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oesophageal spasms

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britt
britt

hi im just 21 and recently diagnosed with the nightmare that is oesophageal spasm.

I have been getting sharp pains from a young age and the older i have become the worse they get and longer they last.

I have been given nitrolingual spray (usually for angina) from my doctor, however i no there are bad side affects and im scared of using it.

If anyone knows why these symptoms occur and how to help relieve them please please get in contact with me!

0 likes, 65 replies

65 Replies

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  • lisa24129
    lisa24129 britt

    Posted

    I get those also. I know there is some kind of "cocktail " they can give you to drink and it numbs the pain, unfortunately I only remember it being called a G.I. Cocktail. Right this very minute I am having a bad esophageal spasm, mine is so bad that after a monometry test they told me mine was ( I can't remember which name they called it ) either Jackhammer or nutcracker, both fit the description of how it feels, right now I don't have the cocktail drink to stop my spasm, sometimes swallowing several times will calm it down some but mostly nothing works except that damn stuff you drink, you should get checked for a hiatal hernia or a Paraesophageal hernia, I had both, 2 weeks ago I had surgery to repair the hernia and they told me I might get more spasms for awhile after the surgery. Get to a gastrointestinal Doctor and ask for the "cocktail " , mine hurts from my diaphragm area up the middle of my chest to my throat then up my neck and my jaw and ear. Hurts like HELL ! I just took a muscle relaxer that is not prescribed to treat the spasm and takes awhile to kick in. I have looked everywhere for other remedies and haven't found anything , we can talk more about it if you want to, I am on Facebook as Lisa Darlene Sokey Edmondson.
    • AlanJM
      AlanJM lisa24129

      Posted

      Nutcracker oesophagus is where the contractions of the muscles occur simultaneously trather than in sequence, and the measured pressure can be very high.   Sometimes Buscopan may help, or nitrates, calcium channel blockers or Sucralfate.   Try deep brething, gently press downwards in the middle of your chest.   Stretch upwards, elongating your neck.   Try drinking warm water, or using a hot water bottle.   Try eating a piece of banana.

      If you live in a jurisdiction where cannabis is legal for this purpose, some people have found that helpful (likewise medication that improves blood flow like viagra), but these are remedies that you ideally need a doctor's support to try.

      ​In achalasia generally, 80%+ patients find significant relief from surgery / procedures in their various forms, but there may always be exceptions to this rule.   For some, the surgery sorts out the spasms;  but in some cases the spasms continue afterwards.   It is to do with nerve reacions and these are unpredictable.  

  • mick99355
    mick99355 britt

    Posted

    hi. I am getting the same symptoms and looking to reach out to fellow sufferers for help, guidance and support. How has your condition developed after specific procedures? Has anyone beat it? Controlled it? 

    I have had endoscopy (x3) and barium swallow ruling out gerd and stricture (although there is a distinct tightening at the upper stomach entrance sphincter). in limbo at present awaiting for a consultation with a esophageal expert at Belfast Royal Hosp. in the meantime i am looking for tips to manage the disease. Current meds are ranitidine and lansoprazole which are helping but I do not wish to depend on them for the rest of my life. i want to reverse this, is it possible?

    Many Thanks

    • AlanJM
      AlanJM mick99355

      Posted

      There is a bramch of the Oesophageal Patients Association in Northern Ireland.   Most members will have had surgery like an oesophagectomy but there may be those who are achalasia sufferers.   There are good people like Andrew Kennedy and his colleagues in Belfast.

      ?Meanwhile you might find it helpful to download A Patinet's Guide to achalasia from the OPA website under The Oesophagus and Achalasia.

  • sharon22208
    sharon22208 britt

    Posted

    Have you tried taking a few sips of quinine water? It's been known to help leg cramps maybe it'll help chest cramps

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