I have had Achalasia for over 20 years with all the accompanying problems: reguitation, aspieration pneumonia, spontaneous and embassing regurgitation in restaurants, etc. Recently my doctor suggested that Cialis might be helpful. Too make a long story short I now take 2.5 mg of Cialis daily and have experienced almost complete relief from my Achalasia.
I know there is some reaserch on Viagra relieving Achalasia, but I do not believe there is any research on Cialis. I throw my experience out there in the hopes that some one has more information on the use of Cialis and in the hope that perhaps someone else might profit from my experience.
In the U.S. wher I live Cialis is expensive, however I was able to find a Canadian company with reasonable prices.
Any feedback would be appreciated.
David G.
Hello: Cialis for Achalasia. I never heard of it. If it works for you God bless you. I had full blown Achalasia and had a total esophagectomy 5 years ago. After a myriad of complications post surgery I'm finally able to swallow again and eat with out refluxing albeit in very tiny amounts.
yep, I was surprised at how effectively Cialis worked for me. I would say it is at least 90% effective for me. My doc has one other patient taking the same treatment and he is doing quite well also. This is apparently all very new and may not work for others.
Hopefully, someone will do some controlled studies on it in the near future. Treatment with either Viagra or Cialis has a certain face validity because the action of both is to relax muscles. I know there are studies using Viagra and it results in reduced esphogeal (sp) pressure.
Well I'm happy it works for you. Unfortunately my plumbing has shut down many years ago so I never used it. Lol
Hi David
I have had achalasia for four years now. In 2013 I had a myotomy and a fundoplication. This gave me some relief but my symptoms returned earlier this year but not as bad. I underwent a dilation which dud not work at all and I am now awaiting a redo myotomy.
I was prescribed cialis 5mg three times a week to help with some bladder problems (poss related to achalasia) and I have noticed that half an hour after taking the tablet my swallowing improv es quite a lot. I think that it has a lot of potential in the treatment of the symptoms of achalasia.
I have noticed that half an hour after taking the tablet my swallowing improv es quite a lot. I think that it has a lot of potential in the treatment of the symptoms of achalasia.
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Thanks for that information. I thought I might be considered a bit wacky for suggesting Cialis. Again, I really think someone needs to do controlled studies. So far 2.5 mg daily seems to work for me.
It does sound a bit weird but if works then keeping it I guess. 5 years AFTER my esophagectomy I'm eating without refluxing and I'm so thankful for that. You need so much patience dealing with this disease I've learned
Excuse my medical naivety, but this unexpected benefit might apply to women with achalasia as well as men?
That could be true. I have no kowledge of the effect Cialis might have on women. I leave that question to others more knowledgeable.
Wow davegr,
I am quite shocked that any Physician would prescribe this! I am very acclimated to the world of A and I also have A-3. That is Acahalasia with spasms. I have been offered a HM with wrap but I have not had the surgery yet. It only prevents the symptoms as we all know there is no cure.
Although I am sceptical about Cialis I am certainly glad that it is helping. I have learned to manage my symptoms with diet and San extremely good Protien shake that I order. Would you mind letting me know if you are from the States?
I will probably have my surgery sometime in October because it's time. I wish everyone the best that has tried this and I want to bring this to the group discussion I am in. Living with Achalasia...
thanks
Jamie
To answer your question: Yes, I live in the U.S. in beautiful California by the SF bay. Visit us sometime.
As I said in my initial post, there is documented research showing that Viagra is effective in Achalasia presumably by relaxing the muscle between the esophagus and the stomach. Presumably the same should be true for cialis. The advantage of cialis (2.5 mg generic daily) is that it lasts longer. Since I have started taking cialis I have not had the need to regurgitate to clear the esophagus although sometimes it does take longer that normal for food/liquid to pass to the stomach. The difficulaties I now have are minimal compared to before cialis.
I would cetainly give cialis a try before any other standard treatment. As far as I know cialis has no side effects and is certainly easier than any other standard treatment. For me, cialis has been amazing in relieving achalasia. I am not sure it will work for everyone, but for me it is great.
My mission is to get the medical profession to do controlled studies on effectiveness of cialis in treating achalasia.
I am really greatful to the information that you have shared. As you know and as I have stated I have not had surgery yet because it just helps the symptoms and I am very curious about Cialis or Viagra because I have been able to control my spasms and also I understand how to eat foods that aren't going to get stuck. Grant it that most are soft or liquid but it is working and I am not starving. So relaxing the UES and LES may be the answer for now! Awesome info...
Also good luck with the medical profession and if you make progress it will be awesome. I am in a group where some of us are trying to get the money for a full blown research for Achalasia. Without funding there will be no cure and because it is so rare there aren't any intentions on research right now as you know. So any progress you make let me know about. I will tell the world !
