Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

[Guest guest]

The only time stress played any part in my pain was before my nissen.  Stress

could bring on an acid reflux like like nobody's business!!!

 

________________________________

From: dcblogs administrator <dcblogs@...>

achalasia

Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 3:48 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

Does anyone have spasms that are triggered by stress and not by food? I had

a cardio work up, with CAT scan, ultrasound and stress test, and checked

out just fine. The chest pain trigger is a moment of uncontrolled stress

that seems unrelated any food or drink. There are no other symptoms other

than the pain.

On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 3:29 PM, mer <ray_me_99@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> Hi

>

> I have posted earlier that I get spasms only when food is stuck in the e.

>

> I stand up against a counter, put my hands on the top of the head, breath

> heavily for a few minutes, this expands the lungs and forces the food

> down.Walking up a hill also helps greatly, expanding the lungs.!

>

> Then I take a can of real COKE ( or diet)swallow it with a big chug, many

> times. It works for me at every meal, if necessary. The CO2 in the Coke

> opens the LES, if you finish the Coke the spasm should disappear. It is

> important to get a can that has a lot of CO2.

>

> Opening the LES using CO2 has been reported.

>

> When I was real bad several years ago, I would walk to Mcs and drink

> the CO2 off the fountain drinks, for several minutes. After a short time I

> could finish the drink. Later I went back to coffee after I figured out how

> to manage the A.

>

> Ray CA OC

>

>

>

> > > >

> > > > I'm glad others are finally admitting chest pain. It's the dirty

> > > > little (or big) secret in achalasia most GIs would prefer not to

> address.

> > > >

> > >

> > > Spasm pain, NCCP pain, neuropathy pain and unknown pains have been

> > > common topics in the support group for many years. There are a number

> of

> > > ER horror stories in the old messages. No secrete here. There are some

> > > here that have consider esophagectomy just for the pain relief and at

> > > least one chose that option. Some doctors are surprised to find out how

> > > much talk about pain there is in this group. Some do read the messages

> > > here even if they don't reply. Some of the literature on achalasia does

> > > a good job on the subject but other literature implies it is not a

> > > common problem.

> > >

> > > notan

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Lynne,

I recently saw my surgeon for the first time and discussed my concern about

increased spasms after HM. He said if the myotomy is extended long enough, and

the wrap done correctly that there would be no  spasms. He's done over 500 HM's

and that's his experience. I'm just praying that he has the " midas touch " when

it comes to this!!

Kim

________________________________

From: lynnej73 <lynnej73@...>

achalasia

Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:37 AM

Subject: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the pain I am

having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with the gallbladder

waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do feel like the pain

is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and automatically had a

spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for water!

Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am praying

that is not the case.

I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

[Guest guest]

Kim, this was true for me, after my HM healed ( a couple bad spasms the first

week) I never had another spasm since.  I suffered with spasms for over 20yrs

and now I have none.  My surgeon did an extended myotomy and a Dor wrap.  I

swallow very well now.  My only issue now is I get full quickly and still have

bathroom issues.  I think my stomach and colon have become super sensitive due

to the surgery, but I am still better off now than before.

 

Julee from Oregon.  

________________________________

From: Leda Mae <leda444@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:45 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

Lynne,

I recently saw my surgeon for the first time and discussed my concern about

increased spasms after HM. He said if the myotomy is extended long enough, and

the wrap done correctly that there would be no  spasms. He's done over 500 HM's

and that's his experience. I'm just praying that he has the " midas touch " when

it comes to this!!

Kim

________________________________

From: lynnej73 <lynnej73@...>

achalasia

Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:37 AM

Subject: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the pain I am

having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with the gallbladder

waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do feel like the pain

is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and automatically had a

spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for water!

Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am praying

that is not the case.

I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

[Guest guest]

Julee that's so good to hear!  The spasm fear is the one thing that's kept me

from getting the HM - but it's time. Going to give it a try cuz this quality of

life just isn't working for me!

Kim

________________________________

From: Montoya <medhelpinfo@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 3:02 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

Kim, this was true for me, after my HM healed ( a couple bad spasms the first

week) I never had another spasm since.  I suffered with spasms for over 20yrs

and now I have none.  My surgeon did an extended myotomy and a Dor wrap.  I

swallow very well now.  My only issue now is I get full quickly and still have

bathroom issues.  I think my stomach and colon have become super sensitive due

to the surgery, but I am still better off now than before.

