I’ve been living with the feeling of something super small in my tonsil area for about 2 1/2 years now, and recently had ES diagnosed. I’m in the process of setting surgeons, and just a day or two ago…the pain started. To this point it’s really just been obnoxious, but now I’m having a dull pain in the same area of my throat constantly, and I can feel it even more when swallowing. I know surgery is on the horizon, but still months away. It’s possible that it’s all in my head (0 puns intended), but maybe the styloid process is finally poking enough to cause pain…
I haven’t been able to pinpoint any good relief, and I hoped someone here might have a suggestion. Is this pain going to be constant until the surgery? Will it recede and come back in waves? Just keep getting worse? Is there anything that really helps? Heat, cold, head position? Any help and insight would be really appreciated. Thank you all!
Hi Doc!
ES varies hugely with different people, so finding things which help is a very individual thing! I found heat helped me & spent every evening with a hot water bottle on my face! But most people find that makes the pain worse & find ice packs are more helpful.
If the pain is nerve pain (a constant boring pain or sharp electric shock pains) then there are medications which can help- Gabapentin, Lyrica, Amitriptyline, Nortriptyline, Carbamazapine; there’s info in the Newbies Guide under ES Info- Treatment. Also some doctors do injections of lidocaine/ steroids into the tonsil region, sometimes guided by ultrasound- some members have found that helps, although not everyone does. Another tip one member suggested was to stick lidocaine patches on their neck where it hurts. Baclofen can help relax muscles which are tight with pain- that can be a vicious circle as the tense muscles can trap nerves & make pain worse! I also found that sleeping half upright helped me.
As for whether the pain is constant or not- again that varies with people, but often it does come & go, for no apparent reason! So it may be that things will settle down for a while as you wait for surgery, hopefully so!
I found sitting at a desk hunched over a computer was the worst thing, & had to give up cycling too. Usually turning your head is painful- not always- so think about that & how you’re positioned, watching TV or how you’re talking to people etc. Paying attention to your posture is really important too. But head position & the effects of that vary depending on the angle the styloids grow.
Hope this helps! The past discussions are useful too- you can search for subjects by topic.