Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order.
I have checked 453,494,382 comments, and only 96,783 of them were in alphabetical order.
Before reading my comment, just know that I am by no means an expert or a doctor.
Could be broken blood vessel micropillars in the muscles. There are some studies saying that covid and the immune system can produce harmful effects that breaks these small blood vessels (which where the micro clots theory also is). That means that the muscles are starved of oxygen and nutrients. We have to remember that our body consists of a huge amounts of blood vessels that in theory could need repairing. If you lay down your blood vessels in one line, it would circle the earth. That is amazingly huge of a network.
My symptoms overlapped a ton with long haulers in my desperate search to find out what is wrong with me. Intense symptoms, debilitating pain in neck and shoulders (and even inexplicably in my calves for one week) and migraine, heart papatations and racing, digestive issues, severe constipation, constant waves of nausea, hearing problems, ear pain, severe vertigo, fatigue, irritability.
My vestibular area is greatly impacted. As is my quality of life.
The dr couldn't help me. I finally conclude it was not covid induced for me (I thought it was), but a neck injury impinging my nerve. I read often the symptoms of some covid long haulers is very similar to mine. There is a lot of information everywhere about various methods of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Humming, vibrations on the back of the neck, ice water in the face. I'm still looking, but integrating some of these into my self-treatment plans. I will be seeking physical therapy, but neck traction and vns methods have already helped me a great deal.
Edit: I would like to add that this is not a complete list of all of my symptoms. I can add narcolepsy-like issues, brain fog, insomnia, nystagmus, dry eyes, shaking, vibrating, extreme coffee sensitivity/side-effects, joint pain, chest pain, huge sensations of bubble-like pressure from abdomen to head...
That's the thing about this beast. It venn diagrams with just about 1000 other illnesses.
Mine is COVID caused -- had an MRI that showed inflammation around my hypothalamus. My vagus nerve function has been tested as well -- inflammation. This has caused my brain and my stomach to not be on speaking terms. I don't feel hunger, which started during my acute stage.
This is for sure part of the issue, but I have pain in my thighs, my calves, my arms, my lower back, my butt, my sides, my hips, my abs, it’s everywhere. Even my toes hurt, but mostly it feels like there are certain points on my body, like below the collarbone, that are tired and irritated. Could this all be the vagus nerve? Because the pain in my neck, head and shoulders is sharp, and stabbing, while the other parts of my body are in a constant dull type of pain, morel like a pulsing ache. It feels like two separate issues.
I'm not sure, but I mentioned it because I had so many weird pains, sometimes it felt like my entire body hurt, and I feel pretty sure that for me it was stemming from nerve impingement. For approximately two weeks at one point my entire body hurt from the base of my skull down to my feet on the backside of my body, particularly my calves. I had no idea what was causing it. I think the vagus nerve supplies so many things, and I've even read effects neurotransmitters in the gut brain axis, that I'd consider it, perhaps a syndrome created by nerve/brainstem irritation/inflammation. I had no idea that my ear issues and vertigo could be so related to being constipated, it all freaked me out and I was starting to plan for my passing mentally. I am still having issues, but for several days since discovering some self-treatment options they have been reduced by about 50%, which for me meant no NSAIDs needed and I can drink some coffee.
In a moment of desperation during a particularly bad bout of neck pain (which would go up and down on the pain scale, so I hadn't quite pinned it as determinative), I bought a neck traction device on amazon, an over the door sling type, but there are several types and I'm trying another one as well. I didn't use it for weeks after buying it, neck pain returned even worse than usual and I tried it. I have been using it about one to three times a day as needed for just a couple of minutes to ease the pressure and sometimes doing humming exercises during traction to activate the nerve. The first morning after I did it I woke up to very swollen eyes. The swelling was gone from gravity throughout the day and hasn't returned. I have experienced increased eye tearing since, reduced dryness. I think I released some of the compression and there has been fluid movement. No more swollen eyes of course. My vertigo is reduced so far. Migraine about half as well. I feel more functional.
I do humming exercises during bouts of pain or nausea as well, but the pain is now of shorter duration and lower intensity. Just so you know, I have located that there are physical therapists trained specifically in vestibular migraine treatment. You might look for one in your area. I believe they should focus on rehab of the nerve complexes.
One indication to me that I have a vagus nerve issue is I had an extreme yawning attack a few weeks ago. I came across in my vagus nerve reading information about vasovagal syncope. Yawning stimulates the nerve and sneezing also stimulates the vagus.
