Spasms here, spasms there, spasms everywhere

[Lazarus]

My spasms are all controllable.... the esophageal spasms I started having a couple of years ago have now become part of the routine. They come, stay around for a while and then disappear. Same with leg spasms. And now, thanks to a long ago post with pertinent information by Uppitycats, I realize I have bladder spasms which do the same thing. They come to visit and then disappear.

The bladder pain is new. At first I thought UTI. But it did not fit with what I knew or read. When I read the words bladder spasms I knew right away, that is what I am having. The pain is bad but goes away. Along with those spasms are many incidents of total bladder loss of control.

This must have been happening for a long time I think. I have an appointment with a urologist but that is not until July. So I have been reading at the Mayo Clinic site and at MS WOrld. Somewhere I got the advice to eliminate caffeine. I was a 6cup a day drinker! So, I have gone cold turkey and eliminated caffeine. I have had almost no bladder spasms, fewer incidents of incontinence and I can do those exercises (begins with a K) without pain. This may all turn out to be coincidence but the material I read was compelling. No caffeine---no floods.

I am so glad people had posted the information I read. So I am passing it on.

In the meantime my spasms continue to play a game with me. But the bladder ones are almost gone.

[Howie]

That is such useful information, especially for me. I have no spasms...yet...but just lately have become a big time coffee drinker. I will start cutting back before trouble starts. You have a great day!

[Sunshine]

Wow Laz. I didn't know you have been dealing with spasms. Do you take meds to control the non bladder spasms?

That's VERY useful info on the caffeine. Thank you for writing about it.

[agate]

Those spasms sound like torture.

Sometimes you have to keep trying this and trying that until you find something that works. It looks as if you've found the answer by cutting out caffeine. Who knows? Maybe you can cancel the urologist's appointment. What a shame that you're having to wait until July for it.

Have you tried any of the antispasmodic drugs? I believe they often help.

[Lazarus]

Wow Laz. I didn't know you have been dealing with spasms. Do you take meds to control the non bladder spasms?

That's VERY useful info on the caffeine. Thank you for writing about it.

Thanks everyone. BBS 1951...I have been taking baclofen for years. I do not take it regularly and did not realize that what I had were spasms. Now I take it almost every day.

Agate, the bladder spasms are torture. But so far, after 3 days of restricting caffeine, I have not had any.

The esophageal spasms are also very painful. When they come I stop eating or drinking. If they last more than a few days I have a tough time. I drink Entrust to help make sure I get nutrients but it is tough to swallow. When they first started a few years ago they hung around for a few months. I lost 40 lbs.

Now the spasms are all rolled into the ball of symptoms that plague me. Different ones show up at any time, hang around for a while and then go back where they came from. Until the next time.

[Sunshine]

If I understood my doc right, he wanted me to take Baclofen regularly to keep a steady level in bloodstream. I think it has a 40 hour half life or something.

So glad you're getting relief.

[Virginia]

Glad you have apparently found a way to help the bladder spasms. Maybe the others will be helped with steady baclofen if you decide to go that route.

[agate]

That's what I was thinking too, Virginia--a med that would work on the esophageal spasms.

Something has to be done because that much weight lost can't be good, and not being able to eat is the pits.

[Lazarus]

Glad you have apparently found a way to help the bladder spasms. Maybe the others will be helped with steady baclofen if you decide to go that route.

Thanks. I am actually hoping that totally stopping my coffee drinking habit is doing the trick. But perhaps the baclofen will help that too. I have baclofen especially because the tendons? In my toes get tight and I cannot walk until they loosen.
My spasms are a moving target. When they show up I sure know they are back!

[Lazarus]

That's what I was thinking too, Virginia--a med that would work on the esophageal spasms.

Something has to be done because that much weight lost can't be good, and not being able to eat is the pits.

Thanks for the concern. There is medicine for the throats spasms but I did not want to add another. The weight loss worried doctors but the spasms are not every day all day long. When they showed up I just stopped what I was eating until the spasms passed.

The 40pound I lost was more than ok. My neurologist was the one who told me to drink an entrust daily to stay healthy.
All the doctors watched me closely and I had every test known to check my swallowing. We finally decided it was spasms after so many tests.

I had been overweight all my adult life and I think I am still fat. I think I will always feel fat but people say I look ok. I have kept the weight off but that could be because the spasms come back on and off.

I have been working on my farm so I am healthy. Just not wealthy. Wise is debatable.

[agate]

Is Entrust like Ensure? When I tried Ensure I really disliked it.

I have an impression that there are many more of these liquid nutrition products on the market now though. You might be able to find one that's easier to tolerate.

[Virginia]

Linda, if you continue to have the spasms in the esophagus area, ask if you need to be stretched. I had very bad swallowing problems and they stretched mine and it worked for a very long period of time. It is done on out patient basis and takes only a few minutes.

Edited to add: Mine was done by a gastroenterologist.

[Lazarus]

Ha!

Is Entrust like Ensure? When I tried Ensure I really disliked it.

I have an impression that there are many more of these liquid nutrition products on the market now though. You might be able to find one that's easier to tolerate.

Ha! Entrust is an organic treatment that kills Colorado Potato Beetles on potato plants. I surely do not drink it...
Ensure is what I drink. I like it ok and do not mind it...I drink the full one that is vanilla flavored.

[Lazarus]

Linda, if you continue to have the spasms in the esophagus area, ask if you need to be stretched. I had very bad swallowing problems and they stretched mine and it worked for a very long period of time. It is done on out patient basis and takes only a few minutes.

Edited to add: Mine was done by a gastroenterologist.

Thanks Virginia. I saw a gastroenterologist too. Once I realized there was no malignancy causing problems I learned how to deal because I did not want to take meds offered. But if I can not handle things the stretching sounds most helpful. THanks.

[Sunshine]

Baclofen is tricky. You can't just stop it. You slowly titrate it down in 5 mg segments. Otherwise you can seizure. And die. Same with starting it. You titrate it up to a therapeutic dose.

I now take 70 mg day plus a total of plus or minus 14 mg Tizanidine. Tizanidine you can stop cold turkey.