The injection is usually a numbing agent like lidocaine mixed w/ cortisone. The injection is given with ultrasound guidance in the the area where the tonsils are. Sometimes the injections help & other times they do not. The injection is not a definitive diagnostic tool for ES as So_Done seemed to believe.
If you have elongated styloids & any of the symptoms mentioned in this thread, you most likely have ES. We have another member from your country who is very knowledgeable about this - @coldbear. You could search for his posts using the magnifying glass icon above or start a private message with him by searching his name & clicking on it or his avatar as they appear above one of his posts. That will take you to a page where you can send a private message to him.
Thanks @Isaiah_40_31 ! We have already been in touch for several months trying to find solutions over here in Sweden. There are at least 5 or 6 of us now in various stages of diagnosis and treatment!
My ent has this same line of thinking. That my nerves are just freaked out and are causing my throat pain and dysphagia. He wants to try steroid injections. I have a panoramic xray that looks very suspicious for elongated styloids, but he didnât even want to look at them. Itâs puzzling why he wants to just rest in the vague fact that âsomething is up with my nervesâ rather than pursuing something fixable that could actually be causing the nerve irritation and is visible on imaging.
Many doctors who presume to know about ES donât have a clue that there are at least half of our cranial nerves that can be affected/irritated or damaged by them when the styloids elongate. Many doctors require specific symptoms to be present or they wonât diagnose ES or as in your case, they discount the effect the styloids are having on the nerves & blame it on some sort of nerve hyperactivity.
You are right to question your doctorâs presumption. Some of our members have been helped by a lidocaine/steroid injection in the tonsil area (with ultrasound guidance) where others have found the injection did nothing or made pain worse. Some doctors decline to diagnose ES if the injection doesnât eliminate the pain which is completely absurd.
On this forum we have TONS of evidence that demonstrates there are a broad range of symptoms that can all be caused by ES. No two people seem to have the exact same symptoms.
For more info, Jules wrote a wonderful post about ES symptoms & their possible causes. Click on the magnifying glass icon above & type âsymptomsâ in the search box & the thread will come up.
You might also want to read through our Patient Self Advocacy category which is on the home page.
@coldbear we have a new member from Sweden @Maria87. Perhaps you two could connect. Could you update us on your status? Hoping you have had surgery and successful outcome.