Hello everyone! First, I apologize for my English—I’m using a translator to write this. I want to express my deepest gratitude to the creators of this forum for the opportunity to learn about others’ experiences with Eagle syndrome. Everyone who has walked this path is already a winner!
I’m 38 years old, and my symptoms began a year ago after snowboarding. I developed severe occipital headaches that nothing could relieve. I experienced terrible brain fog, anxiety, and this overwhelming feeling that my body was completely broken. At first, I tried to attribute the symptoms to anxiety disorder or tension headaches, but they were so persistent that I had to start investigating on my own.
An MRI of my head and neck revealed a midline herniated disc at C6-C7 compressing my spinal cord by more than half. Although doctors insisted this couldn’t be causing my headaches, I underwent microsurgery with a skilled neurosurgeon in Russia—the herniation was removed and a DCI implant was placed. Not only did the pain persist, but it gradually worsened. I chalked it up to postoperative recovery (now I understand that my C1 vertebra had shifted upward, compressing my jugular veins even more).
Then came unexplained heart pain—no tests could identify the cause. After severe nausea and a collapse, I was hospitalized, but they dismissed it as congenital hypoplasia of the left vertebral artery. Continuing my investigations, a neurologist detected via ultrasound that my jugular vein blood flow had increased to 120 cm/s. She suggested it was due to muscle spasms in the craniovertebral junction, and so began endless IV drips, antidepressants, and venotonics. Nothing provided real relief.
My concentration became so poor that I lost three jobs, and my family thought I was losing my mind. I tried every form of physical therapy and accumulated a massive collection of medications, but nothing offered meaningful improvement. Only anxiolytics and gabapentin provided slight relief. I eventually resigned myself to living with it—constant nighttime breathlessness, inability to sleep properly, bloodshot eyes in the morning, and crushing brain fog.
My body instinctively tried to lift my head away from my neck, and I often did this briefly with my hands. In April 2025, I ordered a rigid cervical collar with traction functionality, but it only made things worse. It felt like my brain had no resources left to process information, and any attempt to focus caused intense pain. I could only lie in the dark, battling severe nausea and dizziness.
After numerous tests, I compared my recent MRI results with last year’s and noticed narrowing of the internal jugular vein. I then underwent CT venography focusing on the craniovertebral junction—finally, I had my answer: compression of both internal jugular veins to 1.4-1.7 mm between the styloid processes and the C1 vertebra.
I flew to Moscow hoping major institutes could help, but they all said they had no protocols for such surgeries and would only intervene in life-threatening cases (thrombosis, cerebral edema, stroke). A large regional center offered to operate, but they had no prior experience, and I couldn’t trust them.
Now, I’ve found a surgeon in another country who specializes in these procedures, and I’m preparing for surgery this June.