 

Julee from Oregon.  

________________________________

From: Leda Mae <leda444@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:45 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

Lynne,

I recently saw my surgeon for the first time and discussed my concern about

increased spasms after HM. He said if the myotomy is extended long enough, and

the wrap done correctly that there would be no  spasms. He's done over 500 HM's

and that's his experience. I'm just praying that he has the " midas touch " when

it comes to this!!

Kim

________________________________

From: lynnej73 <lynnej73@...>

achalasia

Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:37 AM

Subject: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the pain I am

having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with the gallbladder

waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do feel like the pain

is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and automatically had a

spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for water!

Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am praying

that is not the case.

I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

[Guest guest]

Very encouraging!!! Thanks!

>

> Julee that's so good to hear!  The spasm fear is the one thing that's kept me

from getting the HM - but it's time. Going to give it a try cuz this quality of

life just isn't working for me!

>

> Kim

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: Montoya <medhelpinfo@...>

> " achalasia " <achalasia >

> Sent: Friday, March 30, 2012 3:02 AM

> Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

>

>

>  

> Kim, this was true for me, after my HM healed ( a couple bad spasms the first

week) I never had another spasm since.  I suffered with spasms for over 20yrs

and now I have none.  My surgeon did an extended myotomy and a Dor wrap.  I

swallow very well now.  My only issue now is I get full quickly and still have

bathroom issues.  I think my stomach and colon have become super sensitive due

to the surgery, but I am still better off now than before.

>  

> Julee from Oregon.  

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: Leda Mae <leda444@...>

> " achalasia " <achalasia >

> Sent: Thursday, March 29, 2012 10:45 PM

> Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

>

>

>  

>

> Lynne,

> I recently saw my surgeon for the first time and discussed my concern about

increased spasms after HM. He said if the myotomy is extended long enough, and

the wrap done correctly that there would be no  spasms. He's done over 500 HM's

and that's his experience. I'm just praying that he has the " midas touch " when

it comes to this!!

>

> Kim

>

> ________________________________

> From: lynnej73 <lynnej73@...>

> achalasia

> Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2012 9:37 AM

> Subject: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

>

>  

> I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the pain I am

having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with the gallbladder

waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do feel like the pain

is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and automatically had a

spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for water!

>

> Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

>

> Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am

praying that is not the case.

>

> I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

>

>

[Guest guest]

I have peppermint oil and magnesium. I will keep them handy! Thanks!

> >

> > I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the pain I

am having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with the

gallbladder waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do feel

like the pain is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and

automatically had a spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for water!

> >

> > Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

> >

> > Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am

praying that is not the case.

> >

> > I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

> >

>

[Guest guest]

My ER has my treatment down to a science. LOL A few sprays of nitro while

IV is going in. s/c dilaudid, iv zofran and 2-3 litres of fluid. Works for

me.

On Fri, Mar 30, 2012 at 12:37 PM, lynnej73 <lynnej73@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

>

> I have peppermint oil and magnesium. I will keep them handy! Thanks!

>

>

>

> > >

> > > I appreciate all of your responses. I am pretty convinced that the

> pain I am having is spasms. Or, it could be a combination of the two with

> the gallbladder waking me up at night and the spasms coming randomly. I do

> feel like the pain is somewhat different. Yesterday I stubbed my toe and

> automatically had a spasm. I was in double pain and trying to run for

> water!

> > >

> > > Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

> > >

> > > Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am

> praying that is not the case.

> > >

> > > I so wish we could all get sorted out and move on with life! Lynne

> > >

> >

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

lynnej73 wrote:

>

> Am I reading right that spasms seem to increase after myotomy? Uggghh.

>

> Also if you have spasms that a myotomy might not be as effective? I am

> praying that is not the case.

