WAG Vagus Nerve

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MBJ974

Coach
Proud Parent
My DD has been triggering a vagus nerve response while doing some of her tumbling passes and vault. It is especially bad punching out of front layouts. She says it is really scary because she starts to feel like its hard to breathe then her heart starts beating hard and her throat gets tight. Her doctor originally thought it was exercise induced asthma, but an inhailer didn't help. He now thinks it is the vagus nerve response to her holding her breath and keeping her core tight. I have read somewhere that this is common in upper level gymnastics. Have any of you had experience with this?
 
My daughter had something similar with intense activity (ex. running, hard conditioning) and it was Exercise-induced laryngeal obstruction (EILO). We saw pulmonologist and they did few different tests, and recommended therapy that helps relearn breathing mechanics. However before we did any therapy, her symptoms disappeared.

She didn't have issues with tumbling specifically though.
 
I have atrial fibrillation which in my case is triggered by my vagus nerve being a little too closer to my heart than is normal. I was diagnosed as an adult, but as a child it presented itself similarly to your daughter’s symptoms and in similar scenarios. It was hard to “catch” it for a long time to get a diagnosis, but if your daughter says she feels her heart rate kind of bouncing around or her heart feels like it’s pounding hard in her chest in a way that doesn’t match her level of exertion, it’s worth adding to the list of possibilities. For what it’s worth, it’s now under control with zero medication. It doesn’t affect my life except when I’m not hydrated, mess up my diet (there can be specific food triggers) or am at altitude.
 
I have atrial fibrillation which in my case is triggered by my vagus nerve being a little too closer to my heart than is normal. I was diagnosed as an adult, but as a child it presented itself similarly to your daughter’s symptoms and in similar scenarios. It was hard to “catch” it for a long time to get a diagnosis, but if your daughter says she feels her heart rate kind of bouncing around or her heart feels like it’s pounding hard in her chest in a way that doesn’t match her level of exertion, it’s worth adding to the list of possibilities. For what it’s worth, it’s now under control with zero medication. It doesn’t affect my life except when I’m not hydrated, mess up my diet (there can be specific food triggers) or am at altitude.
Thank you for this information! Did a cardiologist diagnose this for you?
 
Thank you for this information! Did a cardiologist diagnose this for you?
Yes. I was diagnosed by a cardiologist after my 3rd ER visit, and the diagnosis was confirmed after a 30 day monitor test and another ER visit. The tricky part was getting the arrhythmia on the tape. It comes and goes, so even when it was clear that *something* was wrong and paramedics and ER doctors did EKGs, it took 15 years for the arrhythmia to last long enough to be captured.
 

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