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  3. Oesophageal Achalasia and Spasm

Not sure I am in the right place!

Posted , 4 users are following.

alison_64461
alison_64461

Last year I was diagnosed with acid reflux though I have rarely had any acid coming up into my mouth. I was getting heartburn, which, for me was a short lived pain in the chest that would go through to my back. I was put on omeprazole but never felt it worked well. Then one morning I had this terrible pain, like a spasm, not so much in my chest, but in my upper stomach, just below the breastbone. It was intense and my stomach formed a hard knot and was tender. My first attack lasted four hours, then the pain suddenly went and my stomach relaxed. I had not eaten anything so it was not food related. 

I called my doctor who immediately said to take omeprazole! She did eventually send me for a gastroscopy which showed no problem. I had several attacks over the following few months. After about an hour or two during an attack, especially if I eat something, my mouth would suddenly run water and I would vomit, which relieves the pain and relaxes the stomach. I went for months without another attack but recently had another. They are very scary! My brother in law, who is a doctor in the US.. mentioned esophageal spasms but I don't seem to quite fit the profile. 

Does this this sound like anything posters on here experience? I should mention I have no problem swallowing at all. 

 

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • AlanJM
    AlanJM alison_64461

    Posted

    Some people have problems with reflux and medication like Omeprazole does not resolve it all. Some people have a hiatus hernia that gives this sort of trouble because of acid. There is a device called Linx that can be helpful in some situations, but the basic problem is the need to have the tests to diagnose exactly what the problem is.
  • Janeeyre
    Janeeyre alison_64461

    Posted

    I  am sorry that you are experiencing this.      I happened upon your post rather belatedly and perhaps by now you have received a diagnosis.  If not, I suggest the symptoms you describe could be your gall bladder acting up.  They resemble my own before I said goodbye to that treacherous and unlamented organ. Four hours of pain or extreme discomfort fits to a gall bladder attack quite well and not much relieves it.  It goes away and returns at random. The attacks are usually accompanied by upper abdominal bloating as well as severe pain and sometimes by vomiting. If you have parted company with your own gall bladder, then nevermind.  Spasms of the esophagus is certainly a possibility.  Such spasms can usually be relieved by medicine or even antacids.  Yet they can cause a lot of pain in the chest and some people have thought they were having a heart attack on the first occasion of the spasms.  Upper GI problems can make life very miserable but thank goodness all are not so difficult to treat.
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