If a pill is stuck in your throat, drink water or eat a small piece of soft food like banana. Seek medical help if you have pain, trouble breathing, or swallowing.
What to do
- Drink a full glass of water.
- Eat a small piece of soft food like banana or bread.
- Stand or sit upright.
- Don’t lie down for at least 30 minutes.
Why it sticks
Pills can lodge in the esophagus, especially large or dry ones.
Risks
Esophageal irritation and ulcers.
See a doctor
If it doesn’t pass in an hour, or you have chest pain or trouble swallowing.
Emergency
Trouble breathing. Call 911.
Immediate steps
If a pill feels stuck, drink water in small sips while standing or sitting upright. Eating a small piece of soft food like banana or bread can push it down. Do not lie down. Most pills pass within minutes, but some stay and irritate the esophagus.
- Pill esophagitis is caused by tablets such as doxycycline, bisphosphonates (alendronate), potassium chloride, NSAIDs and iron.
- To prevent, take pills with a full glass (8 oz) of water and stay upright for at least 30 minutes after swallowing.
- Large capsules may stick more easily, especially in people with swallowing difficulty or esophageal narrowing.
When to get help
See a doctor if the feeling persists for hours, pain with swallowing occurs, you have chest pain, drooling or trouble swallowing liquids. Seek emergency care if you struggle to breathe, as a choking hazard, or if a button battery or magnet was swallowed. Ask the pharmacist about liquid forms or pill-swallowing aids when swallowing is hard.
Immediate steps
Drink water in sips, stay upright and eat a soft food like banana or bread to help the pill pass. Do not lie down. A pill can irritate the esophagus and cause ulcers, especially with doxycycline, NSAIDs, potassium and bisphosphonates.
When to get help
Call 911 for trouble breathing. See a doctor if chest pain or painful swallowing persists. Take pills with a full glass of water.
Immediate steps
If a pill feels stuck, stay upright, sip water, and swallow a small piece of soft food such as bread or banana to move it. Do not lie down. A pill that lodges in the esophagus can cause burning pain or pill esophagitis, especially with doxycycline, potassium chloride, NSAIDs and bisphosphonates. Take pills with a full glass of water, about 8 ounces, and stay upright for 30 minutes.
When it is an emergency
Call emergency services if there is trouble breathing, drooling, inability to swallow saliva, chest pain, or coughing and choking that does not stop. Persistent pain after 1 to 2 hours, or difficulty swallowing, needs a medical review, and a doctor may do an endoscopy. Pill swallowing aids, liquids or splitting tablets (only if allowed) help. Ask a pharmacist before crushing, since extended release pills can be dangerous.
Based on data from the Mayo Clinic and the American College of Gastroenterology
