Esophageal spasms that feel like a heart attack

I was wondering if anyone here has ever had an esophageal spasm that felt like a heart attack.  The information I have been able to find on the Internet has pretty much all been a quote from the same text and not very encouraging about treatment options.

I'm not 100% sure, but my doctor thinks that I have suffered at least two of these this past week (after eliminating my heart as the cause of my chest pain) and I was just wondering if anyone else here had ever experienced this problem and what if anything can be done to treat it.

I have been having symtoms similar to yours for the last two months off and on. I have been to the ER three times and the doctor 4 or 5 times. All say its GERD. My chest is sore at the middle of my breast bone. One doctor gave me a GI Cocktail that knocked it right out. I am tired of having all this discomfort. Even if I lift my grandson it will sometimes start the pain. I've had test such as blood work,x-rays,but haven't had the scope yet because I have no insurnace at this time. I am in hopes I won't have to keep going on like this. One doctor told me not to Carbs at all.

I've been esophagitis attacks since 1979. I had my esophageal spasm attack March, 2009. I woke up with a heavy feeling in the center of my chest which progressed to the worst pain (except for childbirth) that I've ever had. Called 911. I was sweating profusely. The pain faded, but came back about an hour later. I've had 3 more attacks since then. Docs thought it was biliary colic, I had sludge in my gallbladder, they removed it and then I had the last attacks. I have found something that works really well. I take Librax for IBS. It's a smooth muscle relaxant. Last night, I woke up with the heavy feeling in my chest, took a Librax, and sat for a few minutes with my head down on the kitchen table, taking all pressure off of my chest. I did sleep for the next 3 hours in a recliner, but the pain never came. I had an endoscopy week before last and they found esophagitis.  I take Nexium, but I'm still bothered off and on with the feeling of something stuck in my throat. I've been taking Librax, as needed, for more than 20 years. I've tried Levsin and Bentyl, but they had too many side effects. Librax just takes away the pain but doesn't mess with your head. Good Luck!

I get what I have been told are Esophageal Spasms but there has never been a definite test ... I get chest pain that scares me quite a bit..   I have been scoped and have Barretts esophagitis..  It comes out of the blue or sometimes I will wake with it..  Crushing chest pain..  what I have found that works for me is..  Eating a piece of bread!  well I swallow a little larger than normal piece and chase it with water..  so as to scrape the sides of my tube there...  the pain goes away usually within the first to third piece I swallow.

Still scares the **** out of me.. I have panic so that kicks in sometimes depending... and I have called 911... or a nurse/DR to get some mental relief. Of course this depends on my mental state at the time... there are times I eat the bread and not give it much thought at all..

It sucks really... but nice to know that I am not alone

Quez Man

I have been getting these strange pains for years and they have recenly got worse. The last time I was sitting down with the kids when I felt this strange ache in the back of my mouth, then my back started to hurt, then I got up and the pains would leave one place and go to another, I was terrified. At one point they were in my upper back and there was a strange sensation in my left cheek,although I had also had pains on the right and lower down near the kidneys.

Eventually they went, and this was about after half an hour, I had an EKG done at the doctors the next day which was normal and I now have to have a stress test.

Does this sound familiar

Please answer,I hate this

I am assuming that you are a female by the things you said in your post here... What I have doesnt sound at all like what you are describing...  From what I hear heart pain in women sometimes presents itself differently than in men..  I am not a doctor so far be it for me to even determine with much certainty what is going on with you there.

However, if I was to guess it sounds like it could be stomach related... Gall bladder pain presents in the back as well.. It is good that your EKG is normal...  You might want to take an antacid or eat something when you have this phenomena to see if that will relieve it?  Maybe also make a mental note of what you are doing when this does happen.  

For me it has been a long time since I have had my episode of the chest pain.. which is nice.. 

My best to you in your endeavor..

Prayers to you as well!

Let me know how things turn out

I know exactly what you are talking about. The first time it happened (1993) it scared the crap out of me.

Formerly I would just wait out the 15 or 20 min while it went it's course (swallowing and burping seemed to give me a little relief). The good news is that I did find an almost instant cure that seems to work 90% of the time whether at the very initial stage or when it is fully developed....3 or 4 gulps of water gives me instant relief. Usually it works the first time but sometimes I have to repeat a couple times but it always does give me relief. I make a point of always having a bottle of water in my car.