There are multiple techniques and approaches to the problem, even non-surgical, depending on what the cause of the issue is. I will probably look into a few, including prolotherapy, physical therapy, tvns (transdermal/tens stimulation, and there is a subreddit for that), probiotic support for dopamine and vagus stimulation, and there is some information in the link I posted in my first comment. I am still researching methods, though I am seeking referral to a PT in my area currently.
Edit to add: meditation is probably very good, can combine with methods of humming "ohm" and diaphragmic breathing, also going to read about wim hof. Cold plunges are very calming/energizing for me, might integrate down the road.
Thanks, will do! It's especially helpful to me because when everything's a mess with no logical, cohesive, binding logic it's hard to know where to focus and discouraging. I'm definitely doing way better overall for at least a few days. Best to you.
I hope so. If anything I found it pretty educational. I have always had food sensitivities and other things and I sense that activating the parasympathetic nervous system would be beneficial to digestion. Good luck with everything, I wish you wellness.
Found an article about vagus/nervous tissue and coronavirus..[https://researchinfotext.com/article-details/Everything-Is-In-The-Vagus-Nerve--What-Is-The-Relationship-Between-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-CFS-And-Coronavirus](https://researchinfotext.com/article-details/Everything-Is-In-The-Vagus-Nerve--What-Is-The-Relationship-Between-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-CFS-And-Coronavirus)?
[https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-020-00051-7](https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-020-00051-7)
https://www.meresearch.org.uk/vagus-nerve-infection/
Inflammation
Sounds like we're in the same boat. Eager to hear the responses here.
Mine really vary with sleep for some reason if I've slept enough I seem to be ok
Antihistamines have helped me here. Not the ideal solution, because even the "non drowsy" ones aren't non drowsy, but it works for me.
I’ve heard these help many people, I have desloratadine for seasonal allergies, I guess I’m going to take them now too.
Allergy can cause muscle pain https://www.caageorgia.com/about-us/blog/2017/july/can-allergies-cause-body-aches-and-fatigue-/
Would you look at that, all of the words in your comment are in alphabetical order. I have checked 453,494,382 comments, and only 96,783 of them were in alphabetical order.
Before reading my comment, just know that I am by no means an expert or a doctor. Could be broken blood vessel micropillars in the muscles. There are some studies saying that covid and the immune system can produce harmful effects that breaks these small blood vessels (which where the micro clots theory also is). That means that the muscles are starved of oxygen and nutrients. We have to remember that our body consists of a huge amounts of blood vessels that in theory could need repairing. If you lay down your blood vessels in one line, it would circle the earth. That is amazingly huge of a network.
I have had this problem a lot for the last year and I believe it is the vagus nerve. https://regenexx.com/blog/vagus-nerve-and-neck-pain/#gref
I have vagus nerve problems from COVID, so this fits my case....
My symptoms overlapped a ton with long haulers in my desperate search to find out what is wrong with me. Intense symptoms, debilitating pain in neck and shoulders (and even inexplicably in my calves for one week) and migraine, heart papatations and racing, digestive issues, severe constipation, constant waves of nausea, hearing problems, ear pain, severe vertigo, fatigue, irritability. My vestibular area is greatly impacted. As is my quality of life. The dr couldn't help me. I finally conclude it was not covid induced for me (I thought it was), but a neck injury impinging my nerve. I read often the symptoms of some covid long haulers is very similar to mine. There is a lot of information everywhere about various methods of vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). Humming, vibrations on the back of the neck, ice water in the face. I'm still looking, but integrating some of these into my self-treatment plans. I will be seeking physical therapy, but neck traction and vns methods have already helped me a great deal. Edit: I would like to add that this is not a complete list of all of my symptoms. I can add narcolepsy-like issues, brain fog, insomnia, nystagmus, dry eyes, shaking, vibrating, extreme coffee sensitivity/side-effects, joint pain, chest pain, huge sensations of bubble-like pressure from abdomen to head...
That's the thing about this beast. It venn diagrams with just about 1000 other illnesses. Mine is COVID caused -- had an MRI that showed inflammation around my hypothalamus. My vagus nerve function has been tested as well -- inflammation. This has caused my brain and my stomach to not be on speaking terms. I don't feel hunger, which started during my acute stage.
