Could you be having muscle spasms? Have muscle relaxers helped in the past? And have you tried Magnesium … I like Natural Calm which is a powder…
Lidocaine patch? Therma care heat patch around the neck? These are all strategies I have used…Lidocaine was added recently.
I’m so sorry you are suffering.
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@JPB - It sounds like your glossopharyngeal nerve is really unhappy as that’s what’s most likely causing your symptoms. I’m wondering if you might have some post op scar tissue pressing on it? Scar tissue can be reduced by laser as opposed to surgery. Might be worth asking Dr. Hackman if scar tissue could be a possibility.
@Leah made some good suggestions, too. We have had members who’ve had good symptoms reduction from muscle relaxants such as Flexeril. You’d want to take it at night though. I know of others who found Lidocaine patches (they require a Rx) very helpful.
I hope you’re able to find something to relieve symptoms & even what’s causing them so the source can be dealt with & extinguished permanently.
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I tried muscle relaxers and they didn’t help years ago, but maybe I could try that again.
I will also try that brand of magnesium.
Lidocaine patch - I can find something to put on the area. I wonder if that would work with it being so deep in my throat, not superficially on the surface.
You are wonderful, Leah. Thank you!
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Thank you!!! I will reach out to Dr. Hackman tonight and schedule an appointment. Great advice and things to consider.
JPB
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@JPB -
Be forewarned that Calm can also be a laxative. It’s a great product but start on it w/ a fairly low dose (i.e. 1/2-1 tsp) if you decide to use it. Too high of a dose will give stomach cramps & big bathroom excitement!
Epsom salt is Magnesium sulfate & you could try taking epsom salt baths at night. 1 cup of epsom salt in a tub of warm water w/ a 10-20 min soak might also help.
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I have not yet had surgery, frankly, not even a true diagnosis… So my tightening is my neck muscles…so Likely haven’t had what you were experiencing. Hoping you find a solution ))).
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For a month or more, I was taking epsom baths due to a skin issue on my neck and now that I think about it, my neck discomfort was less then. I wonder if that was helping.
Thank you for the advice on magnesium.
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Noted. Thank you, Leah!
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Years ago, when I first took natural calm, I did not read the directions carefully… And I took 1 tablespoon Instead of 1 teaspoon 
. So while it comes with other side effects…I felt like I had just had a massage. My muscles were clearly missing something that they needed.
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You can get magnesium citrate at the drugstore in a bottle… it’s used for colonoscopy… Easier to get and available tonight… I worked out at one point how much to take, and unfortunately I don’t have it handy. But it wasn’t much …like maybe a teaspoon.
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I will secure that tomorrow. Thank you!
Hi! One of the things that helped me with my Eagles Diagnosis was keeping a detailed diary 24/7. What I did, environment and what I ate ect. My preconceived notion of what was happening to me changed when I saw it in black and white. For example I knew when I would fly on a plane my pain would flare. What I learned it was not flying that caused the issue but if I talked with my head turned and lifting a suit case to over head compartment. Other issues spiked my pain like massage with my face in a face cradle and massage near my neck. My symptoms would be different depending on my inflammation and what my styliod was poking into and how far the styliod poked into a structure. My worst symptoms occurred when my styliod would poke into my trigeminal nerve. Only steroids helped my pain but I used muscle relaxants to help at other time because the tighter my muscles were the more pain I had.
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Hi Ann. Thanks for this. I actually started documenting last week. Great minds…
Did you ultimately opt for surgery or just pain management? How are you feeling these days?
TYSM!
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There was no pain management for me….at my worst I was bed ridden because my styliod would pierce my trigeminal nerve. I had my first surgery 10 years ago and my pain got to manageable….with release therapy for my muscles and muscle relaxants….steroids when my pain would flare. 19 months ago I had my second side removed and now about 85 percent.
With that said I am in need of accommodations to fully participate in life. I need to recline of line flights, can’t lift heavy things especially over my head and if I go to an event I need to sit so my head does not turn to watch event. I doubt I will ever get to what I call fluidity where I can move my neck anyway I want….I tried playing Pickleball and was in pain for a few weeks….but I can swim 40 minutes a day moving my head without pain……when I look at the difference between Pickleball movement and swimming ….Pickleball is looking down while swimming is side to side….the picture gets clearer when you can analyze different activities and movements to avoid getting into discomfort.
Good luck with your appointment. This is not an easy diagnosis to deal with but having others to talk to is such a gift.
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Ann,
I am so glad you’re at a place where you mostly feel good. Thank you for the advice and encouragement!
A
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You’re a super sleuth, @ann! Good for you for paying great attention to your body & figuring out your triggers. It’s ashame that your nerves haven’t fully recovered (neither have mine) but so great to hear you can swim for an extended period w/o pain. I wonder if swimming is also better because it’s a non-impact, non-jarring exercise whereas pickleball requires a lot of quick starts & stops besides looking down. Regardless, you’ve found what works for you.
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Glad that things have improved since your second surgery & that you’ve worked out what you can & can’t do 
Ann, I appreciate your comments and will restart my health journal (I used to do this all the time years ago and stopped recently). I do think sometimes looking down at my phone and working makes the pressure worse in my throat, but there are definitely moments where it worsens and then suddenly has some relief (for no apparent reason).
Tomorrow I receive injections at Northwestern - I will track that progress for those that are considering something similarly in the future.
Hoping you have some relief this week!!
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Jay, did you ever look into visiting Caring Medical (Dr. Hauser) to check out your neck for cervical instability?
I ask as I’ve visited their office 4 times for prolotherapy, and intend at least one more visit before surgery. I too have an appointment for Jan 2024 with Dr. Hackman (I do appreciate your comments on him). Anyway, my strategy has been to do my best to correct my “reversed neck” (caused from being rear-ended at high speed back in 2012) before surgery.
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Hello -
Thank you for reaching out.
No, I haven’t spoken with them - please send me contact info?
Please also let me know if I can help with any questions or inquiries about Dr. Hackman.
Thank you!!