Hope all turns out OK Solrage! One item that concerns me is that you also mentioned a shooting pain down the left arm....did you mention that to the doc? I was wondering if GERD would cause that particular effect?
Vaping and Heart Problems; Urgent!
- Thread starter Solrage
- Start date
- th_trl_thread_readers 0
- Status
Update: I did some research on esophageal spasms and it was mentioned that there has been success treating them with anticholinergics that target the M3 muscarinic receptors. Unfortunately, the only medicine I could find that targets that one specifically is for incontinence, but many target all of them, including OTC Dramamine and Benadryl. I had some Dramamine on hand so I've been taking it the past few days with good success. No major attacks.
It's very possible the vaping could've played a part, as nicotine imitates acetylcholine, which is an agonist for all muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. One source I read said that a possible cause is an imbalance between nitric oxide (which relaxes the esophagus; probably produced by the M3 muscarinic receptor which controls smooth muscle contractions) and acetylcholine, which nicotine imitates. I may try some zero-nicotine e-juice and see if that helps, though I didn't notice much difference between the 3mg and 12mg ejuice I had. My only wonder is: if that was the cause, then why has it continued for over a week after I stopped vaping? Seems logical that if the vaping started it, stopping vaping would've stopped it, as nicotine doesn't stay in your system very long.
It's very possible the vaping could've played a part, as nicotine imitates acetylcholine, which is an agonist for all muscarinic and nicotinic receptors. One source I read said that a possible cause is an imbalance between nitric oxide (which relaxes the esophagus; probably produced by the M3 muscarinic receptor which controls smooth muscle contractions) and acetylcholine, which nicotine imitates. I may try some zero-nicotine e-juice and see if that helps, though I didn't notice much difference between the 3mg and 12mg ejuice I had. My only wonder is: if that was the cause, then why has it continued for over a week after I stopped vaping? Seems logical that if the vaping started it, stopping vaping would've stopped it, as nicotine doesn't stay in your system very long.
Funnily enough, I'm fine at night. Over the last week I've noticed a pattern in that I only get it after I eat my mid-day meal and after I start to relax in my recliner to watch TV. I'm fine at night and in bed, even when I eat before bed, which is strange if the cause is GERD.
What meds did the doctor give you? I've been on Zantac (150mg twice daily) for a week and it didn't seem to be doing much. You can read my general update up top.
Yes, I mentioned that to both the ER doctor and my doctor and neither were too concerned after looking at my EKG. Apparently, esophageal spasms (which might be caused by GERD, or perhaps vice-versa; nothing is conclusive) imitate heart-attacks down to the pain radiating to the back, arms, and/or neck. Pretty much everything I read, though, said that heart-attack symptoms won't change if you change positions, and I've noticed that my "attacks" stop almost immediately if I stand up for a while and/or drink warm water, so between that and my EKG it's probably GERD/esophagus related.
Thanks. Quick Google Search shows it's a PPI. My doctor said that would be the next step if the Zantac didn't work, but I think my problem is less GERD and more esophageal spasms, though the two might be related. Still, it's unclear if the former causes the latter, or even vice versa. Information is unfortunately sketchy and sparse.
I know it sure worked like magic for me. I hope you find something that works for you.
PPIs are great as long as you don't STAY on them too long. Long term side effects can be nasty. Wishing you all good luck...
Thanks.
Yeah, I've heard that they can be bad to be on long-term, which is one reason I'm leery of getting on them to start. I've also heard that GERD tends to come right back after you stop. At this point, I'm also really doubting whether the problem is acid, because the Zantac doesn't seem to be doing anything and the Dramamine is really helping.PPIs are great as long as you don't STAY on them too long. Long term side effects can be nasty. Wishing you all good luck...
Speaking as a person who's taken high doses (100-200mg every night) of Dramamine (dimenhydrinate) for more than 30 yrs... if dramamine helps, that's great, and you can take it pretty much indefinitely, without nasty side effects.
I don't have the type of issues you're discussing; however I have suffered extreme anxiety most of my life, and at night is when the effects of it affect me the worst -- inability to sleep, mostly, but then the increasing anxiety over *that* brings on nausea -- which dramamine treats! 100-200mg also bring on sufficient sleepiness than I don't suffer the inability to sleep, *usually*. It's a better sleep-aid than benadryl/sominex because it causes "heavy eyelids", whereas benadryl/sominex just kinda puts you in a fog.
You can buy generic dimenhydrinate at Walmart for $4.37/100 tablets; it's just as good as name-brand Dramamine and not nearly as costly. Right beside the Dramamine.
Andria
Lately I've been taking 100mg in the evening before I go to sit in my recliner and watch tv, and then may take another 50mg 4-5 hours later if I feel it wearing off. That's great to hear about it not having any long-term effects.
My problem certainly isn't anxiety related. The first thing I tried was Robitussin long-acting cough with 30mg of Dextromethorphan, which is also an anticholinergic (like Dramamine), except it works on the nicotinic receptors instead of the muscarinic. It definitely relaxed me, but did nothing for the attacks. So whatever I have seems related to a problem with those muscarinic receptors. I've never had any problem sleeping either, especially taking morphine for migraines.
