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Swallowed A Corner Of A Tylenol. Should I Be Concerned?
Question: I swallowed a corner of a tylenol two-pack. The shiny plastic wrapper pack that they sell at convenience stores. I bit off the corner and open it, then accidentally swallowed the corner. About 1 half inch triangle. Is that a concern?
Brief Answer:
Do not be concerned...
Detailed Answer:
Hi,
I would not be concerned with my patient who swallowed a bit of tablet wrapper.
Human stomach and intestines are designed to absorb digestable particles. The rest is excreted out. Those that are not sharp and are inert such as tablet wrapper does not cause serious damages the gut.
So do not be worried. You are not going to be harmed with a small half an inch plastic wrapper.
Hope this assures you. Let me know if you need clarifications.
Regards
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Sounds good. It is the plastic with a very thin layer of foil...so it is semi flexible and thin. That made me wonder a bit since it does have an edge of sorts. Sounds like no big worry blockagewise either. Thanks.
Brief Answer:
Less likely to cause obstruction...
Detailed Answer:
Intestines movement is powered by strong peristalic muscular movements. Rarely will those movements fail to push a foreign object out of the gut. Thus if the object had no sharp edges, if it wasn't very large and unflexable, it is less likely to cause serious harm.
Therefore you need not be worried. Observe your stools for the next couple of days. You will need to seek medical help if you don't find the particle in your stool or if you develop a strong abdominal pain.
Hope this helps. Feel free to question me back if you need clarifications.
Cheers!!
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
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