Hi, I have had es symptoms for just over a year and experience different symptoms from time up time. I have found lately difficulty or tiredness when talking too long. Hard to describe but feel pain under my tongue radiating to my neck like i have a tightness and it’s quite painful after a while. Has anyone experienced this on the symptmatic side? I also had a stressful period over last 2 weeks and did lots of lifting with moving and wonder if this could have impacted. Any feedback would be really helpful!
I’ve not had any trouble talking, but I know quite a few others have. We’ve had several teachers who’ve struggled with their jobs because of the effect of ES on their voices, & also several singers. I think it was either Musicgeek or Isaiah who found a research paper about this, if I can I’ll try to finf it.
As for the lifting, that always made my symptoms worse, so it could’ve caused this new symptom for you.
Hi Vkossa!
Here’s the link to the article Jules mentioned. It was Musicgeek who first mentioned it.
As Jules noted there have been members on this forum who’ve had various forms of vocal trouble including total loss of voice & symptoms similar to yours.
I hope you find the article interesting.
I have/had a lot of issues with talking and ES. I was a substitute teacher and I noticed that when I talked I would feel worn out and if I tried to push through all the muscles would tighten up and I would have pain in my tongue and in my neck. It got worse to the point that even if I wasn’t teaching but was having normal conversation at home I would be in pain talking. At my worst I would just stop talking and ice my neck and that seems to settle it down a little. I had surgery on one side it helped a lot. I am now able to talk without pain. I still get worn out if I talk a lot but I think that is because I may need the other side done as well.
1 Like
Thanks for finding it for us!!
Thank you all, very helpful as I can relate to those issues. Isaiah I really appreciate you finding the article and Jules for sharing your experience with lifting. I’m finding I cannot tolarate lifting anymore.
Agiril your pre surgery symptoms are similar to what I’m experining and so happy the surgery helped you! Did you have external surgery and who was your surgeon? Did surgery help the pain with talking? Thank you all for your responses and support, this is a frustrating and trying condition. xx
Vkossa,
I had external surgery with Dr. Cognetti. The surgery helped a lot with the pain. Some of my pain was due to the muscles getting so tight. I tried everything before surgery to loosen up my tongue and neck muscles and nothing would work. Since the surgery they are not as tight. I also got back some of the resonance in my voice. I still have some issues with talking, for example, if I would get really upset and talk louder but it is no where near the pain before surgery. Plus I do think any remaining issues could be that I need my other side done.
Hi Vkossa,
I’m sorry you’re having more symptoms from your ES but you know we’re always here for you! So glad I could help in some small way!
You’re most welcome, Jules!!
Four years ago I was diagnosed with Dysphonia. I am a vocalist and the diagnosis was difficult to hear. The muscles in the front of my neck were and still are very tight. So begins the journey of trying to discover what is wrong. I went to an two ENT’s, one said it was due to Silent Acid Reflux, the other… unknown. Did some vocal therapy but really was useless. That was 3.5 years ago.
Last year, I was sick with some sort of virus, and developed a sore throat, had some acid reflux as well. Sore throat is still here on the right side almost a year later. Have seen ENTs, had a endoscopy two weeks ago, had CT Scan, been on antibiotics, anti reflux diet, meds,steroids, antidepressants. I have a small lump under my jaw, pain in ear, jaw, headaches and sharp eye pain, head pain, neck pain, shoulder pain. I seldom take anything I just rest when I need to and change pillows a lot. I have been addicted to massages for the last four years. I have researched and researched what could possibly be wrong with me. And then, it happened… I, like many times before put my symptoms into the search bar and Eagle Syndrome pops up. I begin reading all I can about it and by the Grace of God, happened onto livingwitheagle.org. What a blessing this has been! I am asking all of my Drs. to please review my CT from May 2018.
No one has been able to tell me why my throat, neck, ear, shoulders hurt all the time. I am in Texas and am going back to UT Southwestern in Dallas, and this time I am going to be armed with more information than ever before.
So vocal discomfort and my throat feeling strained and tired when speaking was my first symptom. I am so glad that I found this page. It was very life changing. I hate to be one of those people who self diagnose but what do you do when no one can tell you what is wrong?
cabinone1. I went undiagnosed for years. My ES symptoms started with vocal issues similar to yours, I am also a singer. It got to the point where even talking was upsetting my throat. I was told I needed to calm the muscles in my throat/neck/shoulders down or I wouldn’t be able to sing but I tried everything and nothing worked. I diagnosed myself I found this website and sent my CT into a dr and ended up having surgery. I need the other side done but I am 6 months out of my first surgery and already I can talk better. Singing is still an issue but the pain is not as bad and I think it will resolve totally once I have the other side done. Good luck to you and hope you can get this resolved
WOW! You have most of the list of “typical” ES symptoms as well have been on the journey that many undiagnosed ES patients deal with on their way to diagnosis. It may be that your CT scan from May will show that you have elongated styloid(s) &/or calcified stylohyoid ligament(s), but if that area of your neck is not clearly visible, you should request a new CT with “styloid protocol”. The ENT who diagnosed me simply requested a CT scan to check for Eagle Syndrome. I made sure the radiologist knew that’s what I was there for. He made it sound like a common ailment. I was a bit taken aback since I knew it was rare. Maybe he was just being snarky. At any rate, he did a great job & voila! I had a diagnosis.
I called my dentist who did a lot of xrays back in September, and explained that I needed to know if she saw elongated styloid process and as she is looking at them she says"actually yes. The right side is “pronounced”. That’s the side I am having issues with. ENT and Radiologist said I looked normal. After reading Jules post, I thought it was worth a try to reach out to the dentist. Now if I could just understand the xray.
cabinone1,
I’m glad you have a definite confirmation of ES. X-rays can be tricky to read especially panoramic ones. I think talking to your dentist to get an interpretation is a good idea.
If you’d like to “talk” to someone who lives closer to you & who’s recently gone through 2 ES surgeries (1 for each side), you could privately message gbr. We are always here for you as well!