I did a quick google search on Viagra achalasia and found a number of references. Here is one of those showing a decrease in esophaus pressure:
http://www.dpic.org/article/professional/sildenafil-esophageal-motility-disorders
I have not been able to find any showing a decrease in symptoms. As I noted in my first post I am one of two subjects who has had success using cialis.
Good luck on your efforts to get studies on achalasia. Perhaps the manufacturer of cialis , Eli Lily pharamceutical, would be interested in performing the study.
Hi, I´m from Mexico City (I will do my best with English) I have around 20 years w Achalasia and have miotomy and half toupet surgery, but symptoms are back from many years ago.
Actually I don´t think cialis (taladafil) is a crazy idea.. I had tried in past (around.. 15 years) other "vascular" related drugs, in my case it was Nifedipine, with very good results in terms of relief, but with unpleasent side effects. I guess it´s related to nitrite stuff and vasodilators (of course, I´m just guessing), such as nifedipne.
By the way I´d like to share an experience and see if what happended to me worked for someone else: I took two times the helicobacter pylori treatment, in around one and a half year difference. First time, around the second day, i had relief my achalasia symptoms, and remained to the last pill 13 days later; Ithought it was cassualty or something, 18 months later, whit the second treatment, it happens the same, of course I talk to my doctor and recieve no answer about why the relief, but i´ve never felt so well.
I am glad that you are feeling well.
I am not medically qualified, but if you also suffer from other conditions (like the helicobacter pylori) these make your stomach and oesophagus tense and make the achalsia worse. So, perhaps sorting out the other problem did help the achalsia as well?
Hi Dave, I have just tried Cialis and found it helped my Achalasia as well. Have you tried taking a higher dose then 2,5mg? I read that the Viagra study was for 50 mg, so I was curious if you tried a higher dose? Also, is the Cialis still helping you since it appears you posted this two years ago.
lastly, have you had any surgery for Achalasia ? I had a heller myotomy 14 years ago. Thanks M
Hi Mark:
How long have you had Achalasia? 14 years ago, I'm reading since your HM. I'm curious to know if you will get another HM or POEM. If your life is stressful and if stress brings on increased symptoms.
Anna
Hi Anna
Yes it’s been 14 years since my hm. Stress definitely brings it on, so I have slowed things down in my life to help out. I thought about having poem surgery but am holding off for now as the cialis has helped, and I am concerned about having too many surgeries and hoping that some other treatment will come to the market soon. Do you have Achalsia? If so how are you doing and how long have you had it, and have you had any surgery ?
I have had Achalasia Type 1 since a head Injury I got from a huge parking gate /Arm that hit my head on Oct 12th of 2015.
I have tried everything I know of and have waited for my head injury to heal itself. I am down to 125 pounds sometimes dipping lower to 123. it scares me. I was a healthy weight lifting, yoga doing, vegan prior to the injury so I know what and when this happened to me plus I am married and my husband has witnessed the onset and progression and Dx of this (I'm hopeful and open to my body healing itself ) temporary issue. If I am more stressed from external events or if I put up negative energy from others or from negative thoughts I have esophageal spasms. (vomiting)
Recently my weight had dropped down to 123. and pretty skinny looking along with weakness and major dehydration. I admitted myself to the ER for hydration, my dr. did a balloon dilation. (he went up to 20 cm and stopped due to a mucosal tear. It's been 4 weeks since the dilation.
It appeared not to allow the passage of food /liquid. So I decided a POEM in Brazil is where I would go since the Dr. that performs the surgery has performed over 800 POEMS (more than the inventor of the POEM at present. Expertise is what I want. Dr. in the States do not have enough experience and from my research cut too far into the gastric lining than need and cause reflex many times. Mostly not enough experience.
My surgery is scheduled in January. Recently I had 5 days of eating without spasms/vomiting. I was in shock and it felt so good. I'm not sure what happened. A couple of things were different: I felt relieved 'the backup plan' POEM was scheduled. (I can still back out if/when my body starts working) I had taken an antiviral and an anti-inflammatory that may have helped with my inflammation in my throat??
Not sure. Since yesterday and also at times today I had spasms off and on so am eating a little but all meals are not staying down.
I am learning about energy medicine now and meditation to calm the vagus nerves since that nerve cranial nerve 12 regulates swallowing. Meditation works directly with the vagal nerve. We have to change so our biochemistry changes or we can't heal the tight symptoms.
No other surgery Mark. I do have H. pylori. Which I will get treated asap to see if that overgrowth is causing any tightness or stress on the GI system.
Am so open to my body healing itself but I need to help it if it needs me to.
Blessings to us all! <3 This can be scary stuff - when I spam I tell my vagus nerve to be calm under pressure and I call her Grace as in 'Grace under pressure"
Our thoughts, feelings, emotions change our personalities and then change our biochemistry.