Windpipe Seemed to Close Whilst I Was Eating My Meal

By probbo

1 min read

A few weeks ago we decided it was about time we had a Family Sunday Dinner. So I got up early had all my meds and my morning cup of coffee.

Then I started preparing the Dinner. Being an ex Army Chef the wife leaves meals like this up to me. I opened windows and door to well ventilate the kitchen. Got the meal on the go. We were having a 3 course dinner. Family arrived at 12 as we were sitting down for dinner at 1pm.

Starter was done and dinner was cooked so we all sat and ate our prawn avocado in Marie Rose Sauce.

After this I served up the main course and I was looking forward to having it as it was sliced duck breast and ham in au jus lie sauce with all the trimmings.

Started eating and after my 3rd or 4th mouthful I started to have severe difficulties with swallowing and I was gasping for breath... This was the first time this had happened to me and it was a very scary feeling. Has any one else had this happen to them and has anybody got any ideas how to avoid this happening again?

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Leon Lebowitz, RRT Member
Hi probbo - your comment seems to have trailed off (with the [...]. Did you have more that you wanted to add? Leon (site moderator)
1. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Member
 Hi probbo and I found the rest of your post. Although this never happened to you before, what may have occurred this time sounds like a possible allergic reaction. If this is what happened, you would have to check to see what you were eating that might have triggered your reaction - the scary closing of your windpipe, as you described it. We cannot provide medical advice or diagnostics over the internet (for your own safety), but I would suggest you check this out with your private physician or a specialist if necessary. By the way, how did you contend with the episode and what happened to you? Please do check back and let us know how you're doing. All the best, Leon (site moderator)
oamy Member
Something similar happened to me, but not as severe. It happened while I was snacking on some crackers that had a powdered coating (seasoning). I realized that I was probably inhaling some of the powder, and seems like it didn't take much to cause a breathing problem. I will avoid that sort of thing in the future, after these crackers are all gone~! Licking the powder off, while not an attractive action, seems to work.
1. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Member
 Hi Camy and thanks for sharing your experience with the coated crackers. My thought is that by licking off the cracker's coating, you're able to easily swallow the taste sensation. I would say that coating had acted as a kind of aerosol/irritant when you were eating the cracker normally. Finally, I'm glad you're going to avoid them in the future. All the best, Leon (site moderator)
not found
I get that way while eating and little later. It feels like there is pressure on my stomach and chest, then it's hard to breath. I get panic attachs and that doesn't help. I'm new with this, haven't even seen a specialist yet. Is this normal for COPD?
bridgetted Member
Yes I'm also have problems with eating and breathing at same time apparently it feels like a piece of meat if I'm trying to do that gets stuck between the bottom of my throat and the upper part of my chest and it's the biggest blob and can get very painful I have just about quit eating on the counter this
morag309 Member
Hi this happened to me only I was asleep and all of a sudden I was sitting up and I couldn't breathe,I was terrified. I searched the internet to see if I could find out anything about this and found a Doctor who was explaining something about it he said to get something like a cocktail straw and breathe through it when this happens .I haven't tried this yet but I got some straws and hopefully if I do have another episode of this it will help .
1. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Member
 Hi morag309 and thanks for your post. That must have been frightening for you so I understand the sense of urgency you had to try to be prepared should it happen again. You may want to discuss this with your prescribing physician for additional suggestions. The vague information you have from a physician discussing an EMERGENCY solution of utilizing a cocktail straw sounds to be a bit extreme for the lay person. Again - you probably should reach out to your medical provider for additional input. Please do check back and let us know how you're doing. All the best, Leon (site moderator)
mistygirlsmomma Member
I have had a similar experience eating shrimp and a cocktail sauce. Apparently from information I have gleaned, both shrimp and tomato products can be difficult for our bodies to properly digest. Also, you mentioned opening doors and windows - did this permit humid air to enter your kitchen area? Also, another problem for those of us with COPD. I love certain foods that are supposed to be "healthy" i.e. broccoli, however it produces gas which makes it tough for us to digest. The thing that made an impression on me finally, is that our bodies require oxygen to properly digest food and COPD patients are "starved" for oxygen, so we need to avoid certain things that worsen our conditions. Makes sense when you see the big picture!
1. Leon Lebowitz, RRT Member
 Hi mistygirlsmomma and thanks for adding your experiences and comments to this post from probbo last March. It's always gratifying to see that published material continues to resonate with our members over time. Based on your post, it sounds like you have a comprehensive understanding of how to manage your condition. We appreciate your input. Keep up the good work! Leon (site moderator)