Have you ever had a problem when food got stuck in your swallowing tube? If it blocked your breathing, that would be a life-threatening emergency. But food stuck in the esophagus is uncomfortable and can be difficult to dislodge. Surprisingly, Coca-Cola is a medically approved home remedy in this situation.
Coca-Cola Helped When Food Got Stuck:
Q. During a meal at home, I tried to swallow a piece of stew meat that was a little too large. Unfortunately, this piece of food got stuck. It lodged in my esophagus about half-way down and would not budge. It didn’t impair my breathing, so I wasn’t choking, but it definitely was a problem.
My son went online and found a suggestion that could be a life saver: Take a drink of ice-cold Coca Cola to move the obstruction. I did so and the meat moved instantly with no more problems. I thought you might like to know about this.
Is There Support for the Coca-Cola Approach?
A. Your story intrigued us. We went searching the medical literature for confirmation and were surprised to discover that this remedy has been utilized by health care practitioners for decades (Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 1993).
Norwegian gastroenterologists studied 100 patients who came to them when food got stuck in their food tubes (Gastroenterology Research and Practice, online Nov. 18, 2013).
They concluded:
“The treatment of choice of impacted food in the esophagus is endoscopic removal. In cases where this is difficult, we recommend treatment with Coca-Cola and Creon for 2-3 days before complications occur.”
Creon is a combination of pancreatic enzymes that can help digest food. If food blocks the airway, though, it is a medical emergency. In such a case, call 911 immediately and try the Heimlich maneuver.