>

NCCPs sometimes increase after a myotomy. Those NCCP pains could be

spasms and other sources of pain. That can happen after many kinds of

trauma where that much damage to the body has happened. It isn't just

something that happens with achalasia. What ever the type of pain is,

after a myotomy the increase usually stop and pain decreases over time,

often to less than before surgery.

see:

Chest pain before and after laparoscopic cardiomyotomy for achalasia.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22295373

An interesting thing is that when having a manometry many people who say

they have pain do not have spasms while they have the pain and many

times there are spasms and the person does not feel any pain. In

achalasia, pain and spasms do not correlate well. Achalasia with pain is

a predictor, but not a good predictor, that a person may not do as well

with a myotomy as those without pain. It does not indicate how you will

do. The only way to find out for you is to have a myotomy.

Take a look at:

Table 1

Demographic and Clinical Data Among Achalasia Subtypes

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2894987/table/T1/

That is from that artical about achalasia types that I posted in an

earlier message. Notice that only about half of the type lll report pain

even though they have spasms. Notice also that about 20% of type l and

40% of type ll do report pain even though they don't have the spastic

type lll achalasia.

What this means is, there are no guarantees. You just make your best

guess with the help of your doctors and go with it. Then don't look back.

notan

[Guest guest]

Kim wrote:

>

> I recently saw my surgeon for the first time and discussed my concern

> about increased spasms after HM. He said if the myotomy is extended

> long enough, and the wrap done correctly that there would be no spasms.

>

I suspect that he was giving an opinion about spasms specific to your

case. The spasms from spastic types of achalasia do not always go away

with treatment. Some people have spasms that are similar to DES. The

spasms in DES can be very hard to successfully treat.

notan

[Guest guest]

Honestly, I think it was who turned me on to pop for my spasms. I am not

a big pop drinker but always have it in the house now. I usually drink 7up when

I am having bad spams or trouble swallowing food and rarely does it not help!!

It must be the effervesance in the bubbles, or something, but I swear by it!!

________________________________

From: Geoffrey Crego <gcrego@...>

achalasia

Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 1:02 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

Great reply and insight !

I totally agree with you in dealing with home remedy for the spasm before

heading to the ER.  I have been to the ER before while experiencing intense

pain and they seemed to take their sweet time deciding on a pain treatment

plan.  So I am very hesitant to head to the ER in order to get treated for

a spasm unless it was a life or death situation.

~ Geoffrey

On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 10:37 AM, RICHARD FRIEDMAN <cynmark24@...>wrote:

> **

>

>

> While my specific experience with ER's should not be accepted as gospel,

> Geoffrey, I would be very hesitatant to test out your surgeon's spasm

> " theory " in that venue. The kinds of pains we experience, as you well know,

> to an ER physician, experienced with heart attacks, but likely never having

> heard of achalasia, would lead them to pursue a course of action not

> consistent with what you want done.  Secondly, gastroenterologists in the

> ER are not usually available at your beck and call. By the time someone

> slips an endoscope in there, chances are that you will no longer be having

> the spasm.

> Nobody has yet established a definite reason why spasms occur. Perhaps

> there could be many different reasons. Anecdotally, the two most reliable

> causes, though we don't know why, is " stress " and " going for long hours

> without eating or drinking. "   There could be others that I don't recall at

> this time.

>

> For arguments sake (aka " sake of discussion) that your surgeon is correct,

> about food sitting in the esophagus causing nerve cells to " ignite " to move

> the food along, would I rather sit for hours in an ER, first telling them

> it is not a cardiac event, followed by an endoscope being shoved down my

> throat for food that may or may not be there, or just have several glasses

> of my favorite drink to push the food down and stop the spasm?

>

> Geoffrey, of course you're correct to speak to your doctors, and to share

> that information with the rest of us, and I thank you for that. Personally

> speaking, I would rather take that information you gave us and devise my

> own course of action to then stop the spasms before running to an ER and

> telling them to scope me.

