Vagus nerve

[belita857]

I am having  the similar problems.  I feel dizzy and then my heart starts racing and I feel like I need to have a bowel movement. It is very scary.


This discussion is related to VAGUS NERVE and STOMACH or HEART LURCHES (spasms).

[shirlnga]

don't want to discourage you but I had all same symptoms mentioned here, had gallbladder removed, thought I'd finally resolved the issue.  Now it's all back.  (three months later).   I have Hiatal Hernia and occasional pain at the tip of left rib which includes a fluttering feeling at tip and under the left rib cage.  Usually wakes me at night.  Have been given every acid blocker ever made, then thru online research learned that these could be actually causing more problems because we do need acid in our stomach.  
Have ringing in the ears and can hear pulse in my ears so know immediately when the vagus nerve has triggered tachycardia.  there is no doubt in my mind that the vagus nerve, hiatal hernia and tachycardia are all behind my many problems.  Have had tests by every specialist in my town, none seem to have an answer.  AND, when they can't determine what it is, it's as if they want to shift my medical problems to something I'm doing.  (stress, diet, etc)   I don't drink, I don't smoke, I exercise regularly and try to eat a healthy diet.  I'm having a hard time understanding why doctors can no longer find what's going on but I suspect they withhold some possible diagnosis because of liability issues if they're wrong.  

[Rainy888]

I stopped drinking coffee three years ago and all the symptoms went away. It must be tried to GERD somehow, as coffee, spicy food and lack of sleep was the worst. I sometimes get paralyzing anxiety thinking that it will come back, but this has gotten better slowly over the last few years. Green tea is a great substitute for coffee!

[lisamaria525]

Hello everyone , my is MARIA LISA and i live in Hope Mills, NC (USA) I was diagnosed with FIBROMYALGIA along with osteoarthritis , degenerative bone & disk disease, carpal tunnel , type II diabetes. I have had cortisone shots, pain medicines, naproxen, cymbalta , sulandac, Vicodin, Tylenol products, Tens unit, ice/heat therapy, biofreese cream, voltaren gel , I have lived with the Illness for too long effecting my well being . It hurt from head to toe not being able to hold my coffee cup in my hand to the muscles In . My walk arms hurting me so badly I can not put my clothes on some days?? Depending on the weather I can not wear shoes some days too because of my 30 year plus Bunions on both feet I have had to live with in pain hardly walking correctly for years!! I started water therapy that was to be ongoing & unfortunately I started having infections?? so one night I was browsing through the Internet searching for remedy for my FIBROMYALGIA and i came across some comment and testimony of people talking about how DOCTOR IMONAH cured them of different diseases , I Was afraid because i never believed in the Internet but i was convince to give him a try because i was having no hope of been cured from the type of FIBROMYALGIA infections i was having so i decided to contact this said HERBAL DOCTOR IMONAH so as to see if he can relive me from the pains i was going through , so i contacted him and explained my problems to him, and behold he gave me some good hope which was that he have the herbs that cures it very fast. so i begin to wonder if he can really help . But i hold onto my God so i decided to give the herbal DR IMONAH a try for his medicine.  he counseled me and after which we made necessary arrangement and sent a Herbal medicine to me that i took and it seriously worked for me, i was feeling better doing things i was unable to do before , he told me to go to the hospital for the result, to my greatest surprise, when i got there it was confirmed that i was negative and now am a free person without problem or worries . I pray for you DR.IMONAH  God will give you everlasting life, you shall not die before your time for being a sincere and a honest man. Am so happy, you can also contact him if you have any case of sickness or problem please Email him at : (***@****) or call/WhatsApp him with this number([phone]) He will definitely put an end to your problems....contact him now and share your own testimony too

[hairstylist6684]

have you found any answer to your problems ? I believe my husband is dealing with a vagus nerve problem but it comes and goes , some   days are ok some days it feels like he is going to pass out or have a heart attack ,and cannot get his breath .

