Esophageal spasm

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 !

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.

@franduffy I just joined this thread. Your post was 7 years ago, but if you're still in this chat group, how did the surgery go? I was diagnosed with jackhammer and severe GERD a month ago. It has gotten worse alarmingly fast. My question for the moment is what do you eat? It seems like a majority of the GERD-friendly foods are counterproductive for jackhammer. I had bad reactions to calcium channel blockers. For the moment I am just on proton ox and Pepcid to try to help with GERD since it's such a major trigger.

@cybrbear - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. that sounds challenging that foods that are helpful for one condition you have are not good for another.

When you say you have "jackhammer," just confirming you mean Jackhammer Esophagus (hypercontractile esophagus)?

I was just diagnosed with Esophageal spasms. The episodes feel like I'm having a heart attack. I've gone thru all the heart related tests to determine that my heart is fine and not the issue. The episodes are relieved only by regurgitation, and then within afew mins I feel fine again. The episodes seem to happen within 2 hrs of breakfast and morning meds. I've been tracking everything that goes into my mouth. It seems to be related to meds or supplements. Also, yogurt for breakfast with a nectarine also trigger it. Any feedback on this topic would be greatly appreciated.

@pamelakyro First of all, I'm sorry to hear that you're having this issue. Treatments of one sort or another can be fairly straightforward and effective for some, or complicated and hard to treat for others. I hope you are in that first category!

For context, I was diagnosed with esophageal spasms, specifically jackhammer esophagus, as well as severe GERD in early June. Did they say anything else regarding the specific types of spasms you are having? They're not all quite the same. Mine are contractions that are nearly 3 times harder than normal and usually last for hours. It feels like a big cramp in my chest, which is exactly what's happening.

I have had bad reactions to calcium channel blockers, which are the first line of defense for jackhammer, and am developing other digestive symptoms. Got a message from my doc this morning. I'm fortunate to have a university hospital motility specially center close to where I live, so he's referring me there.

1. Do you have a GI doc you're comfortable with? Responsive, knowledgeable patient and, hopefully, caring That's half the battle. 2. What testing have you had? Esophageal Manometry and ph testing are the ones considered to be definitive in determining whether they are esophageal spasms, what type, and whether GERD is involved. 3. Do you thoroughly read all of the lab results and doctor's notes yourself, and look up any terminology you don't understand? Are they posted for you on a patient portal or something like my chart? 4. Have they given you instructions regarding when to exercise and what's likely to trigger symptoms? That's important. 5. Did they give you a list of foods to avoid or just tell you to track what you eat?

For sure remove all things citrus from your diet. They are highly acidic and are known triggers. The nectarine is a well known trigger. I loved them, but can't eat them anymore. I ate rice at a restaurant and it turned out there was lime juice in it. I thought I was going to die! I loved limes, too, but they're a thing of the past, Yogurt bothers some people but not others, and even at that it depends on sweetened, no fat, low fat, etc. My list is very complicated because many foods that are typically safe and even helpful for GERD are a big no-no for jackhammer. If reflux/GERD isn't an issue for you, the list of what you can't eat is likely to be long but may be relatively easy to determine.

I wish you the best in navigating this. Reach out to family and friends. Take care.