I’ve not been on here for a while. It’s been a year since my op to remove my right styloid, 5.5cm. I recovered well from surgery. However, now I’m getting quite intense dizziness. It’s generally when I turn my head to the right. I feel like I’m drunk at times. It is starting to happen more and more. My left styloid is 5cm, so it also needs removed, I’m waiting to see my surgeon. ENT surgeons/Dr here in Scotland don’t seem to register that eagles syndrome causes anything other than a little pain in the back of the throat. When I mentioned nerve compression last time I saw my surgeon before my surgery last year, he looked at me like I’ve two heads. I’m confused as I would have thought nerve compression would have happened more looking to the left (compressing the left side where the styloid is still elongated). Nothing happens when looking to the left, just right. I teach yoga and I’ve had to stop due to dizziness, I start spinning, especially in trikonasana (triangle pose). I’m so glad I have one out, I’m half way there! Ali 
Hi 
I haven’t been on here a lot lately either and I don’t have a lot of answers for you, but I am in a similar position. On styloid out, one in, and still having symptoms. So, solidarity! You are not alone.
I used to love yoga, but only tolerate yin now. I get dizzy very easily as well. I can’t tolerate any sit-up motions or inversions. I’ve been trying tiny exercises to correct my posture(chin tucks, shoulder blade squeezes and other trap strengthening), but that seems to exacerbate symptoms on the removed side.
Right now I still have symptoms on both sides. I don’t have a lot of answers for you, but I know you’re in the right place because of the knowledgeable mods.
Thanks @ectocake it’s nice to have someone else who’s going through this also. I actually thought I was getting off lightly with Eagles after reading a lot of the forums on here. My symptoms have never been that bad, more manageable. Someone did inform me that after one removal to prepare for the other to act up or symptoms to worsen, I was glad of that advice, I think it was a moderator on here that had said that. The dizziness is getting a lot worse. I still have issues at night like I’m suffocating, waking up gasping for air. Or like my throat is closing over, I’m pretty sure all this is related. I really don’t like the head spins, this I feel is not manageable, more frightening. I have fusion of C2 and C3, from birth, sometimes I wonder if this also causes issues. Do you know when your next surgery is? I’m back on the waiting list to see my ENT. Ali
Post-surgery once the swelling went down I experienced the same nighttime suffocating feeling and a constant cough and dry tickle throat. It was bad during the day too, I would have coughing fits, but eventually, it went away. It’s truly a scary one and I’m sorry you’re still experiencing it. I still have a decent amount of dizziness too and I get how bad that can be.
One thing I’ve noticed since my one side is out is that my other side pushes my hyoid bone around and crunches over it at times depending on how I move my head. There’s a lot more movement that’s noticeable since.
I’ve unfortunately been pretty sick and in and out of the hospital twice since my surgery. My next follow-up with my surgeon is in September to see if I’m well enough for surgery and what the plan is. I haven’t been in the hospital again since my last follow up and it’s becoming more obvious that the styloid that is still in needs out.
Keep me posted on your surgery stuff.
I’m sorry to hear you’ve been suffering with your health since your surgery, I hope you get well enough for your second surgery to take place in September. My surgeon didn’t register anything about nerve compression or anything when I brought it up last year before my first surgery, he said the suffocating was reflux related and would not be caused by an elongated styloid, it’s like he’s not read into it at all. He only took it out because it was causing pain in the back of my throat - never mind all the other things it was causing. I don’t even think I could mention the dizziness to my surgeon, he will say it’s inner ear related or something like that. I’m just going to say I’ve pain in the back of my throat like last time and hope he’ll get to work and remove my left side. Wising you luck and keep in touch Ali
@Lemontree I’m sorry that you’re suffering from so much dizziness- I had a constant off-balance feeling as well as full blown room spinning dizzy spells, so I can sympathise! Mine was due to IJV compression which caused increased intra-cranial pressure, I don’t know if that’s the case for you, or if it’s possibly irritation of the vestibulocochlear nerve, or it could potentially be compression of the carotid artery when you’re head is turned in a certain way… There have been some discussions about vestibular rehab on here, there are exercises online which you could try to see if they help at all.
Normally I’d suggest a CT with contrast to see if any blood vessels are being compressed, especially if you could get one with your head in the position which causes the dizziness, but given the situation with the NHS & your ENT’s lack of understanding about ES I don’t know if there’s any chance you’d get that? You could try printing off some research papers which show your symptoms from ES to take with you to see your ENT, but again, I don’t know if you’d have time in your appointment to discuss this with him!
