I have a VNS need help on side effects

I had the same issue & lost 55 #'s in 1 mo along w/ almost zero BM's right after I had my VNS changed (drs said it had to be renewed & mine was out of date. It has been  since 2004 w/ the 1st then 2012 when it was changed & the severe issues began to overflow! I had it removed after Dr's, hospitals & even ER rooms ran from me after I talked "VNS". I started reading online about the vagal nerve & damage done to it (by the stimulator) that stops the digestive system/absorption/causes dehydration/starvation/constipation/heart issues etc.=then triggering more seizures.No doctor would believe me untill a ENT said he has removed several from others w/ exact same issues (neurologist ignored everything & deny it is the issue)!(I also found the one in me had been recalled by the FDA a yr before for doing these things!) Then I found allot of answers on vnsmessageboard. Thousands are suffering from this device/some dead! I get very dehydrated, have maybe 1 BM every 3 wks (after acupuncture- stimulates where the VN was made to work but now damaged from the VNS! Also having low BP & blood volume=more seizures & lack of food to the blood/less volume & very little GI movement! ) I had mine removed last Nov and found out it had been recalled a yr before it was placed!  Now, My digestion is very slow, my heart is irregular, BP low & low blood levels,Im weak & w/ sleep prob, I had great weight loss right after the replacement surg & seizures have jumped to over 300-400/yr vs approx 60-80/yr max, before! I cant get any doctor to listen-(fear of lawsuits! The FDA wont let us file due to their mistake of not testing it for safty!) They deny all till I am so BM impacted, weak, seizing allot & very dehydrated, but they will only give enough fluids to "look OK" & ignore the" cause or cure or prevention".My last EEG(1 mo before removal of VNS) now shows 5 focal points vs the one I had before the implant! I am trying alternative meds (acupuncture & naturopath) They see the connection but cant give fluids (hydration) or find why my GI has slowed/shut down(just stimulate them to push out the BM, but at times Im too dry/impacted= another week of toxins in the bowels)...but the site above explains the vagus nerve is responsible for the *GI(epilepsy foundation talks a bit about it now!), heart,lungs, pelvic floor, kidneys & more,(only recent admission! Denial in the past!) they tell me but those w/ authority to do something wont listen! So "cause"=>when the nerve is shocked thousands+++ of times they don't work,bowels dont work=> causing chemical imbalances/organ disfunctions & more seizures! Most of these histories are erased (due to facts & fears & lies we were told=lawsuits?) so info of truth can be found elsewhere. Don't go down this road for seizures! Read other peoples history. Look around first! Lets fight together for healing, not death! 

My VNS was implanted 14 years ago and I just had the battery replaced this past March. I never had any problems with it until the replacement. Now I feel like there is a pinched nerve in my chest constantly. It hurts all the time. My neuro says there is nothing wrong with it but I don't understand the pain. And the scaring is awful. The original surgery you couldn't tell I even had anything done. This time its all red and a raised bump.(Different surgeon,different state) My neuro also put me back to the full dose I guess you'd call it - where I was when I started out 14 years ago. WOW the power of this thing is amazing. It was probably like that so many years ago and I just don't remember. Good luck with everything and remember everyone is different. Mine DOES work for me, just a glitch here and there but nothing I can't live with.

Good morning Mike, Well I had my VNS implanted in Sept/2005 and it really hasn't been of any good to me. By the time I ever get to the magnet I have already gone into a seizure. My husband says he doesn't see any change. They told me my voice would change when the implant was working. My comes on every minute and stays on for 30 seconds. During that 30 seconds my voice goes all hoarse and I can hardly talk on the phone. They told me that I may have problems swallowing. That didn't happen at first and then all of a sudden it happened. When I just take swallows of coffee, water, soda, anything liquid I almost choke to death. I cough so bad it brings tears to my eyes. But it hadn't been happening when I went back to the surgeon for my follow up. It has been since the beginning of the year I guess. Well it will no longer bother me shortly. My epitologist will be turning it off when I go see her next week. As of Thursday October 12th I just had my Right Temporal Lobe surgery and haven't had a seizure or an aura since. My surgeon is wanting to leave the vns in for a bit and then he plans on removing it for me. WOOOOOHOOOOOO. I can't wait. My surgeon told me that the vns was way over rated and I should have never had it implanted. Only reason I did was because my old neurologist who I no longer see told me I couldn't have the RTL surgery that was a complete success almost 3 weeks ago. You may want to see what your neurologist says about brain surgery. Hope things work out for the best for you Mike. Good Luck, Cathy