Oesophageal Achalasia / Spasm :: Can Only Tolerate Liquids At Present
Sep 25, 2014
I have had swallowing problems, oesophagus pain, burning in chest feeling as though food is getting stuck and an awful sensation of a lump in my throat for the last four years. I was wrongly diagnosed with GERD and treated with PPIs. My symptoms have gradually got worse and after three attempts managed the manometry and twenty four hour pH test following this I have been recently diagnosed with achalasia. I feel so unwell and life is feeling unbearable I can only tolerate liquids at present and my symptoms seem to have deteriorated since diagnosis feels like everything sticking in my throat an awful taste the lump has got worse and feels like I can't feel my throat properly and my swallow feels weak. All my symptoms are bringing on the most awful feeling of anxiety and I just don't know where to turn no one understands how bad this feels. Has anyone else had this terrible sensation of a lump and at the same time a sort of lack of sensation in the throat.
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I have suspected bilateral diaphragm paralysis and increasing difficulties breathing and swallow king. Weak and short breath on inspiration and expiration and barely sleeping. Are there any exercises can be done at this late stage as now have impending feeling of doom. Have been told intervention is pointless.
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God this is really getting me down, to point I have been wondering if I am ever going to eat again and I am frightening myself with the thoughts I am having.
I just cannot swallow solid foods, it started 4 weeks ago. i was happily eating some chicken and all of a sudden my throat 'closed' and I choked. I managed to cough it back up and carried on eating after.
Next day, for love nor money could I swallow, each time I tried i choked.
4 weeks later and I still keep trying the odd bit of food here and there and it just won't go down.
I have had an endoscope - that was a highly unpleasant experience but it found nothing. I was told to go home and eat and to stop being so stressed.
I have been to seen a sports therapist and she has found that I have very very tight neck and jaw muscles. But it still feels like food won't go down, although I did feel better once I had seen her.
Trying to get another appointment with the doctor is like golddust.
I am normally a fit and healthy 37yr old woman, mum of three. I love my food and I want to eat. Thing is, this has gone on so long now I have gone past being hungry. I think this is probably a bit phycological now as well but the tightening really does happen.
The back of my neck, round to the front and up under the jaw is so tight.
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I have had Achalasia for over 20 years with all the accompanying problems: regurgitation, aspiration pneumonia, spontaneous and embarrassing regurgitation in restaurants, etc. Recently my doctor suggested that Cialis might be helpful. Too make a long story short I now take 2.5 mg of Cialis daily and have experienced almost complete relief from my Achalasia.
I know there is some research on Viagra relieving Achalasia, but I do not believe there is any research on Cialis. I throw my experience out there in the hopes that someone has more information on the use of Cialis and in the hope that perhaps someone else might profit from my experience.
In the U.S. where I live Cialis is expensive, however I was able to find a Canadian company with reasonable prices.
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After 15 years with Achalasia and difficulty with food passing into my stomach I finally had Botox injections yesterday. During the endoscopy the dr said the valve at the bottom of my oesophagus was really tight and he's hoping the Botox will help me.
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For a long time i suffered with acute pain from O S mostly brought on by acid reflux from hiatus hernia. I came across a sort of solution which works for me.
At the first sign(generally slight pain and a tightening of my chest around the base of the esophagus ) which generally happens during the night ,but not always I eat dry biscuits(digestives are good) they seem to force the stomach back where it's supposed to be.If that doesn't work then its a piece of toast and hot tea.
It seems to happen more when my stomach is empty,but that may be just co-incedence.It has helped me avoid the development of a more serious,painful problem.
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Can Gonorrhea present itself before 24 hours?
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The doctor said the lung tissue is possible (mild) pneumonia. I'm less concerned about that, and I'm being treated with antibiotics. However, I have no idea what "degenerative change is present in the thoracic spine" means. He said nothing about that, but he's an allergy/asthma specialist, so it's not really his field...
Here's what the whole thing says:
"Minimal linear infiltrate is present in the left base. The lungs are otherwise clear. The cardiomediastinal silhouette is normal size and configuration. No pneumothorax or pleural effusion is identified. The pulmonary vascularity is normal. Minimal degenerative change is present in the thoracic spine."
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I am desperate and scared. I've always been a "slow swallower" but a couple of weeks ago things got much worse. I suddenly had extreme difficulty swallowing water. I was drinking a glass full and it made me feel like gagging, I had to stop and spit it out, I could not swallow. Ever since then it is extremely hard to swallow water. Oranje juice is a little easier and solids generally are okay. It is the initiation of a swallow that is hard. The water is in my mouth and I don't just automatically swallow, I have to think about i, it takes about 15 seconds to get a mouthful down. And I feel so much like gagging every time I have water in my mouth. It is worse if someone is in the room with me.
