Is there anything for temporary relief? NSAIDs?

General
1

While I’m waiting to fix this problem permanently (assuming it’s ES) is there anything I can do to relieve the symptoms? It seems like I saw somewhere that NSAIDs such as Advil would reduce swelling that might be caused by the bone irritating surrounding structures and thereby relieve symptoms. Is this true?

I seem to have become much worse the last week or so and am desperate to at least find something that will get me through the day and let me sleep.

My symptoms:

  • Constant feeling of something swollen on right side of throat, just above and to the right of Adam’s Apple. Always feel like I’m not able to breath right or I’m going to start chocking.
  • Difficulty swallowing, and swollen feeling much worse after trying to eat things (so barely eating anything but Ensure)
  • “Tickle” in right side of throat makes me cough like I need to cough something up to prevent choking but of course nothing ever comes up.
  • Right ear gets full feeling anytime I am swallowing anything (even liquids). I have to then open my mouth or shift my jaw around until it pops like on an airplane. It will continue to get full over and over like this.

Thanks as always for everybody’s help! It sounds strange but I really hope I have ES and it can be fixed because I’ve gone through every other possible test and type of doctor and everybody says there’s nothing wrong.

2

I took Lyrica for a long time, but found that Tramadol works better. But nothing compares to getting them surgically shortened. They took over 2 cm out on each side for me.

3

Definitely sounds like Eagle’s to me! Mine progressed to both ears and I truly had trouble focusing it felt as if there was too much noise in my head. With me it was the left tonsil that felt like something trying to break through. As far as Motrin is concerned it did help a bit for me if your through is actually irritated I found the most relief my taking a 600 mg dose of children’s Motrin or generic but the key is to let it slowly dissolve in your mouth it has a long term imbuing effect. I progressed to the horrible taste of the adults but it worked for throat pain. The most relief I found was a dose of 2 weeks of steroids prednisone that made me feel alive again and cleared my ears!

4

Thanks for the tips.

Mine has been going on for 2.5 years and getting progressively worse, but only on the right side. I'm to the point where now either ES or having my tonsils removed are my last hopes. I have been on prednisone many times and it has never helped at all. This was when I was trying to treat it as allergies. I've been told it is allergies, TMJ, teeth clenching, stress, acid reflux, nasal polyps, and everything in between but nothing seems to help. As I mentioned before my main symptom is feeling like I am constantly choking or something is in the right side of my throat. Almost like I need to clear mucus out of my throat but nothing every comes out. This feeling usually gets intensified after eating which is why we were researching it as a possible food allergy. The other super annoying symptom is anytime I eat or even drink anything, basically anytime I'm swallowing, by right ear gets full and I have to open my mouth really wide between bites to "pop" it again, otherwise I feel even worse.

I keep second guessing the ES thing since I have essentially zero pain other than occasionally feeling of a slightly sore throat on the right side. It seems like everybody else's main symptom is the pain. Not to discount anybody else's issues but I'm to the point where I think pain would be better than always feeling like I can't breathe and can't eat!

Right now I'm trying to decide if I should go through with tonsil surgery I already have scheduled or if I should cancel that and wait until I see somebody about ES. I just hate to postpone the tonsil surgery if it ends up not being ES and then I'll have to wait longer for the tonsils... such a frustrating problem!

Lifelongeagle said:

Definitely sounds like Eagle's to me! Mine progressed to both ears and I truly had trouble focusing it felt as if there was too much noise in my head. With me it was the left tonsil that felt like something trying to break through. As far as Motrin is concerned it did help a bit for me if your through is actually irritated I found the most relief my taking a 600 mg dose of children's Motrin or generic but the key is to let it slowly dissolve in your mouth it has a long term imbuing effect. I progressed to the horrible taste of the adults but it worked for throat pain. The most relief I found was a dose of 2 weeks of steroids prednisone that made me feel alive again and cleared my ears!
5

I never described mine as "Pain" for the first 20 years. but things progressed over the years. You need to simply get a CT scan. If you have elongated styloid processes, then find the correct ENT to take out the tonsils and shorten the styloid process at the same time.

