triggers SOD

Can severe stress be a trigger for SOD episodes? My husband recently had a heart attack and while attending to him I had to be hospitalized for a severe attack of Sphyncter of Oddi spasms. Had a stent inserted about 10 years ago for this problem and had not had any further attacks until the last one. I know from experience that alcohol, certain oral pain medications (vicodin) will trigger these spasms but had never had one triggered by sudden stress. Are there any medicines that could be taken to abort an attack once I feel it coming on? The pain is unbearable and completely incompacitating.


This discussion is related to What is sphincter of oddi dysfunction and the symptoms?.

[kaz85]

Yes SOD  can be triggerd by stress. i am 24 f and was diagnosed a year ago with SOD and i have been hospitalizeed 22 times with attacks so servere i will collapes,some of these have been brought on by stress.
i am currently on lots of pills to help manage the pain. but am also on a GNT spray that goes under the tounge the same one they use for anginia. As it is a smooth muscle relxant and and ani-spazmatic. It helps alot when you feel the pain coming on. Maybe worth a try.
Best of luck kazz

[jane4409]

My daughter & I both have had gall bladder surgery & gastric by-pass. Both of us are prone to SOD episodes if we take any codeine or hydrocodone (Vicodin) or other opiates. I have acquired Norovirus on a cruise, and found out the hard way that Lomotil has an opiate derivative. We have found that chewing a LARGE number of Tums can relieve the symptoms for us within a relatively short time, usually within 15-60 minutes. Hope this helps. I don't know if it will work for folks who haven't had their GI tract rearranged surgically like we have with gastric bypass.