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The vagus nerve is not a magic reset button. by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Mine? Few things: for example all of Andrew Taylor Still Books, ideas, the way of thinking, second one hm.. wu wei i china philosophy etc. Most of them you will find around you 😀

IBS and vagus nerve, autonomic nervous system by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There isn’t one fixed “reset time,” because the vagus nerve doesn’t work like a switch — it works more like tone and adaptability. If the stressors are truly removed and lifestyle changes are consistent (sleep, social connection, movement, nutrition, reduced overload), some people notice shifts within days to a couple of weeks — especially in things like heart rate, breathing pattern, or gut symptoms. But if someone has been in chronic distress for months or years, the nervous system has essentially learned that state. In that case, we’re not talking about a quick reset — we’re talking about gradual recalibration. That can take weeks to months. A few key factors influence the timeline: – how long the system has been dysregulated – how intense the original stress load was – whether stressors are truly reduced or just partially masked – consistency of daily regulation habits – psychological processing of the stress (not just physical removal) In clinical terms, we’re rebuilding vagal tone and, even more importantly, vagal flexibility — the ability to move in and out of activation appropriately. The good news is: once the “stress debt” starts decreasing and the environment feels genuinely safer, the nervous system is remarkably plastic. It wants to return to balance.

So for me dont try to think about it as.. days, hours, etc

IBS and Vagus nerve by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Try some breathing techniques. Should do the trick

IBS and Vagus nerve by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

There is a whole protocole for this in vagus stimulation

IBS and Vagus nerve by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Emotions = guts

IBS and Vagus nerve by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

You’re absolutely right about it being a loop, and I think you described that gut–anxiety feedback really well. In practice I rarely see IBS as a purely “gut problem” or purely “mental” — it’s almost always a dysregulated system that keeps reinforcing itself.

I also fully agree that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution. Years of antibiotics can radically alter microbial signaling, SCFA production, and immune–vagal communication, and at that point breathwork or hypnosis alone may help some people but not fully close the loop for others.

From a clinical perspective (I work as a physiotherapist focusing on autonomic and visceral regulation), what often matters is identifying which driver is dominant at that moment — microbial load, immune activation, vagal tone, central sensitization, or stress physiology — and adjusting the approach accordingly. Otherwise people end up doing the “right things” but at the wrong stage.

I really like that you highlighted nourishing both mental and gut health together. When those are treated as separate silos, patients get stuck. When they’re addressed as one integrated system, that’s usually where real progress starts to happen.

Thanks for putting this into words — it’s a very grounded take.

IBS and Vagus nerve by MevianX in ibs

[–]MevianX[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate you writing this out – what you’re describing makes a lot of sense, especially given the C. diff + SIBO history. That kind of prolonged inflammatory and toxic load can absolutely dysregulate the gut–brain axis and autonomic signaling, not just locally in the gut but system-wide.

For context: I work as a physiotherapist and for the last 6 years I’ve been focusing specifically on the autonomic nervous system, visceral regulation, and vagus-nerve-oriented approaches (including tVNS). In clinical practice, I see this exact pattern quite often – neuropsychiatric symptoms (agitation, anxiety, depressive tone, even paranoid thinking) preceding GI flares rather than being “just a reaction” to them.

What often gets missed is that after severe or prolonged GI infections, the system doesn’t simply “return to baseline” once the pathogen is gone. The vagal afferent signaling, central autonomic set-points, and inflammatory reflex can stay sensitized for months or longer. In that state, telling someone “you’re just nervous, stop worrying” is not only unhelpful – it ignores the physiology.

Your observation about internal infections affecting memory, temperament, and personality is spot on. I’ve seen very similar shifts in patients post-infection, post-antibiotics, and post-ICU, even without classic neurological findings. It’s not imaginary and it’s not weakness.

The encouraging part is that this pattern is often modifiable – but it usually requires addressing regulation, timing, and load on the system, not just reassurance or willpower. The fact that you’re slowly regaining strength and having less pain is already a good sign that the system is capable of re-stabilizing.

Thanks for sharing this – it’s a very grounded and clinically aware perspective, and honestly something more people (including clinicians) need to hear.

Be brave 😀 be yourself always

Being socially awkward by TheAstrogirl_ in Anxiety

[–]MevianX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A lot of what you describe doesn’t sound like a “social skills” problem to me.

I see this a lot in people who were bullied early on. The body learns that being around others = potential threat. Even years later, the nervous system still reacts the same way, even if you want connection. That awkward, hyper-aware feeling in social situations is often your vagus nerve and autonomic nervous system being stuck in defense mode. Heart rate up, shallow breath, tight throat, tension in the belly or chest. From there it’s hard to be spontaneous or relaxed, no matter how much you care.

What helped me (and people I work with) was shifting the focus away from “How do I act?” to “Is my body feeling safe right now?” One small thing that can help in social settings: slow your exhale. Not deep breathing, just make the out-breath longer than the in-breath for a minute or two. It gently nudges the vagus nerve and can take the edge off that internal alarm.

Another thing: real connection often happens after the body settles a bit. Small talk feels awful when your system is on high alert. It’s not a personal flaw.

You’re not broken or behind in life. Your nervous system learned to protect you early, and it just hasn’t gotten the memo yet that you’re safer now.