6

If you have a doctor willing to do it, a nerve block injection of zylocain or some other like Novocain into the tonsular fossia and the glossopharyngeal nerve stopped my pain for abut 6 months while waiting for surgery. Other things you are doing I did--the feeling of water in the ear and trying to make ear pop by moving my jaw or tilting my head-this indicates your Eustachian tube is blocked and the pressure can't equalize. ice packs in area outside, sucking on ice so it touches the tender areas. advil or similar helped a little and narcotics like Norco, oxytocin and muscle relaxers like soma and flexaril helped me sleep but made me dumb as rocks.

My ES caused acid reflux by constantly causing me to gag=which brought up acid not the other way around. And all these things won't cause the ear pain I think.

The injection had the best direct relief and no side effects.

Everybody says there is nothing wrong but do they have the pictures to show that? Do you have x-rays or ct's that show the area.

Why the tonsils? are your tonsils even swollen? I had my left styloid removed last September and the doctor said he might have to remove the tonsil to get at the styloid but was able to work past it.

You sound like me-I was told I had allergies, TMJ, deviated septum. But it was none of these ever. I had a bone stuck in my throat. If its just a guess its your tonsils then wait. if the doctors have an actual reason for removing your tonsils let them and have them remove the styloids at the same time.

7

Interesting. I hadn't thought of that. My understanding was that everybody recommended the ES be fixed via external approach. So you're saying that while they are taking out the tonsils they could easily perform the ES surgery as well? I was expecting to do the tonsils, then if that didn't help do the ES via the external method later. I don't know if I trust my local ENTs with ES but I think they are very experienced with tonsils.

Looking for HELP said:

I never described mine as "Pain" for the first 20 years. but things progressed over the years. You need to simply get a CT scan. If you have elongated styloid processes, then find the correct ENT to take out the tonsils and shorten the styloid process at the same time.

8

Thanks for the info. Yes for some reason the tube gets blocked just from swallowing. I can usually make it pop if I open my mouth very wide and hold it there for a few seconds but it's extremely annoying. I think it contributes to the feeling of choking/hard to breathe.

I will say that I've noticed that after having dental work on that side it seems to feel better for awhile while it's numb. I've always wondered if dental work itself created the problem as it seemed to start a few months after having my wisdom teeth surgically removed and then also had a few root canals and another tooth removed all on the same side. Might just be coincidence though.

Regarding the pictures, I think the standard radiologist and ENT approach is to just look for "normal" issues like tumors or other things that are easy to spot. I've been to 6 different ENTs including going to the Mayo Clinic over the last 2 years and probably had 10 CTs of my head and neck and a similar number of MRIs and nobody has ever mentioned ES before until I went to a new ENT recently and he suggested I go for a fresh CT scan for him to look at. I can feel a lump in my neck right below where my neck and jaw meet. Nothing shows on CT though as far as tumors or anything. I can feel the lump move up and down when I swallow and the new ENT showed me how when he pushes on the same spot on the left side of my neck it makes the lump push out on the right side since it's the same bone.


shaw said:

If you have a doctor willing to do it, a nerve block injection of zylocain or some other like Novocain into the tonsular fossia and the glossopharyngeal nerve stopped my pain for abut 6 months while waiting for surgery. Other things you are doing I did--the feeling of water in the ear and trying to make ear pop by moving my jaw or tilting my head-this indicates your Eustachian tube is blocked and the pressure can't equalize. ice packs in area outside, sucking on ice so it touches the tender areas. advil or similar helped a little and narcotics like Norco, oxytocin and muscle relaxers like soma and flexaril helped me sleep but made me dumb as rocks.

The injection had the best direct relief and no side effects.

Everybody says there is nothing wrong but do they have the pictures to show that?

9

my best view was a panorex done by an oral surgeon or x-ray of head called a mastoid series. here is one picture. I've had many discussions with doctors about the limitations of CT's--I had bladder cancer and the CT gave a rough idea of the presence of tumors. I had an elongated styloid that the CT showed was .9 cm longer than the one removed on right in 1990 but it was 3cm long when they cut me open. The reason it was done internally was due to 2 failed external styloid removals and the amount of scar tissue on my jaw line was too much to cut through safely--3rd time was a charm.

294-lRstyloidCopy2.jpg1594×1192 438 KB

the left (on the right is the 1990 operation) the one on the right is the styloid presurgery--you cant get this type of view with a CT as it is processed by a computer and you get what it makes. the x-ray is the most direct and is cheap and very easy and it shows it very cleary but since it really isn't all bone it's stays shadowy compared to surrounding bones. It was a 6-7cm styloid cut down to 3cm with no reduction insymptoms until last year when I got a docyor to remove the 3 cm that were the cause of all my symptoms of ES--the sympoms of malpractice attmpts to remove it I will have for life but have a lot of relief.

