Nutcracker esophagual spasm
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September 23, 2013 at 8:01 pm
I have had CIDP now since 2000. I am one of the lucky ones and Rituxan keeps me stable. However, this past month I had an episode of throat pain that sent me to the ER. It was not a sore throat but a pain in my esophagus when I swallowed anything, food, water, or saliva.
They did and xray and a MRI and saw nothing. The ENT sent a scope through my nose and into the top part of the esophagus and said nothing looked inflamed. I don’t have GERD either.
After talking with my sister who is a nurse professor, she thinks I have nutcracker esophagus spasm. I have checked the web and saw somewhere that it could be caused by a neuromusclar disease.
I was wondering if anyone else has ever had this problem and been told it is because we have CIDP?
Thanks for the help,
Jonetta -
September 23, 2013 at 8:36 pm
My layman’s guess is that you merely bruised your esophagus when swallowing a pill or something. If that’s what it is, it will slowly and steadily get better.
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November 1, 2013 at 1:46 am
Hi ~~ I’m posting a reply so long after your question, don’t know if you’ll see it, but I’ve been DX’d by GI specialist w/Esophageal Muscle Spasm” , probably part of Sjogrens Syndrome (which I also have). My sympathies are with you! My first episode sent me to ER thinking it was a heart attack. Really unimaginable pain! Sipping warm liquid during an “attack” helps. Good luck!
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November 1, 2013 at 4:39 am
Hi Razzilou, I haven’t had another episode but keep feeling like it might come back. I have to have the compression test if it happens again. They have me on Flexeral trying to keep the spasm from happening. I read that the only meds that might help during an episode is nitroglycerine. That’s because the esophagus is a smooth muscle like the heart. They also said to gulp a large glass of water. It helps stretch out the esophagus like you would when you get a Charley horse in your leg and you stretch it out.
I just hope it doesn’t happen again. That blasted hurt!
So sorry to hear you also have Sjogrens Syndrome. Nothing like keeping a full plate of autoimmune mix ups..
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