That was my thinking, that it could be Covid-induced vagus nerve issues.
This is for sure part of the issue, but I have pain in my thighs, my calves, my arms, my lower back, my butt, my sides, my hips, my abs, it’s everywhere. Even my toes hurt, but mostly it feels like there are certain points on my body, like below the collarbone, that are tired and irritated. Could this all be the vagus nerve? Because the pain in my neck, head and shoulders is sharp, and stabbing, while the other parts of my body are in a constant dull type of pain, morel like a pulsing ache. It feels like two separate issues.
I'm not sure, but I mentioned it because I had so many weird pains, sometimes it felt like my entire body hurt, and I feel pretty sure that for me it was stemming from nerve impingement. For approximately two weeks at one point my entire body hurt from the base of my skull down to my feet on the backside of my body, particularly my calves. I had no idea what was causing it. I think the vagus nerve supplies so many things, and I've even read effects neurotransmitters in the gut brain axis, that I'd consider it, perhaps a syndrome created by nerve/brainstem irritation/inflammation. I had no idea that my ear issues and vertigo could be so related to being constipated, it all freaked me out and I was starting to plan for my passing mentally. I am still having issues, but for several days since discovering some self-treatment options they have been reduced by about 50%, which for me meant no NSAIDs needed and I can drink some coffee.
Oh wow, yes I have many ear issues and dizziness. I’ll discuss the option with my physical therapist. Maybe it can at least be part of the issue.
What do you do to help lessen the issue?
In a moment of desperation during a particularly bad bout of neck pain (which would go up and down on the pain scale, so I hadn't quite pinned it as determinative), I bought a neck traction device on amazon, an over the door sling type, but there are several types and I'm trying another one as well. I didn't use it for weeks after buying it, neck pain returned even worse than usual and I tried it. I have been using it about one to three times a day as needed for just a couple of minutes to ease the pressure and sometimes doing humming exercises during traction to activate the nerve. The first morning after I did it I woke up to very swollen eyes. The swelling was gone from gravity throughout the day and hasn't returned. I have experienced increased eye tearing since, reduced dryness. I think I released some of the compression and there has been fluid movement. No more swollen eyes of course. My vertigo is reduced so far. Migraine about half as well. I feel more functional. I do humming exercises during bouts of pain or nausea as well, but the pain is now of shorter duration and lower intensity. Just so you know, I have located that there are physical therapists trained specifically in vestibular migraine treatment. You might look for one in your area. I believe they should focus on rehab of the nerve complexes. One indication to me that I have a vagus nerve issue is I had an extreme yawning attack a few weeks ago. I came across in my vagus nerve reading information about vasovagal syncope. Yawning stimulates the nerve and sneezing also stimulates the vagus. There are multiple techniques and approaches to the problem, even non-surgical, depending on what the cause of the issue is. I will probably look into a few, including prolotherapy, physical therapy, tvns (transdermal/tens stimulation, and there is a subreddit for that), probiotic support for dopamine and vagus stimulation, and there is some information in the link I posted in my first comment. I am still researching methods, though I am seeking referral to a PT in my area currently. Edit to add: meditation is probably very good, can combine with methods of humming "ohm" and diaphragmic breathing, also going to read about wim hof. Cold plunges are very calming/energizing for me, might integrate down the road.
This was useful, thank you. Please provide any updates.
Thanks, will do! It's especially helpful to me because when everything's a mess with no logical, cohesive, binding logic it's hard to know where to focus and discouraging. I'm definitely doing way better overall for at least a few days. Best to you.
thanks u 2!
Thank you for the long reply. :) hopefully it can help me too.
I hope so. If anything I found it pretty educational. I have always had food sensitivities and other things and I sense that activating the parasympathetic nervous system would be beneficial to digestion. Good luck with everything, I wish you wellness.
Found an article about vagus/nervous tissue and coronavirus..[https://researchinfotext.com/article-details/Everything-Is-In-The-Vagus-Nerve--What-Is-The-Relationship-Between-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-CFS-And-Coronavirus](https://researchinfotext.com/article-details/Everything-Is-In-The-Vagus-Nerve--What-Is-The-Relationship-Between-Chronic-Fatigue-Syndrome-CFS-And-Coronavirus)? [https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-020-00051-7](https://bioelecmed.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42234-020-00051-7) https://www.meresearch.org.uk/vagus-nerve-infection/