[ldp54]

Yes - strange feeling of going to pass out.  Had to go outdoors where it was frigid to  get the feeling to subside.  ldp54

[trees60]

Hi Deb.  Looks to me that this may be my issue. This looks like  God send to me.  Do you have a site up where I can retrieve any info at please. Thanks for any info at all

[xindaba]

I am so glad that  I have found this post.  My symptoms started about 4 years ago with an initial stomach ache.  I went to my GP and was given a packed of Lansoprazole and not further guidance.  Approximately 2 years ago, it may even be three as I have stopped counting, I started having constant bladder infections and what seemed to me like panic attacks.  I would get up in the morning and feel very panicky, dizzy and disorientated.  When asking the doctor about my bladder infections I was told that some people are just more prone to getting them.  One evening I was helping my daughter with homework and started having really bad heart palpitations and sweats.  I honestly thought I was dying.  I managed to get through the evening and I am sure it was all made worse by an actual panic attack due to the initial symptoms.  The next morning I went in to work but felt so ill, that I still can't remember how I got from work to the walk in medical centre.  Another bladder infection and another load of antibiotics.  I made an appointment with my GP and saw her a week later as I had constant stomach ache that was not going away.  It was all over in the area below the ribs and the heart flutters were on-going. I also started having problems swallowing, constant sore throat, earache, being off balance, lower abdominal pain. Her first reaction was to send me to a councillor for depression, and some anti histamines for my throat and ears which annoyed me endlessly.  I have suffered from depression in the past and this was no depression.  Then the blood test started, Iron, hormones, Celiac.  All negative and then a positive for H Pylori.  Was given antibiotics, went back after very little improvement.  Had to have a breath test which came back positive, more antibiotics, still pain after the course, then on for  endoscopy, which confirmed the presence of my persistent little friends H Pylori -  as well as chronic gastritis and an ulcer but no H hernia and no problems with my oesophagus.  I was given quadruple therapy on the antibiotics and if I can remember correctly was on no less than 21 tablets per day.  Wanted another breath test but was refused.  Had to go private and this came back clear.  Lower abdominal pain that had me doubled over and in more sweats continued as well as bloating, incontinence had started up and I was at my wits end.  Doctor told me my tummy (which had always been flat) is due to my age and a lack of sit-ups - very rude I thought.  I asked for a second opinion and all but insisted on a pelvic ultrasound. Turns out I had an ovarian cysts that burst.  During this time I was also suffering from breast cyst and severe sciatica and on top of incontinence and severely constipated.  After my burst cysts I had the first nearly normal blood test in about 2 years.  My bladder infections have also stopped and according to the incontinence nurse there is a link between bladder infections and gastro problems (which the GP denied, as that was not in her NICE guidelines and course she has done) That was last year July.  Since then I have gone to a private gastro specialist who has done another endoscopy and gastroscopy and found some z cell abnormalities but nothing else.  All else seemed normal.  However, I went back to my GP as I still cannot swallow and had a Barium swallow done a month ago through ENT. I was also told that I should see a chiropractor as I have been having an immense amount of earache, neck ache shoulder ache and numbness in my right arm and clavicle as well as pain under my breast bone. Barium swallow results show that the top valve in my throat does not open properly which causes food to get stuck and there is no peristalses in my oesophagus and now after two endoscopies which didn't pick this up, I also have a small hernia.  I have not been prescribed any medication apart from Omeprazole which I initially took with my antibiotics and the initial prescription of Lansoprazole.  Tonight I happened to stumble across some information about the vagus nerve whilst trying to find information about swallowing.  Strange how so many things fall into place, my extremely low blood pressure (apparently because I don't hydrate enough)  my constipation (apparently because I don't hydrate enough), my dry mouth, earache, neck pain that actually feels like my neck muscles are as tight as guitar strings, shoulder pain, heavy tongue, constantly losing my voice, stomach problems with reflux ( that I have never noticed) apart from feeling nauseous, numb feeling in my face and hands (a bit like going to the dentist), Sweating, especially the right hand side of my body and the cold feeling I constantly have in my right hand.  All of this frightens the life out of me, as I have so many times said to my husband that there is another cause for all of these "strange" feelings and symptoms.  I am fairly convinced that this nerve has something to do with the problems I have, some which have improved like the heart flutters and the severe stomach aches but others have become worse like my swallowing and the pins and loss of sensation in my face and hands and feeling that I don't have control over my tongue.  I have also noticed that my gag reflect has disappeared. I really do hope that if there was something seriously wrong the Dr would have picked it up by now, but it is frightening as these symptoms have become worse fairly quickly.  Thanks to everyone for their useful input and making me feel that I am not putting this on and that I am not imagining this. I have a GP appointment this coming week to discuss my results from the Barium Swallow.  I am definitely going armed with information regarding the vagus nerve and asking to have this investigated. Apologies for the long post.

