I have swallowed a square magnet. Please help.

Hello,

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You should get an upper gastrointestinal (GI) endoscopy done, and if the magnet is in the reach of the endoscope, it should be removed on an urgent basis. According to you, it is a single magnet. A single magnet will rarely cause symptoms, but if you have ingested multiple magnets or magnet along with a metal object, you need to get them removed as soon as possible. For a single magnet, its size will decide the course; if it has reached into the stomach or small intestine, and if it is less than 0.9 inches in all dimension, it should pass down in stools (there is 85 percent chance that it will pass down). Just check your stools for the next 24 to 72 hours. If it does not pass for more than 72 hours or if the size is larger than 0.9 inches, or the longest dimension is more than 2 inches, you should reach out an endoscopist to get it removed with a grasping forceps.

Take care.