10

I was wondering if the basic x-ray was a good tool. I actually have an appointment this coming week with an oral surgeon that I used for my wisdom teeth. I don't know if he knows anything about ES but I figured worst case I could describe it to him and see if he'll take the x-ray so we can look.

11

307-lstyloid22.jpg600×800 134 KB


This is one mastoid view see the tip part of the styloid and the break in it between my upper and lower teeth. Ct's can be good but a simple view is a better start as far as my experience showed. and nothing you bring a doctor will compel them to operate--they apparently have to want to.


shaw said:

my best view was a panorex done by an oral surgeon or x-ray of head called a mastoid series. here is one picture. I've had many discussions with doctors about the limitations of CT's--I had bladder cancer and the CT gave a rough idea of the presence of tumors. I had an elongated styloid that the CT showed was .9 cm longer than the one removed on right in 1990 but it was 3cm long when they cut me open. The reason it was done internally was due to 2 failed external styloid removals and the amount of scar tissue on my jaw line was too much to cut through safely--3rd time was a charm.

294-lRstyloidCopy2.jpg1594×1192 438 KB

the left (on the right is the 1990 operation) the one on the right is the styloid presurgery--you cant get this type of view with a CT as it is processed by a computer and you get what it makes. the x-ray is the most direct and is cheap and very easy and it shows it very cleary but since it really isn't all bone it's stays shadowy compared to surrounding bones. It was a 6-7cm styloid cut down to 3cm with no reduction insymptoms until last year when I got a docyor to remove the 3 cm that were the cause of all my symptoms of ES--the sympoms of malpractice attmpts to remove it I will have for life but have a lot of relief.

12

I my time with this, a direct x-ray should be enough and we are taught that if it doesn't cause surgical action we need better views but its not the views, it was doctors never willing to di it.

JUST LOOK AT THAT THING COMPARRED TO THE SHORT ONE, DOES SEEM LIKE NOTHIN?

For my panorex I turned my head to the right to get more of the left side and turned it to the left to get more of the right side as the panorex is only meant to look at teeth area and the styloid was a bit fatherback. the oral surgeon said I taught him something new.

after a total of 25 years dealing with this on both side but at 5 year intervals I've lost count of how many doctors I saw. only 1.5 were good. one did well on the right and removed the wrong thing on the left so he gats the 1/2.

13

You asked about sleeping and currently we give my son 50mg of Benadryl and some kind of tea to help induce sleep each night at bedtime. Please check with any doctor on the maximum adult dose. He is a kid so 50 is high, but an adult might be able to take 100mg. We switched to this over oxycodone because our doctor said there is no chance of addiction to Benadryl. It isn't perfect,but it does get him to sleep at night which is so important (and was previously impossible)

Also, no doctors will definitively say Eagles for my son, but we have learned the only way to know for sure is to take it out, so that is what we are doing. I have read of others with your symptoms so I still think you may be right about Eagles. If you do both surgeries at the same time, your recovery will be much harder & you won't know which one was right, but I understand that with this condition, you want to do everything and anything as soon as possible. But please, please don't let your current ENT take out your styloid while he is doing the tonsillectomy UNLESS he has done it before. It is a complicated surgery and there are so many nerves that can get damaged permanently if the doctor doesn't know what he is doing.

14

I had a panoramic xray and CT scan showing my calcified styloids. I had stabbing ear pain, ear ringing, white noise, dizzy spells - which are all gone now :) I also had clavicle pain (one symptom of my SAPHO syndrome diagnosis), amongst other joint pain - which are all gone now (with occasional mild joint pain). I got rid of my pain by faithfully quitting nightshades. Read about nightshades and how toxic they can be. One good place is in "Pain Free in Six Weeks", by Sherry Rogers. It's been a while since I read the chapter on nightshades in the book, but there is a link between nightshades and calcification of soft tissues. I also bought "Longevity Now" by David Wolfe for it's discussion on calcification and ways to get rid of and avoid further calcification. And lastly, I am mostly grain free. I do eat some gluten free breads when I really crave bread type foods - cake, muffins, etc. A very nice book is "Against All Grain", by Danielle Walker. Amongst other benefits, going nightshade free and gluten free will help reduce inflammation in your body. I could be wrong, but I believe my symptoms have gone because I've reduced the swelling in my body, and hopefully by proper diet I'm reducing or eliminating my chances of the styloids growing bigger. I would assume once they reach a certain point in their growth, there would be no answer to the pain, but surgery. Perhaps I just caught mine early enough?! Everybody is different. Maybe this wouldn't help any of you.....but I hope it does! Either way, I sympathize with all of you - your pain - your unanswered questions - the difficulty finding doctors - the feeling of being alone. Blessings to you all!