[xindaba]

I am so glad that  I have found this post.  My symptoms started about 4 years ago with an initial stomach ache.  I went to my GP and was given a packed of Lansoprazole and not further guidance.  Approximately 2 years ago, it may even be three as I have stopped counting, I started having constant bladder infections and what seemed to me like panic attacks.  I would get up in the morning and feel very panicky, dizzy and disorientated.  When asking the doctor about my bladder infections I was told that some people are just more prone to getting them.  One evening I was helping my daughter with homework and started having really bad heart palpitations and sweats.  I honestly thought I was dying.  I managed to get through the evening and I am sure it was all made worse by an actual panic attack due to the initial symptoms.  The next morning I went in to work but felt so ill, that I still can't remember how I got from work to the walk in medical centre.  Another bladder infection and another load of antibiotics.  I made an appointment with my GP and saw her a week later as I had constant stomach ache that was not going away.  It was all over in the area below the ribs and the heart flutters were on-going. I also started having problems swallowing, constant sore throat, earache, being off balance, lower abdominal pain. Her first reaction was to send me to a councillor for depression, and some anti histamines for my throat and ears which annoyed me endlessly.  I have suffered from depression in the past and this was no depression.  Then the blood test started, Iron, hormones, Celiac.  All negative and then a positive for H Pylori.  Was given antibiotics, went back after very little improvement.  Had to have a breath test which came back positive, more antibiotics, still pain after the course, then on for  endoscopy, which confirmed the presence of my persistent little friends H Pylori -  as well as chronic gastritis and an ulcer but no H hernia and no problems with my oesophagus.  I was given quadruple therapy on the antibiotics and if I can remember correctly was on no less than 21 tablets per day.  Wanted another breath test but was refused.  Had to go private and this came back clear.  Lower abdominal pain that had me doubled over and in more sweats continued as well as bloating, incontinence had started up and I was at my wits end.  Doctor told me my tummy (which had always been flat) is due to my age and a lack of sit-ups - very rude I thought.  I asked for a second opinion and all but insisted on a pelvic ultrasound. Turns out I had an ovarian cysts that burst.  During this time I was also suffering from breast cyst and severe sciatica and on top of incontinence and severely constipated.  After my burst cysts I had the first nearly normal blood test in about 2 years.  My bladder infections have also stopped and according to the incontinence nurse there is a link between bladder infections and gastro problems (which the GP denied, as that was not in her NICE guidelines and course she has done) That was last year July.  Since then I have gone to a private gastro specialist who has done another endoscopy and gastroscopy and found some z cell abnormalities but nothing else.  All else seemed normal.  However, I went back to my GP as I still cannot swallow and had a Barium swallow done a month ago through ENT. I was also told that I should see a chiropractor as I have been having an immense amount of earache, neck ache shoulder ache and numbness in my right arm and clavicle as well as pain under my breast bone. Barium swallow results show that the top valve in my throat does not open properly which causes food to get stuck and there is no peristalses in my oesophagus and now after two endoscopies which didn't pick this up, I also have a small hernia.  I have not been prescribed any medication apart from Omeprazole which I initially took with my antibiotics and the initial prescription of Lansoprazole.  Tonight I happened to stumble across some information about the vagus nerve whilst trying to find information about swallowing.  Strange how so many things fall into place, my extremely low blood pressure (apparently because I don't hydrate enough)  my constipation (apparently because I don't hydrate enough), my dry mouth, earache, neck pain that actually feels like my neck muscles are as tight as guitar strings, shoulder pain, heavy tongue, constantly losing my voice, stomach problems with reflux ( that I have never noticed) apart from feeling nauseous, numb feeling in my face and hands (a bit like going to the dentist), Sweating, especially the right hand side of my body and the cold feeling I constantly have in my right hand.  All of this frightens the life out of me, as I have so many times said to my husband that there is another cause for all of these "strange" feelings and symptoms.  I am fairly convinced that this nerve has something to do with the problems I have, some which have improved like the heart flutters and the severe stomach aches but others have become worse like my swallowing and the pins and loss of sensation in my face and hands and feeling that I don't have control over my tongue.  I have also noticed that my gag reflect has disappeared. I really do hope that if there was something seriously wrong the Dr would have picked it up by now, but it is frightening as these symptoms have become worse fairly quickly.  Thanks to everyone for their useful input and making me feel that I am not putting this on and that I am not imagining this. I have a GP appointment this coming week to discuss my results from the Barium Swallow.  I am definitely going armed with information regarding the vagus nerve and asking to have this investigated. Apologies for the long post.

