Vagus nerve(s)/Images

[Guest guest]

Carolyn wrote:

.... The Vagus Nerve bundle, the longest in the body

leaves the spine at C3 or C4 (neck) ...

This has come up before but I don't see that the vagus is ever in the

spine. Do you mean it leaves from following along the spine? The spine

leaves the skull through the foramen magnum and the vagus leaves the

skull through the jugular foramen (jugular canal) and immediately

branches, some going out away from the spine and others continue along

the spine branching a little lower down (C3, C4) and then branching

throughout the chest and abdomen. .

For those that would like to know more, see:

http://www.instantanatomy.net/diagrams/HN127.jpg

http://www.medicalook.com/systems_images/Vagus_nerves.jpg

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4b/Gray793.png

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Gray806.png

http://www.biochemsoctrans.org/bst/034/1037/bst0341037f01.htm?resolution=HIGH

http://www.neuroanatomy.wisc.edu/virtualbrain/Images/08B.jpg

notan

[Guest guest]

Thanks for the info Notan! I am still trying to figure out what the

source is of all my symptoms. If you will recall I was having some

reflux issues, some spasms and swallowing issues. Then I began having

tingling, prickling and weakness in both legs and then achiness

sometimes in my calves. I have had pain across the buttocks. I have

been having a dizzy feeling daily and sometimes a little pressure

feeling in my head. This can be sitting, standing or when walking.

Sometimes I feel so weak and sometimes I have a pain in the center of

my chest. All this is very worrisome and sometimes very hard to deal

with. I finally got insurance and went to see a GI doctor. I had a

Barrium Swallow and an Upper GI, the results were that there was no

sign of reflux, hiatal hernia, no areas of stenosis, no mass

identified, and the esophagus appears structurally normal. The tablet

did hold up in the esophagus for 10-12 seconds but the Radiologist

said he did not see any narrowing that area of the esophagus. They

found a very tiny Zenker's diverticulum. I took all the info. to a

Thoracic Surgeon who says there is nothing to be concerned about and

I may have spasms causing the swallowing problems and pain. This I

already know because I was diagnosed a few years ago with DES.

Anyway, he says that the esophagus is not the root cause of the

symptoms I am having. He and my GI doctor suggested I see a

Neurologist which I have been. I also had my cardiologist perform a

stress echo. The EKG came back abnormal but he said the pictures of

the sonogram show that my heart is squeezing normally. He said for

now he will wait until the neurologist conducts his tests before he

does any further testing. I have a friend who has an 11 year son with

neuropathy issues. His EKG is also abnormal wonder why this is.

Anyway, the Neurologist has performed an EMG-nerve conduction test

and said the outer nerves and muscles appear fine. A couple of days

ago I had an ENG-which is a test for dizziness, I have not gotten the

results back. I am going Wednesday for an MRI of the brain and then

he is going to do a series of MRI's working down the spine. I am so

confused over all of this. I don't understand how all these symptoms

could be tying in together. I now believe it has something to do with

my spine/nerves. I have not had any accidents and there shouldn't be

any issues with discs, etc. I only know I have a degenerative disc at

the C5-6 with nerve irritation. Anyway it is not affecting just one

area. Could it be possible that this is related to the vagus nerve

since you said it runs down along the spine branching throughout the

stomach and chest? Can MRI's detect a problem with the vagus

nerve/spine? I just don't understand how this could be affecting my

head now with a dizzy sensation and then all the way down by back to

my calves and then affecting my stomach, esophagus and possibly my

heart.

[Guest guest]

kare4266 wrote:

> ...Could it be possible that this is related to the vagus nerve

> since you said it runs down along the spine branching throughout the

> stomach and chest? Can MRI's detect a problem with the vagus

> nerve/spine?

I don't see how the vagus could effect the legs. MRIs can detect a lot

of things, and may find issues unrelated to what you are looking for.

Mostly they look for changes in tissue structure. If there is some

change near the nerves or brain that shouldn't be there it could be

suspect. You know we all get moles, warts and bumps on our skin. You

also grow a number of cysts and things in your insides. These show up in

MRIs and generally are no more important than a wart, but often need to

be followed-up on to make sure. So, don't freak out when you see the

findings. They are often worded so that it sounds like cancer or

something when it isn't.

I had a CT for kidney stones. No, more stones, but of course it found

other things. This lead to another CT. Which lead to an MRI and

ultrasound, which lead to another CT. So far all but one thing has been

shown to be nothing. That last thing will have to watched for a few

years before we know if it is nothing.

This is one reason insurance companies fear letting patients have MRIs

and CTs. They can lead to very expensive fishing trips with little to

show for it all.

notan

[Guest guest]

I truly don't understand all the symptoms I am having but somehow I

think they are tied into each other. Tonight I am having issues with

my esophagus again. I don't understand how the Barrium came back

negative especially after the pill got stuck in my throat. I tryed to

tell him that I have swallowing issues and sometimes the food does

not go down easily just like the pill. But the radiologist insisted

that he did not see any narrowing or anything that would be of

concern. The Thoracic Surgeon says it can be from spasms and wants to

have my GI do the Monometry test. But right now I am more worried

about the dizzy sensations and other symptoms I am having. I just

hope that with the tests they are running they will figure it out

soon.

Orlando, Florida

> > ...Could it be possible that this is related to the vagus nerve

> > since you said it runs down along the spine branching throughout

the

> > stomach and chest? Can MRI's detect a problem with the vagus

> > nerve/spine?

>

> I don't see how the vagus could effect the legs. MRIs can detect a

lot

> of things, and may find issues unrelated to what you are looking

for.

> Mostly they look for changes in tissue structure. If there is some

> change near the nerves or brain that shouldn't be there it could be

> suspect. You know we all get moles, warts and bumps on our skin.

You

> also grow a number of cysts and things in your insides. These show

up in

> MRIs and generally are no more important than a wart, but often

need to

> be followed-up on to make sure. So, don't freak out when you see

the

> findings. They are often worded so that it sounds like cancer or

> something when it isn't.

>

> I had a CT for kidney stones. No, more stones, but of course it

found

> other things. This lead to another CT. Which lead to an MRI and

> ultrasound, which lead to another CT. So far all but one thing has

been

> shown to be nothing. That last thing will have to watched for a few

> years before we know if it is nothing.

>

> This is one reason insurance companies fear letting patients have

MRIs

> and CTs. They can lead to very expensive fishing trips with little

to

> show for it all.

>

> notan

>