Esophageal spasms

[teenyturner]

Hi,  I've been getting some esophageal spasms.

Sometimes when I eat the food gets stuck half way down then takes a long time to pass all the way down. It's quite painful when this happens.  Yesterday and again this morning, the food got stuck completely and was painful until I vomited.

Does anyone else get this?  Could it be due to damaged nerve supply to the esophagus?  I have Barretts esophagus and have  gastroscopy every three years and am due again next March.  The last gastroscopy showed wide spread esophageal Candida and I was treated with Fluconazole tablets for a year.  That infection was due to low immunity from my bone marrow failure/cancer which has now been treated.  The Barretts itself looked quite improved last time.

Regards

Chirley

[jensequitur]

I have the most difficulty with solid foods - toast, apples, chicken, etc.  It's as if little bits fly around and end up in the wrong tube.  I guess the technical term is aspiration, but I have no problem with liquids.  It's the solid food that causes a problem.

[sandythegeek2]

My Mother had an issue with the muscle above the stomach would not open to allow the food into her stomach and she would have to vomit.  She said it was very painful.  She had it my whole life.  She would have to have treatments with rubber tubes in different sizes with mercury in them, lowered ino her throat to stretch that muscle out.  Horrible.  She said the issue was caused by measles she had as a child that formed scar tissue inside.  

I've had GERD so bad that I had esophageal spasms that felt like I was having a heart attack.  Got to the point that I couldn't keep bread or water down.  

I don't have pain that bad now.  I sometimes have food and pills get stuck and struggle with getting it down.  Like chicken, bread, etc.  

[teenyturner]

Thanks for your answers.

I used to have reflux but I had stomach surgery in 2003 and I haven't had a problem since then.  That's why the Barretts has improved.

It's odd how this stoppage just happens.  I can have had a bowl of cereal with no problems but then half through eating a piece of fruit or toast, it will suddenly just not go down.  I have tried washing it down with some water but it all just comes back up.

I think the most distressing part is not knowing when it's going to happen.  There is absolutely no warning until the food gets stuck and then the pain often only relieved by vomiting.

I suspected that it was being caused by nerve degeneration but wasn't sure that it was possible.  You have both confirmed to me that this is a possible reason so now I know what I might be dealing with.

Thanks again.

Regards

Chirley

[AMO]

Chirely
Yes,,, and it  hurts ffor sure.
I don't have that barrets or acid reflux, so it is from nerves.
I f i eat too fast the   food will pretty muuch stop and I don't know until I ate more anad it is back up to my throat. Then phlem builds and I gag. Water  won't even go down then or saliva. I try to breath through it and  within 10 minutes it will pass or so.

My swallow test  showed  the peristalsis  is 'significantly compromised' Funny thing is I did not have any of the symptoms in the test. So    I Just imagine when it doess when I do.

Also, when I had the laryngoscopy ( the tube in the nose vide o)) she found areaa where i get stuck in my throat. Where pills stick.

I saw a neuro-ent.
I hope you get this figures out, iit can be unsafe. And a speech therapist would help. take caare,  amo

[jensequitur]

Oh, those esophageal spasms are no fun.  But mine are different from yours...  I get a painful spasm in the center of my esophagus, that radiates out.  I think it's because of my spinal lesions.

You've got problems with acid reflux as well as your throat.  One possibility is nerve damage, but another is damage to the flap that closes your stomach.  If this flap is weak, you'll have acid reflux problems.  Or it could be both!

I've never had food stuck completely, but there's been times when it slows down, and I have to help it along with a hot liquid.  I know people with swallowing problems, like dysphagia, have better luck with semi-solid foods, like pudding or applesauce.