[jskcropper]

I know this is an old post but I had the same issues and it was my galbladder had it out and actually felt started feeling better the day of surgery

[Chrissy2525]

Hi I know this is an older post but I've been getting shortness of breath and stomach tightness for a few months now, my Hida scan just came back with my gallbladder only functioning at 13% I have an appt. with the surgeon next week, did you have any of those symptoms before they took your gallbladder out?!?

[VampK]

As far back as I can remember I would pass out on the first day of school and I would wet myself. Once in grade school while on the playground after the bell rang we all lined up, my neck was stuck up in the air and everybody asked me what I was looking at, I told them I wasn't looking at anything my neck was stuck. My mother of course freaked out on this and took me to the doctor she was afraid that I had cancer but of course it came back negative. After that incident, I had a bump on my neck, on the left side that would swell up whenever I was sick I could never pretend to be sick because my mother would know by just touching the side of my neck if I was sick or not.

Places that I can remember I passed out are a grocery store, a dentist chair, a movie theater, a wedding, and at a bar. When I passed out at the grocery store I fell back and hit my head on some bottles. When I came through EMS was there checking over me but I did not go to the hospital. When I passed out in the dentist chair I remember waking up thinking I had just a bad dream, that time I believe no ambulance was called. When I passed out the movie theater I knew it was coming and walked out of the movie into the hall, told a worker that I was about to pass out sat down and promptly passed out. When I awoke there was an EMS person standing over me they were the first and only to suggest syncope. When I passed out in the wedding I was actually in it and I was up on the podium with everyone else. They set me in front of the heater on a kind of a cool September day it was raining out I remember, the heat was pouring down on me and I recall telling the lady next to me that I felt like I was going to pass out. She asked me if I was serious and apparently when I answered yes with a certain look in my face she knew I was, she walked me over to a chair that was on the podium and set me down that's when I fell face forward onto the floor ripping my gown and passing out. When I woke from that the priest was giving me last rites the wedding had been stopped my uncle was hurtling pews to get to me and my sister was outside crying because she thought I was dead. Mom took me in for sleep test to see if I had epilepsy everything came back negative. I might've forgot to mention that when I pass out I going to seizures. The night I passed out at the bar I had two drinks it was the regular bartender the new that I was a lightweight and he made my drink soft.. I took two steps off the barstool and down I went on a concrete floor with the right side of my face and get up badly I was lucky I didn't break any bones. I've had many incidents before where I felt like I was gonna pass out but I would always sit down probably put my head between my legs until it passed. I think the incident at the bar I was not able to judge if he was coming on or not because I had been drinking.

Fast forward to later in my life , I have been diagnosed with a small active bladder. I was finally diagnosed with syncope which they said was the reason I was passing out all the time for so many years. A simple tilt test table told them the results of that. I was diagnosed with Gerd and although not diagnosed with it I have IBS issues. I had my gallbladder removed and it contained many gallstones. I was diagnosed with heart palpitations. Then just last year I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia.

I will only mention a few other things although I do not think they are connected, however, I would like you to get a full jist of my health history. I also have lower back arthritis, problems with my sciatic nerve, a tendon out of place in my big right toe that causes severe pain, I have a deviated septum that causes lots of sinus issues along with major sinus headaches.

I have done a lot of research on the issues that I first mentioned and I believe that they are all connected. The gerd, fibromyalgia, heart palpitations, IBS, syncope, an active bladder. I have brought up the concept of all these issues being related to both my heart doctor and my primary care physician. Both seem to want to bypass it rather than treat the cause of all the symptoms rather treat each individual symptom. This makes me unhappy because I know someone out there can do something for me however I have no idea what kind of doctor could. I think my problem is related with the vagus nerve in some manner. I have done my research and the Vagus nerve can be the cause of all these issues rather than it being each individual issue. Not to mention that when I have pain in my chest which happens often if I press on the area where the left vagus nerve is in my neck the pain subsides. So why can't I just treat it as a bigger issue rather than all the small ones? If there is something that can be done about the Vagus nerve problems then all the other problems will go away.

