Vagus Nerve Involvement with Lyme Disease

[sf_mom]

The vagus nerve (also called the tenth cranial nerve) is the longest cranial nerve and one of the most complex nerves in the human body.

 

It originates in the medulla oblongara (part of the brain stem) and travels to the pharynx (throat), larynx (voice box), trachea (windpipe), lungs, heart, esophagus, and intestinal tract to the transverse portion of the colon.

 

Disease that cause neuropathy, like Lyme disease and diabetes, can damage the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve activates muscles in your throat, which are vital to a healthy gag reflex, coughing, vomiting, swallowing, and the ability to speak.

 

It also acts like a brake on the heart, slowing down the heart rate. Impairment may result in heart palpitations or tachycardia (fast heart rate). Depth and frequency of breathing as well as blood pressure are also regulated through the vagus nerve.

 

The abdominal branches regulate the stomach, pancreas, small intestine, large intestine, and colon. The vagus nerve also affects the kidneys and gallbladder and stimulates liver functions.

 

Once treatment has begun with antibiotics, most patients with vagus nerve involvement report an improvement in symptoms.

 

Common Symptoms Caused by Vagus Nerve Impairment in Lyme Disease.

 

• Hoarseness
  
• Slurred speech
  
• Vomiting
  
• Palpitations or tachycardia
  
• Shortness of breath
  
• High blood pressure
  
• Difficulty swallowing
  
• Gag reflux
  
• GI motility dysfunction
  
• Diarrhea
  
• Frequency of Urination
  

 

Article originally appeared in a regular issue of the Lyme Times Fall/Winter 2005 by Dr. Rhee

[PacificMama]

Thanks for posting this -- the symptoms you posted are often found in lyme. I know different kids/people who had the difficulty swallowing/gag reflux.

 

When my older daughter first became symptomatic -- she was not yet 3 -- her most defining symptom was great pain in her facial/jaw area. She would say a million times a day how much she hurt. It was unbearable, and we were in a panic running her all around to every specialist imaginable. My mother-in-law (in denial of her own lyme) had been diagnosed with Trigeminal Neuralgia -- which is dysfunction of the 5th cranial nerve. It is an excruciating pain, and this is what we at first thought my daughter might have. Of course, we eventually got the positive lyme test, and began abx treatment (by this time, my daughter had evolved into a massive list of symptoms). The facial pain saw immediate improvement, and slowly dissipated thereafter over the course of several months. When it did we knew we were on the way to symptom-free!

 

But yes, these nerves can be affected a great deal.

[sf_mom]

It was like a light bulb went of in my head when I read it last night. We are dealing with frequent urination again and I have had this symptom myself. I am always relieved to get some explanation for what 'might' be going on.

 

-WEndy

[MichaelTampa]

I'm also interested to see frequent urination and trouble swallowing on there, as those have been issues with me, along with some others. Some here may remember great lengths of discussion there was on the TS board in the spring/summer of 2009 regarding curing TS with a device to adjust the jaw, similar to how TMJ is treated. The theory was that this allows the trigeminal nerve, another important one, to not be aggravated, when correcting the location of how some of the bones have grown. These devices have really helped some people with TS a lot, basically eliminating painful and nonstop and exhausting tics.

 

I did get one of these devices in July 2009, and it immediately reduced my anxiety, so it was helpful. Apparently these nerves can be important! Looking at the situation with the lyme glasses now, I hear that TMJ issues with lyme patients are not at all uncommon, and of course these nerves are of the nature of tissue where the lyme bugs like to hang out. The adjustment that my device gives me is far beyond what anyone would suggest--indeed, far beyond what a TMJ dentist and a "natural" dentist would recommend in terms of lining things up the way they were "meant to be". But, I needed that adjustment at the time, the dentist who did it actually tested lesser adjustments and they were not nearly as good. I do still wear the device, but do now have hope that after the lyme treatment is done, I will not need this or any other adjustment. (And very glad I didn't follow up after 6 months by starting with a more permanent orthodontic solution! My perspective was that while it helped with some symptoms, I still had other severe ones, and so I didn't know that the adjustment was "right".)

[Betty04]

Thanks for posting this. I think this is very interesting as it may be one explanation of why vocal tics exist in kids with Lyme.

[sptcmom]

yes, I remember Dr Jones talking to us about this. DS has trigeminal and facial cranial nerve involvements as per dr J.

Thanks for posting Wendy. I love the info. I'll add it to my Lyme handout at work.

[tpotter]

WOW. This is very timely and interesting information. My husband has had 2 episodes of vagal nerve fainting...one a few years ago, that I had to call 911 (thought he had a heart attack or stroke,) and the other was after a heart catheterization a little over a week ago that caused him to stay an extra day in the hospital, have an extra test in the hospital instead of doing it outpatient, since he was there, anyway, and then get admitted for emergency heart surgery (yeah...he had open heart surgery this week, and it's been pretty stressful...that's putting it mildly.)

 

Anyway, he is diagnosed with Lyme (he's the only one in our family who actually tested 100% positive on the Quest WB, even though we are all being treated for it,) and when you add that to the list of symptoms (RA, that isn't responding to RA meds, a damaged mitral valve that caused the emergency surgery...I suspect maybe he also had undiagnosed ARF years ago,) this is all fitting together.

 

Interestingly, his nurse the other night mentioned that untreated LD can cause severe heart disease..symptoms mimic a blocked artery, but the arteries are all clear...never-the-less, heart failure.

 

I'm bringing this in to his heart surgeon and heart doctor tomorrow.

 

He's really struggling with his blood pressure right now, and keeps having atrial fibrillation. I wonder if all that is related, too.

 

Dr. B. (LLMD from MD) told him to stop taking all his meds and supplements prior to surgery, so he's not even being treated for it now.

[sf_mom]

Geez.... I sure hope your husband gets well soon. I can't even imagine what you are going through right now.

 

I don't know if you remember but our younger son has had nothing but heart problems: Aneurysm's due Kawasaki's, heart murmur... poor guy has been to cardiologist at least once a year since birth and he is three.

[sptcmom]

Well, lets look at it this way- those who are believers of ART muscle testing especially. The entire basis of ART is the autonomic nervous system. The Vagus nerve and its branches are what make up almost half of that. Vagus is the calming and regulating counterpart- parasympathetic. When there is a dysfunction of the parasympathetic system, the sympathetic nerves- the flight or fight reaction system- takes over. The body's internal organs ready themselves for a fight to save our life or running away to save our life situation. This "panic" attack happens in non major stress situations (driving during rush hour)is not fully controlled without the full strength counter reaction by the Vagus nerve which is damaged by Lyme or any other condition (MS for example).

 

The Vagus nerve and its counterpart the sympathetic nerves can change the internal environment of the body. They control the internal muscles- the Heart, bladder, tongue, throat, swallowing, stomach, colon, bladder, arteries, blood flow etc.When both systems are in balance then the body is regulated and not under stress or any stress has been effectively neutralized by a healthy autonomic nervous system.

When imbalance occurs you see panic attacks, anxiety, cold hands and feet, heart attacks even.

ART can detect these changes and what the causative agent is can be determined if being done by an effective practitioner.

 

The scariest part is that this system also regulates the Hormones. So hormonal imbalances are common in Lyme and coinfections. Also in any other chronic stress inducing illnesses and/or situations like Autism, job as an air traffic controller etc.