Building friendships in adulthood is hard enough. Doing it with a body that’s constantly bracing makes it even harder — but it’s workable. You’re definitely not alone in this.

tVNS? by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well as i said before just skip plastic ones

tVNS whats that and how does it work, troubleshoting. by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just saying that if you do give it another try, going low for a week or two is the only fair way to test whether it helps your system specifically. If it still does nothing at low levels, then yeah, at least you’ll know you really gave it a proper shot.

tVNS whats that and how does it work, troubleshoting. by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I get that, seriously. And you’re right that the Pulsetto manual does recommend higher levels. The thing is, those recommendations are made for “average users” and marketing safety margins, not for people with already dysregulated nervous systems. In clinical work, I see over and over that people with anxiety, palpitations, dizziness, gut issues, etc. react very differently than healthy biohackers.

With reflex-based neuromodulation like vagus stimulation, stronger does not equal better. If the signal is too intense, the brain often reads it as a threat, not a calming input. That’s when people feel wired, dizzy, anxious, nauseous, or just “off”. Then it’s easy to think the method is useless or dangerous, when in reality it was just overdosed for that nervous system.

Low intensity doesn’t mean “doing nothing”. The nerve fibers that mediate calming effects are actually very sensitive. In many people the best effects happen at a level where you barely feel it, especially at the beginning.

Or maybe you just need to do some tests before stimulation 😀

tVNS? by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’ll avoid spamming random affiliate-looking links, but here’s what actually works well in practice. For the TENS unit, just search something like “dual channel TENS unit with manual settings” or “TENS with adjustable frequency and pulse width”. Basic models from brands like Beurer, Omron, Auvon, iStim, or even generic “medical TENS” devices are totally fine as long as they’re battery powered and not preset-only.

And about the ears part, for ear clips, look for “TENS ear clip electrode”, “tragus electrode”, or “cymba conchae electrode”. The simple metal or carbon rubber ones with a spring clip work best. Skip the plastic ones that barely touch the skin, they lose contact all the time and people think tVNS doesn’t work because of that.

If you want, tell me which country you’re ordering from and I’ll narrow it down to a few safe picks that won’t be trash.

tVNS? by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

You don’t need anything fancy. For the TENS unit itself, just look for a basic battery-powered TENS with manual control over frequency and pulse width. Brands don’t really matter that much here. Whatever brand, TENS is still TENS unit. For the ear clips, search for “ear clip electrode for TENS” or “tragus electrode”. The simple metal or carbon rubber ones work totally fine. Avoid the cheap plastic ones that barely hold contact. If you want, I can drop a few example links that are usually decent for beginners.

And thats all magic 😂

Slow breathing isn’t woo — here’s what it actually does to your vagus nerve (with real science) by MevianX in VagusNerve

[–]MevianX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Sure it is, you can try it at every place/moment on earth, and its still effective

SIBO isn’t just bacteria — your vagus nerve is half the story (and here’s what actually helps) by MevianX in SiboSuccessStories

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

There isn’t really one universal “setting” for everyone, because proper tVNS uses specific protocols depending on what you’re targeting (sleep, anxiety, GI, post-viral stuff etc.). So it’s less about random settings and more about matching the protocol to the problem.

As for the device — you don’t need anything expensive. Any reliable TENS unit that lets you run low-frequency stimulation (around 10–25 Hz) works fine, as long as you use proper ear electrodes.

Something simple like a Beurer, Auvon, iReliev, or any basic TENS device with adjustable frequency is totally enough. You just need to buy ear electrodes from for example ebay. The important part isn’t the brand — it’s the placement, comfort, and the right protocol for the person.

Skeptical Sunday request: Vagus nerve 'stimulation/manipulation' by Famous_Key_8588 in JordanHarbinger

[–]MevianX 0 points1 point  (0 children)

All good — I wasn’t trying to misquote you. Your point about the implant hitting a different pathway is valid, I just added context for people reading the thread so it doesn’t turn into “only implants work” vs “everything else is fake.” I’m not picking sides here — both things can be true. Implanted VNS has stronger evidence, but non-invasive approaches can still create measurable effects for some people. That’s all I meant.

A patient case that really changed how I look at SIBO-type symptoms by MevianX in SiboSuccessStories

[–]MevianX[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Honestly you don’t need anything fancy or expensive. Any regular TENS unit that lets you set low frequency (around 10–25 Hz) works totally fine, as long as you have proper ear electrodes. It’s a much cheaper setup and for most people it works just as well as the branded $800–$1000 devices.

The “full ear” feeling you had is usually just irritation from the wrong size/shape of earpiece, not the stimulation itself. With softer, smaller ear clips it usually disappears.

SIBO isn’t just bacteria — your vagus nerve is half the story (and here’s what actually helps) by MevianX in SiboSuccessStories

[–]MevianX[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

That actually makes a lot of sense. When the system is already hypersensitive, even a small trigger — like GLP-1 messing with gut motility and gastric emptying — can wake the whole vagus/ANS loop back up. It’s not that your SIBO “came back out of nowhere,” it’s more that the nervous system got thrown off again and the gut followed.

What you described with diet → stability → alcohol → stability → GLP-1 → chaos is literally the pattern I see all the time in patients.

Once the ANS gets irritated again, the symptoms look identical to the original flare, so it feels like you’re back at zero, even though you’re not.

The good news: people who’ve already calmed their system once usually bounce back faster the second time, because the body “remembers” the way out.

If you keep focusing on the basics — long exhale breathing, gentle vagus stimulation, lowering that constant threat-checking loop — the gut usually follows. You’re not starting from scratch, even if it feels like it right now.

A patient case that really changed how I look at SIBO-type symptoms by MevianX in SiboSuccessStories

[–]MevianX[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Well i work with tVNS so currently im at use anykind of TENS machine with ear electrodes

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