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Anyone have Vagus nerve problems causing strange, unnerving symptoms?
Heart & Blood Health | Last Active: 5 days ago | Replies (31)Comment receiving replies
I am using this way to ask a related question of the Mayo volunteers; I've had this vasovagal factor mentioned several times in the past as an issue I may be facing. In some of these descriptions today I see some similarities to what I have experienced although for the most part to lesser degrees. Could you advise if we want to explore this vasovagal issue further what medical field would be best to contact -- neurology, cardiology ... ???
Replies to "I am using this way to ask a related question of the Mayo volunteers; I've had..."
Hi @joaf37 , Interesting question. Now for me it wasn't something to treat just something I had to get used to. I can share that I had a friend who was sure that his episodes of AFIB were tied to what he ate. I do know the vegus nerve not only helps in adjusting to changes in heart rate but also regulates the stomach processes like digestion. Kind of a fascinating nerve. Now for me it was not cut from the stomach but only the heart, so my transplanted heart won't respond to the need for increases in heart rate as quickly as someone with their native heart. So, my guess would be a neurologist as they deal with nerves in general and since that nerve ties into a few different organs that would be my thought. have you by chance asked your PCP? that for me would be who I would ask for a recommendation. I am curios though are you experiencing heart related issues? or stomach?
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I had an autoimmune disorder, Giant Cell Arteritis, (GCA) which was not diagnosed for over a year. Over a period of a few months, I had 29 gagging attacks. Usually, they started at lunch time, I'd get a squiggly feeling behind my navel, the top of my head got very hot, then I would gag and get dry heaves. I also usually had diarrhea.
A doctor friend told me I probably was having vagus nerve attacks.
One of the solutions to a vagus nerve attack is to lie flat with feet elevated. If I heaved a lot, I was exhausted and debilitated for the day.
There are a number of people online offering exercises to reset the Vagus nerve. I did these a lot. I also read Dr. Stephen Porges book, about the Polyvagal Theory, which he developed. He is a Psychologist and Neuroscientist. You can find information about his theory and interviews with him online. here's a link:
https://www.polyvagalinstitute.org/whatispolyvagaltheory
After a while the attacks subsided and I was treated for the GCA with steroids. The attacks stopped and have not returned, but they were horrible. I've never seen them listed as a symptom for GCA either.
Good luck. I hope you can get some relief.