Esophegeal Spasms after WLS

I am 3 years post-op from my original RNY and 2 years post-op from my revision due to a staple line disruption. About 6 months after my 2d surgery, I developed chest pains that scared me to death. I was diagnosed with esopheal spasms. The chest pain with the spasms is very similar to angina pain. I take nitroglycerin tablets on the onset. My question is - has anyone else experienced this and did your doctor tell you that it was a result of WLS? I'm also wondering if perhaps this is a result of taking Vioxx for quite a while. Any thoughts? Thanks.

Jill, Can you describe this spasm you are having, I have spasms in my chest and have had them for the last 8mths but no one seems to know what they are. Feels like someone is grabbing me and squeezing the you-know-what out of me. Not sure this is the same thing, but it the first thing I have found posted about spasms. Thanks!!! Christina

Christina, The pain begins across my chest and then under my arms and around my back. It feels like someone is tightening a rope around me from the back. The first time it happened, I got in the shower and turned on the ho****er and had my shower massage just beat on my back to relax it. (I learned to do this from my bouts of asthma when I was younger). I also took some liquid pain medication I had post-surgery. The 2d time it occured, I had just had some minor lap surgery. I called the Dr. and was told it was probably gas from the lap. It was worse than that and so my Dr. had me call 911. The medics hooked me up to an EKG and said I was not having a heart attack. The pain was so bad I really thought I was dying - I'm 52 and I was screaming for my mom!! My Dr. had me take more pain meds and a muscle relaxant. Shortly afterwards, I went through a battery of tests checking my heart and my pulmonary functions. I also had an endoscopy and my Dr. decided that it was probably esphogeal spasms. So, I take nitro. tablets when the pain begins and that usually takes care of it, but does leave me with a massive haeadache. I seem to go months without an incident and the will have weeks where it is happening several times a day. Hope this helps. Let me know how you are. -Jill

Hi Jill, I've had these spasms for 3 yrs before WLS and they have gotten really bad since WLS. I've had two heart attacks and heart bypass before WLS and I totally agree they sure are similar. My nitro pills don't do a thing for them either. The only thing I have found that helps is prednisone, 5 mg a day. I tried a whole bunch of narcotics that didn't do nothing. But I also have Gerd and rhumatiod arthritis and colitis, so it's still a bit fuzzy on what is causing my spasms. I just saw a new GI doc yesterday and he has recommended peppermint extract 1/2 teasp. 2-3 times a day for the spasms. I haven't tried it yet, I'm really sick right now and am afraid to throw anything new into the mix. I also took Vioxx for about 6 months, don't know if there is any connection there either. I hope you get some relief from these. Take care Nut

How did you know you had staple line disruption? Were you starting to gain weight or what? I am four years out...but no weight gain. Would like to know what to look for though.

My staple line disruption occured almost 1 year from my WLS. I noticed that I was able to eat more (this was around Thanksgiving time). Then before Christmas I had an episode reflux and I knew that something was wrong. I spole with my surgeon who ordered an upper GI and that showed that about 40% of the liquid stuff I drank was leaking directly into my stomach. I had my 2d WLS in January. I think I had gained about 3 lbs. I've been told that usually a SLD happens within the 1st year after WLS. That was my case as well as the case of 2 friends of mine who had SLDs. With my 2d surgery I was transected so that my stomach is not longer attached in any way to my pouch. There really aren't any explanations as to why a SLD occurs. However, for the first 6 months post-surgery, I had problems with my new opening closing up so that nothing was able to pass through. I had 5 endoscopys in those 6 months. Cortisone was injected around the opening to keep the scar tissue from growing over it. My surgeon believes that it was probably the endoscopys combined with the cortisone that weakened the staple line. Since you are so far removed from your WLS, I wouldn't worry about a SLD. -Jill

I am pre-op so I can't speak to after WLS BUT. I was plagued with these spams a few years back. One ended up with me being in the hospital 2 days being tested for they thought I had a heart attack. Come to find.. I had an ulcer in the base of my esophagus (sp) leading into my stomach that was causing the problem. Ulcer is gone now. As are the spasms. Gigee