Everything I read points to something bad - ALS, brain tumors, etc. I am crying and crying I am so scared. The doctor doesn't know and won't' rule anything out until I have the swallowing evaluation (barium) and the ENT visit.
Also scaring me into thinking it is ALS is that I have had problems with my voice for several months, hoarseness, can't project, people can't hear me, I always have to repeat myself, I stumble and slur over words..
I'm scared of the swallow test, I read you have to drink 3 ounces of water as fast as you can. It makes me cry to think about that, it will take me 10 minutes.
I am so scared, can anyone give me any reassuring words? Has anyone ever had something like this happen and it wasn't serious?
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i'm 18, I've always liked a drink, or 2, or 3. I've had a few bad experiences with Alcohol before I was legal to drink it. Since turning 18 I go out 2-3 times a week, not long before Christmas I collapsed in a club and was hospitalised through alcohol excess, I had alcohol poisoning quite badly. A few days later I was drinking again, just over a month prior to this I collapsed in a different club and again was rushed to hospital via ambulance. The next day I was drinking.
Now, I can't seem to drink as much as I use to, last night I was carried out of a club by 4 security guards after not being able to walk and passing out, thing is, I only remember drinking about 4 drinks, the first time I was hospitalised my readings were greater than the point I should have died, I was very very lucky, so I didnt drink as much last night, yet last night I passed out, again. It's effecting my Social life, in loosing friends and respect, also I have been barred from 2 clubs, I'm getting a bad name. Am I just 18 and young? Or can my body not handle alcohol anymore? I really need answers, people are worried and I want to know why my body just gives up after the consumption of alcohol.
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I am a 42 yr. old female who started drinking at about 31 yrs. old. I started drinking the 5 litre boxes of wine and by 2 yrs. in I was drinking at least 2 of those boxes of wine a week. Present day I am drinking about 2 bottles of vodka a week for about 2 years now. I do not drink during the day. For awhile now I have had really bad night sweats and now I am sweating all day long and I can't tolerate heat. Would not drinking during the day cause this? Maybe menopause? I have had the basic blood work done recently and for my liver, all came back normal. Is my body trying to get rid of toxins?
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Edward hook 3 answered a question that hiv virus can survive in salty liquids can it survive in salt water too?
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I am a 34 year old female with a swallowing problem. I have had it for many years, it comes and goes.When I have any cold, flu or sickness it is worse and I choke so bad on liquid that I fall in the floor and can't catch my breath.I get scared after and I cry.I know this sounds crazy but I think for sure it will probably be how I die.I can even sip on liquids and it feels like I am going to choke. I have spit out liquids many times just because I couldn't swallow them.
Yes, I have stomach issues, but even on medication this problem never stopped. I have had tested on my throat ,I was even choking on the barium swallow and everything came back normal.It is my body however and I know there is a problem with my throat but no body believes me. I am tired of going to the doctors going through the same procedures 4 and 5 times and paying big amounts of money only to be told there is nothing they can do.I am at my wits end and feel hopeless. Can anyone explain this problem? Or am I alone?
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2 1/2 years ago my hypothyroid meds (90 mcg synthroid) started to make me feel extremely hyper, but my blood tests came back looking good. I was finally diagnosed as having Adrenal Fatigue (after seeing 13 doctors and 18 months later) and was taken off my thyroid meds totally for a about 6+ months to heal my adrenals.
My saliva test says my adrenals are much better (still not 100%). I tried to then go on Armour, but continued with anxiety, neck pain, headache all day on right side, depression…the usual.
I am now chopping up the meds and take small doses of 12.5 Synthroid and 1.25 Cytomel twice a day - morning and afternoon - for about 3 weeks but I still feel hyper…and tired and anxious, depressed. If I take more T3 I start to get really anxious.
I went on the above combination after I first tried just Cytomel alone at 1.25 and went through the roof after about 3 days, so I stopped.
We are trying the above combination thinking the Armour we tried earlier was the wrong ratio of T4/T3 (75/25%). According an online chart, my current med routine of synthroid/cytomel = a ratio of 90/10%.
I am still feeling extremely tired, anxious, no appetite, no energy, dizzy, feel like I'm not here, and depressed. Was considering changing the T4/T3 ratio to perhaps 50/50%. Anyone ever try this?
NOTE--best week ever: A few months ago, we tried switching from 15 Armour only to 12 Synthroid only for 1 week. Just to try something different. After 1 week of no progress we switched back to about 7.5 Armour for a few days--then upping to 15. And WOW, I had the GREATEST week in the last 2 years ever, then it started to decline again the next week while keeping Armour at about 15.
I was also off Gluten for 3 months with no noticeable improvements.
