Spasm facts - don't generalize

[Guest guest]

There has been a lot of questions and statements lately about spasms.

Often in this support group the term " spasm " is given to pain in the

chest, or pain that feels like it is elsewhere but believed to be from

the esophagus. There is a lot more to spasms, and esophageal pain, and

even chest pain than that.

Not all pain that feels like a spasm is a spasm. Pain can also be caused

by acid reflux, esophagitis, esophageal ulcers, adhesions, gall bladder,

neuropathy, heart problems and other sources. Those pains that are not

caused by the heart are called Non-Cardiac Chest Pain (NCCP). One should

not assume that chest pains are spasms and rule out other causes even if

one knows they also have spasms. A spasm can mimic a heart attack and

you could have both spasms and heart problems. Put the other way around

many NCCPs can mimic spasms.

Not all spasms are painful or even felt. Sometimes patients are

surprised when they have a barium swallow because they show spasms that

they didn't even know they were having. Some spasms are like a cramp in

a leg but others can be more like a twitch. People often mean " painful

contraction " when they use the term spasm, but in medicine any

dysfunctional contraction of the esophagus can be referred to as a spasm.

Not all spasm are triggered by food. Some people get them from going too

long without eating. Often they don't seem to need a trigger and can

come at any time.

In general people that have spasms before a myotomy will in time have

less after the myotomy (sometimes completely eliminating them) but first

the spasm may increase while the myotomy heals. Some people, but not

most, end up with more spasms. Likewise dilatation and Botox can effect

spasms. (One should probably read this section with " spasm " replaced

with NCCP, as not all pain from these procedures, or before, or after,

are spasms).

There are many things that people have found to help their spasms, but

what works for one person does not work for all.

Did I miss anything?

notan