Tight throat-Vagus nerve

[Lara]

Hi all, I am having a tight throat (dysphagia) again these days and I am reading about it and the connection to the Vagus nerve. So I just want to ask all of you, what you know about it. This is one part of what I was reading and thought was interesting:

Vagus Nerve:
Although all of the cranial nerves are important, one nerve deserves special attention. The vagus nerve (cranial nerve X) serves a much larger portion of the body than the others. It affects many body functions that are beyond conscious control. Branches of the vagus innervate muscles of the pharynx, larynx, respiratory tract, heart, esophagus, and parts of the abdominal viscera. Therefore, the vagus nerve has reflex control of heart rate, sneezing, hunger, secretions from glands in the stomach, and constrictions within the respiratory tract. It is also involved in sympathetic and parasympathetic responses. For this reason, it is called “the wanderer.”

That comfirmes some of the things, I have been thinking alot about since my last tight throat (and related stuff) in sept-oct. Because about the same time I had tight throat, my sneezing change the way that I could not control it (used to sneeze with closed mouth, but at that time my mouth and tongue was all over the place when I sneezed), but I donīt have that now, also I sometimes felt like I had GERD (witch I donīt have) without laying flat- I also have some of that now. It was a feeling like everything was open down there.

At the same time sep-oct (about) I was waking up one night, not being able to breath in (like that pipe was closed) and I was just coughing. I sure now that this was all connected the vagus nerve was not working right and many muscles were just not working right because of it. At this time I was also checking my BP and it was very low, just as it is now when I am feeling the tight throat again.

Please tell me your thoughts of this.

[kellygrn]

Sleep Study?

I haven't had one done myself but my dad had many done. He now can sleep thru the night without his heart shutting down.

I have had my esophagus stretched before. Made things easier but didn't last long.

KK

[poohb3ar]

i've had vocal and throat problems, but had never heard of this nerve.

bless your heart that you're going thru all this. i have no other information to contribute.

but i will keep you in my thoughts and prayers

take care and may God bless ya!

[MSW1963]

Lara, I'm not sure my sx's are related to the vagus nerve, but it mine is, it would explain a lot. I have throat issues, mostly vocal weakness, blood presure, etc.

Wondering on what basis it is determined that the Vagus Nerve is involved in one's MS sx's?

Would it be sx's alone or the presence of a lesion, inflamation?

Hope you feel better soon and I find the vagus nerve info fancinating, thanks.

[rdmc]

Wondering on what basis it is determined that the Vagus Nerve is involved in one's MS sx's.
Would it be sx's alone or the presence of a lesion, inflamation?
Hope you feel better soon and I find the vagus nerve info fascinating, thanks.

. Your lower cranial nerves, IX, X, XI, and XII (vagus being included) can be affected by lesions in the medulla, as can autonomic systems such as breathing, heart function, BP, etc. Swallowing, hoarseness, and speech can also affected by lesion/lesions there. the medulla is relatively small, so even small lesions in that area can cause issues

Talk to your neuro. If he thinks there's an issue they can order an MRI to specifically look for problems with the lower cranial nerves.

[MSW1963]

rdmc, thanks for the info. Love my neuro for the devoted scientist and caring physician he is, but he's not the most forthcoming with info.

During a recent clinical exam he mentioned that my ?lower motor neuron? sx has improved based on hand tapping test, seems my legs no longer move when flipping & tapping my hands. Like the moron I felt like at the moment, I sort-a laughed at hearing the good news because I wasn't aware of it to begin with.

When I think I've formulate a question just so, the answers are brief & vague, and I'm not sure if I phrase the question properly or if his vague, brief statment is intentional. I don't press the issue because I've seen my share of misogynist creep neuro/ms docs and this one is respectful, caring and highly qualified. He allows for long office visits for all patients and I'm sure he has some with more urgent needs than my own. I'll have to work on a vagus nerve question for my up coming visit this month.

I have problems with both arms, hands & fingers, intermitent paralysis that resolved, painful to hot and cold temps. Although I don't have a MRI lesion at the C-spine to explain the problems with my arms, based on my clinical exam my ms neuro dx'd it? based on the sx's & clinical presentation that are consistent with a c-spine ms lesion despite non on film.

Lara, didn't intend to hijack you post! Hope you find answers and feel better soon. I have breathing problems, nothing amps up anxiety like the 'hug' feeling in my torso and constricted breathing that follows.

[Lara]

Thank you all for your comments!
I donīt think I need a sleep study, because most often I just sleep through the night.
rdmc: thank you for your additional info, now I am reading more about the medulla .
msw1963: Itīs just great to have a little "conversation" about this, thatīs how we learn

[jcrain9663]

Lara,

The person in question is often not the best judge of whether they need a sleep study. I know I wasn't. When my doctor recommended one several years ago, I declined, thinking he was crazy. Then I started having all kinds of memory problems, lots of 'migraines', made lots of mistakes at work to the point where I was about to get fired, and generally just felt crappy. This time my neuro insisted I have a sleep study. I expected to find out I was normal, so I was blown away when it turned out I stopped breathing 68 times an hours for at least 10 seconds (that's more than once every minutes), my oxygen rate was dipping well below 80, and I was getting no stage 4 sleep.

Now that I'm on cpap, I feel 100 times better, and am doing much better at work. Interestingly enough, I thought I slept 'fine' before, although I considered myself a light sleeper. Now I sleep through our worst thunderstorms that work wake everyone else in the house!

Sometimes people with MS do have problems breathing deeply enough, particularly when asleep. The fact that you have awakened choking is a classic symptom of both sleep apnea, and your body's effort to wake you because your oxygen saturation was too low.

Jody

[Lara]

Thank you Jody for your input, I will keep it in the back of my head. But my hubby has never noticed anything and I sleep with my mouth closed, once I read that this happens when mouth is open?

Anyway my throat is bothering me SO much today, so I am just focusing on that right now. This only night that I woke up not being able to breath in, it happened last time I had those throat issues. Nothing like that has happened now, but I will ask my doctor about it next time, if he thinks that I should do a sleep study. Thank you for caring .