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maybe its not the trigimenal nerve but the vagus


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anyone try a good antacid .. like Zantac 150 or chew on some tums when an attack hits ?  I found a single reference that Cluster headache sufferers also seem to sufer from reflux. I know my son does and since he takes tums now when he feels the reflux he hasnt had a headache.  if your chronic though I would go for the Zantac first thing out of bed in the morning and and hour before going to bed.  worth a try isnt it ?

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isnt anything worth a try ?? you talk about lemonaide needed for your cocktail.  Did you know that acidic things like lemonaide and pickle juice and apple cider vinegar are used to combat acid reflux ? why ? because reflux isnt caused by to much acid its caused by to little. the valve that closes stopping acid from comming up our throats is triggered by the acid in our stomach. if the acid content is not sufficient then the valve stays open allowing backflow.  the lemonaide you recommend would cause the valve to shut stopping the reflux.. honestly i have seen the pain of cluster headaches first hand. trying something unthought of is what this site is about isnt it ??  nothing ventured nothing gained.   

anyway ,, try it or dont.  its not like I didnt offer a suggestion.

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If I remember correct the majority of serotonin is created in the gut and for some this may be beneficial. Serotonin being the big player in our affliction.

Like all things it can be neutralized or magnified with citric acids[ie; lemonade] which are good for some and a killer for others.

Serotonin can be blocked with CBs in the brain and/or the production or travel of serotonin in the gut could maybe be slowed with the use of calcium carbonate an antacid.

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omeprazole is a PPI  (proton pump inhibitor) .. try Zantac which is H2 (Histimine) Blocker and I have read that Histimine plays a part in cluster headaches.. also TUMS which nutralizes the acid.. I would try these other 2 to see if any change.

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I do not dispute your theory. I just am not so inclined to try one thing or another on top of what is going on now. :-/ Similar to detoxing I would not go for other tecniques or trials,mixing and throwing whatever comes up as to avoid perhaps an aggrivation of the attacks or counterindications to present therapy.  :o I do commend your zeal in self study and passing on your knowedge and theory. ;)

bb

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Thanks for the post.

I eat lots of Tums and the occasional Rolaid. It does not help me.

Omeprazole twice a day. Zantac sucks. >:(

BTW: For some, that 'little valve' is faulty. Fairly common in infants, but should go away before adulthood. Not for all of us though. :( Heartburn bites the big one. >:(

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Very interesting to me, didgens!

I'm a chronic.  I've used the busting methods for 2 years now & although I do usually enjoy about 10 days pain free (or mostly pf), the attacks return, and I do another treatment.  What I've also been doing for about 2 years is going to a cranial-sacrum massage therapist.  She repeatedly has said to me "Cindy, your Vagus nerve is quite tangled".

I've had severe heartburn for many years.

I've been aware of the too little acid as a causation for heartburn for some time now.  I've supplemented with pineapple, vinegar and of course my favorite Paul Newman's Lemonade....to go along with busting :)  I've definitely noticed a dramatic drop in heartburn issues.

I look at myself as a whole entity.  I do believe everything is interrelated.  Directly and indirectly.  It can't not be, IMHO. 

So recently, knowing the Vagus nerve shows signs of knotting (via massage therapist), agreeing with you again didgens about histamines playing a role in CH, I've added one promethezine tablet to my nightly bedtime routine and have been sleeping soundly (without busting again).

Promethezine is a mega anti-histamine (think Dramamine on steroids) usually given as an anti-nausea medication for migrainers.  I'm thrilled that this is working for me.  Glad you shared!

As a side thought, I'd like to also share that I went to yet another Neuro appointment last week. Relationships of all our internal systems as causation of being a cluster headache patient came up. Except what I'd asked her about was hormonal imbalance. I shared that I'd read of many CH men who had low testosterone and that for some, hormone replacement had seemed to work.  She asked me if I had any other "hormone" related issues.  Fair question I thought.  And although I'm in full menopause, I had to answer, "no".

That conversation did turn a little light on in my head though relating to the heartburn, Vagus nerve (in tangles,lol) and the histamine intolerance that I know I have.......

Thoroughly pleased to have found your thread.  And, in this same manner I'm digesting my neuro's departing analogy......in fact to me it is curiouser and curiouser! She said....."There are thousands of paths one can take effecting human biological existence.  Most likely hundreds of combinations to finally meet all the requirements to being a cluster headache diagnosed patient."

If I can effect any one of these paths just enough to altar this existence.....I"M IN!

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  • 1 year later...

one of my problems is with my stomach and acid. it causes such problems with my vagus nerve that my neck and sholders are in consant knots.  My loss of hormones have caused a reduction of stomach seratonin that when i take a very small ammount of benzodiazapine everything relaxes and lets go.  I just know that as a GERD patient my doctor tells me to sleep with my bed slightly elevated with bricks because the acid will come up my thorat in my sleep (which will wake me up about an hour after falling asleep) ,, so back when i first started reading here i wondered,, i see so many who sleep in a recliner ? I just wondered if it wasnt the acid aggitating the vagus nerve which touches the stomach, heart, intestines and on and on.

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I had terrible heartburn yesterday, only get it once in a while, not with acid reflux, only severe pain rising from my stomach up with my oesophagus to my jaw, always on the right side, had nothing in the house, drank a bit of lemon juice and it helped.

After reading that art on Zap the wonder nerve, I remembered buying a device after I was diagnosed with CH. It is called "AdvanTeq" and give electric chocks. Back then I used it on my temples but it did zero to the CH. Wearing it since this morning, but on my neck, over the vagus nerve, and I must say there is a difference!!! My CH is terrible at the moment, was waken 4 times last night, will see how it goes tonight!!!

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I wore the device from 10am yesterday morning, didn't really know where to put the electrodes, was busy working and didn't had the time to think, but the normal 10am one was a bid bad, so I just placed it at the back of my neck, and it helped. When the 12:30 one started I put it on again. The rest of the day I felt almost like dancing! But it was short lived!

My hits are normally plus minus every 2 and half hours. The 9pm one was worse and the device made no difference. The 11pm one was bad again and I had to use O2. Lately the O2 isn't working so well anymore, but although I was hit every hour last night, which was more often than normal, the O2 plus device aborted it after 5 min every time, but I'm very sleep deprived lately, and did not stay on the O2 longer, just topped over and slept again, suppose that is why it was every hour.

After a bit of anatomy study I put the electrodes now on the front of neck between the oesophagus and trachea, the N vagus is nearest to the skin there I think. But today I didn't feel like dancing again, will see how tonight goes!! 

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I have severe GERD. I have even had prior surgery for GERD.   I have been taking a PPI in the morning and Zantac in the evening for years.  Unfortunately this does nothing for my chronic clusters.  Zantac is an H2 blocker and drugs like promethazine block both H1 and H2 and also affect dopamine receptors.

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I completely wrote this off at first but maybe there is something to it....

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15658944

Looks like there is a study on this that is currently looking for participants if anyone is interested.  By what I read it sounds like you would have to give up busting for a while though...

http://clinicaltrials.gov/show/NCT01792817

-Ricardo

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Last night was much better, only the normal one an hour after falling asleep and the 3am one, did not activate the device during the night, but O2 worked every time!!

Had only little bit of time to do some researching about gammacore, think this device is more or less the same and it is hands free, perhaps I put it on for too long at a time????

What I have noticed is that my irritable bowl syndrome symptoms are much better!!! Even if it only works for that, I will keep on using it!!!

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