You’re right that symptoms can ramp up on the remaining side after one side is removed, it does seem to be quite common unfortunately.
I hope that you don’t have to wait too long to get your second surgery!
@ectocake , I’m sorry that your surgery hasn’t helped you, and that you’ve had other health problems recently, I hope that you can get the second side done too…
Hugs to both of you 
I also had one styloid removed and still have some symptoms. Many of my symptoms are greatly reduced but dizziness is still a common occurrence. Most of my symptoms were caused by IJV compression causing complete occlusion on the left side. I have severe stenosis on the right side but my surgeon feels that we do not need to remove that styloid. The styloid is elongated and I am still experiencing symptoms so I am not sure why we wouldn’t remove it. My pulsatile was only on the left side so that was done first. That has gotten 90% better and alot of the time I have to be in absolute quiet to hear it. Although it is acting up as I write this lol. My next step will be to get a venogram to see exactly what is going on with both IJVs. That was an extremely helpful test that filled in the blanks in my case. I hope you can get some answers soon! Arm yourself with as much info as possible.
@Mjrmunch It does sound as if you might still see improvements if you could get the other side removed…is there another doctor you can see? I can’t remember who did your surgery?
I will see what the venogram shows first. The doctor that performed that test before my surgery said my left IJV may need a stent. He said he could not put a stent in at that time because I was having the surgery and in his words “it could be disastrous”. So now that the surgery has been completed I will have him take another look. I had compression from the styloid but also had a ligament strangulating the IJV as well. Part of me is wondering if the integrity of the IJV wall has been compromised because of these factors and it is still stenosed. Interestingly, the right IJV which showed severe stenosis as well at that time, recently showed no stenosis by ultrasound when I was just hospitalized for another issue. They were able to use it as an access point fir a central line. So I am very curious as to what is going on in my body! My surgeon was Costantino btw.
Hi Lemontree,
You may have problems further down your right IJV when you turn your head to the right, it closes up a bit and can cause more compression with head turning and give you dizziness. Ideally, you would need a catheter venogram with manometry to be sure and get exact pressure measurements. Dr Fargen in North Carolina is good for this. If pressure measurennts dont look right (even slightly high) and if this is the case it may be stented so you wont get dizziness with head turning to the right. I hope you get answers soon.
Thanks all for your helpful responses. @Shauna @Jules I’m based in Scotland, I actually forgot my surgeons name. He tool my right styloid out based on it causing pain when I swallow. When I mentioned compression of nerves and arteries, he laughed and said it doesn’t cause anything like that. I was surprised as I’ve read so much. I’m just glad one is out and I’m waiting for the other to be removed. I said to my surgeon I felt I was suffocating at night, I also suffer numbness and loads of other things, he said it’s not related. Right after surgery for three days I woke every couple of minutes suffocating. I told the dr’s on their rounds and they again laughed and said it’s not related to the styloid or surgery? What?
So I’m sceptical to even mention that I am getting dizziness, I’m sure the dr will say it’s Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) and not relate it to the styloid. Of course it’s the styloid! When I move my head to the right and look up slightly at an exact position I start spinning out! I feel like I’m on a boat now all the time. I’m also spinning when I lie down flat and sit up suddenly. I’m just going to push for surgery (I’ll say it’s causing me pain when I swallow). I’m thankful I’ve a surgeon who will remove it, so I need to keep being grateful for that. It’s amazing all you in the States with such in depth medical information about this. It’s free here for surgery on the NHS, so I think they just get you in and out and not go into detail perhaps? All this IJV stuff is frightening to be honest. Is anyone worries about TIA stroke? Or had carotid dissection from the styloid. Oh another thing my gut does not work, I’m sure this is related. I have to take Precaoloprode in order for it to function. I’m hoping left removal helps with this.
@Lemontree it is definitely very hard to get assessed and treated for ES & IJV compression in the UK, although we’re not the only ones, the situation in Canada is just as bad if not worse…
Strokes are possible, but extremely rare, the same for carotid dissection, there are a few research papers which mention cases. If you really wanted to tackle your ENT’s ignorance about it you could print off & take, although I think your policy of mentioning standard symptoms will probably get you further!
Did you have intra-oral surgery or external surgery? My only concern is that you might need a reasonable amount off the styloid to stop any potential vascular compression…The consultant I saw at my local hospital didn’t believe you could get vascular compression from the styloids either, I was really lucky that I’d found out about a great surgeon on here I could be referred to, although sadly he’s not being allowed to do as many surgeries on the NHS now 
And the styloids could be compressing/ irritating the vagus nerve, so this could be the cause of your stomach issues, quite a few members have had digestion problems.