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Hello, I am six months into the worst health nightmare of my life. I went to see a dentist in early January 2017 for a root canal. He injected me with numbing solution, but couldn't get me numb. For three days after that injection my heart was racing out of my chest, and I was having tremors at night. I went to the doctor and she said it's likely the solution went into my system, and since it has epinepherine, it caused my heart symptoms. So she put me on propranolol/Inderal 20 mg 2x a day. After a few days, I developed intense mucous and cough and it felt like my throat was flapping in the wind. I was also experiencing what felt like my heart being squeezed and my throat closing. So she told me to back off the meds, and sent me to a cardiologist. The day I saw the cardiologist I was having major propranolol withdrawals. The cardiologist gave me the same information my GP had given me, that it was likely he dental numbing solution. She put me on a different beta blocker called metoprolol succinate ER. Six hours after taking it, I was having what felt like heart flutters when eating, then feeling like if my swallow was stopping. After a few days I noticed it was becoming increasingly harder to swallow, until by the end of ONE WEEK on the medication, I could not swallow at all and was choking on chicken broth and having very intense feelings of my heart being squeezed and then my throat closing. I took myself to a gastroenterologist after having googled my symptoms and being ignored by every medical professional I saw, and he said the drugs likely relaxed my smooth muscle too much. He had me stop the medication and do an endoscopy and a barium swallow/manometry. My endoscopy was normal, and my barium swallow showed I had tertiary contractions and also significantly diminished primary peristalsis. About six weeks after stopping the meds, I was given a manometry which showed that i had 90% swallows failed. About two months after stopping I was given another barium swallow which showed that now my distal esophagus had diminished peristalsis and that i was having spasms. I have never had any problems in my life. Then six hours after taking a random heart medication, esophagus is malfunctioning. I am six months out, and i have had improvement in that I am no longer choking up top, but i can't eat solids w/o spasms and food getting stuck. The doctor said I have non specific esophageal motility disorder and there was NOTHING ELSE THEY COULD FOR ME AND I HAD TO LEARN TO COPE. I refuse to accept this and am looking for a doctor with 1) compassion and 2) knowledge and willingness to try to treat, as I've read there are treatments. I realize none of the treatments work for all, but to give up on me and leave me hanging w/o a nutrition plan, w/o anything, is cruel. I've lost 53lbs since this started and I was so weak I could barely work. I am doing better now, but only because I am eating tons of ice cream and anything liquid, SO MUCH SUGAR. If anyone has experienced this or maybe can assist, please let me know. Thanks! i am in the dallas, tx area. I will take all recommendations, for in and out of state and even at Mayo! Thanks!
Replies to "Hello, I am six months into the worst health nightmare of my life. I went to..."
I am so sorry to hear about your reaction to the dental procedure and numbing solution, what a difficult reaction. It sounds as if you need some experts on your side who can sort through all of these symptoms and come up with some answers for you.
At this point, you might consider getting an opinion from a large medical center like a medical school in your area. Also, Mayo Clinic has a location in Phoenix and also in Florida and Minnesota. Here is info on getting appointments at Mayo:
Appointments by Phone
Calls may be monitored or recorded for quality purposes.
Mayo Clinic in Arizona; 480-301-8484
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mountain standard time, Monday through Friday
Mayo Clinic in Florida; 904-953-0853
8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday
Mayo Clinic in Minnesota; 507-538-3270
7 a.m. to 6 p.m. Central time, Monday through Friday
Keep us posted on how you are doing. It sounds as if swallowing is the main problem now. Are you experiencing pain as well?
Teresa
Hello Cam, @tryingtofindanswers,
I found this Mayo Clinic journal article about Esophageal Motility Disorders, and thought you may wish to view it: http://www.mayoclinicproceedings.org/article/S0025-6196(11)63127-3/fulltext
I would also encourage you to go through these discussions on Connect:
– Achalasia, https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/achalasia-29e1d8/
– Esophagus issues: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/esophagus-issues/
Meanwhile, I'm tagging @barens2 @ryman @amoll157, @jimhd, @fjg827, @bilobabe, @margo42, @apportee, @rsinger22, @ladysky, @dandl48, @robbinr, @ed32, @brie87144 and hope they will join me in welcoming you, and adding their thoughts and experiences.
Cam, there are a few procedures like POET (Peroral endoscopic tumor resection), which seem to have successful outcomes in the treatment of esophageal motility disorders; would that be something you would consider?
Hello @tryingtofindanswers
It has been a while since you have posted about your motility problem. I hope that you have found some help by now.
We would like to hear from you. Will you let us know how you are doing?
Teresa
@tryingtofindanswers Hi, thanks! I’m still struggling. Trying to find a new doctor that might be able to assist more, or at least be compassionate. I’ve lost 60+ lbs and all doctors tell me is that I have ineffective esophageal motility disorder and it can’t be treated. They tell me it’s “mild” and I need to learn to deal. I can’t really eat solids. My diet is crap! They even said nutritionists can’t help me ugh. So I am literally here on my own trying to figure out how to eat to stay nourished, hydrated and keep myself from going nuts.
I've been dealing with swallowing issues for over a year and a half now. They began after a course of beta blockers. After two manometry tests, 3 barium swallows and two endoscopies, i've been diagnosed with ineffective esophageal motility disorder and a sliding hiatal hernia. I also have pretty bad acid reflux. I have trouble eating anything that isn't liquid now. The only solids I can eat are saltine crackers, graham crackers and shortbread cookies, basically anything that's a meltable solid. As part of this issue, i get what feels like random electric shock sensations over my chest. They are quick and usually are a result of how I'm sitting or something I've eaten that's more solid. My heart has been ruled out, so these sensations are coming from the esophagus, i assume. Has anyone experienced this sensation as part of esophageal motility issues or hiatal hernia? Also, just doing another random check-in to see if anyone has ever been successfully treated for esophageal motility disorders. I sure do miss the luxury of solid food. Curious as to what doctors at mayo are good to see about esophageal motility disorders that are not achalasia. Thanks!
Hi jim, I had swallowing problem with Esophagus blocking at bottom sphincter in Jan. 2021. Went to Dr. and he did a balloon insertio into lower esophagus. That helped for a few days and swallowing was very difficult again. I thought i could come up with a better treatment than that, and after about a month of trying various excersises and movements I found one that worked.. I tried out two different techniques for 4 weeks before I was positive that they worked every single time. The best one is to sit on a cushioned seat or stool.Raise your butt up off seat 6 or 8 inches using both hands on the seat, then come down on the seat as hard as you can and repeat several times til you feel the food clot has moved down and into stomach. If i have a blockage while eating, I immediately do the manuver 6 or 8 times or more. The food went down and I resume eating. Some foods are easier than others but they all move down with enough impacts.The more force you put into the impact the better. I have done these moves now for about ten months with no soreness on butt or any problems. The reason the food is forced down the esophagus is in the laws of physics, momentum.
Connect
@tryingtofindanswers, hi, first off, omg. Im so sorry you had this happen to you. I too have extreme problems swallowing but not to your extent. Mine, i think was caused by multiple decades of GERD. I believe you will get very good suggestions and info here. We are all caring people. Good luck on your journey, just wait and you will receive some information. Dont give up. Dany