spasms after surgery or procedure
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Hi. I've been trying to decide what treatment to get for my Achalasia. I'm considering Heller Myotemy, POEM, and a balloon dilation. For me, the worse symptom I experience is spasms. On average, I get them every few days and, at this point, I can get rid of them quickly by gulping water. From what I've read and researched it seems that the treatments available do not alleviate spasms. My concern is this: What if I get a procedure and the spasms get worse or my method of getting rid of them no longer works. Every now and then I read stories like this, though I suspect it's different for everyone. But I would like to hear from people who have had painful esophageal spasms and then had either surgery or the dilation. How did the procedure affect your spasms? Did they get worse, better, or stay the same? Is it easier or harder to get rid of them once they start? Please specify which surgery or procedure you got. Thank you!
0 likes, 42 replies
iza2015 amy56547
Posted
I had a Hellers Myotomy with fundoplication over 13 years ago and don't regret it at all. The procedure was done laproscopically. The fundoplication was done to minimize acid reflux afterwards. I have not had an issue with it at all. My surgeon was sure I would have at least a little but I have been lucky. I can sleep and lay down in a normal position without any acid problems. I have had endoscopies a few times since and my esophagus seems healthy and pink. I do still get "chest" pain and spasms but less often. On the rare occassion when I do get them more frequently I try to manage and cope but really no worse than before the surgery. I mostly feel normal, can eat normally with a frew exceptions... I need to eat "sticky" things with care, like rice, breads, pancakes to name a few. If I eat these too quickly or too large bites I can still feel like food is trapped in my esophagus. Having said all this when I was asked to rate my discomfort before the surgery on a scale of 1-10 with 1 being the worst I was a 2. I had lost a great deal of weight at the time too... I was about 30-32 years old at the time. Now, after the surgery and after all this time has passed I rate myself around 8.... not perfect but close. I wasn't allowed to eat normal foods right away until the surgery healed but I noticed a huge difference right away! It was incredible how I could eat normally, I really hadn't realized how bad I had been. I didn't even want to go out for dinner because it was a waste for me, I felt badly for my husband too. There's was nothing he could do to help me. My boss was very understanding and he wanted me to take a month off work for full recovery, but I could have come back at 2 weeks as per my surgeon. I might add that my surgeon was wonderful! Top notch. I am in Canada by the way.
Each individual is different. What you decide is up to you. But I wanted to share my own experience. Mine was a good one, successful, with no regrets. My surgeon's office actually called me about 2 years ago. They were following on patients that had the surgery 10+ years ago... they were happy to hear about how well the long term results were for me.
I wish you the best of luck whatever you decide.
Cheers... Iza
teresa_08485 amy56547
Posted
Amy,
You describe me to a tee. We are exactly the same and I suffered from spasams long before I got really bad and had a heller myotomy. The myotomy did nothing for my spasams. I have since had pneumatic dialation twice and botox twice, trying to help my spasams, with no luck. I just had the second set last week. I had one day after without spasams but then 5 over the next 3 days. Water doesn't help at all anymore, it used to, now I eat heavy things like cheese to help stop them. They are so painful and nothing has helped so far. I've tried all of the meds with no luck. Please let me know if you have had any luck in finding help for this. It is often hard to work because I don't anyways have access to food or the ability to go get some. So I suffer. Sorry, I don't have a better response for you.
tara50995 teresa_08485
Posted
Hi Teresa,
Thanks so much for sharing your story! I just had the laparoscopic myotomy this past Thursday. When it came to digesting food, I definitely experienced an immediate positive effect. Now, granted, I am currently on a 'mechanical soft' diet (essentially softer and more liquid based foods, you can google the term to see what options exist under that diet), so I haven't progressed to heartier things like chicken or pork chops yet. But the intention is that I will progress to a harder diet in 3-4 weeks. There's a lot of options under mechanical soft , so I don't feel like I'm missing out. I immediately noticed how much easier it was to eat and I haven't had any issues with regurgitation. Yet, it's still early - so I haven't been laying flat yet to completely test that out. Overall, the surgery itself seemed to really work wonders when addressing the principle issues. I didn't even have pain in my throat at all, aside from a minor sore throat in the day after my surgery.
However, what brings me to this forum, that Amy so graciously started, is that I just experienced an incredibly severe spasm (or at least what I think is a spasm, I haven't spoken to my doctor yet). This spasm was far worse than any spasm I've had before. I felt it in more regions of my chest than before. (Which could be a result of the surgery and my nearby muscles and nerves feeling more connected). However it's very curious because I stopped getting my spasms long before my surgery. One doctor's opinion was that all my throats nerves (related to this issue) basically died out as the achalesia progressed. So in my mind, I believed I wouldn't have a spasm again - until just now.