I keep thinking this has to have something to do with my Adrenals. As I said my saliva test came back much better - the doctor said I was 80% back to normal. I'm thinking that's not close enough?? I need to be 90% before I can tolerate the meds?? 95%?? I don't know!!
Has anyone had experience with this? Were you eventually able to take your thyroid meds again? How were you able to do it?
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I'm now 38 and was diagnosed with achalasia in 1998. The condition stated in late 1997 and progressed very quickly. I was unable to eat any form of solid food and every meal had to be accompanied by buckets of water!
I had the myotomy and a fundoplication in Sept 1999.
However, the symptoms soon returned. They never got as bad as they were before the operation, but I think suffers of the condition become very adept at managing the condition.
I went through a series of dilations and other tests until, in 2005, my surgeon decided that another operation was the only hope. However, by this time, I had completely lost confidence in my surgeon and decided to live with the condition.
I have found that swallowing has continued to get worse over the years, but I manage it reasonably well by drinking lots of water with meals and avoiding problematic foods such as bread, pasta and fruit.
However, I suffer from dreadful substernal pain and have been admitted twice to A&E with a suspected heart attack. My use of painkillers is now at pretty serious levels so I am having the condition investigated again.
I guess that I knew this was inevitable, but I'm not looking forward to the barium swallows, endoscopy, manometry etc and I guess further surgery is unavoidable.
I utterly sympathise with those who have the condition. It is painful, restricting and embarrassing - you only have to regurgitate an oesophagus full of chewed food over a plate to realise what a bummer of a condition this is. It may not be life threatening, but it is certainly not fun!
I wish everyone with the condition every best wish in managing their condition.
PS - I really struggle with my weight and am now 5 stone overweight which must be a record for achalasia!!! Would love to hear from anyone in a similar position.
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For GCA, I just dropped from 40 to 30 msg of prednisone. Suddenly I thought I was having a heart attack. The righting pain on chest and back would not let up. We were told to go to the ER where after a second hour and medical help while hooked up to who knows, the pain began to ease. I am now on antacids and tums. Eileen, I think I dropped too many mgs. I love the super go slowly taper, no more than 10% drop. Now I have to convince my rheumy. Has anyone else had severe spasms? I did not know what was happening .
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I was diagnosed with gallstones last 2014 but I only had my gallbladder removed through open cholecystectomy recently last November 29, 2015. The surgeons placed a t-tube drain and discharged me with it. They scheduled me for cholangiogram December 17, 2015 but the result showed that there's still a faint filling in the common bile duct so they scheduled for follow-up cholangiogram on January 4, 2016. During the second cholangiogram, this time there was a distinct pain during the procedure so they had to stop it. Two hours after, I know something was wrong because I felt cold then my temperature shoot up to 38.9 degree Centigrade. I felt slight pressure at the lower abdomen like I feel an urge to defecate and a few minutes I vomited. I was hospitalized, given antibiotics and hydrated. My doctor told me that it was an expected outcome after a cholangiogram. He said he would refer me to a hepatobiliary surgeon. I was checked by the specialist and told me that basing on the results there's still fragments left that's why a SPASM occurred during the cholangiogram. He's gonna perform a t tube choledochotomy. As of the moment, I noticed that I lost weight (8 lbs) after my hospitalization, continuously experienced itchiness and bitter after taste during meals. I also felt an on and off tingling sensation just below my operative site. Do I need to ask for second opinion?
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i am suffering HFS from five years. my one eye twitch very little from which i have suffered to see movement the things from eye. i suffered little twiching problem. in MRI scan report some error found. dr says for MVD operation.
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I am sitting at work, like always, when all of a sudden.... inside my head (in the top, middle, and behind my forehead) I began to feel what seemed to be a muscle spasm. What? Rationalizing, I think... Our brains are muscles. Right? So it could be a muscle spasm. Whoa... I feel dizzy and lightheaded for a little bit. Now, I feel like my head is full (stuffed full) of cotton or something. It isn't in my ears. It wasn't my eyes. It was "in my head". WOW.
I experienced this sensation of by brain shaking that was followed by dizziness. The "brain shake" felt like a jolt and then vibration/spasm that lasted about 5 seconds. I feel like the room is spinning and tilting and I was about to fall over (even though I was sitting down). The dizziness lasted about 2 minutes or so. The weird feeling of fullness in my head is still there.
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Does anyone experience body spasms kind of like your whole body wants to stretch and you can't stop it this only happens to me during the night .
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I have had this condition for almost ten years and although not painful it has altered my life by reducing my confidence.
i recently enquirer when at one of my Botox appointments if there were any new treatments and was told that surgery was now more successful.I have been offered an operation on the N.H.S. And am going through the decision .As I am quite a fit 66 year old I really don't want to be having Botox for possibly another 20 years!
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