Please help direct me down the correct path I need a doctor that will give me solutions on this issue rather than ignoring it as a whole.
.

[hairstylist6684]

have you found any answer to your problems ? I believe my husband is dealing with a vagus nerve problem but it comes and goes , some   days are ok some days it feels like he is going to pass out or have a heart attack ,and cannot get his breath .

[proflady]

very helpful. In hospital 3 days and every test under the sun and MRI, ct, cloud sonograms all good. but I had vague stuff and heart palpitations before so I think that's what it is. I am being sent home bc Drs don't know what else it might be. I'll go home and get back on my regular things like you mentioned and I bet this will go away. it stinks when it's happening, though. thanks for your input

[Thishelps]

I'm a sufferer and mine is not too bad as I have found ways to keep it in check and even eliminate it for long periods, here's what I know will help it.

Do cardio exercise, as much as you can. When muscles tighten due to inactivity the nerve becomes stressed.

Also yoga stretching will keep it at bay , especially keeping the neck area well stretched, constantly. HINT: Inversion I have found is highly useful, if your GP is okay with it use an inversion table, it will change your life.

Keep acid reflux in check with peppers(capsicum), baking soda or a new but very effective thing called heil aarde. Peppers get my preference due to their overall medicinal qualities. Or else take a drug for the acid.

Keep your shoulders still while breathing. It goes to the belly. Breathing methods to employ are the Buteyko method since this condition is DEFINITELY anxiety related.  

Meditation is also a highly affective way to appease the nerve and people shouldn't debunk meditation, the science community has spoken on this. Meditation techniques which are highly effective for this are Da Silva method and the Open Heart meditation (Irmansjah Effendi's).

Remember, different strokes for different folks, my medicine may be your poison but some of them are pretty universal, and.......don't worry so much about it, that help too  :-)

[bigdhina]

I was diagnosed with GP in March of 2009 with just mild symptoms, mainly little appetite, feeling full quickly and nausea.  In March of 2011, by accident, discovered that my top left rib was out of place, pinching the vagus nerve.  After a few PT visits, I was almost good as new. On occasion that rib would pop back up, the symptoms would return and then PT would put it back into place and off I'd go.  I feel for those of you who have had this far longer and far worse than me.  I never had the heart problems, palpations that you do, unless I ate too much.  I would just get pressure in my chest cavity.  Where am I going with this, you ask?  About three months ago, I started having chest pressure/pain toward the left side of my chest.  Constant pressure, 24/7.  I am physically fit, teach fitness and run.  When engaging in exercise, the heart would pound with much more force, not necessarily faster, just harder, like there isn't enough room for it to beat and I had a hard time with cardio, couldn't get enough air and recovery was much longer.  A few of my GP symptoms returned as well, but not too bad.  When I eat, the pressure in my chest gets worse.  But again, no palpations, fast heart beat, in fact, my heart rate is usually in mid to low 40's.  Rib is not out of place.  Do any of you have the chest pressure/tightness all the time??  Have had numerous tests….EKG, Echo, Chest CT, X-rays, Nuclear Heart test, Breathing test, Barium Swallow…all ok.  Would a MRI show anything these other tests have not? such as a mass or tumor pressing on heart/lungs?  again, these symptoms are 24/7….if i do not exercise for a few days, it gets better, but when i exercise, then it gets worse and feels like my heart is "bruised", quite painful.  Any thoughts?? I am not anxious, anxiety meds didn't do anything.  Would an MRI be a good idea?  Thank you all so much and God bless all of you…..

[nemom42boys]

As someone who took lorazapam I ask that you look into that drug.  You obviously worry about your health.  Doctors are so quick to prescribe this drug with out telling patients the side effects.  Talk to those who have been on it and tried to come off do research on it.  Talk to your doctor.  I am glad I switched doctors who took the time to not be just a doctor but a friend and cared about me as a person.  God bless

[hermineh]

Dear paul,

which path shall we take?! what was the path you mentioned in your comment above? I have the same symptoms, most of all what bothers me , is gasping for air, numbness of fingers and stiff shoulder and neck.
hope you have found a solution

[PsycRN]

New procedure has been approved by FDA to correct prevention of acid reflux. It allows an outpatient surgeon to insert magnets into the throat of the stomach to ensure closure when appropriate, then food forces the magnets to be open. New hope, with less complications...get on a waiting list!

