anyone know what happened?

Oh what I would give for something normal like a flu or cold.

Last night I was watching tv and out of nowhere the muscles in both sides of my neck and the front of my throat felt as if someone was ripping them out I also got an intense burning sensation in my ears. All I could do was sit there and hold my neck as the pain was unbearable. (the pain was as bad as when I had my gallbladder attacks) It only lasted about a minute thank goodness but after when I tried to swallow my own spit my throat muscles felt sore. This morning all seemed ok, except fatigue and my left hand has a small tremor and I can't put my index finger to my thumb without shaking. It takes great effort to make them connect. I have never had that problem before. I don't want to freak over this but it is hard with no diagnosis of any kind. I never know what to expect and is the new symptom something that is part of what is going on with me or is it something else? Anyone have a clue? I'm starting back to work this week after being on sick leave and am so afraid it will happen again.

Moki

[EL18]

Hi Mokibear. Hope you are doing a little better?

I've had a similar thing happen about 5 times, the muscles in my neck would spasm so forcefully that my head would be thrown back.  Strangely I also lost the hearing in my right ear while these spasms happened.  They only lasted about 30 seconds, thank goodness as that was long enough.

I'm a limbo-lander so not sure if this is related but I hope someone with more knowledge and experience might be able to offer more advice than I can.

Really hope you get some answers and relief soon.

Take care

Em

[mikemolly]

Hopefully this never happens again, that kind of pain is horrible. I understand about not having a diagnosis...my doctors have never treated my pain and symptoms. It's like being guilty before proven innocent!

I have not experienced the neck symptoms you have, but had burning/ice pick ear pain lasting a few days before. I remember crying a lot and trying to find somethng for pain. It felt *nothing* like an ear infection! My doctor said my ears were normal with no sign of infection.

Sorry- off topic here....Our old doctor "missed" my gallbladder of 60+ stones because, "There is nothing wrong with you!" Five years of searing, evil pain- and countless trips to the ER for suspected heart attacks. I moved back to NH, walked into the ER and they knew what was wrong with me. Yikes. I could have died. The same dr dismissed my neuro symptoms as well.

I hope you are feeling better. My thoughts are with you!
Bethany

[mokibear]

Everything seems to be back to normal again for now. Thank goodness. It just scared the kajeebers (new word lol) out of me. I get pain but not like that was. I just sat there frozen in spot and can't even tell exactly what happened. It was all so quick. I guess I'll just chalk it up to something else weird in my life and hope it doesn't happen again.

5 times Em!!!! Once was enough for me. I hope neither of us has to go through that again.

Bethany- this is the first time for the burning sensation for me in the ears. I have had me legs get the burning sensation but that is the only part till now. Me legs lol haha ya me speak good english haaha. I'm just too lazy to go back and fix it.

Moki

[smcneel]

I haven't experienced the throat spasms you mentioned, but I HAVE had the searing ear pain for weeks on end, and went to a doctor 3 weeks in a row for antibiotics for a "possible" inner ear infection (ears were clear, no sign of infection), before suddenly experiencing a stabbing pain in the back of my throat and top/ back of my tongue.  With the new "weird" pain, I went back to the doctor, who diagnosed me with Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia (GN).  It is rare, and is a caused often by a compression of the 9th cranial nerve.  He put me on Lyrica, 50 mg, 3x daily, and I have stopped having the pain!  In fact, I've stopped having most of the feelings that I have attributed to nearly constant sinus pain and pressure for many years now.  He suspected MS (I also have transient vertigo, dizziness, tinnitus, numbness, pins, needles, burning sensations, itching for no apparent reason, bowel problems, etc.), but Neuro checked me out, did MRI (says its negative, so no MS), also did a nerve conduction study and lots of blood work to rule out virtually everything.  Nerve conduction showed no sural response (I think that means no response in my calf-what that implies, I don't know), otherwise all was normal.  So maybe you could ask your doctor if he thinks you might have GN.  I've also had the same problem with my fingers recently that you mentioned.  My doctor told me I might need to lower my dose of Lyrica, thought it might be a drug reaction (?).  You can go to the National Institue of Health website to learn more about GN.  Hope this helps!! And you are right, it is a strange and scarey feeling!  

[Quixotic1]

Well, I am becoming obsolete!!!  :)  :(  

Yes, I totally agree that this sounds like a Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia.  This is a cranial nerve (# 9 to be exact) and the problem is similar to another neuralgia that we talk about a lot called Trigeminal Neuralgia.  Good job, smcneel!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Glosso (tongue) Pharyngeal (throat) nerve has the following functions

1)It supplies one of the muscles in the neck called the "stylopharyngeus".

