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← Return to Spasms after Whipple
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Hi Fellow Whipple Spasm-ists! I had my Whipple 15 years ago, in January 2010. Yeah, those spasms haven't gone away, and if anything, have increased. I recommend that your physician prescribe Sucralfate. I take a 'swig' at the first twinge, and if the pain doesn't decrease within 10 minutes, I take another 'swig'. A home remedy is dill pickle juice. YES, dill pickle juice. My spasm(s) resemble a severe heart attack. It starts in my abdomen, up my chest, down my arm(mostly left side), up my neck, into my jaw, and ears, and with difficulty in breathing. Before knowing of the medication, I had spent hours in the ER, multiple times, fighting the pain with everything they could throw at me. Finally, the pain would subside. There are a couple of pages on Facebook dedicated to these spasms and us! BTW, I have been tested numerous times for a heart attack, and there were no findings, ever.
Replies to "Hi Fellow Whipple Spasm-ists! I had my Whipple 15 years ago, in January 2010. Yeah, those..."
@nortonrene @carfbuch could it be gastro esophageal reflux (GERD) as a result of the Whipple …?
I have GERD, but mine is due to a small hiatal hernia and I have experienced pain exactly as described by @nortonrene. I take Lansoprazole at bedtime and sleep with the head of my bed raised. Not eating at least three hours before going to bed also helps. When I do get those spasms, I find a few sips of water relieves them. I always have my water bottle near me.
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Thank you for the feedback on your experiences with the post-Whipple spasms and the Sucralfate. I will follow up with my Dr. on this. The first time I experienced a post-Whipple spasm I thought I was having a heart attack, but then it subsided within a couple of minutes. I wish I knew what triggers these spasms! Many days / weeks can go by without having one or there are times when I can feel "milder" ones during the day, or some that last for a couple of minutes and are some painful that I have to lean back on my bed, relax my breathing and wait them out (mind over matter on these). Have our spasms increased in duration and or severity and frequency during the course of the 10 years? Thank you for sharing!