I accidentally ingested body soap?

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I was talking with a woman who was giving me a body massage and she wasn't careful and flung soap into my mouth while washing my body!

The doctor told me that I would be alright and that I would need to ingest a lot more than just a spatter of 6 or 7 drops flying into my mouth to be in any danger. He mentioned that hand soaps in Japan are low toxicity, which at the time I assumed is the soap that was used, but not I'm not so sure (it could have been body soap...not bar soap). I worry because my throat has been burning, which is a scary feeling. I haven't been vomiting, but I sometimes dry heap a little off and on. My stomach goes feel a little bad, but not terrible. It has been about 7 hours since this happened...so if it were a serious poisoning...would I be in a lot more trouble than I am by now?

It would take drinking a glass of that stuff to hurt you, and then it would probably just be vomiting and the runs. It's pretty much nontoxic. They know that people get some in their mouths all the time.

If something was so toxic that a few drops in your mouth would cause you to be sick do you think it would be sold to be used on the skin? Your skin absorbs stuff you know.

So no. It's not toxic. They used to wash kids mouths out with soap when I was little. They use soap and water at times for enemas. It's not going to hurt you.

ETA being so worried about it like you are and hyperviligint about watching for symtpms isn't as helpful as you might think. Lots of times it causes you to think you are feeling things that are just your imagination. I've been there, it feels real, but its usually just your mind playing tricks. Burning, tightening, nonspecific type pain, nausea, dry heaves, even the runs or hives can happen because your mind does it.

There are nuts out there who pour laundry bleach on a tooth brush and brush their teeth to whiten them buy don't swallow it and don't have problems. Over the years the build up of absorption causes issues but a few drops of bleach even probably wouldn't have. Amonia maybe. I doubt she was using anything that caustic that could harm you with seven drops without burning off your skin. Also, unless it was some type of James Bond 007 Weaponry body wash, if it was going to do anything it would have already.

Think about the kind of things of explained. Don't be looking for if it's going to hurt you seven hours later, after a few drops, lookfor reasons why it logically would and could not if you have to think about it at all. That's how I have to handle my phobia. The more you focus on what a far fetched and unlikely thing it is, the better you will be able to realize that you are fine and the sooner your mind will stop playing tricks.

Last edited by OliveOilMom on 04 Apr 2016, 11:48 am, edited 1 time in total.

Yes, I know you make a good point. I know I'm not going to die or anything, but the burning sensation is super annoying. I think the tissues within the throat are a lot more sensitive than the outer skin, but I agree with you. I know a lot of people accidentally swallow hand soap, body soap, even dish soap and detergent, which is another whole level of scary.

I'm a really paranoid person and I have a phobia of chemicals. I try to keep myself under control, but sometimes I will feel terrible or read something online and it just sets me off into a paranoia frenzy that can go on for hours.

So the burning in the throat and bad feeling in the stomach will most likely go away by tomorrow morning? I have been drinking water nonstop. I'm on my 4th bottle of water lol.

It will most likely go away when you get your mind off your worry. A few drops into your mouth were probably caught by the tongue and mouth tissue and didn't reach the throat. A drop will be absorbed and not slide down the throat, unless it's Mercury, and they can't use that. You would know if they did. I think it's in your head even though it feels real. Also a few drops wouldn't have reached the stomach either. If they are absorbed and its really poisonous then it would be systemic and not gastric and throat.

Fr what you describe the actual soap didn't even touch your throat and stomach and if it could cause that kind of tissue reaction being nearby, they couldn't use it on your skin. I think youfeel that because you assume it would effect your throat and stomach. I think it's in your head. It feels very real and that's why psychosomatic symptom are a problem, because they feel very real. It will stop when you either go to sleep or stop thinking about it for whatever reason. And when you notice it's gone, if you start worrying and obsessing then it comes bac. Been there, done that, over ideas just as silly. I feel you. Buy it's not real. You dont have to treat it you have to stop thinking about it, which is really, really hard to do. So try whatever distraction works for you. Or just do your best to ignore it because if you keep trying to check on it or treat it then that's just going to cause you to have these mind tricks again at another time when you are worried about something else and they will be twice as hard to get rid of. Had it for years. Nip it in the bid if you can.

You won't die. My parents used to put soap in my mouth every time I cussed and I've lived to tell the story.

Did it ever mess with your digestive system for a couple days afterward? I ask because this happened last night and it has been about 24 hours since and my stomach is really bothering me...

At about how many days should I decide maybe the soap I ingested was in fact quite dangerous?

You'll be alright. Drink lots of water (but not too much) and just wait it out. Pretty sure most soap these days is non-toxic.

Yes, but what if the soap wasn't hand soap or body soap, but was some other s**t they were using for some insane reason? It was a shady Korean-owned massage parlor...

Before she started washing my body with soap, she used that clear lube (KY Jelly type stuff) which I have heard is harmless, but what if those two somehow both got ingested and had some sort of chemical reaction?

Sorry, I'm not trying to be paranoid, but I wasn't stressing about it at all today and aside from my stomach distress, I had a good day. I'm just as a matter of fact, that my stomach and throat haven't improved at all since last night. In fact, I think I feel even more strange now...

I think if soap is really that toxic I would have been poisoned and died a long time ago. A couple of times as a kid I accidentally inhaled the suds in my bubble bath. It burned my throat and lungs and made me cough a lot, but I was okay other than that.

Not only that, but when I was really young instead of just buying bubble bath my mom would squirt some dishwashing liquid into the tub!

Even so, soap is not meant to be taken internally. I read that at least one mother's kid died because she washed his mouth out. I don't know about liquid soap but bars of soap are made with lye, which is what makes the fat used in even in all-natural soaps become... soap-like.

Ok, good point. I do want to mention that I did inhale (more like had them flung into my mouth) soap suds not really just soap in its natural state. She was scrubbing me down hard, so the soap suds along with lube and water all flew into my mouth together. I was laying on my back, so I'm sure it flew right down my throat...

Well if you think you were poisoned then get to the emergency room now. If you think it's illegal and shadey then call the police. You asked, we answered and it wasn't the answer you wanted to hear. So decide which answer is right and then actually act on that decision. If it's dangerous then you need a doctor and cops and you need them now. If you are so sure it is, then go to the emergency room and don't you leave until you have everything tested, because if I truly believed I was poisoned and it was actually logical, that is exactly what I'd do. I'd also call the cops and every media outlet in the state.

So it's your hemlock Socrates. You decide what's truth.

Pretty sure if a massage parlor was using toxic crap on peoples bodies they'd be shut down and a lawsuit would occur. I doubt they traded out soap for use on humans with any kind of weird hazardous replacement....what would be the point? Legal trouble and making no money?

Also anxiety can make your stomach hurt...if you've been worrying yourself sick over this even after the doctor told you you'll be fine that could very well be what is making your stomach hurt, anxiety can also give you weird respitory and throat sensations I am pretty sure, I guess it's also possible actually getting soap in your throat might irritate it, but that doesn't mean it causes lasting damage. The only other thing I can figure is if you're catching a typical cold/sore throat and you coincidently first noticed symptoms after the soap got in your mouth.

^This. Anxiety/stress can also cause ulcers.