I agree with @TML that a google search like that isn’t necessarily accurate; we had a new member recently who asked chatgpt about his symptoms & it came back with a quote from here, & whilst we might have learned alot about ES, we’re not medical professionals!
Here’s a link to @ShelbyH 's post, she’s had pain since surgery, & we spotted some clips on her post-surgery CT, which a doctor has confirmed … so unfortunately you’re not the only one 
ES can cause nausea if the vagus nerve is irritated.
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Good afternoon @Isaiah_40_31, @TML, and @Jules. Thank you for your responses. Having multiple clips (like perhaps 10 of them) is ridiculous. Nothing was mentioned before the surgery last April 10th. I woke up, and then my neck movement was irritating and painful. Behind both ears are compressing badly and radiating down to my upper and lower throat, neck, and tongue, with pain like throbbing and inflammation. I refuse to touch my neck and throat due to the sensation. I know you all already know my cases. I do have a question. Since I have a history of neck fusions and now with ES, whoever will do ES syndrome and/or whatever else, should I ask for a neurosurgeon to stand by in case it is needed?
I just finished eating, but now I feel the ears, jaw movement, and neck are bothersome. I will take medications in an hour. Headache from the whole neck. At the same time, I have been feeling dopey lately. I hate this.
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It would be handy to have a neurosurgeon to co-operate with the surgery, but I think getting one doctor to agree will be challenging enough! So I would see what Dr Osborne has to say first of all, & take it from there
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I will keep you all posted on what Dr O has to say. I have never thought or dreamed that I would have ES and neck fusions. I pray and hope that I can get back to my life and be able to travel with my husband to see our families. I haven’t been able to do this for eight years now. It isn’t terrific.
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I hope the same for you @bdys as you’re hoping 
. Eight years is a long time not to see family. Do they ever come your direction so you at least get to see them occasionally? I hope so!
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Unfortunately, my mom has a COPD that her doctor (not sure which type of doctor) told her that she forbidden to travel. Same for my mother-in-law as well. They have been smoking for a while when they were young. They are okay, though. I am hoping that as soon as I can get the ES symptoms and surgical clips taken care of, my husband and I can travel. I have been going through a lot since my neck issue, and now with ES symptoms.
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So what happened when the doctor saw @ShelbyH (?) with surgical clips? Quick question: how long does the surgical area stay swollen and numb while the feeling of irritation while both ears with touching sensation? I’m on 5 months post op. My tongue is feeling weird. I guess one of the ES symptoms. I already took medications. I hope you all have a good day 
Numbness around the surgery site can last quite a while, possibly never getting quite back to how it was- I still have a little numbness around my jaw & ears, & get quite strange sensations in my outer ears too! It’s a price worth paying though for the other improvements I’ve had. It could be that clips are still aggravating nerves too, I can’t remember the location of all of them…
Here’s a link to @ShelbyH 's story:
Two different diagnosis - General - Living with Eagle
It’s rotten that you’ve not been able to visit family for so long, I hope that you reach a point in your recovery where you’re able to do that again
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@TML. I just got the CT scan test result with and without contrast for Dr O. He should get them next week. I don’t fully understand the test result and the images. I’m still having ES symptoms. I read the test result. I see different wording from this test to previous tests. I am glad it mentions now that I do have ES on the right with its symptoms, but I disagree with the wording that said “no impingement.” Plus, I did find that whatever the radiologist said in report is not necessarily ruled out that can be missed out to find the true findings. Both my ears, neck, jaw and throat are pain and compression. The test report and images will send to Dr O. The only thing that the radiologist did not mention anything about multiple surgical clips. I’m feeling like the radiologist may not be expert on the true findings. I can’t say this for sure. (See attached)
Should I proceed to send the images that you sent me with the images with your findings earlier? Secondly, I like for you to enter this test and see if you can do axial or whatever it is. I am dumb to read the images. I just wanted to get this to be taken care of by fixing the solution. I am so ready for betterment. Sigh.
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@bdys “no impingement of pharynx” is very specific. It means that the elongated styloid is not pressing against the pharynx, which is a very good thing. “No impingement of pharynx” does not mean the there is no impingement or compression of nerves. They can’t comment on nerves because CT can’t see nerves. Dr. O will be a better judge if he thinks the elongated right styloid is hitting any nerves (which obviously it is because you are in pain) and the IJV. Glad that the radiologist acknowledged that the styloid is elongated at the very least. All the other fluff doesn’t really matter because now that it’s been labelled as elongated and you’re experiencing symptoms they have justification to remove it. Dr. O will be helpful I’m sure. I’m almost certain he will help with the styloid, I’m less optimistic (but still optimistic) that he’ll help with the clips on the left side
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Thank you. Yes I am glad everything else is okay, except the ES and neck issues, which I am not happier.
