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Vagal nerve

My brother has had intense stomach pain off and on for appx. 6 months.  There have also been bouts of diarrhea with this but no vomiting or passing out. He has had his gall bladder taken out, it was not functioning at all.  He does not have his appendix.  He has had an endoscopy, kidney scans, and an colonoscopy, which showed the first stages of diverticulitis. He does not see any increase in pain as a result of any food types such as raw vegetables or seeds. He has also been diagnosed with mild arthritis in his upper back between the shoulder blades and a degenerative disc in his lower back.  The only time that he gets any relief from pain is if he is lying flat.  It takes strong pain medication to get any relief.,  Is it possible that there could be some irritation to the vagal nerve that is causing this intense pain?  What other test could be done to find the cause of this pain?
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Avatar universal
I had an appendectomy at age 8 and suffered anaemia at the time, and still do on occasion.  At 21 years I was diagnosed with dyspepsia, and didn't have any further probs till age 36 when I gave up drinking alcohol and my stomach started to have contractions. I mean debilitating, stop the car in the middle of the road, and throw myself on the ground type of pain!  (I've gone back to red wine like Timothy in the Bible!)  Does your brother's pain feel like a contraction of the stomach and is associated with high temperature/sweating/clammy skin and no energy? My pain is like this and I've discovered it can be brought on by overeating (not so much what you eat) or eating too late (not at your usual time).  Also since age 41 (a year ago) I started to experience what I thought were heart palpitations but since researching the vagal nerve I now suspect that it is more likely to be fluttering in the stomach muscle.  The vagal nerve controls the muscles in the stomach (I think) so I am researching along this idea at the moment.  When I feel a contraction starting I hit a hard flat floor on my stomach and push up with my arms to arch my back, this will stretch the muscles some how to bring relief.  Also I read that taking magnesium is helpful, so will try this.  I still have a tendency to be anaemic so I am researching if this relates at all, and whether my body is not absorbing iron for some reason.  I have had diarrhoea and constipation which a naturopath diagnosed as irritable bowel, and also I picked up a bacteria in a third world country I lived in for a while, so got rid of that nasty. I've had every test under the sun, been diagnosed with an ulcer and taking nexium did actually help to relieve the pain.  But it has returned again.  I also have lower back pain (tail bone) but not sure that's related.  I am 85kg so not small, and my family are lactose, yeast and wheat intolerant, but have never worried about our diet - I guess it all catches up with you in the end!   Good luck with finding the information you need.  I think it is up to the individual to research their own health as doctors are only guessing too!!
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Avatar universal
Could you email me if a doctor answers this question. I believe they damaged my vagal nerve during the removal of a pre cancerous polyp. I have suffered for one year already and cant seem to get answers.

thanks
***@****
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