Another Stress to Battle

[Meems]

I just was released from a "day & a half" ER/hospital visit. Overt stressful situations usually means another IC flare will begin soon. This new issue was that I have been having esophageal spasms off and on for a few months. They only lasted a few minutes and I knew they were from eating too much spicy foods/or eating/drinking too fast or just stressing out. But this past Tuesday I was hosting a dinner for some "stress-inducing" work related associates when I had the spasms so bad I could not swallow. Not even water...and I began to bring up everything...even saliva wouldn't stay in my throat!(very very scary not having control!). My husband picked me up and drove me straight to the ER. After several hours of treating me with liquids/intravenous and finally sublingual nitroglycerin a GI specialist sedated me and did an upper endoscopy and found i had a very inflamed esophagus with strictures causing food to get stuck. I have to return in 2 weeks to have the strictures treated under sedation with dilation. Now, these are terms I've never heard of before as I've always treated my acid reflux with good old Tums. They also helped a bit with my IC flares. I was happy that I was finally figuring out how to handle my IC flares but now I have this! I was wondering if anyone with IC has suffered these spasms and the erosions iof the esophagus. I am on orapramazole for two weeks then back to the GI dr that I never even had a chance to discuss all this with. I also have to redefine everything I eat. All soft foods for two weeks..waaahh I will miss my potato chip treats! I am concerned how all this(change in diet/new meds) will affect my intermittent IC flares..any feedback appreciated...I am a wreck about this besides worrying about what lies ahead.

[ICNDonna]

I have never had your problem but I have a very good friend who does --- and has had dilations to help. We have lunch together once a month and she does stick with fairly soft foods most of the time. She doesn't discuss it very much, but I know there are some foods she avoids. Once you feel better you might be able to have a few chips if you chew them thoroughly.

Warm hugs,
Donna

[Mothergoose]

I have had problems with this in the past, I hated the meds for it as for some reason they make me not sleep or even upset my stomach and make things worse.

I used to have a scope every year to have biopsies done on the tissue in the lower eph, my cells were starting to show changes and they worry about cancer, it was not cancer but can turn that way once the cells start to change.

What worked the very best for me in my mind was following the IC diet. I seldom have any problems with spasams or GERD any more, I don't take any meds for it.

My last scope last summer the Dr. said all looked good no inflamation in my stomach or eph, no sore spots etc. I have seen pics of my stomach all red inflamed and bleeding. I used to have reflux pretty bad and I would get small painfull sores in my mouth which I was told was from the acid backing up into my stomach. I was told that the valves on either side of my stomach didn't work properly so bile would also back up into my stomach. He said I no longer need to have the scope done yearly, but they would do one if symptoms returned.

Anyway once I started the IC diet things started to improve, the more serious I got about following the IC diet the better both problems got. Might be something you want to look at and can do while waiting to see your Dr.

I am glad they took the time at the ER to figure out what was wrong with you instead of just giving you some meds and sending you home.

When I did have problems I found gaviscon worked much better than tums or rolaids for symptoms, to treat an episode not as a treatment for the problem.
It is not really very nice you chew up 2 fairly big tabs and wash them down with quite a bit of water, (not soda or it will foam up in your mouth).
MY understanding is this stuff still helps neutralize the acid in your stomach but it also foams up in your stomach and floats to the top acting as a seal between the stomach and the eph, stopping the acid getting to the eph. The acid is what causes it to spasam etc.

This is just my expirence, I feel you need to go back to your Dr. for your follow up and find out exactly what he thinks is going on and the best treatment for you.

Hope you feel better soon MG