Hello everyone,

I would like to ask if anyone has had experience with this condition. I have been in contact with three people all of various ages who have developed esophageal spasm. All three have developed this after an event. ie: 1. 80yo after stroke. 2. 58 yo. after pneumonia. 3. 43yo after neck sx to repair herniated disc.
all three complain of the same thing. sx's only arise if they dont chew food properly, food gets lodged in esophagus and have to vomit it up.
This obviously is a mechanical issue and I would like some treatment ideas for those who have any.
only one of the three has indigestion complaints accompanying the spasm. Indigestion is being controlled with food combining, digestive enzymes, acidophillous, and ars. alb taken as needed. Will also be advising her to take marshmallow tincture to heal esophagus.
your thoughts are greatly appreciated.

Katie

No complaint of a living individual can be termed as MECHANICAL. Hiccoogh, vomiting eructations, belching, coughing, sneezing all are spasmodic phenomena. Roadroller remedies seem to work, but only for a duration.

One day, when I was troubled by incessant hiccoughs I was advised to swallow a mouthful of dry sugar grains. Though I was doubtful, I followed the advice and what a surprise! The hiccoughs stopped suddenly!!

Greetings

Arun wrote:

< No complaint of a living individual can be termed as MECHANICAL. Hiccoogh, vomiting eructations, belching, coughing, sneezing all are spasmodic phenomena.>


Cough augmentation with mechanical insufflation/exsufflation in patients with neuromuscular weakness

http://erj.ersjournals.com/cgi/content/full/21/3/502

The current recommendation for airway clearance during chest infections in patients with respiratory muscle weakness is
intensive physiotherapy. This consists of a modified active cycle of breathing technique accompanied by physical procedures,
such as percussion and shaking, and manually assisted cough. However, intensive physiotherapy is tiring for patients and vigorous physiotherapy can precipitate episodic oxygen desaturation . An alternative approach is mechanical insufflation/exsufflation via a facial mask. A mechanical insufflator/exsufflator uses positive pressure to promote maximal lung inflation followed by an abrupt switch to negative pressure to the upper airway. The rapid change from positive to negative pressure is aimed at simulating the flow changes that occur during a cough, thereby assisting sputum clearance. It was hypothesised that mechanical insufflation/exsufflation would increase Pulmonary Cough Flow (PCF) in patients with ( Neuromuscular Disease) NMD.

Holistic Multimedia in Clinical Practice
http://lewfh.tripod.com/holisticmultimediasetup/

With regards
Lew

PULMONARY COUGH FLOW (PCF)--nicely cooked up but unpalatable.

There is another kind of a very violent spasm, the sapsm of the glottis it has caused death in some cases. A homoeopathic expression describing it is ; food entering the wrong way or the wind pipe. All of these spasmodic phenomena are exactly the opposite of mechanical i.e. they are emotional. A frequently cited cause of the spasm of the glottis is HURRY. Impatience predominates due to unbearable hunger, and hence the food enters the wrong way. Homesickness is also seen to be responsible in many cases.
Tobacco chewers will exhibit hiccough as soon as they take the first morsel of the victuals.

Thank you arun,

The last post you added is compelling. I agree, I believe an excellent rubric would be "hurry". As far as spasm of the glottis, this is n ot the case with these individuals. The food does enter the esophagus, it is the esophagus itself that is spasming. The involuntary muscle control goes awry and that is where we have the problem.

As a sequel to typhoid, a symptom very prominent and very troublesome is : SWALLOWING DIFFICULT. Singly this symptom is not very helpful for finding remedies. But further qualifications help, like : SWALLOWING DIFFICULT a) solids pass easily and b) liquid passes easily.

The guiding Sympoms Of Our Materia Medica--Constantine Hering, contains the following, under Veratrum Album : Hicough : after hot drinks ; by spasms of œsophagus with nausea.

So to reply to your last post, can there be some latitude taken with that rubric?
This is not a state where hiccough is evident and there is no nausea. The lodged food is not able to move due to the irregular muscular contractions of the esophagus therefore the body initiates the vomiting reflex to get the food out.
Also, this condition is not "activated" by hot drinks or any drinks for that matter.