2)I carries a nerve from the parasympathetic system which gives function to the smooth muscles and glands of the throat, vocal cords, and and also some of the movement of the organs in the chest and abdomen.

3) Carries sensation information from the arteries in the neck

4) PRovides sensation from the skin of the external ear, internal surface of the eardrum, sensation of the upper throat and the very back of the tongue (which is attached to the front of the throat.  

5)  Provides taste from the posterior 1/3 of the tongue

Moki, sound familiar?  It can be casued by a compression of the 9th nerve after it leaves the brainstem.  It can also be caused in MS by a lesion anywhare along the origin or the course of the nerve, just like Optic Neuritis (2nd Cranial Nerve)

The 12 Cranial Nerves are officially part of the Central Nervous System and so they are often affected in MS.

I go away....mutter....mutter...and everybody gets so smart and ....sob...sniff, drip, sniff.....and nobody is ever gonna need me.  I should be proud...I guess.  They all grew up and got educated. .....Hey!  Somebody ask me something noone else knows!!!!  Quix

[monotreme]

Quix, isn't the best compliment to a teacher is when  his/her students have the desire to learn and gain knowledge?  You are a great teacher!!    Just look at how many neuro patients you have helped towards being their own educated advocate!!!  
Craig

[Quixotic1]

I know, I was sitting here with my jaw sitting on the keyboard.   I was grinning the whole time.  This is the absolutely best forum I've ever seen on ANY topic!!!

You are all the GREATEST!!!  Q

[uk2]

Get out of hear your still the best!!!!!

Samantha

[Nanners123]

Moki I am glad you received all these helpful replies. Hopefully this incident will not happen again, but if it does, you at least have a direction to look.

Quix you truly are the best and many of us look forward to your explanations.
Here's one for you that got barried (did I spell that right?) looks weird.

"Quix or anyone about EMG study: Hello all, I have been away from the forum for awhile. I went to have another lower EMG today. The doc said it was a normal study, the weird thing is that when he was prodding the left foot, I did not feel the nerves jumping he then did the right foot and I felt the pain. I asked him why I would be feeling the pain on the right foot but not the left. His answer was I don't know!!

Quix do you have any insight into why this would be?"

Glad you had a nice vacation it sounded wonderful.
N

[smcneel]

[smcneel]

You are certainly not obsolete!  I only know this little bit of info because when I saw the GP for the stabbing pain he stopped examining my ears and said  'You are right, your ears are clear, I think I know what's wrong with you...I'm gonna call my Neurologist!" Not good to hear on a Friday at 12:30.  Neuro was gone.  When I finally saw him 2nd time and had "negative" MRI results (You have taught me that this means very little), he confessed that he had suspected MS, but didn't want to scare me.  I told him nothing he said could have been worse than having a doctor run from the room to call the neurologist!  We both got a kick out of it.  :)  But my GP did print out info for me right from the NIH website.  

[mokibear]

smcneel

Thanks for the good info. I will look into this and write it into my time line. Every time something new comes up I'm just never sure if it is what is going on with me or is it something else altogether. This is just so frustrating at times but it is nice to know that someone else may have an answer. I'm sorry you have gone through the ear pain that long. Mine was so short but the pain was unbearable.

Quix
Don't cry, I don't have any hankies on me. lol

As always you have a way of describing things that a person like me who is just learning about all this stuff can understand. And from what you wrote, yes it does sound familiar. Scared the heck out of me though. So does this mean it may happen again? If it does is there anything I can do at the time if it lasts longer or will it go as quick as it came again?

I go to eye specialist on the 8th of Nov. and will see about the optic neuritis and then see about getting a new neuro. I need to get some answers.

As I have repeatedly said this forum is incredible. Although this is stuff I really didn't want to learn, I am slowly understanding more and more about MS and other diseases that are out there. I have more compassion as well for people with invisible symptoms as I too now have them and understand how debilitating it can be. Thanks to all for the education.

[smcneel]

Do you also have the stabbing pain in the tongue or throat?  I first noticed mine on the right side of my throat and tongue, just like someone was sticking a skewer into both spots at the same time.  I had read that it could only happen on one side of the mouth/head, or the other, so I couldn't figure out why my LEFT ear and jaw kept aching, and I also began feeling something that appeared to be very similar on the LEFT side of my throat (just not as distinctly, sharply painful).  

