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Treatments and drugs
By Mayo Clinic staff
Treatment may not be necessary for occasional esophageal spasms
If you experience esophageal spasms only occasionally, you may not require treatment. Though the chest pain that accompanies esophageal spasms can be alarming, it tends to go away in a few minutes. Pay attention to what triggers your esophageal spasms and try to avoid these situations.
Treatments for esophageal spasms that interfere with eating and drinking
If your esophageal spasms make it difficult to eat or drink, your doctor may recommend treatments. Options may include:
- Managing any underlying conditions. Conditions such as heartburn or gastroesophageal reflux disease may trigger spasms, and treating these conditions may lessen the likelihood of esophageal spasm symptoms. Treating any underlying psychological disorders, such as anxiety or depression, also may help relieve esophageal spasms.
- Medications to relax your swallowing muscles. Your doctor may recommend medication to help relax your muscles and reduce the severity of contractions. Muscle-relaxing drugs may include nitrate medications, such as isosorbide (Isordil), nifedipine (Procardia), diltiazem (Cardizem, Tiazac, others) or dicyclomine (Bentyl).
- Antidepressants that control pain. Your doctor may also prescribe tricyclic antidepressants, such as amitriptyline, imipramine (Tofranil) and trazodone, to reduce pain.
- Surgery. In rare cases, surgery may be an option if other treatments haven't helped. One surgical option is a procedure to make esophageal contractions weaker by cutting some of the muscles in which the spasms occur (myotomy).
- Orlando RC. Diseases of the esophagus. In: Goldman L, et al. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/201609212-3/0/1492/0.html. Accessed July 1, 2010.
- Maish M. Esophagus. In: Townsend CM, et al. Sabiston Textbook of Surgery. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2007. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/207919050-3/0/1565/0.html. Accessed July 1, 2010.
- Kahrilas PJ, et al. Esophageal neuromuscular function and motility disorders. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisinger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/book/player/linkTo?type=bookHome&isbn=978-1-4160-6189-2&eid=4-u1.0-B978-1-4160-6189-2..X0001-7--TOP&uniq=200844987-3. Accessed July 1, 2010.
- Picco MP (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Jacksonville, Fla. July 7, 2010.
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