Hi All,
I have little to no support at home or with Docs so far so I was thrilled to find this support group.
A little background:
51 yr old male, fair skinned, thin, played a lot of sports / former distance runner, etc. Have bad cervical disks C5/6 and C6/7.
History of allergies although not much in recent years. Have had sinus problems lately but don't think it is a cause of my condition.
Have history of neck problems primarily on left side.
Onset:
Had severe bruxism on left side day and night starting around April last year ...noticed some tongue thrusting and jaws were so tight I strained to speak sometimes.
In early October had incident were I tried to lift a heavy trailer while clenching down on my teeth / left side. This caused a lot of pain on the left side of neck., headache, etc.
The next day I started having heavy muscle spasms in the neck along the left sterno / carotid area and elsewhere along with spasms and nerve pain in my face / eye/ ear 90% on the left side.
Give my history with my c-spine, I didn't take immediate action and continued on my heavy travel , etc schedule.
A week or so later, my neck locked up - mostly on the left side - during a long drive back to Atlanta - and all the spasms were worse.
That night I had a sudden onset of throat and jaw spasms, - seemed like contractions / convulsions along with very heavy saliva output.
Saw GP - who I've been with for many years and trust..she thought anxiety and put me on Klonopin and Lexapro . I went through 3 months of pure hell with the Klonopin before withdrawing totally. The first few weeks I was over swallowing, dry swallows, having a lot of trouble trying to manage the saliva, pain etc swallowing food etc.
Thought TMJ and GERD - had / have some of those symptoms but realized through clean GI Endoscopy, and ENT scope etc etc that these couldn't be causing it.
List of Primary Symptoms:
Constant pain in and around left ear, periodic muscle spasms around ear.
Numbness, stabbing pain in left side of jaw, under back of left jaw / under ear.
Swallowing is painful - have feeling of rubbery bone moving in and out on left side during swallow.
Tongue is hypersensitive, dry , in a lot of pain particularly after eating a big meal or talking a lot.
I feel like I have to clear throat and/or swallow constantly - feel like I have a lump in throat.
I feel a sharp stick in my throat on the left side - more prominent if I lean or look left or look down and left. Have self palpated it and get pain etc on left side of face and around the eye, etc.
Left eye is always bloodshot and it is teary sometimes.
Periodic jaw and throat spasms - seem to be triggered by movement of the head or neck particularly to the left, or saliva in the back of mouth. or talking while I have saliva in the mouth.Ear / Jaw on left side seemed to be involved and seem to trigger spasms sometimes...I'll get a short electric buzz feeling under / in the left ear/jaw and simultaneous jaw and/or throat spasm. If I lie on my left side I'll likely have a spasm whereas lying on the right side I don't or not nearly as much.
Hyper salivation - it has become a shade better over the last couple of days but it is hard to manage . I swallow it which hurts sometimes or spit.
This condition is debilitating and I'm determined to find the right surgeon or clinic asap to try to help me. .
Questions:
I'm seeing an oral surgeon on Thursday and an ENT - Del Gaudio at Emory here in Atlanta next Wednesday.. Anybody have any experience with him?
Does anybody have any other Docs in ATL or anywhere that handle ES?
How about the major clinics like Mayo or Cleveland?
Any other suggestions?
Thanks !
Eddie