I have a j-pouch and 12 days ago I swallowed a big piece of gum by accident. I started having stomach aches the last 2-3 days. Could it be stuck and causing me problems? I have been having bowel movements as usual but my stomach ache persists. Any suggestions?
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Hi Arnie! Long time!! I've swallowed gum accidently and haven't had any problems.
Does the stomach ache come in waves? Pain coming in waves could mean a partial blockage. Are you still able to go to the bathroom? If so, then I would guess it's not a blockage. But if you're worried about it, a trip to the doctor is in order.
kathy
Does the stomach ache come in waves? Pain coming in waves could mean a partial blockage. Are you still able to go to the bathroom? If so, then I would guess it's not a blockage. But if you're worried about it, a trip to the doctor is in order.
kathy
Can a piece of gum actually become stuck inside someone's gut such it would cause a blockage? How big a piece was it?
I thought that this was going to be a thread about chewing gum because I had read some admonitions against it, although I am not sure why.
Arncap, I doubt you could have swallowed a big enough piece of gum to have caused a partial blockage on its own, but depending on what else you ate, perhaps it did not help matters. If the issue persists, you may need to go to the doc or ER as needed.
At least you did not choke. A few years ago my mother was dining with my father at a Chinese restaurant in New York City when my mother accidentally swallowed a large unchewed piece of General Tso's Chicken. My mother immediately began choking. My father got up and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. This resulted in the chunk of chicken being expelled from my mother's throat like a projectile with great force. The piece of chicken landed in the middle of another party's dinner table. My mother apologized but she was relieved as her life was saved by my father.
Be careful chewing gum (or food) in the future!
I thought that this was going to be a thread about chewing gum because I had read some admonitions against it, although I am not sure why.
Arncap, I doubt you could have swallowed a big enough piece of gum to have caused a partial blockage on its own, but depending on what else you ate, perhaps it did not help matters. If the issue persists, you may need to go to the doc or ER as needed.
At least you did not choke. A few years ago my mother was dining with my father at a Chinese restaurant in New York City when my mother accidentally swallowed a large unchewed piece of General Tso's Chicken. My mother immediately began choking. My father got up and performed the Heimlich maneuver on her. This resulted in the chunk of chicken being expelled from my mother's throat like a projectile with great force. The piece of chicken landed in the middle of another party's dinner table. My mother apologized but she was relieved as her life was saved by my father.
Be careful chewing gum (or food) in the future!
If the pain gets worse, or is accompanied by nausea, vomiting or sharp pains you should seek medical attention. I agree also that if the pain is unbearable you should seek help. I had the same situation happen to me (swallowed gum and got a stomach ache). What I did (and what I do whenever I have a suspected partial blockage) is to start drinking a lot more water. Of course a caveat to that would be that drinking water can potentially also make you sick so make sure not to exceed what your body tells you is too much. Also take a hot bath, go for a walk, drink some tea or use a light massage on the site of the pain. Hope you are feeling better soon.
CTBarrister- The reason that chewing gum is discouraged is because of the amount of air that is swallowed during chewing. Increased air swallowed= greater frequency + gas pains. Also recommended against is drinking out of a straw and making sure when chewing not to swallow too much air (don't chew with the mouth open). I hope that satisfies your curiosity !
CTBarrister- The reason that chewing gum is discouraged is because of the amount of air that is swallowed during chewing. Increased air swallowed= greater frequency + gas pains. Also recommended against is drinking out of a straw and making sure when chewing not to swallow too much air (don't chew with the mouth open). I hope that satisfies your curiosity !