Super Frustrated !!
5 months post operation, but feeling worse than pre surgery. Few symptoms have become severe. I talked to my doctor few times and He couldn’t find any solution. Here doctors only take decision based on xray only. I am feeling very annoyed. So, I have decided to investigate by my own until I find an experienced one. Please, suggest me some test by which I can properly know what’s going on. I am giving my current symptoms below -
Feeling something is stuck in my right side of throat.
Buring and severe pain in back of my tongue on right side.
Pain on right side of throat while drinking and swallowing something.
Breathing difficulty.
feeling tightness in the neck right side( become severe at night)
I am currently taking pregabalin and this is not helping me that much.
So sorry to read that you’re still having symptoms after surgery; so tough having gone through that to not be helped.
It would be useful for you to know how much of the styloid process was removed- some surgeons only remove a small amount to shorten the styloid process, so maybe this is what’s happened for you? If this is the case then the remaining piece of styloid process could be causing symptoms. Also if the remaining part left in hasn’t been smoothed of, then the sharp tip could cause symptoms. The best way to tell would be if you’re able to get a CT done, as that does show the styloid processes best. But if you were only able to get an X-ray done, then a new X-ray might shed some light on things.
Do you know if you had elongated styloids both sides? If you did, then it could be that the other side is causing symptoms- it seems to be quite common that happens, after the first surgery the 2nd side gets worse. Sometimes doctors won’t do the 2nd surgery because they think it hasn’t worked, but it may be that the other side needs to be done for total healing.
The nerves can take a while to heal also, I know 5 months seems a long time & normally you would expect improvements by now, but there can still be improvements even up to a year after the surgery.
If the pregablin’s not helping, there are other nerve pain medications which it might be worth trying. For example Gabapentin, Amitriptyline, Carbamazepine; sometimes it can take trying a few different medications before you find one that helps.
I really hope that you can find some answers, sending you a hug
I’d like to do CT scan with contrast. Will this test be able to show styloid process, styloid ligament and surrounding soft tissues? If I want to know my nerves are damaged or not what should I do? Going to a neurologist will help??
I’m so sorry you’re still in so much pain. Have you been prescribed any nerve pain medication to help at least reduce your discomfort? Yes, a neurologist would be a good type of doctor to see to help you with your current situation. If there are medical pain specialists (we have those in the US), that would be another type of doctor to consider.
An MRI is the best for seeing soft tissues, & there is a special type of MRI now that is used in the US for looking at nerves. It may be available in your country as well. I think that soft tissues like blood vessels, muscles, tendons & ligaments can be seen well in a CT w/ contras,t but nerves are so tiny they don’t show up well.
I hope others will comment on this as I’m not 100% sure about CT imaging not showing nerves.
Most of the doctors seem clueless here, No one is giving me CT or MRI. Now I am taking carbameazepine. But it makes me dizzy. I am not doing well, my base of the tongue is still burning a lot. I have also facial pain which increases at night.
There are quite a few different nerve pain medications, so it’s worth trying other ones, although you’ll need to give them a few weeks to see if they work. A neurologist can help with the medications, & may be able to look into other treatments for nerve pain. The Ben’s Friends facial pain group has more detailed info on all this, you could have a look? Here’s a link: Living With Facial Pain - Support Community for Facial Pain Diseases - Trigeminal Neuralgia (TN) and Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia (GPN)
As Isaiah says, a CT won’t be likely to show nerves, an MRI sometimes can, and a FIESTA MRI does show nerves, but I don’t think that they’re very widely available? A CT shows the bony structures, so would show the styloids & if the ligaments, the contrast one shows the blood vessels but not nerves.
Thinking of you…wish we could give you more definite answers…