15

hi throatcrazy;

To go back to square one....why are you having tonsil removed?

I've had tonsillitis and it feels nothing like ES. My throat was swollen and raw and puffy and red and the doctor could see that clearly. I had no ear pain or any of the other symptoms of ES that I experienced. It was not removed because they don't just remove tonsils anymore-"you need them" so I had 6 weeks of fever and a sore throat and antibiotics.

Unless they have ruled out an elongated styloid as the cause of your symptoms, I'd delay the tonsillectomy if that is why it is being removed.

I was not suggesting they remove both just because they cut you open. Only if both an elongated styloid and the tonsil needed to be removed. If that is the case anesthesia and infection and all the other risks accociated with any surgery would only be done once.

If it is ES, external is best and they can get more of it and the chance of infection is less and you get a really neat scar. The healing time is much less too. When I had my right one removed in 1990, I knew right away it was gone. All the pain was gone and the incision didn't hurt much at all. I was up and about in a day and able to swallow and the dysphasia was gone.

My 3rd left side surgery was internal because the 2 failed external surgeries to remove stvloid process left me with a lot of scar tissue that my third surgeon didn't want to risk cutting through it. So it became internal with the tonsil removed to get at the styloid--but the tonsil ended up not having to be removed. But my doctor said it would still hurt like an adult tonsillectomy anyway-3 weeks of raw pain due to the internal incision. But I also could tell the ES pains were gone anyway.

16

The tonsils are basically a last resort type thing because they can't figure out what is wrong with me and a few ENTs have said right where I am pointing on the outside is where the tonsil is on the inside.

Basically I have constant feeling of something stuck in the right side of my throat, like it's swollen or something and I'm not going to be able to breathe. I also have fullness in my right ear that is relieved for just a little while by opening my mouth really wide for a few seconds until the ear pops. Both of these symptoms get much worse during and after eating almost anything. After eating I feel like my throat is extremely tight and feel like it's harder to breathe even though I'm not wheezing or anything. This also starts while I'm eating so lately I haven't been able to eat much of anything.

My concern is that I'm not sure if these symptoms with the throat tightness and ear fullness, especially after eating, are usually how ES presents itself. I'm almost to the point where I'm willing to just remove the tonsils in order to rule them out since we've tried so many other tests, but now that ES has come up I'm not sure what to do.

shaw said:

hi throatcrazy;

To go back to square one....why are you having tonsil removed?

I've had tonsillitis and it feels nothing like ES. My throat was swollen and raw and puffy and red and the doctor could see that clearly. I had no ear pain or any of the other symptoms of ES that I experienced. It was not removed because they don't just remove tonsils anymore-"you need them" so I had 6 weeks of fever and a sore throat and antibiotics.

Unless they have ruled out an elongated styloid as the cause of your symptoms, I'd delay the tonsillectomy if that is why it is being removed.

I was not suggesting they remove both just because they cut you open. Only if both an elongated styloid and the tonsil needed to be removed. If that is the case anesthesia and infection and all the other risks accociated with any surgery would only be done once.

If it is ES, external is best and they can get more of it and the chance of infection is less and you get a really neat scar. The healing time is much less too. When I had my right one removed in 1990, I knew right away it was gone. All the pain was gone and the incision didn't hurt much at all. I was up and about in a day and able to swallow and the dysphasia was gone.

My 3rd left side surgery was internal because the 2 failed external surgeries to remove stvloid process left me with a lot of scar tissue that my third surgeon didn't want to risk cutting through it. So it became internal with the tonsil removed to get at the styloid--but the tonsil ended up not having to be removed. But my doctor said it would still hurt like an adult tonsillectomy anyway-3 weeks of raw pain due to the internal incision. But I also could tell the ES pains were gone anyway.

