I am monthly heavy crack binger. When I go on crack binges lasting 2-3 days without eating or drinking water, I often experience severe difficulty getting a deep breath. It feels as if the middle of my chest is stiff as a board. What makes it worse is that I experience severe, intense esophageal spasms that often feel like some is using a jackhammer in the middle of my chest.
Inhalers, GERD meds (nexium), dicyclomine don't seem to help at all. Laying supine makes things immensely worse and makes me feel like I am freaking out.
I am diagnosed with pulmonary and esophageal sarcoidosis that has been in remission per se since 2008. Once when this attack occured years ago, i thought i was having an angina attack. I was given sublingual nitroglycerin which instant releived all chest tightness and stiffness. I never felt better.
As of late when these attacks occur from my crack binges, i have to drink copius amounts of maximum strength mylanta or maalox. After about 30-45 mins the spasms become a little more manageable and am able to get some chest expansion. I usually have to drink more of the maximum strength antacid 30 mins later (copious amount) to get even more relief to where i can at least sit up in a comfortable chair.
This not only happens from crack binges though. Also, there are a lot of times when i am not smoking crack that my abdomen is distended it makes it hard to breathe and i get mild esophageal spasms as well. It makes me feel like my blood pressure is sky high as i feel dizzy, light headed, and very panicky. I often have to taken copious amounts of the for mentioned antacid plus lots of stool softners to get relief.
In short, are my crack binge signs of jackhammer esophagus vs EOE? I would appreciate some serious insight into this. Finally, everytime i visit the ER for these spasmodic epidoses my bp, ekg's, and panels are usually WNL. There are times when my cpk levels are over 6,000 and i get admitted for rhabdomyalysis due to crack binging.