Re: Anyone have spasms that progress all the way down the GI tract?

[Guest guest]

Oh my gosh, bless your heart!  I have never experienced any spasms past my

ribs, so I can't imagine!  I was just put on nefidical along w/some lorazapam

to calm me down. Mine last anywhere from about 10 minutes to 2 hours max, and

the this one almost sent me to the er.  I am a stay at home mom, but when I

first started having spasms, I did work.  I should have attempted to see about

disability, but instead, was fortunate enough to be able to quit and stay

home.  Sometimes, drinking something warm or very cold helps, walking around,

if possible, and sometimes, I walk around to try and get my mind off of them.

 

Good Luck, Jen

________________________________

From: leda444 <leda444@...>

achalasia

Sent: Tuesday, September 20, 2011 9:57 PM

Subject: Anyone have spasms that progress all the way down the GI

tract?

 

I'm new to this group and glad to be a part of it. I have a question that's been

gnawing at me for some time now. When I mention it to my GI, he seems to shrug

it off.

I have achalasia of course, with acute, horrible spasms as I've read many of you

have. Mine last anywhere from 10 minutes to the record breaker of 7 hours! (this

one required an ER visit for morphine)

Here's my question for you all - the typical spasms run anywhere from my jaw to

my epigastric or stomach area. On occasion though, they move through my gut

(lower abdominal area) all the way down to the perineal/rectal area. It's

excrutiating of course. It bothers me also that this may be related to something

else? Or is this condition of the smooth muscle in our esophagus also possible

throughout the rest of the GI tract? I can't seem to find any answer for this.

There's nothing I have found to help with the pain - sometimes I take just 2.5mg

of valium (and act of God getting it from the doc). But I use it sublingual and

it seems to provide some relief if I catch it early enough. Nothing else has

helped.

Any thoughts or similar experiences? Besides the pain, it's impossible to get up

from the fetal position and walk anywhere. Which brings me to another question -

how do you all get through the day? I'm struggling with working, meetings, etc.

when you have to keep running into the bath! Any tips are welcome! I've

actually started carrying some (pink) poop bags from my dog with me. they're

small, easy to carry and somewhat attractive that hopefully folks won't know

what's happening.

Hope this wasn't too long....thank you all.

[Guest guest]

leda444 wrote:

>

> I'm new to this group and glad to be a part of it.

>

Welcome.

>

> ... the typical spasms run anywhere from my jaw to my epigastric or

> stomach area. On occasion though, they move through my gut (lower

> abdominal area) all the way down to the perineal/rectal area. ...

>

The muscle problems of achalasia generally are considered to only extend

only to the esophagus (mostly the lower third) and possibly the top of

the stomach. Sometimes though people with achalasia also have problems

with the other sphincters, such as, the upper esophageal sphincter or

the one at the bottom of the stomach, or even the anal sphincter.

Sometimes people have other GI motility problems, such as, slow gastric

emptying and IBS. Are these cases part of achalasia or just unlucky

people that have more than one GI problem? It is hard to say. Either

way, you could have motility problems, even spasm in your lower GI

tract. Having achalasia is not a free pass otherwise.

> ... sometimes I take just 2.5mg of valium (and act of God getting it

> from the doc). But I use it sublingual and it seems to provide some

> relief if I catch it early enough. Nothing else has helped.

>

Valium is listed in more than one class of drugs. You can find it listed

under muscle relaxants. It is a powerful muscle relaxant. When my ankles

and feet were broken I was suffering continuous cramps and spasms in my

calves and feet. In the ER they gave me Valium to stop them. After the

surgery I was given Flexeril (Cyclobenzaprine) which is often used to

reduce spasms after injury. Flexeril does not seem to work for spastic

disorders such as cerebral palsy but it has been reported in this

support group to help with achalasia spasms if taken quickly at the

start of a spasm. Flexeril can make you sleepy but I would guess that is

better than the effect of Valium on the mind. It is possible that

Flexeril acts a bit on serotonin receptors and other drugs that work

that way have been used to treat achalasia spasms. Flexeril does effect

norepinephrine concentration and others drugs that work that way have

been shown to reduce muscle pain. So, it may work to reduce spasms and

reduce their pain.

Time to give my feet a rest.

notan

[Guest guest]

Awful, awful. Mine radiate into my jaw...I haven't experienced stomach pains,

but a couple of times I've gotten hit with diarrhea at the onset of a spasm

episode, which is very strange. It's almost like the spasms extend all the way

from my esophagus to my colon or something. That doesn't happen regularly,

though.

Wish I could tell you something that would make them completely stop, but I just

haven't found anything. Before the surgery, I'd eat something really bulky, like

a HUGE thick sandwich...it would help for a while (maybe an hour at the most).

My theory was that the bulky food got stuck in my esophagus, preventing it from

spasming. One of my docs said that was very possible. Xanax might be the only

medication thats ever helped (I've tried them all, I feel like) My doctor just

wrote me some phenergan suppositories to knock me out when an episode

starts...haven't had to try it yet, though. Not sure if that'll work or not.

>

> I'm new to this group and glad to be a part of it. I have a question that's

been gnawing at me for some time now. When I mention it to my GI, he seems to

shrug it off.

> I have achalasia of course, with acute, horrible spasms as I've read many of

you have. Mine last anywhere from 10 minutes to the record breaker of 7 hours!

(this one required an ER visit for morphine)

> Here's my question for you all - the typical spasms run anywhere from my jaw

to my epigastric or stomach area. On occasion though, they move through my gut

(lower abdominal area) all the way down to the perineal/rectal area. It's

excrutiating of course. It bothers me also that this may be related to something

else? Or is this condition of the smooth muscle in our esophagus also possible

throughout the rest of the GI tract? I can't seem to find any answer for this.

> There's nothing I have found to help with the pain - sometimes I take just

2.5mg of valium (and act of God getting it from the doc). But I use it

sublingual and it seems to provide some relief if I catch it early enough.

Nothing else has helped.

> Any thoughts or similar experiences? Besides the pain, it's impossible to get

up from the fetal position and walk anywhere. Which brings me to another

question - how do you all get through the day? I'm struggling with working,

meetings, etc. when you have to keep running into the bath! Any tips are

welcome! I've actually started carrying some (pink) poop bags from my dog with

me. they're small, easy to carry and somewhat attractive that hopefully folks

won't know what's happening.

> Hope this wasn't too long....thank you all.

>