Vagus Nerve Stimulation

Posted , 3 users are following.

I have had Ectopic beats, mostly accompanied with a tight, contracting feeling in my stomach.

Sometimes, I feel okay; the, all of a sudden, I am thrown into the nightmare situation of irregular beats, and they just go on and on.

It doesn't matter how often it happens, each episode is terrifying, and also makes me feel angry - probably because the level of fear is so intense.

I am not in good health but can cope well with most of my symptoms, but when the irregular beat kicks off, I freak out.

Two weeks ago, I drank some Diet Coke, which seemed to trigger the ectopics. Once they kicked in, everything I ate or drank made it worse.

I had a few days' break, then they suddenly started again. I a. not 'blipping' now, but I know it will return at any moment since I still have the tight feeling in my stomach.

Whenever I have spoken to the doctor or gone to A & E, they have told me that nothing serious has happened. I a. not reassured by this, since the symptoms are so gross.

It seems that the only ones who understand what it is like, and the devastating impact that it has on your life, are those whose lives are complicated by this awful problem.

Can anyone tell me if their feelings are similar to mine and what helps you to cope with it, mentally and emotionally.

I really am experiencing incapacitating terror at the moment.

Thank you for reading this. I a. sorry that it is so long and disjointed.

0 likes, 2 replies

2 Replies

  • Posted

    Everyone is different but anxiety as you know makes things much worse. Sometimes ectopics seem to have a trigger but often they just come out of the blue.

    So trying to keep calm is key-no matter how difficult that may be. It is also useful to physically try to do something to mitigate the ectopics.

    The post is headed vagus nerve stimulation and I do believe this is key. Have you tried clenching your stomach hard? Have you tried burping many times? In that respect a fizzy non caffeine drink will help.

    Humming for 5 minutes is good stimulation. I think trying to do something helps mentally and emotionally as you are trying to take change.

    Unfortunately I think ectopics is a forgotten branch of medicine with few doctors taking it seriously. The trouble is that ectopics often disappear as soon as they put an ecg on you-which does suggest they are related to anxiety and once you are in a medical environment the anxiety lessens

  • Posted

    The more stressed we become the greater the heart rate. Nervousness causes greater nervousness. Break the habit.

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