Had my doctor appt this morning

So I met with a head/neck surgeon specialist this morning. He says I don’t have Eagle’s. He says my left styloid is nearly non existent so it makes my right look long, but it’s not calcified or Eagle’s. But I DO have lots of pain. The doctor suspects TMJ. It’s bitter sweet - I am happy at the thought of not needing surgery but if it’s not TMJ, I don’t want to doctor-hop to get a diagnosis. This doctor was a major specialist in his field at Emory in Atlanta, I’m inclined to think he knows what he’s doing? But I’ve read Eagle’s is a rare disorder that many doctors don’t know about. Any advice would be helpful.

Have you seen a TMJ specialist? Do they think your symptoms are related to TMJ?

Yes, they think all of my symptoms are related to TMJ including hearing loss. I do grind my teeth in my sleep… :woman_shrugging:

Well, that is possible. 2 things, do you have a CT scan with measurements if the styloids. I was told mine were unremarkable, but after getting the sxan with measurements that changed and a3D picture that we made from the tutorial on this website nailed it
Second, if it is TMJ and only that. TMJ can be treated usually with success and without surgery. Also, if you have a good TMJ doctor, he/she can also look at the styloids and comment.

A couple of questions to ask yourself before you rule out ES:
1)Do you have pain just one side, the same side that the styloid looks longer?
2) Have you seen your scan pics yourself- does the styloid look wide, angled or curved- it’s not just length that can cause symptoms.
3) What treatment is being proposed for TMJD; is it very expensive or difficult? Would it be worth trying first as a less invasive option instead of surgery?
If your doctor does have experience with ES & doesn’t feel you have it, then you could accept that…or otherwise consider sending your scans to another experienced doctor for a phone consult, not really doctor hopping that way?
Let us know how you get on!

Yes, I have the pain on the side with the longer styloid (the doc said it appeared as Eagle’s because my left styloid is unusually short). I’ve attached photos. No proposed treatment yet. He just sent me off into the ether, as some doctors tend to do. He was a top specialist, so I’m inclined to believe him. But I know some Eagle’s can be hard to diagnose.

Before meeting with this surgeon, I thought there wasn’t supposed to be a protruding bone at all! Because I don’t have one on my left side - but apparently there is supposed to be one there. And my “right side is normal.” It’s so frustrating! I just want to take all the pills to make the pain go away.

It’s not as long as some we’ve seen on here, but it is quite angled, which can cause symptoms as well. Obviously we can’t tell you whether you have ES or not, & often members only know what symptoms are down to surgery; it’s a personal decision whether you push to get another opinion or whether you tackle the TMJD first and then see?

You know your body and the pain is a signal telling you something is not right. Don’t stop looking until you have an answer. Often we have to be our own advocate which can be a full time job. It might not be ES but it is something - don’t give up. Sending you fortitude …

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