Nitroglycerin and esophageal spasm
Common Questions and Answers about Nitroglycerin and esophageal spasm
nitrostat
I was just diagnosed with esophageal spasm. I have terrible chest and back pain that comes pretty close to the open-heart surgery I've had in the past. It came on really quickly and the doctor has me on Prilosec and antacids after meals and at bedtime, and she just added viscous lidocaine solution to numb the esophagus. I'm eating a low acidic diet and combining my foods properly. Has anyone out there had this terrible thing and if so, any other suggestions?
For the spasms themselves, the drug of choice is an anti-spasm med. These meds can include drugs such as bentyl, nitroglycerin and certain specific calcium channel blockers. Librax is typically not suggested for either contdition as it can result in relaxation of the lower esophageal sphincter and an increase in reflux into the esophagus. Many drugs affect the LES and they should be avoided.
Apparently the ice freezes the muscle that is constricted and it relaxes eventually and eases the pain and with no side effects. The next day though my chest feels sore inside and I usually take only soups. Sometimes it hits me two or three nights in a row. This brings a terrible fear of night approaching and not knowing what to expect. And that I think compounds the issue.
I have had H.Pylori and have been treated for it and it cleared up.
While chest pain that gets better with nitroglycerin can be suggestive of agina, there are several other types of chest pain, such esophageal spasm, that can get better after nitroglycerin. Exercise tests and stress echocardiograms are screening test for coronary artery disease. If these screening tests are abnormal, the next step is most likely a cardiac catheterization and angiogram in order to look definitively at your coronary arteries.
Yes have had all the tests done and the only thing they came up with was esophagus was spasming , wich coarses me to bring water and food up, dosn't happen every time as the spasm will let go and my food will then go down, there is no narrowing at all. The Gastro Specialist says if this widening dosn't work they will try Botex injections into the muscle, I was just hoping that there could be another alternative as these sound a bit servere, Thanks for your help.
ve taken Prilosec), have you discussed the use of specific anti-spasm meds such as bentyl with your doctor? Or the use of nitroglycerin or other calcium channel blockers which are suggested to help with esophageal spasms?
Nitroglycerin can also relieve esophageal spasm, it's not reliable for differential diagnosis of cardiac vs GI origin for chest pain. I've been through this recently myself and don't have any answers either. Nitro (sublingual) sometimes helped and sometimes didn't. Then on Friday I had a stress echo, my second in six months, again definitely negative. I'm also on Prevacid so my cardiologist doesn't think it's GI related but he also doesn't think it's cardiac.
I am told I might have reflux, esophageal spasms and possibly a motility disorder. Tests are scheduled for next month. In addition to regurgitation and dysphagia, I have terrible chest pain in the heart area. It varies from somewhat irritating to very painful. From my reading, I know that the chest pain can be caused from the esophageal issues, but I can not find information about the how this occurs. Is it triggering a nerve(s) or is it a muscles issue? What is the pathology of this?
Ephedrine is known to cause coronary artery spasm. Depending on how long the spasm last, one can have a heart attack related to it. This is why patients with this condition should always carry nitroglycerin with them at all times.
One month and thousands of $$$ later, he was confident that my heart was fine and that the cause was a hernia and esophageal spasms. And that was it. I was left to deal with them on my own. Very frustrating!! I have tried to alter my diet,I avoid laying down after eating, sleep on 3 pillows, take stomach medications, avoid citric acids and fruits, etc.
Nitro relaxes and dilates vessels, and very good for angina. But can also be used for esophageal spasms, this pain is often described as a substernal squeezing pain and may occur in association with exercise. Such pain may be indistinguishable from angina pectoris.
Esophageal spasms are often difficult to treat, and controlled studies of treatment methods are lacking. The aim of treatment is to relieve symptoms by decreasing pressure in the lower esophageal sphincter.
t include a spasm at the time of the test unfortunately, and my other GI tests, the doctor did agree that esophageal spasm was a very high probability for me.
jensequitur,
The only thing the GI doctor would say about the esophageal spasms, was that they *could* be caused by another medical condition, but he wouldn't go any further than that as I was still being tested for my neurological symptoms.
Is there another name for 'esophageal dysmotility'?? As i have been diagnosed with this by my consultant gastroenterologist, and want to find more info, resources, etc to help with educating and coping with my condition. but can't find much info anywhere on the web, about 'esophageal dysmotility' at all.
The pain is severe (on a scale of 1-10, I rank it between 8.5 and 10 during every spasm). If you took a magic marker and drew a line straight across my body under my breasts, drew another straight line from the bottom of both of my ears - everything between those two lines are encompassed in the pain.
Just wondering if it is normal for an esophageal spasm to start as a milder pain/uncomfortableness in abdomen and then build up to excruciating pain over 20-30 minutes?
t help , He has to use a Baloon Dialations to open up the spasm in my esophagus and it my take me couple of times to try to see the result, and I have to add this that it's been 1 year that I took my Gullbladder out and I asked him, it's maybe the side effect of not having a Gullbladder and he said for sure NO. It has nothing to do with it So, could you tell me what should I do? Is there anything I can do? Pls help me.
http://www.medhelp.org/posts/Gastroenterology/Esophageal-Spasm-following-Nissan-Lap-Fundiplication/show/232251
I can see that it has to be a connection.
So In other word, spasm shouldn't be there. I been fighting for this problem for 1 year for my girlfriend, and it's quite complicated situation, since it's so "unknown", especially here in Norway. It's two wars to fight either relive the spasm itself or relive the pain. Both of the is very complicated to handle.
I believe I have come to accept that I cannot get medical intervention for my esophageal spasms. My cardiologist says my heart is perfect. I have slight acid reflux, a hiatus hernia and 90% esophageal motility. I have what I call "Bubbles and Ka-thunks" in my chest. The bubbles are little butterfly-like spasms in my chest that are annoying but not painful. The Ka-thunks are a little more brutal.
I started having esophageal spasm after eating a few weeks ago. I had gall bladder surgery two and a half weeks ago. The spasms are still continuing. Is this normal?
is there anything I can suggest to my doctors to look at next, or another drug I can try since the only thing that gives me relief is sublingual nitroglycerin and I go through 100 of those a month ? Thanks for ANY suggestions, I am desperate.
has anyone else had esophageal spasms that were a) extremely painful, and lasting for 2 or 3 hours; and b) where the pain is at least slightly alleviated by leaning forward?
thanks.
I have had them for 6 years. Every one of the 7 doctors I have seen for this spasm, ONLY 1 has said it could be esophageal spasms and the rest says it's nothing.
Oh and I wish I didn't read about the vagus nerve.... I have had a fear that I'm going to have a seizure one day and that didn't make me feel any better. I keep having these feelings like something is wrong and I need to have it found soon, but I don't know what it is.
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