I just experienced my second esophageal spasm last night! The first time it happened, I genuinely thought I might be having a heart attack. The pain was so intense that if I hadn’t put my head between my knees, I would have passed out. That’s how severe it can be.

This second episode struck when I went for a midnight snack of leftover refrigerated halibut. Interestingly, the first time it happened, I was eating ceviche. Last night, I couldn’t swallow at all during the spasm. While I didn’t feel like I was going to pass out this time, the pain was still excruciating. I can’t imagine dealing with this on a regular basis.

Aside from these spasms, I sometimes get a strong sensation of food feeling "stuck" if I eat cold chicken too quickly. I will be super careful about any cold protein in the future, especially cold fish.