[Harriberg]

So happy to have found this forum. You all, with your input has given me so much more knowledge than my doctor.
Who now is only interested in treating me for high cholesterol. Like most on here I have experienced the palpitations. Severe, thinking I was having a heart attack. Thankfully it proved to be nothing. Chest X-ray, heart scan, heart monitor all proved nothing. Blood test show liver, gall, kidney, thyroid functions...... All excellent. Just high cholesterol.
Doctor tells me I have anxiety. Well, if I didn't have anxiety, I sure as hell do now, because the whole situation has given it to me.
Now..... I have studied Dr Google in many forums, gathered lots of information and found a few techniques to relieve the symptoms. I don't allow myself to get hungry, because that too can bring on a bout of it. Meditation is good, though I'm bad at it. So I deliberately sit, breath with my stomach muscles telling myself in my head to relax with each breathe that I breath out slowly. But the one technique which blew me away was doing the TMJ moves on myself. It eased the palpations within minutes. I am a Bowen Therapist and decided to research my own arena for help. I still don't know what has caused it originally and the palpitations have not gone completely. But the are weaker and less frequent. I have only done these moves on myself, but intend to speak to a colleague to have an entire TMJ treatment performed.

[pjr378]

Thanks for your feedback.  I called my GI today and was told that I have high levels of acid in my stomach but the biopsies he took were negative.  There is no sign of bacteria or infection.  Funny thing is, this was about an hour after I had another episode with my chest and back.  I made sure not to have the exact same thing as yesterday for lunch but my muscles felt like they were wrenching inside of me.  I guess I'll have to consult with other MDs to get this sorted.

[Tomskie]

It sounds as though you  have an issue with bile reflux which differs significantly from acid reflux. Eating fatty foods especially late can cause reflux that can irritate both the lining of the stomach and the esophagus and cause arrhythmia symptoms. The vagus nerve runs along the digestive tract. There are medications that are very effective in controlling this problem, cholestyramine resin.

As for anxiety, you probably need magnesium including Epsom salt baths, magnesium citrate with meals. The deficiency won't show up in a standard blood test but correcting the problem will make a world of difference in how you feel. Quick fix for the anxiety attacks might be lorazepam. Check with your doctor and I hope you are feeling better soon.

[pjr378]

I have been experiencing stomach and anxiety problems for the past year and a half and I am becoming convinced that my vagus nerve is overactive.  I made the mistake of receiving a flu shot five years ago because I use public transport in a major city and was concerned about becoming infected during wintertime.  I had some kind of reaction to the shot that made me pass out and when I regained consciousness, my heart was in a-fib.  I was cardioverted back into a normal heartbeat and was told after three days of exams that I had no damage to any of my organs.

Ever since then, however, I have seemed prone to muscle spasms in my back, chest, and shoulders.  After reading various articles on the vagus nerve since then, I am led to believe that the shot or whatever reaction I had to it triggered something in my brain to make the vagus nerve hypersensitive or simply not behave properly.  More recently, I began experiencing anxiety attacks and these spasms have become more frequent and intense.  I cannot sit for long periods of time on a chair or hard seat in one position, as my chest or diaphragm muscles will tighten or twitch.  When walking after sitting for entire day at work, it feels like muscles are tying up in knots inside of body, as if they might be wrenched apart, yet I don’t feel pain.

Anxiety attacks also run in my family, as my mother and her mother also have experienced this.  I have experienced four over the last 2-3 months but seem to have them under control, at least for now.  I am in dilemma where I’m not sure if this is all anxiety related, or if I have anxiety coupled with some other muscular injury.

My biggest concern, however, is the change in my digestive system.  For much of last year, I was having severe constipation that would sometimes last for three or four days.  I made modifications to my diet such as high fiber intake to improve my bowel movements but I have also dealt with severe stomach acid.  Previously, I could feel the acid laying inside of my stomach and would feel nauseous.  That has improved, but I still have burning gums, a bitter taste in my mouth, and an irritated throat, probably from the acid climbing up my esophagus.

