How bad is it to swallow magnets?

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lepus_arcticus	Its not good to swallow magnets but you'll be fine. Just as long as they are regular magnets and not those super strong rare earth magnets. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Kilroy	You may want to watch and see if the magnets come out soon, if you get my drift..I used to take old speakers and break the magnets off of them..I shattered one recently and got a piece in my finger and didn't know it.A couple of days later it was infected,,took 2 weeks to heal.I've had wood splinters,,Glass, and cuts before but they didn't affect me like the magnet sliver did.. Hope this helps. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Tanor L	Well its just like swallowing a penny. it comes out the same place everything else does. if u have plans on getting a cat test anytime soon you may want to cancel it for a week or so just so you can be sure the magnets have exited. so just stay away from anything metal or you will be attracted to it. LOL joking about that part Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

stephanniewilson	i don't know about magnets but i do know how it feels to get your tongue stuck at the top off the freezer Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

kurtisgod2	it is GREAT! Are you kidding? Try sticking something to your abs. See if you can find them. I wish I'd thought of this. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

loulou4now	You should be fine as long as you don't have anything metal in you. It should just pass through the digestive system. Just make sure not to have any MRIs or anything in the next few days until you are sure the magnets are gone. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Rene	Ooooh didn't they just have that on a Grey's Anatomy? Only in that case the magnets weren't together so it was a bad thing when the magnets moved toward each other in his gut. I suggest you call your doc's office and talk to a nurse on duty or someone like that who may know a thing or two about this. They may just pass through but it's always good to get a professional opinion. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Scott	If it is 2 or more, yes it is very dangerous. if the get separated and then come together at 2 different parts of the body, it can cause internal bleeding. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Ozzie robbie	you will pooooooooooooooooo them out unless they stick to your insides lol Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

imdqueen66	It is BAD.... http://www.rsna.org/media/pressreleases/pr_target.cfm?ID=203 Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

alex k	uhm.. depending on the strength of it? the children toys that had magnets stick together managed to cause problems/death .. there was something on the news about it how the magnets get into your intestines and they magnetize to eachother in seperate parts of your intestine.. i have no clue though better to check with a doctor Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

theguyversh	lol well. if u swallow a magnet then u can have a great party trick "now watch as i take this can of pepsi and magically make it stick to my stomache!" LOL! Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

blooming chamomile	From what I understand, it can be pretty bad--like deadly. They recently recalled toys with magnets that could be swallowed. Kids would swallow them and then they would magnetically attach through intestine walls--I think! I think it's having the two swallowed at two different times that's so bad. If you're positive that it was only two, and they were already stuck together...I'd still call a doctor (but I'm like that). Not trying to scare you or anything here, but I think it's not good to do that. Just call your local hospital's ER and ask to be sure. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No

Janice F	Children who swallow more than one magnet need immediate medical care, according to Alan E. Oestreich, M.D., pediatric radiologist at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC). Dr. Oestreich expressed his concern in a letter to the editor published in the November issue of the journal Radiology. "Any time more than one magnet passes beyond the stomach of a child, urgent surgical consideration is required," Dr. Oestreich said. If the magnets are allowed to pass beyond the stomach, they can attract each other through opposing intestinal walls, which can lead to obstruction, necrosis (cell or tissue death) and perforation of the intestines. Swallowing foreign objects is a common occurrence among children, primarily between the ages of 6 months and 3 years. Approximately 80 percent of the objects that reach the stomach will pass through the gastrointestinal tract on their own. However, up to 20 percent will need to be removed surgically. While a single swallowed magnet may pass, in many instances, multiple magnets will become lodged in the intestines. Dr. Oestreich provided commentary for the pediatric radiology chapter of the soon-to-be-released 2004 Year Book of Diagnostic Radiology, which contains two case studies of multiple magnet ingestion. In one case, a 10-month-old boy had swallowed two magnetic beads of a necklace used to treat muscle stiffness. His symptoms included vomiting, mild fever and abdominal pain. An abdominal x-ray showed two foreign bodies arranged in a line in the small intestine, as well as excess fluid. Doctors performed emergency surgery to remove the beads and repair a perforation in the intestinal wall. In the second case, a 22-month-old boy swallowed seven small, tablet-shaped magnets. They had separated into two groups that attracted each other through the intestinal wall, causing two perforations requiring surgery. Was this answer helpful to you? Yes / No