Esophageal spasms with Lap-band

Has anyone that has had a lap-band long term end up with esophageal spasms?  If so how were you treated?  I have just been diagnosed with it and my surgeon put me on Buscopan but am not sure how long I can stay on it or if this is even the right course of action.

Thanks for any input anyone has.

I am a former lapbander.  I never had this issue but from what I have read the past 4-5- years here on OH this means you need to have the lapband removed.

I've read a few blogs where people have had to have it removed as well but they could never control the spasms so I'm not sure.  Right now this medication is controlling them and I can eat again finally with no pain. 

I get these spasms also, but it's not when I have food in the throat... in fact, it seeems to be when I am dehydrated, and drinking water seems to relieve them almost immediately.  They seem to be increasing though and sometimes I get them in the middle of the night... I keep a glass of water by by bed.

I am NOT stuck with a food item... and I did get my heart checked because I thought I was having a heart attack.

the pain is so severe and radiates up to my face and jawbone.

I'm not on medication at all...  

I'm a long term lapbander.

 

Ellen

Oh yeah!  I remember that vividly when I was banded.  That was very painful.  For me nothing worked and it was one of many reasons I revised to a sleeve.  It hasn't happened once since I had the band removed.

You can take buscopan forever if need be.

MWG,

Did they put you on anything to see if it helped at all? And if so, did it work short term at all or just nothing worked for you? I've only been on Buscopan since the weekend and have had no spasms for 2 days now so I'm not sure if I just lucked out and it will start again or if this is going to last.  Of course I don't want another surgery unless I really have to but if the band has to go due to ongoing pain then I will definitely revise to something.  I refuse to gain back the 166 lbs that I lost.

I tried everything and for me nothing worked.  My doc is in Mexico so I had the opportunity to try drugs we don't have in the US and those didn't work either.  Biofeedback is one option but I thought it was a waste so I never bothered with it.

I would go for weeks without them and suddenly they were back in full force.  It was horrible, I'd be walking across a room and BAMMO!  I was doubled over in pain.  It felt like someone hit me in the chest with a big metal thing. ;o)

Good luck with it, but don't let it go on too long.  I have permanent esophageal damage but I don't know if it was from the spasms or all the other band problems I had.

Thanks MWG.  I definitely won't let it go on too long.  I've been suffering in pain for over a month now and within a half hour of the first pill, the pain finally went away and really hasn't returned full force like it had been.  This is the first complication I get and really hope the Buscopan can control it.

Yes... I have had two lapbands over 9 years and I did get esophageal spasms which are excrutiating and feels like a heart attack.  They treated me ith niphendrine (a blood pressure pill which when relaxing the body relaxes the esophagus and it does calm the spasms).  However because of the spasms and other band problems I finally had the 2nd band removed and converted to RNY bypass.  Since then, all of my esophagus problems have been eliminated and i have lost more weight in the 3 months postop with RNY then 9 years with bands.  Good luck to you.  Maryjo

Wow, I am not sure why this came up in my feed but I thought I was the only one with this. I thought I was having a heart attack when it first happened and had an EKG. I am planning to have my band removed and this sensation now makes sense. I am going to report it to my Dr.