Getting a pill stuck in your throat is usually not concerning. Drinking more water can help it slide down. However, if you can’t breathe, the pill may be in your airway, so seek immediate medical help.

It’s common for a pill to sometimes get stuck in your throat. In most cases, drinking water can help it slide down.

However, sometimes a pill that gets stuck may obstruct your airway, which may be a medical emergency.

Keep reading to learn what to do if you or someone you know has swallowed a pill and can’t breathe, and how to swallow pills correctly and safely.

If someone you know has swallowed a pill that obstructs their airway, they may start wheezing or stop breathing. It’s crucial to take action right away.

You can try the five-and-five method or the Heimlich maneuver.

Before you do either of these, have someone call 911.

Five-and-five method

To perform the five-and-five method by the Red Cross, follow these steps:

  1. Stand behind the person, placing one arm across their chest, and lean them forward at the waist.
  2. With the heel of your hand, give five blows to their back, between the shoulder blades.
  3. Place the thumb side of your fist above their navel, against the middle of their abdomen.
  4. Hold on to your wrist with the other hand.
  5. Give five quick upward thrusts to the abdomen.
  6. Repeat until the person coughs or the pill comes out.

The five-and-five method is not appropriate for young children.

Heimlich maneuver

To perform just abdominal thrusts, also known as the Heimlich maneuver, follow these steps:

  1. Stand behind the person and wrap your arms around their waist.
  2. Lean the choking person forward slightly.
  3. Make a fist with your hand and place it slightly above the person’s navel.
  4. Use your other hand to hold on to your wrist.
  5. Press into the person’s abdomen in a quick, upward motion.
  6. Repeat five times, if needed.

If the person is unresponsive, lay them on the ground and clear their airway with your finger, if you can. Be careful not to push the pill farther down their throat.

It’s important to call 911, and you may have to start performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR).

If you’re alone and a pill is obstructing your airway so you can’t breathe, perform the Heimlich maneuver on yourself. To do this, follow these steps:

  1. Make a fist and place it above your navel.
  2. Use your other hand to hold onto your fist.
  3. Bend over a hard surface like a chair, railing, or table edge.
  4. Push your fist into the abdomen in a quick, upward movement.

If the person is coughing, they can breathe and their airway isn’t 100% obstructed.

Encourage them to continue coughing to get the pill out. Pills shouldn’t be left in the throat to dissolve.

A pill can burn the lining of the throat, causing esophagitis, a condition where the esophagus becomes inflamed.

Esophagitis can also be caused by other conditions, such as gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), infections, or injury. This can make swallowing difficult and painful.

If you or the person is coughing, try:

  • drinking water to help flush the pill down the esophagus
  • lying down to help relax the throat so the pill can move

Most often, pills get stuck in the throat because there isn’t enough moisture to help the pill slide down. Pills, including coated ones and gel caps, are often difficult to swallow without liquid.

Pills will most likely become stuck in your cricopharyngeus muscle, or the sphincter at the top of the esophagus.

Other factors that may increase your risk of a pill getting stuck include:

  • fear of choking
  • dry mouth
  • difficulty swallowing (dysphagia), such as from conditions like stroke

Young children and older adults often have the most trouble swallowing pills.

Here are a few ways you can prevent a pill becoming lodged in your throat:

  • Take the pill with plenty of liquids. Drinking water before, during, and after swallowing will ensure it doesn’t get stuck.
  • Give your throat muscles some room to work by tilting your head forward.
  • Take your pill with applesauce, a gelatin dessert, or yogurt, unless the medication needs to be taken on an empty stomach.
  • Check with a pharmacist about whether the pills can be crushed up and mixed with food or dissolved in water.

Can a stuck pill damage your throat?

Some types of pills, such as antibiotics, anti-inflammatories, and bisphosphonates, may damage the lining of your throat if they’re stuck for too long.

What happens if a pill dissolves in the throat?

A pill that dissolves in your throat may cause a burning sensation and inflammation in the lining of your throat, which can lead to esophagitis.

Pills can sometimes get stuck in your throat.

In most cases, drinking water can help the pill slide down your throat. However, sometimes the pill could get stuck, which can obstruct your airways and lead to a medical emergency.

If you or someone you’re with stops breathing due to a pill in the throat, perform the Red Cross’s five-and-five method or the Heimlich maneuver immediately to dislodge the pill.