Esophageal based Somatoform disorder?

I think It started around 3 years ago. Sometimes, mostly with heavier food I would get a very severe tightening/ crushing sensation in my esophagus, you know, about at the start of my sternum area.
This pain being when I eat. Not all the time; but not too uncommonly either. It can happen if I'm anxious OR relaxed. And being severe enough to sometimes cause me to gasp and wheeze in pain, therefor usually greatly upsetting and unsettling my friends because it "sounds like [I'm] dying"

I then, after about a year of it and asking my friends and family " do you ever get this pain? " " No, I never have" I figured it was abnormal.


I have gone for medical imagine twice. One was a Flouroscopy with a delicious (not) Barium Swallow of the white colour.
The second was an Endoscopy.

Both of these tests were performed months apart, and they found nothing. Nada. Zip, zero, zilch. My esophagus is perfectly fine.

Which means that whatever this is, it's not physiological. Not actually real.

I told my psychologist about this a few years ago, to which he replied he was sure it is psychosomatic.
Although I realize now that 'psychosomatic' is actually an incorrect term that people should not be using any more.

So, being that psychosomatic is not an actual applicable term still used in science today;
Is my esophageal pain technically ( and should be reffered to as) a Somatoform Disorder?

Post Edited (DivinePrince) : 2/15/2014 2:03:38 AM (GMT-7)

DP,

Has anyone every mentioned Nutcracker esophagus ?  You may want to make an appointment with a GI specialist for further evaluation.

DivinePrince,

Hey there, I am sorry if I said something in my post the other day that you found upsetting as I see your thread is missing.  I would never say anything uncaring on purpose, but with a medical background sometimes I get a bit technical.  Here in the forum, I am a peer the same as you.

Let me post you  info regarding Nutcracker syndrome.

Nutcracker esophagus is an abnormality in which swallowing contractions are too powerful. In up to half of patients, this condition is caused by gastroesophageal reflux.


Symptoms include:Chest pain. Experienced by most patients with nutcracker esophagus, chest pain may feel the same as the pain produced by a heart attack.Dsyphagia. This is characterized by the sensation of food getting stuck under the breast bone.Heartburn. This is a burning sensation under the breastbone.

In confirming this condition, a doctor will do certain tests, including:

Esophageal manometry. This test identifies the excessively powerful swallowing contractions.

Upper GI endoscopy. This test is almost always done if a patient describes food sticking in the esophagus after swallowing to make sure that no abnormal growths or scars in the esophagus are causing this symptom.

Treatment - Among the options for helping people with nutcracker esophagus are:

Anti-reflux therapy. This is usually tried first since many patients with nutcracker esophagus have GERD.

Drugs, such as nitrates or calcium channel blockers. These help relax the muscles of the esophagus and stomach. They do relieve some patients, but overall they are not very effective.

Tricyclic antidepressants. These drugs work by lowering the sensation of pain for some patients.

Yes, you may have some physical sx that are brought on by anxiety - abdominal pain and diarrhea but all is not somatization disorder.  I would encourage you to push for the rest of the tests, especially the esophageal manometry.

 

I wish you well and hope you can find the cause for your pain. 

 

Blessings,

Kitt