What Causes Heartache...

[ck1]

Not sure whether this is more of a science question, but what happens in the body to make you have that empty pining feeling like when you're homesick or just broke up with somebody? So serotonin / norepinephrine balance makes you happy sad ( I think?) but what causes your heart to feel like it's beating out of your chest and your mind to be totally focussed on just that one thing that you miss / lost that fades with time but nothing can help with in the interim?

[pixie373]

I think cortisone(?) and adrenaline from stress

[Sqad]

No idea.....no idea at all, but i bet that it is all tied in with noradrenaline, serotonin and the "new kid on the block"...endorphin.

[pixie373]

Sorry. Looked it up. Cortisol is what i meant!

[LazyGun]

@ck1 Have a read of this article - quite interesting.

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-causes-chest-pains

[slaney]

Interesting subject..this suggests the vagus nerve may be implicated...
http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=what-causes-chest-pains

[slaney]

Failure to refresh again!

[LazyGun]

LoL Slaney - great minds? :)

[slaney]

Ha - speak for yourself LG! :)

[ck1]

How interesting, thanks for the links lazy / slaney!!

[FredPuli43]

Don't we should ask how the cage mate of a mouse was in agony [see Scientific American link]. Better to concentrate on the vagus and that anterior cortex thingy. :)

[Sqad]

LazyGun/slaney....we seemed to have missed the "scientific boat" here as we should have asked the people who had vagotomies and pyloroplasy for gastric ulcers if they developed chest pain (heartache) when they found out that their wives had lovers............

[LazyGun]

@ Sqad :)

[Brenden]

When my husband passed away I though I was having heart attacks even though I seem to remember that when I had a big operation for a duodenal ulcer many years ago (before they found out it was caused by bacteria infection) they cut the vagus nerve.

[slaney]

There's a good paper in there for some bright young thing sqad.

[Sqad]

slaney/LazyGun.......LOL.......I was never a "bright young thing"

[Meg888]

I've just recently split with my long term partner, I'm not getting chest pains - I'm getting a tightness in my stomach, I'm not eating as much as norm and feel as if I have a blockage in my throat, where my neck meets my chest (trachea??) which is further putting me off eating much. I get palpitations if I think I may see or hear something about him. Feel very low, as if I've lost a part of me - if anyone knows a quick fix let me know!

[Sqad]

\\\Feel very low, as if I've lost a part of me - if anyone knows a quick fix let me know!\\\

There isn't a quick fix.........it is a part of the "grieving process".....you will get over it.........

[Sqad]

Brenden......you post wouldn't fit into our experts scientific explanation.................no vagus nerve....no chest pain due to "anguish"

[pips1]

Sqad is right, you will get over it, but not quickly! Time is a great healer but unfortunately time takes time.