HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Esophageal spasm and heart burn

Support Forums
>
GERD & Acid Reflux
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 6/6/2013 5:03 PM (GMT 0)
 

about a month and a half ago, I had symptoms of burning left back and shoulder when I lean on the couch on my left side. After changing positions, it subsided. Then I started having heart burn symptoms. I visited ER - did EKG and catscan. Heart was oK. Went to GI. They did an endoscopy. Found out that I had gastritis and inflammation of esophagus. GI prescribed omeprezole 20mg 2x day. It did not relieve symptoms completely - still mild heart burn and difficulty swallowing. So went Pantoprozole 2x day and Carafate. This did not relive symptoms completely. After one more appointment added reglan. This did not relive symptoms completely. I had a Barium swallow test done and found out that I have Esophageal Spasms (but no reflux). GI prescribed hyoscyamine. It is not working. In the mean time my burning back and shoulder is still on.

I am controlling what I eat - no choclate, tea, coffee, citrus foods, fatty foods etc.

I have tried a few things on my own - the low acid test - drink baking soda with water - I don't burp. I am trying to take probiotics daily. No help.

- difficulty swallowing - especially mid morning. Eating solids or drinking liquids is OK.

- burning pain in upper back and left shoulder - especially if I lean on against the back

- heart burn behind breast bone

This is all a sudden for me. Any prior experience or pointers is appreciated.

 

Posted 6/7/2013 10:52 AM (GMT 0)
You could try carafate for the gastritis, it works good for that.
Posted 6/8/2013 1:01 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to the forum.

I am replying because you mention possible heart problems related to foods.
You might try keeping a food diary. My allergist helped me find that I have food intolerances that trigger spasms. When my stomach or esophagus gets irritated from a trigger food I get tachycardia.

There are many threads on possibly similar subjects if you put some keywords into the search box at the top of the page.
Posted 6/8/2013 1:19 AM (GMT 0)
Get a prescription for nitroglycerin sublingual, 0.4 mg. It will relieve the pain of esophageal spasms almost immediately.

Try a liquid diet for a few days to rest your stomach.
Posted 6/8/2013 3:06 AM (GMT 0)
Nitro doesn't always work for esophageal spasm or it may lose its effectiveness over time. If the hyocyamine isn't working the doctor can try nifedipine or viagra.  In my own personal experience they all worked minimally until they didn't work at all.  I ended up having a surgical procedure usually used for the treatment of achalasia called POEM.  After 3 and half weeks I am able to eat almost anything without the severe pain that I was experiencing.  I still have to eat small quantities and it takes time to try to convince yourself that it is ok to try to eat again.  Good luck to you and welcome to HW.
Posted 6/8/2013 6:40 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply. I will look up POEM. My pains are not severe. However the throat feels tired. Talking and swallowing after the day makes the throat tired. I am not sure if the acid reflux is making the esophagus spasm or something else.

Was the POEM procedure outpatient ?

 

Posted 6/8/2013 6:45 PM (GMT 0)
One another point - I don't get a spasm attack. It seems like when I am trying to swallow something including saliva - I can tell it is going down slowly.

 

Posted 6/10/2013 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
POEM is per oral endoscopic myotomy.  It is a 2-day hospital stay.  Not performed everywhere yet.  I had mine at Johns Hopkins in Baltimore.
Posted 6/10/2013 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks.

- Did you have heart burn / gerd issues ?
- Were your painful attacks ?
- Did they have to fix your LES with any procedure ?

There is not much info on DES and heart burn so very confused. Hopefully you are still feeling well.
Posted 6/11/2013 7:23 PM (GMT 0)
fight-gerd - Yes, it all started last April (2012).

 Started out with pain between shoulder blades and quickly moved on to reflux, chest pain, hiatal hernia, hoarseness, inability to swallow.  Spent 3 days in the hospital to get hydrated then another 4 months going the rounds with numerous GI docs.  Finally referred to JHU.  It still took another 7 months for the consortium of doctors up there to decide how to treat me.  First it was all the different drugs, then more testing.  When the drugs failed to work and I was once again losing weight (had already lost 40lbs.) They decided surgery was the best option.  Also, my LES wouldn't open enough to allow solids to pass through into my stomach.  During the surgery they cut down through the LES.  So, GERD will most likely stay around forever. Still can't eat bread, pasta, or sticky foods but anything that really well chewed seems to be okay.  Some veggies are also still an issue.  However, I go back tomorrow for a follow-up manometry and then another 24hr pH test next week.  Am feeling the acid in the am when I get up or when I try to exercise; also still have issues with hoarseness but every day is getting better (it seems).

Posted 6/11/2013 7:27 PM (GMT 0)
Forgot the most important answer.

Yes, the chest pain was excrutiating.  The attacks lasted anywhere from 1 hour to 24 hours.  No rhyme or reason to them.  Got to where even water was an issue.  I was having to drink protein shakes (pediasure, actually) just to get some calories and even that was painful.. Last time I went to the doctor I had lost another 6 lbs and they decided it was time to try something. 

They actually weren't even sure it would work.

Posted 6/11/2013 8:46 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the reply OHSOBAD. Good luck with your tests. Pls keep us posted with your progress.

Was Nissen not an option once they cut the LES in your case ?

Would you be able to drop me an email. I have made my email address viewable.
Posted 6/14/2013 2:31 PM (GMT 0)
fight-gerd: be happy to drop you a line.  Went for my post surgery manometry on Wed., called the docs yesterday due to a new issue with swallowing.  More tests to be scheduled.  Apparently the GERD was arrrested with the tightness of the LES so acid was not able to back up into my esophagus.  The acid formation was due to partially digested food left in the esophagus thus causing the hoarseness, etc.
Posted 7/9/2013 7:40 PM (GMT 0)
OHSOBAD,

Hi, can you tell me did you suffer chest pain with eating - and could you feel any reflux? I'm having terrible pain eating over the last 5 days and a pain and pressure in the sternum, but feel no heartburn up my oesophagus, I have a small hernia 1cm.
Posted 7/11/2013 6:59 PM (GMT 0)
GC1 - the chest pain was my primary chief complaint.  It was so bad that the thought of eating/drinking made me nauseous.  There was no reflux at that point though; not that I could tell anyway.  There are numerous anti-spasmodics that the doctors tried out on me.  First are calcium channel blockers, then nitrates (like nitroglycerine), from there we moved on to viagra, nifedipine and finally hyoscyamine.  Anyway, most of them worked for a bit, never totally relieving the pain but allowing me to be able to drink protein shakes.  Since my surgery I am able to eat real food just not much of it and I still get the lump in the throat thing.  Can now also feel the burn in the back of my throat and I choke when I swallow.  But, on the bright side, I have gained 2 pounds and feel 1000x better than I did 8weeks ago.  You know, the worst part of the whole thing is the fact that no one wants to treat the pain for what it is.  Could not for the life of me get anyone to give me anything for pain.  However, if you ask your GP or PA, or NP, they do make a drinkable topical anesthetic (lidocaine) mixed with other stomach meds that can ease the pain for a little while. As with everything else it didn't work long but while it did I used it.  Good Luck and keep in touch.

S-

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply