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Oesophageal spasm, anybody?

K

kangaSue

Senior Member
Messages
1,859
Location
Brisbane, Australia
An acquaintance tells me a spray of Nitrolingual (sublingual nitroglycerine) helps with her frequent oesophageal spasms.

Having too strong oesophageal contractions can cause spasms too, something called Nutcracker Oesophagus or Hypertensive peristalsis.
 
S

Sasha

Fine, thank you
Messages
17,863
Location
UK
Just want to mention that it's been about a year since I had this spasm, and I haven't had one since. It's taken a long time but I'm much less troubled by the acid reflux and bloating than I was immediately after it happened. I was told that these things take a long time to recover from (even if it's a one-off) but I'm surprised it's been this long. I'm still not quite back to normal.

Anyway, just some reassurance for people that one spasm doesn't mean you'll get loads, necessarily. :)
 
Sharon Van Isle

Sharon Van Isle

Messages
12
Location
BC
Gotta love the spasms, ENT diagnosed me with laryngospasm and esophageospasm. Also get really painful spasms in upper abdomen or diaphragm area that have me sounding like a football player with a long "hut". None of them are fun, laryngospasm on inspiration is loud and can go on for several minutes with full closure. Rest assured ENT said some people pass out from it but will wake up,

Past 6 years I have found the following helps me:

- raising head of bed 4 to 6 inches to keep acid from leaking up into esophagous, & gives autonomic system a work out for my POTS. Night-time laryngopasm is rare for me now.

- daytime laryngospasm happens several times a day, I can shorten it by coughing or not breathing in until I can spray a throat moisturiser and/or a drink of water. Botox injection into the larynx is another option.

- an esophageospasm warning sign for me is a burning pain between the shoulder blades about the size of a dinner plate, indication I need to lay down till those back muscles relax or if you have someone that can karate chop the back area while laying on the stomache helps to stop the esoph and larynx spasms (I fluked upon it)

- diet of low acid and low spiciness.

- other triggers are travel vibrations, talking to much, dry mouth and throat, dust

- staying away from eating or drinking ice cold gives me icecream headache (spasm) in throat or esophagous.

- Cognitive and physical fatigue can effect speach and swallowing muscles. Or the valve doesn't open all the time, and food and drink gets clogged up leading to choking. So tiny bits of food with water will get the food down in an hour or so.

- getting a test called a barrium swallow and an upper scope and colonoscopy may provide some answers, like there may be a structural problem like a tumor pressing on esophagous, etc.

- They put me to sleep and did an upper and lower scope and found I had silent GERD at a moderate level and lymphocytic colitis.

Blepharospasm (full closure) and eyeball spasms can also be quite debilitating, Botox helps with eyelids but not eyeball muscles.

My all over spasms started ten years into ME during a bad relapse. There are prescription medications for spasms as well. Hope this helps
 
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