It's been very helpful to hear your stories so far, because I had no idea what to make of what just occurred. Since the surgery, my main issue has been dealing with the muscular pain of undergoing a surgery (soreness,stiffness,lack of mobility, tension,pain around my stiches). However, I felt that with each day I was progressively recovering. But this spasm sent me reeling back to the days when I first started getting my spasms 8 years ago. I was also very startled by how extreme this one was, to the point where I was throwing up due to the intensity of the pain. It was quite alarming. It also happened completely without warning. I was asleep and woke up naturally to shift around, and then it immediately started. I didn't think to drink water because I didn't know it was a spasm a time first. I thought it was something else , related to the surgery. In the past, gulping water at the beginning would stop it from progressing. So maybe I just got so good at that technique that I haven't felt the true intensity of a spasm in a long time. The whole session felt like it lasted 45mins. So at this point , I'm not sure if the water technique no longer works for me because I didn't employ it this time. I was really caught off-guard.
Teresa- You mentioned that you eat cheese to help stop it, do you mind elaborating on that? Would you eat it while having the spasm? In what way?
Like Amy said, if there's others who experienced spasms after surgery, I'd love to hear what they was like. I wouldn't go as far to say that I would advise against the surgery or that I regret it. If the spasms are an unavoidable leftover, I'd rather have just that than all the other symptoms too. The freedom to eat normally again is truely a gift. But I'd like to know how I can best manage the spasms in the future - and that these spasms aren't a sign of anything else foreboding.
Thanks again for all who are sharing. The more anecdotes, the better. I'll also follow up with my doctor tomorrow and report if there's updates.
AlanJM tara50995
Posted
Some people have banana that helps with the spasms, and some take Buscopan, but as it is so early after your operation you should talk to your surgeon.
AlanJM
Posted
tara50995 AlanJM
Posted
Thank you so much Alan. That was very helpful. I'm calling my surgeon now and will see what he says. But your thesis sounds very reasonable and will help me narrow down what's going on. I was sleeping with my upper body on pillows , but it's very possible slipped down during the night.
AlanJM tara50995
Posted
teresa_08485 amy56547
Posted
Tara,
I eat string cheese. I just bite off a big chunk during the spasam and try not to chew it too much and then swallow. It sometimes takes a whole stick of string cheese, but when it hits the spasaming area, it stops it. I use string cheese because it is dense and heavy. Water used to work before the surgery, and like you, I would gulp it. Now, I need more dense food, that's why I try not to chew it a lot, just enough to be able to swallow it. I also get them when I change positions at night. I wonder though, is the spasam starting waking me up and I turn and then notice it, or is my movement causing it. I think it's my movement. But I get them at random times. Also, I don't have reflux since the surgery. Hope that helps.
AlanJM teresa_08485
Posted
teresa_08485 AlanJM
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I get spasams all day long too, randomly. When I'm walking, sitting, or doing anything. I have had them for 8 years before and after the surgery. I don't know if it's from reflux, it could be but I tend to spasam if I am on my left side, more often. I can try to sleep more elevated. I am at the point of nothing helps. It's my new reality, I'm afraid.
tara50995 teresa_08485
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Thank you Teresa! Appreciate that insight. In case it happens again I'll try your method.
holly97038 amy56547
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teresa_08485 holly97038
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I feel exactly what you are saying. Like I said before, I eat string cheese for its density. Sometimes fruit snacks work too if I eat a few at a time and swallow them only partially chewed. Water used to work for me too. I also feel that my spasams are completely debilitating. So painful and I cannot function during them. My Dr says they will go away eventually but it's been about 8 years that I've had them. I also have tried botox with some relief, the spasams are weaker since the botox injections.
AlanJM teresa_08485
Posted
If it is reflux, then Gaviscon might have a preventive effect, or some other anti reflux medication like Omeparazole, Zantac etc.
If it is stress / anxiety, then some form of relaxation therapy might help, or even medication.
If it is blood supply, then some medication like nitrates might help. Some people have reported beneficial effects from Viagra / Cialis but you really need advice from a doctor about this. There are other anti spasmodic drugs about as well, like Buscopan.
Perhaps they might be triggered by swallowing something that was a bit difficult or lumpy in texture? The reactions in the nerve system are very sensitive.
Or it might be combinations of more than one of these issues, or indeed something else. I do feel that this is something that is not dealt with in the same comprehensive way as the surgical treatments.
holly97038 teresa_08485
Posted