But today I found info that sounds like what I've been feeling on the left side of my FACE may be a kinder, gentler (HaHa) form of Trigeminal Neuralgia.  And it can occur on either side of the face, but not both sides at once, so I would guestimate that GN can too.  And like the literature says, analgesics and sinus medicine do NOTHING for the pain.  But mine is dull and boring, not electrical, so maybe I'm wrong and just grasping at straws.  Anyway, do you or anyone else have TN that sounds like this?  

Hope you are feeling a lot better, and a little less insane!

[Quixotic1]

Actually Trigeminal Neuralgia can occur bilaterally and, when it does, it is almost always due to MS.  I don't know the statistics on GN (8th Geniculate Neuralgia) or GN (9th Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia).  However, 2nd Nerve can occur bilaterally as Optic Neuritis, and 7th (Facial nerve) as Bells Palsy.  Both can be bilateral.

Bilateral Bell's Palsy is highly suggestive of Lyme Disease

The attacks are so brief that you can't usually take something, but if you have atypical pain (ongoing, duller aching) or if you are having frequent attacks they use a med like Neurontin or Lyrica on an ongoing basis.

Q

[smcneel]

Thanks, Quix!  My doctors have prescribed Lyrica for all that was happening on the right side, and you are right, the stabbing pain is so brief and sudden that there is no way to take it just for that reason.  It has definitely helped my ear pain though.  After the doctor first put me on it in late July I did some research on cranial nerve problems and found that a sound I've heard for years is also tinnitus (8th Cranial Nerve). So now I've got 8th & 9th cranial nerve problems, and maybe TN, TOO?  Wow, this day just keeps gettin' better!  

[mokibear]

smcneel
I have had a stabbing pain in my throat before but never thought much of it as it passed quite quickly. I also have had pain on the left side of my face as well as numbness. I think this grabbed my attention more as it was my whole neck as well as the burning in my ears. I was literally frozen in place with the pain. I hope to never experience that again. I get pain more frequently now in my legs and arm but nothing compared to this. I will get shooting pain they can occur off and on through the day in them as well as cramping. I'm so thankful it was a (so far) one time attack.


As far as less insane, well that one could be up for debate. haha

Quix

Again I say you are a wealth of information for us new to this. I  would like to say thank you for putting the information in a way I can understand.

Moki

[mokibear]

I checked out GN an TN and I'm not sure where I fall in there. The throat pain and ear burn sounds like GN but even with the TN I'm not sure where the neck pain falls. From what I understood, it is in the throat region itself to be GN. It was the outer muscles on both sides of the neck at the same time from a little above where the neck meets the shoulders. It shot straight up both sides and into the ear where I got the severe burning sensation. The front of the neck in the throat region happened at the same time and ended probably where the back of the tongue is. I hope I described this right as it happened so quick and didn't last long that it is hard to explain everything accurately. I have had face pain twice, months apart from each other that doesn't seem to fit with that either. It hurt but was not extreme, lasted a couple of days and then went numb for about another 3 days after. Still get periodical numbness in the face and dull pain. I had to read the info on GN and TN about 4 times as it just wasn't sinking in so I'm sorry if I don't get it. My short term memory is bugging me again. Read something and its like I didn't. I'm just trying to see if there is other stuff I should be looking at so when I go to a new neuro I will be able to ask questions if he should try to write me off.
Thanks
Moki

[Quixotic1]

The Glossopharyngeal nerve also controls the big muscle called the "sterno" (from the sternum or breastbone), cleido (??) mastoid" (right behind the ear).  If that muscle spasmed you would have a big hurt.

Here's a great picture of it.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sternocleidomastoid_muscle

Q

[mokibear]

Thanks again for coming to the rescue. lol I checked out that site and yes it does seem to be what that was. I'm getting quite the education on the human anatomy although I wish it was for different reasons. Alas I guess it ain't meant to be. lol I'm to live it not just read about it.

I appreciate the time you take to answer  my question and the support you give. I send you a great big cyber hug!!

Moki

[Quixotic1]

Bad news.  I am an idiot.  I misremembered my own info (it was right up there! ) The muscle in question is a tiny little one called the stylopharyngeus.  But the sensation of spasm in your neck can be from spasm in the esophagus.  The Glossopharyngeal nerve serves to dilate the top of the esophagus to allow a bolus of food to be swallowed.  Here is the corrected picture of the tiny little squirt.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stylopharyngeus_muscle

darn.  q

[Quixotic1]

i used to know all this stuff