Did I get a toothbrush bristle in my throat?

November 15, 2024 4:08 PM

I may have swallowed a plastic bristle from my tooth brush. I wasn’t able to snag it but there’s an irritant in my throat. Do I have to go to urgent care or will it make its own way out?
posted by theora55 to Health & Fitness (7 answers total)

Best home remedy for moving a physical thing irritating my throat is big bites of very soft bread, chased with a glass of milk. Also makes quite a nice snack. Hope you get it dislodged :(
posted by phunniemee at 4:28 PM on November 15 [8 favorites]

phunniemee's suggestion has always worked for me for swallowed/stuck fish bones, so I think you should definitely give that a go.
posted by queensissy at 5:39 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]

I have literally zero clue about this stuff but that seems like something that might possibly do some scratching of your internals going through, or get lodged in some fun intestinal fold. Maybe call a hotline nurse and ask?
posted by trig at 6:17 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]

similar to the bread and milk my parents ate bananas when they'd get fish bones caught in their throat.
posted by simplethings at 6:23 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]

Yup when I had a fish bone in my throat I just bit off like a third of a banana and swallowed it without chewing it. It sucked, but it sucked a whole lot less than how it felt having a fish bone in my throat. The relief was immediate and total.
posted by potrzebie at 8:11 PM on November 15 [1 favorite]

I would do the bread thing too.

So how did it go, Theora55?
posted by JimN2TAW at 4:42 AM on November 16

Response by poster: I drank water, ate some apple crisp and a muffin. Lived through the night, always a good sign. I did some googling and many responses suggest that a bristle will e it’s way through on its own. Thanks for the replies.
posted by theora55 at 5:59 AM on November 16 [2 favorites]