Coca-Cola can ease down food stuck in an esophagus
Q: During a meal at home, I tried to swallow a piece of stew meat that was a little too large. It lodged in my esophagus about halfway 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: Take a drink of ice-cold Coca-Cola to move the obstruction. I did so, and the meat moved instantly with no more problems.
A: Your story intrigued us. We went searching the medical literature for confirmation and were surprised to discover that this remedy has been used by health care practitioners for decades (Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, March 1993).
Norwegian gastroenterologists studied 100 patients who had gotten food 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 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.
Q: I took Ambien and ended up sleepwalking. In fact, I was driving my car and was slapped with a DUI citation. I don’t remember a thing. Can you help me?
A: Sleepwalking, sleep-eating and even sleepdriving are potential hazards of taking zolpidem (Ambien). We have heard from other readers who have gotten into accidents while sleep-driving because of zolpidem.
Legal cases involving “sleep-related, complex behaviors such as sleep-walking and sleep-driving” have been brought before the courts, but the legal decisions have been inconsistent (Journal of the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law, 2011; Journal of Law and Medicine, 2016).
Q: I’ve taken statins for high cholesterol, but I have horrible side effects. Red yeast rice doesn’t work for me. I eat oatmeal for breakfast and before bed with cinnamon, flaxseed and lecithin. I also take 12 flaxseed oil capsules daily and eat a low-fat diet. My two daily tablespoons of olive oil push my HDL over 60, but no matter what I do, I can’t get my cholesterol below 279. Any other ideas?
A: One approach you might add to your regimen is psyllium. This soluble fiber, found in Metamucil, Konsyl and certain other bulk-forming laxatives, can lower LDL cholesterol effectively (American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, online, Sept. 15, 2018).
You may find that adding nuts to your low-fat diet could be helpful. Also consider adding some grape or pomegranate juice and possibly even red grapefruit.
Q: I recall an old story that people started using black pepper to stop bleeding because the Confederacy used gunpowder for the same purpose. At my son’s wedding, I used black pepper on a groomsman’s shaving cut when the styptic pen would not work. This young “MD to be” was amazed. I was amused. It saved the white shirt collar.
A: We couldn’t find any confirmation of the Confederate war story, though we also didn’t find authoritative debunking. There don’t appear to be any studies of black pepper to stop bleeding, but many other readers have found it helpful.