17

re-reading your posts--

Keep your tonsil and rule out ES. Removing the tonsil will be unnecessary risk and won't solve the elongated styloid symptoms. It's a separate issue if the tonsil has been identified as being infected and needs to be removed regardless of the ES symptoms you seem to have.

Your oral surgeon should use a panoramic x-ray and capture the area where the styloids start on both sides at the skull base and see what they look like.

My background on this,,,,,,,in 1989 I started having ear pain and throat pain raw and hot constantly. Could feel a hard structure in the back of my throat up towards the tonsil. I went to dr. and said I had an ear infection but my eardrum was fine. I had ct's, mri's, which showed nothing there, was sent to an allergist, 5 ENT's, a plastic surgeon who said it was a deviated septum and that I could get my insurance to fix that and have a nose job--that is a plastic surgery scam-I really like my nose and if it was a deviated septum casing my pain wouldn't I have had it sooner than at 30 years old?

I was given 3 courses of steroids-the 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; 7 day pack that did nothing but make me feel all fuzzy headed.

In August of 1990 I described-just described, my symptoms to my old orthodontist and he said "you have eagle's syndrome and need a panoramic x-ray from an oral surgeon" he called a friend in LA and I got it done. It showed the right styloid was 3-4 cm long and was removed in November. Only 18 months. I had 6 years of no pain and then I got it on the left in 1996-I knew what it was but this one a lot longer but the symptoms were the same. It took 6 years to have the first surgery but the doctor removed my hyoid bone by mistake, one more year to have 3cm removed which did nothing for my symptoms. and then 11 years to do it again. 18 years total. I did give up after the 2 failed ones but moved ahead 3 years ago because I didn't want the pain anymore and surgery and healing is better when you are younger. I didn't want to put up with it for 20 more years and do it when I was 70. If a doctor would even do it--see all members posting for that frustrating symptom-reticent doctors.

As you can see here, most doctors tell us that our pain is caused by everything else but an elongated styloid--look at all the money wasted for all the tests that showed we were all fine and only in need of psychotherapy instead or "a good stiff drink". But when the styloid was removed many here had all their symptoms disappear. ugh!

Funny that.

Good luck in your search for the reason for your symptoms but as a layperson I doubt it is your tonsil.

Shaw

18

Thanks again for all the details. Did you, or do you see many other people on here that have primary symptoms such as tight throat and ear fullness? Those are my main symptoms rather than pain. I feel like at least if it was pain I could take something to try and help with it while I try to figure it out, but the throat tightness and feeling like I can't breathe has basically got to the point over the last month or so where I am barely functional and probably suffering from malnutrition since I am not eating much. Lately it seems like the throat tightness and ear fullness are there more even when I'm not eating. Previously I would actually feel somewhat normal if I didn't eat anything but now it is constant. I always wonder if this is from the tonsil or styloid slowly getting larger or something.

Tests I've had in the last 2 years:

Multiple CT scans with and without contrast: Sinuses, Brain, Neck (only thing ever found is deviated septum and mucosal thickening in sinuses)

Multiple MRI scans: Brain, Neck, Upper Spine

Allergy skin testing, 5 times - Never shows any food allergies. Lots of moderate environmental allergies like weeds, trees, grasses.

Allergy food patch testing: No reactions

Allergy blood testing (IgE Immunocap) for foods, 2 times - slightly above threshold for wheat, barley, rye, and oats. Mayo Clinic allergist and one local allergist said it was insignificant. One local ENT continues to tell me I have food allergies and should avoid wheat.

Stress Echo Test, 2 times: Normal both times

EKG, multiple times: Always normal

Metabolic/Pulmonary Stress Test: Normal

Chest x-rays, multiple: Always normal

30 day heart monitor: Normal

Upper GI barium swallow: Normal

Swallow study with speech pathologist: Normal

Gastric emptying study: Normal

Hearing test/ear pressure test, 3 times: Always normal

EGD scope, 2 times: High eosinophils from biopsy both times led to diagnosis of Eosinophilic Esophagitis. I feel like this may be an incidental finding though since the classic symptom of this is food getting stuck and having to cough it back up, which I don't have.

