Meyer’s chest pains originated in esophagus

By Adam Silverstein
June 1, 2010

Florida Gators head coach Urban Meyer is feeling better.

That, above all else, is the gist of what the two-time BCS National Championship-winning coach wanted to convey when speaking with members of the media at the 2010 Southeastern Conference Spring Meetings in Sandestin, FL, on Tuesday.

However, the specifics of what Meyer revealed about his health scare and subsequent resignation last season are interesting nonetheless.

According to Meyer, his chest pains were diagnosed as being caused by esophageal spasms, defined by the Mayo Clinc as “an uncoordinated series of muscle contractions that prevent food from traveling properly from your esophagus to your stomach.”

Chest pain is listed as a common symptom of the affliction; it “can be very painful” and is “often intense, which [one] might mistake for heart pain (angina).”

“The biggest thing is I wanted to find out what those darn chest pains were and I did,” said Meyer as transcribed by Florida Today. “I’ve just got to be smarter in the future and I’m going to be. I’m not going to let that happen again. But the biggest thing was all that was related to what the heck were those pains going through my chest. Once you find out what it is, life gets a little better quickly.”

Meyer likened the feeling to “waking up every morning with a toothache in your chest,” saying it is now under control due to prescription medication. He noted that he has not experienced any issues since January and is ready to proceed with his job as scheduled.

“I feel fantastic,” Meyer said.

Photo Credit: Butch Dill/Associated Press

4 Comments

  1. Aligator says:

    So basically he had severe gastrointestinal stress related anxiety, brought on by an enormous amount of pressure. These are very painful and can feel just like the onset of a heart attack.

  2. John Shanks says:

    From what I feared this is pretty much a best case scenario. Glad he feels better, I’m sure his family is relieved.

  3. ReptilesRule says:

    All stress related, he needs to continue to deal with it properly. Medication is only a part of that formula. Getting completely away for a few weeks a year can also work wonders.

  4. Emily says:

    From what I feared this is pretty much a best case scenario. Glad he feels better, I’m sure his family is relieved.

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