lyme disease and gerd

I think this may be it:
http://www.publichealthalert.org/palsy-of-the-gut-and-other-gi-manifestations-of-lyme-and-associated-diseases.html

I've always had problems with acid refulx but after Lyme it turned into GERD. I take prilosec every day. Prilosec is not supposed to be taken long term but it's the only thing I can find to keep the acid down. I tried natural remedies and nothing worked. It was so painful.

Thank you astroman for the info about D-limonene. I may give it a shot. Granted, the prilosec my dr prescribes me is much cheaper.

gfields said...
I thought I read somewhere that lyme disease causes gerd because the spirochetes attack the nerve in the brain that controls both your swallowing mechanism and your upper sphincter muscle. Therefore, they stop working properly.

Am I crazy? Has anyone else read this somewhere? I could have sworn I read an article about this, but now I can't find it.

I have read it's the Vagus nerve. (I think it runs from your brain all the way down your body.)

"The vagus nerve has two bunches of sensory nerve cell bodies, and it connects the brainstem to the body. It allows the brain to monitor and receive information about several of the body's different functions."

"The vagus nerve has a number of different functions. The four key functions of the vagus nerve are:

Sensory: From the throat, heart, lungs, and abdomen.
Special sensory: Provides taste sensation behind the tongue.
Motor: Provides movement functions for the muscles in the neck responsible for swallowing and speech.
Parasympathetic: Responsible for the digestive tract, respiration, and heart rate functioning."


"Communication between the brain and the gut: The vagus nerve delivers information from the gut to the brain.
Relaxation with deep breathing: The vagus nerve communicates with the diaphragm. With deep breaths, a person feels more relaxed.
Decreasing inflammation: The vagus nerve sends an anti-inflammatory signal to other parts of the body.
Lowering the heart rate and blood pressure: If the vagus nerve is overactive, it can lead to the heart being unable to pump enough blood around the body. In some cases, excessive vagus nerve activity can cause loss of consciousness and organ damage.
Fear management: The vagus nerve sends information from the gut to the brain, which is linked to dealing with stress, anxiety, and fear - hence the saying, "gut feeling." These signals help a person to recover from stressful and scary situations."



/www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318128.php

I think the Vagus nerve has caused several symptoms.

- swallowing problems early on
- Acid reflux
- urinary urgency
- possibly my POTS symptoms
- dealing with stress

It can also affect the sympathetic/parasympathetic Nervous system. That may be why I have these dang shivers all the time when I experience something emotional. (something sad on t.v., or listening to a song I really like...etc)

hmmm...wonder if it is responsible for Central Sleep Apnea, too?