Thanks for the heads-up on the Walmart brand. Last time I bought Dramamine it was from Amazon and there weren't very many tablets. I'm also about out, so I'll pick up some Walmart brand.
PPIs are great as long as you don't STAY on them too long. Long term side effects can be nasty. Wishing you all good luck...
So much this. I took mine (Nexium) for two weeks, then a month off. After a while, the rebound reflux you get after the two weeks slows down. Also, I don't take them anymore, because I straight up told my doctor no more. They made me feel awful, intestinally speaking
So much this. I took mine (Nexium) for two weeks, then a month off. After a while, the rebound reflux you get after the two weeks slows down. Also, I don't take them anymore, because I straight up told my doctor no more. They made me feel awful, intestinally speaking
Yea, I never felt well on them, either.
I've found your posts on this very enlightening! When I was a kid, they called my problem "nervous stomach" -- without suggesting any sort of treatment for it. Essentially saying it was "all in my head." What you're saying leads me to think that perhaps I've had an actual physical problem (aside from the neurochemical disorder that causes the anxiety disorder!), which dramamine actually *treats*! It also sheds some light on why/how I've always found a smoke/vape right before bed very relaxing -- really couldn't go to sleep without it, when it was a cigarette, though that seems less true with vaping. Nicotine has a powerful effect on anxiety!
Andria
You're welcome. Just to share a bit of what I've learned, the esophagus seems to be controlled by two chemicals: acetylcholine, which is excitatory, and nitric oxide, which is inhibitory. There are two receptors: Muscarinic and Nicotinic. If acetylcholine and nitric oxide gets out of balance, problems can happen. Nicotine imitates acetycholine, making it an agonist, while dramamine is an antagonist, so they're basically opposites. I'm just hoping that vaping didn't mess up my balance, though I find that hard to imagine given the levels I vape and the fact that the problem is still going on over a week after I stopped. Plus, it seems to be a problem with the muscarinic receptors, which are less sensitive to nicotine. Here's a Wikipedia link with a list of agonists/antagonists: Muscarinic acetylcholine receptor - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
I had nervous stomach problems when I was younger, but they went away as I got older, so anxiety definitely can cause them. I hate people who say "it's all in your head" as if your brain isn't a physical thing that doesn't actually effect other parts of your body! In fact, when I had my first "attack" I got really nervous and immediately got stomach problems, so there definitely is a link between the two. Of course, your esophagus is connected to your stomach, and if Dramamine is somehow balancing the acetylcholine/nitric oxide levels then it could very well have beneficial effects on the stomach. I might also mention that the M3 muscarinic receptor controls vomiting, hence the effectiveness of Dramamine as a muscarinic antagonist in helping motion sickness and nausea.
Last edited:
@AndriaD,
When my anxiety hits, it's ALWAYS with nausea. Haven't tried the dramamine, except in small doses. It's good to know I can take more without harm. Does it help your nausea a lot, Andria? I am weaning off of sleeping pills, so will wait until I am off, which will be first week in Feb. Then I will try them. Thanks for any info. I wake up in the morning with nausea. EVERY morning. Wondering if this would help?
It helps my nausea a lot, *usually* -- though when there's actually a physiological reason for the nausea, not quite as much -- after my appendectomy, not even Phenergan helped; what I had very stupidly eaten the day after my appendectomy was quite determined to reverse itself, seeing as how my colon hadn't yet re-established the proper direction of peristalsis.
But if you have to get up and get active in the morning, like going to work, etc, you might find ginger more helpful, since it has zero sedative effect, and it's actually just about as effective as dramamine, if not even moreso for motion sickness. I buy the ginger capsules in the supplement aisle at Walmart; when nausea is REALLY! bad (like the nic sick I got when I was trying out 18mg and 12mg ejuice!), then I use both, together -- a ginger, followed by a dramamine, followed by another ginger. Mainly because dramamine takes about an hour to work, but ginger starts working within 15 minutes -- you should feel a burning in your throat, if the ginger is working; the best way I've found to get that burning effect is don't swallow much water with it.
I take dramamine at night because it's quite sedating (I take 3 or 3.5 pills usually -- 150-175mg). But when I was pregnant and experiencing the dread morning sickness, my husband would get up and get me a half pill of dramamine (didn't want to get too carried away *because* I was pregnant); I'd take that half pill, drowse in bed for another hour or so, then eat a couple dry saltine crackers; at which point, I could face actual breakfast, and the morning sickness was gone once I got food in my stomach.
Andria
I take ginger twice a day. It doesn't do much for me. Even drink ginger tea. But, yea, don't need to get up an go. Just get up and not be nauseated for a change. But I see it would interact with Remeron (which is sedating), and I HATE HATE HATE Remeron. Never helped and can't get off it. WDs are horrendous.
Maybe you could try the method I used for morning sickness -- half a dramamine, stay in bed another hour till it starts to work, then some saltines. I don't think half a dramamine would cause much of a problem, but it might help a lot.
Andria
@AndriaD , I am wondering about the non drowsy formula. Do you have any experience with it?
No, never used it, since I'm primarily after the sedation effect. Its active ingredient is meclizine, but I don't know anything about it; AFAIK, I've never taken it.
Andria
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
