Hi everyone! Checking in with a potential weird symptom. My searches didn’t yield many results but I keep having what appears to be pseudo obstructions of my small bowel. I know Dr. Hackman said some have had gastro intestinal related issues due to the vagus nerve. Has anyone had severe gastrointestinal issues relieved from surgery? Or seen an research they want to share I’d be interested.
Right now Dr. Hackman and I been holding off on getting the other styloid removed until my gastro stuff is resolved but it seems theres no answer for my guts stopping other than dysmotility of an unknown cause. I plan to ask Dr. Hackman next week when I talk to him again, but I figured I’d ask everyone here too.
Do you think it is Gastroparesis? Its been talked about in the Eagles facebook group a decent amount. Seems to be connected to Vagus Nerve compression, I’m not sure I officially have it, but I have GI issues, should have both sides out by early February
Unfortunately I don’t know yet, the surgeon who has seen me through my obstructions in the hospital thinks it’s dysmotility - which would make sense with gastroparesis due to eagles, but he can’t diagnose or treat it because he’s a surgeon.
My gastro thinks I have a stricture somewhere but they haven’t been able to find it. I’ve done CT’s while in the hospital, colonoscopy, a pillcam - which between the two doctos is debateably stuck, and finally a MRI enterography which revealed foreign objects that could be a pill structure. My gastro thinks its the camera. According to my surgeon who X-rayed me post pillcam, theres no camera.
All I know is things keep getting stuck and stopping or the opposite if I’m lucky. I have to eat smooth foods or soft carbs or I get obstructed. It’d be great it it was all eagles.
Have you done the barium swallow? I probably have a stricture. My biggest problem is with bread if I don’t chew it up well. I ended up having to just puke it up with all the acid.
I was offered some of the things you have had including the pillcam. Glad I didn’t do that one. I did do a modified barium swallow. It would seem to me that it might show something if you did the full barium swallow.
The gold standard is sticking something down your throat which I declined.
A speech therapist did my modified barium swallow. She said I had Silent Reflux. I asked her about eagle syndrome. She had heard of it but denied that it could cause problems with that nerve. Of course, that was before I became much more educated about what can happen with Glossopharyngeal nerve.
I just did an MR enterography which is more detailed than a barium swallow. t’s similar you have to drink something but its not barium and you get an iv contrast as well, I was pretty amazed at how detailed it was.
@ectocake - Since I don’t know the difference between gastric dysmotility & gastroparesis I looked up their definitions & what can cause them. It turns out gastroparesis is a form of gastric dysmotility.
Here are links to a couple of scientific research articles that may be helpful though they aren’t written for the lay person to easily understand:
Below is an excerpt from the second link that includes mention of lack of vagal innervation as a contributor to the problem. I’ll add that lack of vagal innervation can come from irritation or compression of the vagus nerve which we know can be caused by a styloid or calcified stylohyoid ligament but those may not be the sole cause.
"Different pathophysiological processes may cause impaired intragastric distribution of food and delayed emptying of the stomach, and they include impaired fundic relaxation (or accommodation), antral hypomotility, and pylorospasm. Impaired stomach accommodation due to a lack of extrinsic vagal or nitrergic [innervation](Innervation - an overview | ScienceDirect Topics)
They’re sending me for an X-ray to confirm it’s the pill cam first. The general surgeon will do surgery if it is, but he really thinks its dysmotility and one of my current medications getting stuck.
I’m more concerned about what it means if it’s not the pill cam.
Thanks for rounding those up! It’s so strange because I’ve always had the opposite problem for my guts to just stop working. If it’s eagles I feel like thats an easier answer then unexplained dysmotility.
I have not had surgery as of yet. I have severe gastro issues. Severely, constipated and my anal sphincter is not working as well as my Lower esophageal sphincter. I am in a lot of pain with bloating and constipation and cramping. Hepworth told me my vagus nerve is compressed on imaging, more so on left and it is related to digestive issues. Its compressed at the medial jugular foramen, but more on the left.
I am having a pill cam done!! I believe its the pill endoscopy they call it. My xray will be done 24 hours after I swallow the pill with the little camera.
I believe it was the CT angiogram of head and neck. I guess, it is quite pronounced. Sarah, his NP told me he literally called her into his office to show it to her from my imaging. I think his background in engineering makes him extremely analytical and detailed.
I have had a CTA of the head and neck and put it through Radiant viewer. I will have to go back and look and see if I can figure out where he was looking.
At least I have had a test that might show it when a Doctor knows what to look for. Although, I am not sure that is the right test. I thought it didn’t show nerves.
It’s a bit scary that the pill cam can get stuck in the gut, but I guess if there is a dysmotility issue, it could affect the passing of the camera, too, no matter how small it is. I hope you don’t have a camera stuck in your intestinal tract, @ectocake!
So have I. Flunked the title table test. So I am expecting vagus nerve problems. Just have to prove it. That is why I am pushing so hard for a 3d Ciss but I have to built the case for getting it.
Here is what google says on where to find vagus nerve
" On a CTA (computed tomography angiography), you can find the vagus nerve in the neck region, within the carotid sheath, where it runs alongside the internal jugular vein and the common carotid artery, positioned posteriorly between them; essentially, look for a nerve structure located in the space between the carotid artery and the internal jugular vein in the neck area on the scan."