Re: To Myotemy or not to myotemy, that is the question

[Guest guest]

Bill

I read your post and noticed you said YOU did have the myotomy done.

Good for you but you mentioned that the spasms are still happening. Can

you tell me, do these spasms still resemble like having a heart attack

and do they get that bad yet?

waiting on my monometry studies and ph. Had them once done and

achalasia was diagnosed, had ballon and paid the price and had another a

year later, with little effect. So here I go again

thanks

janers

[Guest guest]

Janers,

I also have had a myotomy and still have spasms, but they are VERY different now than they used to be. Before the myotomy they were the "heart attack-like" spasms that seem to be characteristic of achalasia. These spasms, which actually began 6 months to a year before I began having difficulty swallowing, felt like severe, sharp pain behind my sternum. I could usually stop them by drinking ice water. When that failed, forcing bread down so that it passed through the cardiac sphincter usually would stop them. Only rarely did neither of those work. Since having the myotomy, the spasms no longer feel like a heart attack. The pain is very diffuse now--more like heartburn, and much less intense. I at first thought that this was reflux, but I am now convinced that it is the spasms because antacids don't help but ice water does. As before, if ice water doesn't stop the pain, eating something (bread, cookies, etc.) usually will. Very rarely (once every 3 to 6 months) I still will have an episode that I can't stop and I just have to wait it out.

-----Original Message-----From: Janers [mailto:rojakort@...]Sent: Wednesday, June 05, 2002 9:05 AMachalasia Subject: Re: To Myotemy or not to myotemy, that is the questionBillI read your post and noticed you said YOU did have the myotomy done.Good for you but you mentioned that the spasms are still happening. Canyou tell me, do these spasms still resemble like having a heart attackand do they get that bad yet?waiting on my monometry studies and ph. Had them once done andachalasia was diagnosed, had ballon and paid the price and had another ayear later, with little effect. So here I go againthanksjaners