Standard blood work (CBC, metabolic panel, lipid panel, etc.), multiple times: Always normal



shaw said:

re-reading your posts--

Keep your tonsil and rule out ES. Removing the tonsil will be unnecessary risk and won't solve the elongated styloid symptoms. It's a separate issue if the tonsil has been identified as being infected and needs to be removed regardless of the ES symptoms you seem to have.

Your oral surgeon should use a panoramic x-ray and capture the area where the styloids start on both sides at the skull base and see what they look like.

My background on this,,,,,,,in 1989 I started having ear pain and throat pain raw and hot constantly. Could feel a hard structure in the back of my throat up towards the tonsil. I went to dr. and said I had an ear infection but my eardrum was fine. I had ct's, mri's, which showed nothing there, was sent to an allergist, 5 ENT's, a plastic surgeon who said it was a deviated septum and that I could get my insurance to fix that and have a nose job--that is a plastic surgery scam-I really like my nose and if it was a deviated septum casing my pain wouldn't I have had it sooner than at 30 years old?

I was given 3 courses of steroids-the 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1; 7 day pack that did nothing but make me feel all fuzzy headed.

In August of 1990 I described-just described, my symptoms to my old orthodontist and he said "you have eagle's syndrome and need a panoramic x-ray from an oral surgeon" he called a friend in LA and I got it done. It showed the right styloid was 3-4 cm long and was removed in November. Only 18 months. I had 6 years of no pain and then I got it on the left in 1996-I knew what it was but this one a lot longer but the symptoms were the same. It took 6 years to have the first surgery but the doctor removed my hyoid bone by mistake, one more year to have 3cm removed which did nothing for my symptoms. and then 11 years to do it again. 18 years total. I did give up after the 2 failed ones but moved ahead 3 years ago because I didn't want the pain anymore and surgery and healing is better when you are younger. I didn't want to put up with it for 20 more years and do it when I was 70. If a doctor would even do it--see all members posting for that frustrating symptom-reticent doctors.

As you can see here, most doctors tell us that our pain is caused by everything else but an elongated styloid--look at all the money wasted for all the tests that showed we were all fine and only in need of psychotherapy instead or "a good stiff drink". But when the styloid was removed many here had all their symptoms disappear. ugh!

Funny that.

Good luck in your search for the reason for your symptoms but as a layperson I doubt it is your tonsil.

Shaw

19

Yes the tonsil should be the last resort for ES remedy and I don't think you've had the right scan to rule out the calcified cartilage of ES.

you are pointing to the spot where your jaw and neck meet just below your ear.? its a question but I think I know the answer.

Do you feel anything in that area inside the mouth up towards the tonsil? don't press around or don't do it if you don't feel comfortable. One thing I did was rub around the styloid to move the tissue away from it for temporary relief or clear my ears by plugging my nose like after getting off an airplane but it never felt right.

What I did may have been stupid but at the time I got some relief from pain and was getting nothing from the medical world.

I call it doctor hell.

look at my picture with the circles. the one on the right side which is the left one the tip was at my lower jaw line. one thing that is noticeable, how dull the picture is-this is because the calcified cartilage isn't all bone so it shows up like a shadow compared to the "real" bones in the picture.

It is all gone now and my doctor is waiting to see if my symptoms reduce more as he thinks having the bone there for so long could have damaged the Eustachian tube and the nerves. it has improved over the past 9 months.

I knew I had the right doctor last year because when I saw him he reached in and placed the tip of his finger right on the tip of the styloid. he knew exactly were to feel. I had some doctors dig around my mouth so roughly that I thought they were going to remove the styloid by pushing it through my ear. I left those doctors in so much more pain then when I got there.

Take it slow and rule out all non existent causes.

Shaw.

20

The spot where I always feel like the throat is tight is about an inch below the very corner of my right jaw where it goes from horizontal to vertical. The latest ENT showed me that when he pushes in the exact same spot on the left side you can feel the lump on the right side push out because he said it's right at the hyoid bone where I am pointing. When I swallow you can feel the lump move up and down. I also have a slight feeling like a grain of rice or a piece of corner is stuck way back in the back right corner of my mouth but it won't come out. I've noticed that if I stick my finger as far back into the corner of my mouth as I can (like back to the corner but not around the skin that is in front of the tonsil. Basically as far back as your actual jaw and teeth go before meeting) and apply pressure there sometimes that relieves the feeling, but only as long as I am pushing.