Not all pockets are good
By Marsha
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
Midland, Michigan
July 9, 2021 6:57pm CST
When I was a young girl I found pockets on my dress I never knew were there, one on each side. It seemed like a secret hiding place.
Ten years ago I had a piece of lettuce that I hadn't chewed good enough stuck in my throat for nine hours. Eventually it went down. Ever since then, every once in a while I get food stuck in that same location. It's like there's a small pocket inside my throat.
This past week I had some jalapeno bites made with chicken and cheese. It was the first time I ate jalapenos that I know of and they were quite good. Then later in the afternoon I had a third cup of coffee and ended up with heart burn the rest of the day into the night. I assumed it was from the coffee but now I don't really know.
Yesterday morning I had a bagel and then had the heartburn again. For lunch our boss bought subs from subway which I had with some mustard. Shortly thereafter I had a major issue with what I thought at first was heartburn. Later though I realized I was taking some bile which didn't make sense.
I finally realized it wasn't from the food I was eating but rather from the ibuprofen I had taken. At least one for stuck in that pocket and was starting to dissolve. One of my bosses let me buy some coke to drink so the carbonation could push it the rest of the way down. I learned this trick in the hospital in the last year or so when some other food item for stuck.
I had a speech therapist come through my lane a few months ago and she told me that everyone has pockets in their throat. Maybe, but I doubt it's as serious as mine is.
16 people like this
18 responses
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
Unfortunately for me, good for you that mine must be deeper from when I had that hunk of lettuce stuck so many years ago.
3 people like this
ICK!!!!!!!!
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
If it's not down too fast I can also cough it up.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
@just4him it's more common for those over seventy to begin having problems with it. I know I forget to chew my food enough especially after having the lettuce stuck years back and I'm sure that's what caused mine to show up earlier than most.
1 person likes this
@just4him (323168)
• Green Bay, Wisconsin
11 Jul 21
@MarshaMusselman I've done that too.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
@kareng there are ways to clear your throat to dislodge some things. Have her try sinking a carbonated beverage to see if that helps.
When I went to the hospital about something stuck they gave me a mini Coke in a can and it took a bit more than the one too dislodge it. Sometimes it will work with just one or two swallows.
I try to swallow the pop in different ways but I'm not sure whether I'm helping or not
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
I rarely get heartburn or have acid reflux so I don't think they can help but I'll ask my doctor to be sure.
I think Anna is correct in her suggestion that it's a pharyngeal pouch. A different type of specialist treats this condition and it's more common with the elderly.
otolaryngologist (ENT surgeon)
@LadyDuck (502189)
• Italy
10 Jul 21
@MarshaMusselman My husband sometimes had difficulty swallowing, he went to a doctor who inserted a tube in his throat to examine, but he found nothing wrong.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
I'm quite sure it was caused by the lettuce from nine years ago. I told my doctor after it first happened and after a few months it no longer bothered me. Then this past year sometime it began causing problems again.
Nine years ago other than when the lettuce was stuck it didn't bother me. In fact I never knew anything was stuck there until I coughed it out several hours later. Now I know when it's stuck almost immediately.
I should be seeing my doctor this summer and will bring it back up, pun not intended.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
@LadyDuck to see how bad it might be that's what the Dr/specialist would do here too take a look with a camera. Then they might see it up from inside or have to cut into the throat to do so
I don't need other problems to assist from this so I'll call my Dr this week.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
Good thing I don't have to worry about coughing up money from this one
.
I've found money in pockets many times over the years too.
.
I've found money in pockets many times over the years too.1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
@CarolDM I've never found a lot of money but even five or ten unexpected cash is always nice.
1 person likes this
@CarolDM (203396)
• Nashville, Tennessee
11 Jul 21
@MarshaMusselman Hidden treasures sometimes.
1 person likes this
@GardenGerty (169406)
• United States
10 Jul 21
It sounds like you need to be careful. When I do have heartburn, I eat pineapple and that helps. Ibuprofen is notorious for causing stomach distress. I take naproxen now, if I take anything, but really the doctor only wants us to take acetaminophen. Depending on what you are taking the Ibuprofen for you might be better off using a topical, like voltaren gel.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
That won't work at present. As I'm taking it for the wound that is still healing. I take both ibuprofen and Tylenol thru the day if my foot is really bad.
Also I rarely get heartburn. This is something near the base of my Adams apple before it ever enter my stomach. Once it's in my stomach I'm not bothered by it at all.
@snowy22315 (208746)
• United States
10 Jul 21
I acid reflux at night if I don't drink enough water when I take asprin or something like that. It will just lie in my stomach and cause an issue.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
That's what I thought I was experiencing the recent time only to finally feel the pull still in my throat.
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
Maybe those are quite small and possibly they enlarge as we age I don't really know.
1 person likes this
@garymarsh6 (23979)
• United Kingdom
10 Jul 21
You should certainly get that seen to. Worrying to hear you had Ibuprofen stuck there & it was dissolving as it can be corrosive. I am rather surprised by the glib comment by the speech therapist she should have advised you to get it checked out & should know better. Next time you see her give her a piece of your tongue! Do get it checked out please.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
I doubt there is anything more that can be done. I've been to our ER people about it and there learned that carbonation helps it move along. They said the situation was very common.
I recently found a different shaped ibuprofen that seems to go down better and will use that from now on. As far as food I have to make sure I chew it more thoroughly before swallowing.
I'm just surprised that after all these years it started being a problem again.
1 person likes this
@paigea (36143)
• Canada
13 Jul 21
I have those throat pockets. The doctor did tell me to gargle with salt water frequently. I was having frequent throat infections due to the food being caught.
I do drink carbonated water every day, I wonder if that has been helping as I've had very few problems for quite a while.
1 person likes this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
14 Jul 21
I've never had a any throat infections from this but maybe I'll try drinking more carbonated drinks and see if that makes a difference.
1 person likes this
@kobesbuddy (78833)
• East Tawas, Michigan
10 Jul 21
I don't have problems with swallowing food, but liquid quite often doesn't go down right. I start coughing and Jay keeps asking, 'Are you all right?' At that time I can't answer, or I'll start coughing again!
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
It's not swallowing that seems to be the issue. In right away that is. Often I don't know something was stuck until minutes or even hours later.
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
Hopefully the majority of people will never experience having things caught in their hidden pockets.
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@thelme55 (79311)
• Germany
11 Jul 21
@MarshaMusselman Hopefully! Enjoy your Sunday.
1 person likes this
@thislittlepennyearns (68196)
• Defuniak Springs, Florida
10 Jul 21
I wonder if that's one of the issues I have with my throat.
I should really go see a doctor soon.
2 people like this
@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
10 Jul 21
So you get food stuck more than expected but where it's not hindering you're breathing? Just uncomfortable?
1 person likes this
@prashu228 (37518)
• India
10 Jul 21
Heartburn may lead to serious health issues.
I didnt know about throat pockets..
Glad you are feeling better
1 person likes this
@RebeccasFarm (91299)
• United States
12 Jul 21
Oh dear dangerous too glad it did not get totally stuck
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@MarshaMusselman (38865)
• Midland, Michigan
11 Jul 21
I don't love jalapenos but I would have them again.
1 person likes this