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Question: I have tinnitus in my right ear, like a buzz, but it gets louder when I hear the electric jolt on the left side of my ear or head. An electric jolt started shortly after I was diagnosed with ES in late summer 2024. This isn’t very pleasant. My brain is normal. Does anyone here have something similar to this? This is horrible sound everywhere in my head. Geez. The electric jolt comes and goes. But where does this come from? I miss hearing the sound from outside of my head.
- Left styloidectomy (partial; too many unnecessary surgical clips)
- Elongated right styloid
- Still ES symptoms
- History of the neck fusions
Dr. Osborne’s office called me a few days ago to say that they received the test result (report), but Dr. Osborne is waiting to get the images and review them. Then, I will be scheduled to meet with him via Zoom and a sign language interpreter. It will be our second call. They did call me before that to check on me and get some information they needed from me. So far, it is a productive process. Wait and see.
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@bdys - Can you describe the electric jolt i.e. is it a sensation like you’re receiving an electric shock or is it more like a sudden sharp nerve pain or sound? Nerve pain can feel like a lightning strike i.e. it can be a sudden, sharp (take your breath away) zap of pain. I sometimes get weird vibrations in my nearly deaf ear which I’ve learned are coming from sounds my ear is trying to respond to but can’t. Even though that ear is nearly deaf, I have loud chronic tinnitus in it as well as in my “hearing ear”. Still trying to resolve or reduce all that tinnitus myself so I sympathize with your situation.
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I think electric shock. But it keeps doing this every second. Good question that you asked. The ENT doctor I saw said there was nothing inside the ear. It has to be something irritating the nerve or pinching to send the electric jolt. I’m sorry that I am not good at describing this. I get dizzy and feel imbalance. This is crazy. 
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Is the electric shock you get painful or more of just a sound? Regardless, it sounds like it’s nerve related. Hopefully Dr. Osborne will have an answer for you regarding that symptom, too.
Question about sleeping position. I am having a hard time falling asleep on my head and neck. I have not had much luck lately, probably for a long time. I have had neck fusions, and now with ES (left—post-op styloidectomy, possibly partial; right—elongated styloid), I bought the pillow, but I don’t know if this works for me. See pics below.
What you see in these photos is in different positions; I can’t find any comfort. Am I lying in positions wrongly?
It is both.
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It may be that there isn’t a comfortable position for your neck at the moment due to the surgical clips. The best I can suggest is to keep experimenting. Maybe a bit of head elevation will help or no pillow at all. I’m very sorry for the trouble you’re having with neck pain & not being able to sleep. I know being sleep deprived makes everything seem worse. I hope your follow-up appt with Dr. Osborne is very soon.
I hope some of our other members have helpful suggestions for you.
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Yes, I think both surgical clips on the left side and right elongated styloid (and/or who knows what else). I am still hearing the sound of an electric jolt on the left side. Hope it will calm down before long, while I have a buzzing sound on the right side (this has been going on for a long time). Face pain. Dizzy. Headache. Floating in my head. Neck pain and stiffness. Eyes hurt. Now, I have to fight with the hospital charging over $30K when they put me lying on a stretcher in the hallway for the first two or three days, a lack of sign language interpreters at times, while I stayed despite my request for the need of sign language interpreters. Some hospital staff think I can talk and lip-read, despite the patient relations and upper management telling me that they would tell all the hospital staff to use sign language interpreters via Video Remote Interpreting (not preferred by the deaf community, like me) due to the cheaper cost than live sign language interpreters. It sucks! I just received the info of over $30K today. I don’t have the kind of money. Geez. I am a fighter. The day I left the hospital, I was in horrible shape. The hospital staff has no empathy and neglected me. I also typed a long review of that hospital (Tampa General Hospital). I don’t know what, where, or how I will get the money. I have never had done this before. I am tired of being a fighter
Question: Does ES with styloid bone grow slowly or gradually for years without knowing?
I’m sorry that you’re dealing with all this, and now being charged so much for it too!
The electric shock symptoms do sound like nerve pain, it could well be the trigeminal nerve or the glossopharyngeal nerve. It’s horrible but worth trying nerve pain medications for it, it will take a while for these to build up & work though, and sometimes the side effects can be difficult…
With your neck & sleeping, there isn’t one head position we can say is the best, it’s different for everybody, so it’s really trial and error as to which is best
The styloids often grow gradually, but there are some things which possibly make it grow, like neck trauma or a tonsillectomy. Many of us on here have had whiplash injuries, so the inflammation from that possible causes the calcifications. There does seem to be a link between CCI and connective tissue disorders & ES as well. It could be that yours have elongated but having the neck fusion altered their position slightly & that was enough to cause symptoms…ageing as well can loosen connective tissue & alter the neck structures which is why many of us have mild symptoms initially which worsen as we get older.
I hope that you hear from Dr Osborne soon
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