Esophageal spasms?

[LinzerPA 0]

I was banded on Dec. 11th. About Day 7 I began getting tremendous pains that I now know are spasms of the esophagus. They got progressively worse and now I've had them for 6 days. Spent all day yesterday in the hospital - all tests for blockages, leaks, etc. were negative. The pain is excruciating!

Has anyone experienced anything similar? When I'm very still it's ok - but as soon as I move around at all they start up again. I'm ready to pull my hair out!!

The pain meds I got in the hospital thru my IV worked great, but nothing I take at home does the trick.

[LinzerPA 0]

Jack,

You sound like the voice of experience! Trunk movement set the spasms off the worst - but I would lay in bed for hours not moving a muscle and they would come on - like a wave and then a searing hot pain though my middle straight thru to the back. Spoke w/my surgeon on Sunday - he's only seen this two or three times and said there's nothing to be done but wait it out. Fortunately, today I seem to be over the hump!!!

First day up and functioning somewhat. The pain was so unbearable I wanted to die! Also, haven't been sleeping well nor am I drinking enough. Every spasm also brought nausea. I go back to the dr. tomorrow so hopefully I'm over the worst.

[cj033185 0]

Dear LinzerPA,

I have certanily experienced what you are referring to on two occassions. Unfortunately they were both related to overeating and eating to quickly, resulting in vomiting. Did your spasms happen to start after vomiting? I know the pain was very terrible and kept me from sleeping those nights, but it has taught me a very valuable lesson. I'm really consciuos (sp) of what I am putting in my mouth. I do NOT want to ever feel those pains again, EVER!!!! I'm glad you are over the hump now. Here's to be pain free

[Ann D 0]

My daughter and I had the same pain my was not as severe; hers sent her to the hospital. The ER doc said it was a spasm, caused by the puncturing of the diaphragm. It is a remedial nerve impulse, (I believe that is what he said). She was given codiene to take and it worked wonderfully. I had some Tylenol 3's at home and crushed them they seemed to help relax the muscles and stop the spasms.

I know the pain. It had nothing to do with overeating, vomiting or anything like that, because when mine occured I was still on Clear liquids.

Good Luck I hope you fine something that works.

[tonya66 13]

I get the spasms after a fill, they seem to settle down in about a week.

How are yours doing? I hope your doing better, mine weren't as painful as yours, they were just irritating to me.

Hang in there.

[NaughtyNicky 0]

Jack,

You sound like the voice of experience! Trunk movement set the spasms off the worst - but I would lay in bed for hours not moving a muscle and they would come on - like a wave and then a searing hot pain though my middle straight thru to the back. Spoke w/my surgeon on Sunday - he's only seen this two or three times and said there's nothing to be done but wait it out. Fortunately, today I seem to be over the hump!!!

First day up and functioning somewhat. The pain was so unbearable I wanted to die! Also, haven't been sleeping well nor am I drinking enough. Every spasm also brought nausea. I go back to the dr. tomorrow so hopefully I'm over the worst.

Hi,

I recently experienced a different pan to the normal one I get if I eat too much or eat too quickly. The pain sarted in the middle of my breats and felt like it went right though to my back also it went across my ches and felt like it went all the way round to my back and it felt almot like i was haveing a heart attack. I had not eaten either asit happend in the morning at work. Does this sound the same as what ou experienced?

Nicky xxx

[LinzerPA 0]

Yes Nicky - that sounds like what I experienced. Felt like a red hot poker straight thru to my back. Had them whether I had something to drink or not (I was still on liquids)

[NaughtyNicky 0]

Yes Nicky - that sounds like what I experienced. Felt like a red hot poker straight thru to my back. Had them whether I had something to drink or not (I was still on liquids)

Please could you let me how you get on at the Doctors as I'm getting very cocerned about it myself but have had o much time off work already I dont want to take mre off f i dont have to. When did you have your band fitted? and how many mills have you ot in? I had mine done on 12 July 2007 and now have 7.5mills in.

Nicy xxx

[Pattypoo1 0]

I was told that drinking cold liquids the first 3 weeks can cause spasms. I could only drink room temp liquids. I had some MAJOR pain like that, way high up, under left breast last week and narrowed it down to the tomatoes in my salad. I think it was the skin clumping up at the stoma. Will peel all veggies from now on. It would be very scary for spasms to happen out of the blue like that. Maybe they can give you some dicyclomine for that. (bentyl) until it passes.

[TracyinKS 7]

This might of been what I had a couple weeks ago on a meatball........ it was the most painful Pb I'd ever had..... more like retching pain...... it really freaked me out and I went to bed with a heating pad on my port... hasn't happened since but it really made me think...

[Ann D 0]

Hey all, the pain in the center of your chest that goes around ot the back or straight through or if it sits just to the left of the breast bone...needs to be checked by a doctor. I had it in may before my surgery. It sent me to the emergency room. If you still have your gall bladder to could b a gall bladder attack.

What a lot fo people do not know; your gall bladder is your fat and cholesterol filter. When you are losing weight quickly it can't keep up and creates gall stones. A simple ultrasound can determine if you have them or not.

I totally forgot about that the other day when I posted. Sorry.

[aubrie 6]

I had the spasms for about a week after surgery. They got less and less and just went away, but it did feel like a heart attack. It was not comfortable, but since they started while I was still in the hospital, my surgeon was able to tell me what was happening.

[Kissmygrits 0]

I have been dealing with this pain for about 3 days now. Mine seems to be caused by excessive burping. I found that Mylanta helps and now I"m back to liquids (seems like the right thing to do in case I need to heal). I'll go to doctor this week if it doesn't clear completely soon.

[beena 0]

For me! I get these once a month on the day my period is due no matter what I eat or drink, yogurt has caused it for me before!! its only been since the band that I have ever experienced such a horrid pain! I have had every single test everything from xrays to ultrasounds to bloods! they even found gallstones and took my gallbladder out 5 weeks ago (low and behold I copped the pain again after the op!!!!) We are putting it down to Esophageal spasms! My doctor told me that everything swells up at this time and this could be causing the pain! (it starts faint accross the chest and then the back and can last from 15min to 48 hours (for me anyway) I burp alot and cant move!!! I have lost 40kg (80lbs) with the band in 12 months and have been banded for nearly a year had my port restitched cos it flipped recently! I know exactly what you are saying it is soooooo bad and can put me out for a few days! ( i copped it on my birthday and It buggered up my night out! ) and the doctors just seem to look at you like you are crazy!!Yesterday i got my bloods back and my magnessium was low which I was told by the doctor (the 3rd one Ive tried) that this can cause spasms as well so it is worth getting this checked! Im now on magnessium tablets and have yet to try the (blood pressure tablets which can be also used to control spasms)! Im waiting for one to come on to try the last resort and see f they work! My blood pressure is nomal but they apparently work by slowing the spasm down (im not a doctor but i have been begging for an answer!! i hope they work! good luck you are certainly not alon on this and I think a lot more testing with banded patients need to be done on the few of us that seem to get these rotten side effects!!! In saying al this I know in my heart that I would never of been able to loose this much weight on my own and I am still greatful for the band! Take care!:juggle::lol:

[RestlessMonkey 7]

Aggressive fills are a MAJOR cause of this (not the ONLY cause, but a MAJOR cause)...

So if you have it and your doc is a "fast" filler, you might want to get a slight unfill and slow it down.