>

> To answer your specific questions, it has been too many years since I had

> my barium removal ER visit supervised by my doctor when a quart of barium

> has to be removed from my esophagus to save my life.  More recently, my son

> got a piece of meat stuck in the base of his esophagus. The chunk would not

> come up or go down. My son was in an extreme amount of pain. He was dizzy,

> had nausea, and trouble breathing. They did nothing for 14 hours to get the

> food out. I was with him, and for all my decades with achalasia, and

> pleading with them to get a gastroenterologist to get an endoscope to push

> the food down, or grab it back up, they refused to call the doctor because

> it was NOT considered life threatening to the ER doctor! My son had to

> suffer all night until the ER doctor showed up, then in a matter of minutes

> scoped him and took him out of his misery. This ER was in one of New York

> City's largest and most respected hospitals.  I learned (already knew) that

> when you go to an ER, you give up your freedom of choice. You, as the

> patient, did not go to medical school, and you must follow their protocols.

> While it is one thing to meet your doctor there, if such is not the case I

> would never go there to relieve an esophageal spasm until I had exhausted

> all other possibilities.

>

>

>

> ________________________________

> From: lindsayaus <lindsay_kite@...>

> achalasia

> Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 8:29 AM

> Subject: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

>

>

>

> I think the ER's would have their hands full if we all went in every time

> we had a spasm!

>

>

>

>

> > > >

> > > > I'm glad others are finally admitting chest pain. It's the dirty

> > > > little (or big) secret in achalasia most GIs would prefer not to

> address.

> > > >

> > >

> > > Spasm pain, NCCP pain, neuropathy pain and unknown pains have been

> > > common topics in the support group for many years. There are a number

> of

> > > ER horror stories in the old messages. No secrete here. There are some

> > > here that have consider esophagectomy just for the pain relief and at

> > > least one chose that option. Some doctors are surprised to find out how

> > > much talk about pain there is in this group. Some do read the messages

> > > here even if they don't reply. Some of the literature on achalasia does

> > > a good job on the subject but other literature implies it is not a

> > > common problem.

> > >

> > > notan

> > >

> > >

> > >

[Guest guest]

Not only do I get spasms when I am stressed out but I also have a much harder

time eating!

Kim A

________________________________

From: Westerdes <sara4894@...>

" achalasia " <achalasia >

Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2012 3:57 AM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

 

The only time stress played any part in my pain was before my nissen.  Stress

could bring on an acid reflux like like nobody's business!!!

 

________________________________

From: dcblogs administrator <dcblogs@...>

achalasia

Sent: Monday, March 26, 2012 3:48 PM

Subject: Re: Re: Where do you feel your spasms?

Does anyone have spasms that are triggered by stress and not by food? I had

a cardio work up, with CAT scan, ultrasound and stress test, and checked

out just fine. The chest pain trigger is a moment of uncontrolled stress

that seems unrelated any food or drink. There are no other symptoms other

than the pain.

On Mon, Mar 26, 2012 at 3:29 PM, mer <ray_me_99@...> wrote:

> **

>

>

> Hi

>

> I have posted earlier that I get spasms only when food is stuck in the e.

>

> I stand up against a counter, put my hands on the top of the head, breath

> heavily for a few minutes, this expands the lungs and forces the food

> down.Walking up a hill also helps greatly, expanding the lungs.!

>

> Then I take a can of real COKE ( or diet)swallow it with a big chug, many

> times. It works for me at every meal, if necessary. The CO2 in the Coke

> opens the LES, if you finish the Coke the spasm should disappear. It is

> important to get a can that has a lot of CO2.

>

> Opening the LES using CO2 has been reported.

>

> When I was real bad several years ago, I would walk to Mcs and drink

> the CO2 off the fountain drinks, for several minutes. After a short time I

> could finish the drink. Later I went back to coffee after I figured out how

> to manage the A.

>

> Ray CA OC

>

>

>

> > > >

> > > > I'm glad others are finally admitting chest pain. It's the dirty

> > > > little (or big) secret in achalasia most GIs would prefer not to

> address.

> > > >

> > >

> > > Spasm pain, NCCP pain, neuropathy pain and unknown pains have been

> > > common topics in the support group for many years. There are a number

> of

> > > ER horror stories in the old messages. No secrete here. There are some

> > > here that have consider esophagectomy just for the pain relief and at

> > > least one chose that option. Some doctors are surprised to find out how

> > > much talk about pain there is in this group. Some do read the messages

> > > here even if they don't reply. Some of the literature on achalasia does

> > > a good job on the subject but other literature implies it is not a

> > > common problem.

> > >

> > > notan

> > >

> > >

> > >