The past two or three months, after having a lot of problems with my home over the winter, I began experiencing chest tightness after eating lunch or dinner.  It feels as if the walls of my chest are closing up and I will feel tension in my shoulders and back.  I had recently gotten a physical and EKG and was told that my heart is healthy, so that helps to reduce some of the panic, but it is the worst feeling imaginable.

My primary doctor referred me to a GI and I had biopsies done last week.  I am calling tomorrow for the results.  He told me right after the endoscopy that my stomach was full of acid but he could find no problem with anything in the digestive tract.  He prescribed pantoprazole until the results are looked at.  It seems to help with the gas and bloating but it doesn’t really help with the reflux.  While it’s possible that I have a bacterial infection, I’m not confident that anything will be found.  I am almost positive that the digestive issues are connected in some way to the activity of my vagus nerve, but it is shocking how little doctors know about this part of the body.  Or do they not want to know?

The chest tightness had only bothered me once over the past two weeks but it came back with a vengeance this afternoon.  I ate a beef sandwich on whole grain bread and raw mushrooms, then a small pack of chocolate chip cookies.  The beef or chocolate might have very well set off the reaction but I am sick of trying to figure out my triggers.  I have lost a lot of weight and was told by my doctor that I need to gain about 10 pounds.  I am a 36-year-old male, 5’10”, and weighed 136 pounds at the time of the physical.  I do not smoke and have never drank alcohol or taken drugs.  I need to weigh about 145 (I’m halfway there) and really don’t want to cut anything else out of my diet, regardless of whether it’s healthy or not.  I am already looking too thin and my pants with a 32 waist are already being kept up by my belt.

Some things I have found that helps – Naturally, good, nutritious food that aids in digestion like fresh fruit, yogurt, and anything with bran.  Do NOT eat fatty foods or meals late in the evening.

If you are feeling anxious, meditation is a great relief and helps you to control breathing and heart rate.  Avoid stressful situations and try to keep a positive attitude.

[AutumnWind68]

I go through same things and like you my one leg happens to be shorter than the other...If you'd like to chat please let me know...Thanks

Ben

[madge_o]

has anyone tried AtlasProfilax treatment for this? this sounds amazing. very few practitioners though.

http://forums.prohealth.com/forums/index.php?threads/cranial-nerves-vagus-nerve-digestion-atlas-profilax.190804/

also check out allergyantidotes.com, the work of sandi radomski. you can use an inexpensive soft laser to treat food reactions that are probably vagus nerve related. there are other modalities as well that don't use a laser. for $177 you can get the laser and manual. i've gotten a lot of relief. http://www.allergyantidotes.com/etox_lasers.htm

[noimplant4me]

    I too began having this problem. Exceedingly scary. I discovered that taking probiotics help immensely. Eating yogurt, including frozen yogurts is very beneficial. I also take Natrol, a probiotic. There are many brands to choose from. Culturelle is a big one alongside Natrol etc.
   I also discovered that chewing your food very well, and drinking water intermittently while eating helps a great deal. I have learned that if I go without eating anything for several hours that when I do finally eat and then it is a significant amount, that that is when I am in the most danger of having these scary symptoms. I also take Apple Cider Vinegar tablets on occasion and Anti Gas pills when I do get the symptoms and effects we have all come to dread. Moving around seems to help lessen the intensity also. I can not stress taking probiotics and eating yogurt enough. I have also found  relief by taking Hemp Oil. The non THC kind like Nutiva. I thank the Lord, Jesus Christ as I believe He guided me to find the above things I have mentioned that work.  

[Vagusnerveprobs]

I have suffered with most if these symptoms of the vagus nerve but now have had almost a complete cure and I swore that if I found what worked I would spread the news so you too can get your life back.  First if all, quit the caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, fatty foods, and starchy foods. Read the article below and get the supplements and follow the directions.  (Mostly the licorice root works the best for me.). And also try a dill pickle at night.  Quit the antacids!  Good luck!  I am going to now enjoy a glass of wine that I can do once in a while again without problems!  No more heart trouble or pain!  Yeah!  Oh did I mention exercise?  Exercise too as much as you can fit in!  It all helps!  Good luck and God bless!

http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2006/dec2006_report_stomach_01.htm