r/VagusNerve

- Stimulating the vagus nerve after practice helped mice retain a new skill. This nerve carries signals between the brain and internal organs.
- The benefit showed up later. Mice practiced an eye-movement task. Stimulation afterward improved learning over subsequent days, suggesting it helped the brain make the learning stick.
- Brain blood vessels may play a role. Stimulation caused rhythmic changes in local blood volume. Mice with stronger rhythms generally learned better, although this does not prove those changes caused the improvement.
- The method used an implanted electrode around a nerve in the neck. The study did not test breathing exercises or consumer vagus-nerve devices.
- It’s an early finding in mice. Whether the same approach improves learning in people remains to be established.

(Personal note: I own a vagus nerve stimulator and it definitely helps put me to sleep and also helps reduce migraines. I’ll be using it more often after seeing this article)

I am 31, F. Almost 2 years postpartum. Last July, I began having sleep disturbances which have led me down a path of diagnostics for over a year. I have been to the hospital 3x in the last year. Last July, I woke within 30 minutes of falling asleep with a racing heart, dizziness, pulsating/vibration in my abdomen, full body shaking and feeling that I'm going to die, not just impending doom. The first time it happened, I immediately ran to the shower and jumped into it freezing cold. It increased from there, 1-2 times weekly. When Christmas rolled around, I was eating all the things and it kicked off. From there, I decided to go GF (not completely, about 95%). My issues improved, it would happen maybe once a month (maybe when i accidentally ate gluten but never paid attention). Fast forward to this summer, I end up with gastritis, esophagitis, etc. I go to GI and they want me to gluten challenge for my upcoming endoscopy (I am being check for inflammatory bowel disease and the CT w/contrast was to r/o pancreatitis/appendicitis and not related to my sleep issues). 2-3 days into the challenge, they began again. It is now nightly. I am terrified to go to sleep. I decided to see an integrative medicine doc who thinks the gluten may be triggering a parasympathetic response by inflaming the vagus nerve. I feel like an absolute nut job. Nobody but her has taken me seriously. I have been to cardiology - my heart monitor showed SVT and possibly A-tach during these episodes. I was cleared and given PRN propranolol which i will take if I can't get my HR down during an episode. I had a sleep study, showed mild sleep apnea (8 events of hypopnea per hour i believe it was). I have had every lab under the sun, all normal except elevated fecal calprotectin (288). I have had a CT w/contrast, abdominal ultrasound for the pulsating - nothing. Where do I go from here or what kind of specialist? Its ruining my life. Outside of this, I do have autoimmune symptoms, hair loss, fatigue, severe joint pain, brain fog (have been experiencing these symptoms since 2022). All labs, including thyroid appear normal. Any insight is helpful, I'm at a loss. The symptoms are same as above, racing heart, shaking, dizziness and sometimes black spots and feeling like I could pass out - always within 30 minutes of falling asleep. If I go to sleep and wake up at say 1am and go back to sleep, it doesn't happen. Just the initial. I should add that when I am falling asleep, I do have visual hallucinations sometimes but I am aware that I am awake.

Health history -

GI problems (bloating, intermittent diarrhea) had endo in 2013, PCOS (on spironolactone and metformin since 2018) - not your traditional PCOS, normal periods and got pregnant easily. High DHEA sulfate (still in the 500's despite medication).

Current meds since symptoms - histamine support, Boswellia for GI, liquid GABA/l-theanine and a natural sleep aid (neither of which are helping). The only thing that knocks me out enough to not experience and episode is wine, which obviously i'm not going to drink wine every day but it's tempting.

*another side note, I have breast implants (2020). That's the last piece I'm exploring but did consult a surgeon and got a price for a complete capsulectomy. My integrative medicine doc doesn't think it's my implants and thinks its dietary because some of my symptoms began in 2017. Not the sleep part though and that is my main concern.

I’ve never focused too much on my vague nerve, but I’m just now realizing that it is probably a root cause of many issues I deal with. I have ME/CFS, vasovagal syncope, and IBS. I’ve been dealing with these issues for several years now. I have had periods of remission though where I feel normal. Currently now I feel the worst I’ve ever felt again. When I was at my worst I had frequent trips to the ER and ended up in a mental hospital. I feel that same way again. I got a whole list of symptoms from stress and panic, bloating, stomach pain, lightheadedness, restlessness, heart palpitations and more.

I’m unsure of the root cause. If it could be gut dysbiosis from me eating unhealthy recently. Or maybe a CFS crash because I overworked myself. Or maybe related to back pain I’ve been having. I think my vagus nerve is inflamed. I feel a burning sensation and fullness feeling in my lower neck and upper stomach. I also have a very tender back of my neck and upper back. I also had a slight increase to one of my SSRI’s I’m unsure if that would do anything.

I am currently struggling a lot and I’m asking if there is anything to help with the symptoms. I’ve read about humming and breathing exercises, but I haven’t noticed a huge difference when doing them. It has only been a few days since my symptoms have returned though. I’m trying my best to stay positive, but it is very difficult. I’m also trying to do things I find enjoyable, but I’m having little enjoyment doing them and find that they can be difficult to do due to lightheadedness and physical discomfort. The last time I felt like this it took several months for me to recover to feel close to a baseline, and it was the darkest period of my life by far. I’m unsure if I’m strong enough to make it through that again. I really could use some help and relief.