Esophageal spasm

I have had this when I am on a high dosage of prednisone. It feels exactly like a heart attack! When I feel one coming on (they are pretty quick), I reach for a buscopan and my nitro spray. A few times, it has been so severe that the ambulance was called for me. They hook you up to oxygen, which helps a bit. This can be very painful and one time, my entire body went into shock from the pain and I was literally shaking from the neck down. Once my dosage of prednisone is lowered, the spasms usually resolve themselves. I hope this helps!

@kimh This sounds like a very frightening experience. I'm just wondering, @jadillow, are your symptoms similar?

There is no pain. Almost a flutter feeling. Was curious if this could be it with my reflux or is it heart

Well, there's no harm in checking out your heart! It was a totally different experience for me, for sure. One attack was so bad, I was hospitalised for 10 days to rule out my heart and get the pain under control.

I have had a full Cardiac workup done over last year and they say all is well except my sinus bradycardia. Have you ever had the glittering feeling at times ?

Honestly, it's just like this huge cramp and I lose my breath! Being hooked up to oxygen helps as well as something for the pain. Even when the spasm passes, I usually have a 'bruised' feeling, as though someone has punched me in the chest.

I was curious as to if your esophagus can actually flutter

I don't know about fluttering.

@jadillow , I'm not sure I can be of much help; I am certainly no doctor, however, you seem to be describing something that I have felt many times as well. I went to the ER once when the palpitations (in my throat area) got so bad that I was afraid it might be my heart. When they hooked me up to the heart monitor they said something about me almost being in V-Tac if I had had one more "tick" on the monitor (I think I had 4 rapid consecutive ticks on the monitor and they said 5 would have put me in v-tac, if I'm remembering correctly). All tests came back normal so they eventually said it was thyroid related, which makes perfect sense since I have had thyroid cancer in the past, with a total thyroidectomy, and am now on thyroid med. I know if my levels rise or lower, but particularly rise, it can cause the flutter/palpitations that you are describing. So, obviously, my question to you is have you had your thyroid levels checked lately? If not, you might want to consider that. Hope this helps somehow and please keep me posted.

Hi I have oesophageal spasms , these are incredibly painful. The pain builds up within seconds into an incredible crescendo, and then dies down . Similar to contractions when in labour. I have been diagnosed with a condition called Jackhammer oesophagus, and After trying every remedy under the sun, including Botox injections, I am now having P.O.E.M. surgery, scheduled for October. I have learned NOT to eat or drink anything citrus or spicy. I can’t have caffeine. This has been going on for 18months now . Hope this helps !