpful to elviate the burning when it occurs but does nothing to control it. There are other drugs & treatments that do that. Generally the GI will prescribe them until the source is identified, because none of these Rxs are recommended for longterm use.

Sometimes there is a functional issue that causes it, for which there is no 'fix'...in that case careful monitoring of Rxs in necessary.

Coley had GERD as a baby/toddler...in his case it was related to fructose and was not a functional problem. Although structural damage is VERY common in preemies, so we were informed quite a bit to prepare for Sx (that closes prevents reflux) and other realities that preemies face. We were fortunate that Coley had no damage and that his GERD was infact a reaction to a food sensativity...removal is all we needed...his sleep, breathing, eating and gagging immediately improved.

[Aspigander]

I am thinking I need to consolidate it to only be the most important things at first, or should I just hand him a bunch of pages of my symptoms with the history. I am not sure what is important and what is not.

Personally, I'd just hand over the whole thing.

I just avoid anything runny like soups, and cant swollow anything like bread without a drink to wash it down, if I dont take the drink it just goes to the very back of my throat like where it starts to go down, but it just stops there.

Wouldn't soup go down pretty easily, if you need a drink to wash some things down?

So you people never need to take a drink while your eating?

I don't. I just swallow.

[roadracer]

RR, I have no idea whether you have GERD or not, a GI would be able to determine that best. Usually done with a swallow study. But I wanted to just make sure that you know GERD has nothing to do with your stomach or the foods you eat, unless of course you have a sensativity that is causing it. It's not indegestion, which is what it sounds like is your understanding of it.


I had a misunderstanding of what it is then. I read the wiki and about it on other sites but I guess I still dont get it.
I guess I will know if I have it or not someday, if I ever get to a doctor.

[roadracer]

Wouldn't soup go down pretty easily, if you need a drink to wash some things down?


Yeah, with the chunks of whatever is in the soup, tend to cause me problems with it where I get the 'going down the wrong tube feeling' and causes me to cough. Add to it that I end up wearing half the bowl of it because I cant ever seem to take a darn spoon full without it runing down my chin. I guess some types of soup I would be okay with, but I just tend to avoid most runny stuff. I eat cereal every morning for breakfast, I am okay with a lot of cereals, but I got to take a shower after, lol

[Kristen (ColeysMom)]

RR, this may be a better link to explain it in more 'plain' language:

http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/gerd/

With the combinations of things you've mentioned (swallowing, asthma, speech difficulties) it does seem consistent to me. Although it has been a LONG time since I've looked at this information so it's hard to talk much about the specifics of it.

There are a couple ways that GERD can affect speech development...one is to cause damamge to the 'equipment' needed to make speech. Another is a defective sphincter could compromise speech function.

In Coley's case digestive motility was causing his GERD. His inability to matabolize fructose slowed his digestive process and affected his appetite also. His almost constant full stomach resulted in reflux, which did burn his esphogus too...lots of gagging and coughing.

Although it seems that the GERD did not cause damage, and also his sphincter was functioning fine. It seems his speech delay was more related to the effects of the fructose finding it's way into his bloodstream and effecting brain function. I'm also not clear as to whether the brain fuction or the discomfort from the GERD had the bigger impact on his quality of sleep.

Also, apiration is common which damages the lungs, as you know, leading to breathing issues, and then of course that can cause sleep apnea....poor sleep.

This little thing can reek a lot of havoc...and can also lead to much more serious things.

Again, I don't know...but it sounds very possible to me...a GI would do a barrium swallow, which will give him an image of your swallowing to know for sure.

In the meantime you could test some of the OTC meds, like Gavescon (which blocks GERD better than any other OTC med)...if you notice a difference in your sleep, or your breathing...it of course would add more credibility...with the amount of time this has been going on, if it is GERD, I'm not sure Rxs would help your swallowing in the short-run. There is likely damage that at least needs healing.

[Kristen (ColeysMom)]

Oh here is one other thing I forgot to post above:

http://www.nidcd.nih.gov/health/voice/apraxia.htm#1

Apraxia of speech & GERD can be a chicken/egg type of thing.

[roadracer]

Thanks Kristen, I will try the Gavescon, will see if it helps
next week I am going to have to send out more e-mails to try to get this moving along with getting the medical assistance, I have not even aplyed or filled out anything yet, have been waiting for a meeting to be setup, not sure what is taking so long.

[RathyKay]

I have something weird that scares me... wish I knew what it was. It used to be only when I ate rice, a feeling like choking but not choking. Its a pressure in the chest I guess? My mom has it too. Over the recent years it has expanded to other foods as well, mostly things that are dry. They get stuck in my chest and I feel like I will die... must drink. Sometimes the drinking is scary too cause it feels like you are just piling on the choking.
oh yeah.. that and I get brain freeze much easier and much more intense then when I was younger. Its like 911 bad.
This forum has gotten soooo busy. I have a hard time keeping up, much less finding time to post. Anyway, Keggy, have you ever had allergy testing? Because this sounds a lot closer to an anaphylactic reaction than I like. I know rice is supposed to be "hypoallergenic," but my MIL has a bonified rice allergy and Tom has seizures from rice. It's not hypoallergenic for everyone.

And, as a diet nut... when you mention other foods affecting you, particularly dry ones.... ummmm gluten?;):o