Can someone please tell me what they mean when they say a food gets stuck... how stuck? How does it come loose? What does it feel like? How do you know a food is stuck? Thank you for your help and insight!!

You'll know. It hurts - like your choking. You'll panic and want to throw up but will have a hard time doing so.

You'll know. It hurts - like your choking. You'll panic and want to throw up but will have a hard time doing so.

I understand the sentiment, but since the food is no where near the windpipe, you are not technically choking, but it does have a similar feeling. As for how you get it out, it depends, if its small enough it dissolves and finally goes through, some manuevers help, otherwise you throw it up, which isn't as bad as vomiting up food that has been in your stomach a while. This can be accompanied by sweating.

Stuck....well, like Monica said, you'll know when it happens. It FEELS like it's in your esophagus but it's not. Usually, if it can't move on in a minute or two, you will start sliming (clear mucus, which is produced to try to ease the passage of the bite) and even experience some frothing (bubbly saliva). If the bite comes back up, you've experienced a PB (productive burp)...which is not vomiting. It is regurgitation of a bite of undigested food. No stomach acid, no heaving of the stomach muscles. And, frankly, if that bite of food is stuck, you'll just be glad it moved, regardless of which direction it moved!

If you get stuck, don't try to drink Water to "wash it down"....that water will likely just come back with the bite of food.

What gets stuck? Any bite that is too big or isn't well chewed. A bite should be about nickel-sized, as a guideline. Chew whatever it is to mush. Some things will just get stuck. For me, it's soft bread, flour tortillas and white rice. So I don't eat those things (and, really, don't need them anyway). I can eat toast, croutons, etc., but of course those have a different texture than fresh bread. Over time, you may find that there are a few foods that don't work for you. Dry meat is a problem for many of us. Cooking meat in a crockpot, serving "au jus" with some broth to dip it in helps.

trust me, you will know it...if your doctors says DON'T EAT a specific type of food DO NOT EVEN THINK ABOUT IT. I can't stress chewing, chewing and chewing some more simply because once you reach optimum band adjustment the hole is about the size of dime so chunks of food will not go down and you will begin to vomit. Sorry to be so harsh but I had to learn the hard way. All the best to you.

The worst times for getting stuck for me is that first bite. If I don't consciously really think about chewing up that first bite I get stuck everytime.. White breads, soft breads or cake like substances are brutally painful and like others have said, you don't need them anyway.. The only liquid that ever seem to help is pineapple juice and was suggested by my doctor.. The acid seems to help break it up.

Oh you'll know....no explanation needed. Just wait. It's an awful feeling.

Wow! Well thank you all for the insight. I have been so nervous to experience this. I have been working to stay low carb (below 30g non-vegetable a day) so most of the things it seems like get stuck I try not to have anyway... but I do occassionally have a low carb tortilla wrap for my burger... I hope those don't ever get stuck. I really enjoy them. Thank you all again for your help and insight! :frown: Best of luck to all of us on this wonderful journey!

The best way I can describe it...

Have you ever been drinking cold Water or soda and swallow an air bubble? You can feel it go all the way down. It feels kind of like that but a little worse.

Kathy

I understand the sentiment, but since the food is no where near the windpipe, you are not technically choking, but it does have a similar feeling. As for how you get it out, it depends, if its small enough it dissolves and finally goes through, some manuevers help, otherwise you throw it up, which isn't as bad as vomiting up food that has been in your stomach a while. This can be accompanied by sweating.

OK, what are some of the "manuevers"? I am new to this and get that stuck feeling a lot and do not really know what to do. At home I usually walk around some and flap my arms like a chicken occassionally... Drinking Water seems to always make it worse, like I am really choking.

OK, what are some of the "manuevers"? I am new to this and get that stuck feeling a lot and do not really know what to do. At home I usually walk around some and flap my arms like a chicken occassionally... Drinking Water seems to always make it worse, like I am really choking.

Many here talk about the yoga position "downward dog" If that isn't right, someone will correct me. I haven't tried it exactly but getting up, bending over at the waste can help. I also sit up very straight (addding about 2" to my height) relaxing, and doing it over and over again. Getting up and walking can help. Sometimes just coughing it up is all you can do.

To me it feels like I ate way to fast and swallowed bites to big..

Oh, and for meats I chew pea sized pieces..I try to stick to this for all food though..I get stuck easy.

Edited June 24, 200917 yr by klutzyazhel
forgot something

It makes my chest hurt, then I start burping, I can feel the air trying to pass the food, then I slim. Sometimes the food comes back up other times it goes down but takes a few minutes.

-Manuevers, I have to stand up, sit down, walk, bend over the toilet whatever it takes. It is unpleasant and sometimes a litle painful but for me it is still a worthwild reminder to chew and eat slowly!