RaineyDayWoman

Hi to all on the board The reason I am posting to you all is (1.) I know what a lot of you are going through, and my heart goes out to all of you. (2.) Seems like no one wants to help doesn't it? I know that from personal experience. (3.) [removed]

I have been diagnosed with esphageal spasm and went through a lot of the stuff that you guys are going through now. ER visits, thought it was a heart attack; being told it's from GERD (esophageal reflux when it wasn't) and given the same lousy meds I hear mentioned here like Zantac, Aciphex, etc. which did not damn good.

Should I say I was fortunate enough to have my esophagus spasm when my GI doc was doing my endoscopy, and hence the diagnosis. Now the treatment however is not that simple since most M.D.'s don't even listen to their patients now adays. So be verbal and take in your research.

When my family doc retired shortly after my (pain attacks) I have been hunting around for a decent M.D. and that's alot harder than it sounds. So far I have been through 3 of them.

If you have been diagnosed with esophageal spasm to back to your GI doc, get him to send this diagnosis to your M.D. so now your M.D. know what you have for sure. Getting it treated again is another matter since most M.D.'s aren't even up on this stuff. (That's where the research you've done comes in handy). You take that with you to your M.D.

The cause of esophageal spasms in relatively unknown, [removed]. The real problem is in getting the meds you need to resolve the problem.

Calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine will come up when you research this, and so will low dose anti-depressants like nortriptyline (if my memory serves my correctly. Yes, I took the print-out to one of my new doctors and he prescribed nifedinpine and yes it worked. However, I was also on Ativan since I'm the anxious type, so he told me he wanted me to get off this med and wouldn't prescribe it. I thought okay I can deal with that. Yea, until the spasms returned.

Apparently the nifedipine (which is generally used to control blood pressure) works only in conjunction with my Ativan which apparently is sometimes used to control muscle spasms. So I've been through 2 more docs since then. The second doctor, even though I told her I had esphageal spasm put me back in Aciphex and another antacid to control the problem. Well, guess what? This doesn't work and she doesn't believe that heartburn is NOT causing the PAINS. However, she (for the time being renews my meds for the Ativan). So I go back to the GI doc tell him, and he agrees to compose a letter to send to my new doctor (now #3 doc), and does say my problem is being caused by anxiety, but somehow ESOPHAGEAL SPASM was not in the letter to her. So now I am in the process of having him re-write the letter with these words so the next doctor will have a clue. Believe me, unless these doctors see it in black and white, (since they don't listen to their patients) they need all the CLUES you can give them.

In the meantime, my new doc says it is all anxiety, and I need to see a psyche since she doesn't want to renew my Ativan meds. Granted, I believe in a lot of cases it does stem from anxiety, BUT it is no longer anxiety when it presents an acute physical manifestation such as esophageal spasm. I mean this story goes on and on, and before I bore you all to death, let me say that :
1. Calcium channel blockers such as nifedipine can be helpful, sometimes combined with low dose anti-depressants
2. Also found a site that says they are sometimes treated with benzodiazepines which is Ativan, etc.
3. Nitroglyercine has proven to be very helpful for the chest pains; however, sometimes it can cause awful headaches. You can get Nitro-patches or Nitro-Quick to disolve under your tongue for immediate relief. However, once again go to RX list on your computer BEFORE you go to the doc to see what the side-effects are or if you think this treatment could be for you.
4. Homeopathic remedy -- peppermint oil mixed in water. If you can manage to gag this down.

[removed] Then proceed to your doctor with all the info you've obtained and maybe, just maybe he'll listen. My personal advice, if he doesn't listen and you are getting no better GET ANOTHER DOCTOR.

Esohageal spasms are incapacitating and if they can be treated with medications that can successfully relieve the pain then why should anyone have to suffer with this condition because a doctor doesn't want to write a prescription which he feels may be habit forming? IT JUST DOES'NT MAKE ANY SENSE, especially if it relieves the pain, and one can function properly again.

Okay, I have vented a little, but I hope most of all that I have helped some of you go about getting answers, go about getting help and having what you need when you present to a doctor and say, "I have esophageal spasms".

May you all be well, get well, and stay well. Hope I have helped at least some of you.

Signed,

RaineyDay Woman