Listen to the full episode here https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/pots A few months ago, I briefly mentioned on a podcast that I discovered that by taking a specific blend of nutrients to support my vagus nerve, I was able to completely get rid of morning constipation. Today, my podcast guest, Dr. Diana Driscoll, is the individual who actually designed that blend, and who knows a heckuva lot about the vagus nerve and its interplay with our bodies. Dr. Diana Driscoll is an optometrist who had always been healthy - she was also a bit of an exercise fanatic who also geeked out with nutrition. But despite this history, she was struck down by an illness that few understood and was disabled for over a decade. Ultimately, she was diagnosed with something called POTS (Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome) - a disorder of the autonomic nervous system and was told there was no cure for this mysterious condition. When her children also became ill and doctors had no answers, she formed Genetic Disease Investigators to formally study these conditions. Dr. Driscoll is considered to be “the patients researcher”, bypassing notoriously slow academic research institutions to get answers quickly. Twelve years later, she is now the director of POTS Care – the only POTS Clinic focused on searching for the underlying cause of POTS, and treating it at its source. She has received two patents to date, and is now not only helping patients who are ill -- she is reaching out to healthy folks who want to improve their quality of life and maximize their health, even into old age. Dr. Driscoll graduated summa cum laude from both The University of Houston College of Optometry and The University of Texas at Austin. She is a geek, through and through. She is a member of the International Society of Neurovascular Disease, the American Headache Society, the Medical Advisory Board for EDS Network C.A.R.E.S, the American Optometric Association, the Tear Film and Ocular Surface Society, and served as a medical advisor for the Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation.   Her peer-reviewed medical abstracts include those involving vascular abnormalities in the fundus of POTS patients, the etiology of left ventricular diastolic dysfunction, and the use of acetazolamide in multiple sclerosis. She is the author of “The Driscoll Theory” and “Your Eyes and EDS”, and was the chief author of the “Ophthalmology Medical Resource Guide” for Ehlers-Danlos National Foundation.  Dr. Driscoll is the recipient of numerous awards for patient advocacy and continues to donate her time to help others across the globe through her online forum and videos on YouTube. Her work in chronic inflammation, the autonomic nervous system, collagen disorders, and organ dysfunction can help others live their best life, as well as have their best body and mind. During our discussion, you'll discover: -Diana's story and how she first became interested in her field of work...8:15 Contracted a virus during a missions trip to Costa Rica, but she was unable to kick it Difficulty breathing Poor sleep Racing heart Poor digestion Developed a tremor Memory loss Difficulty handling any type of stress Her kids began to develop similar symptoms Treatment included more exercise; but nothing worked Was disabled due to fatigue for over a decade -The results of Diana's studies and research...14:15 "Layers of discovery" over the course of several years Diana's blog The Driscoll Theory Abnormal inter cranial pressure Inflammation was a factor The exaggerated symptoms actually made it easier to discover the causes Genetics play a large role (her children experienced the same symptoms) Started by looking at the eyes (great window into systemic illness) -A working definition of POTS...21:20 POTS is not a disease, it's a symptom There was no specific diagnosis for her condition Dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system ALS/Parkinson's begin with POTS symptoms Astronauts get POTS while in space, due to the lack of gravity -How dysfunction of the vagus nerve is correlated with POTS...24:30 The abnormal inter cranial pressure is indicative of a poorly functioning vagus nerve When symptoms occur simultaneously (difficulty breathing, racing heart, gut dysfunction, etc.) it could be the vagus nerve Ileocecal valve is linked to POTS and nerve function Vagus nerve controls the function of the valve Gastro motility linked to migrating motor complex (cleaning up digestive system) Triggered by signals from the vagus nerve -The nicotine-induced method Diana devised to repair the ileocecal valve...30:10 A kidney stone turned up 3 days after being cleared for kidney stones The doctor confirmed the ileocecal valve was problematic A surgeon refused to open the valve Two parts of vagus nerve: preganglionic (extremely long) and postganglionic (extremely short) Diana tried to stimulate the postganglionic nerve The vagus nerve is a nicotinic acido cholinergic nerve (nicotine is the imitator of the vagal neurotransmit