Tinnitus Talk Support Forum

Hey @DeanD sorry I haven't been on much, and I'm so sorry to hear of these awful, scary issues not going away and worsening. Have you had a fMRI done of your brain? Not just the regular MRI, but a functional one? The whole swallowing and breathing mechanism malfunctioning and sensation of gag reflux going all points to brain / cranial nerve issues.

@ErikaS - hey, I hope you've been having a great vacation!
I haven't had an MRI done due to the noise involved.
I found today that I could bring on a gag reflex, I have to move a toothbrush further back than before to initiate, but it seems there.
I'm worried about brain and cranial nerve damage, as I don't believe there's any treatment.
Throat is so tight tonight. Hurts and spasms to talk, eating or cry.

May not be permanent damage, just bouts of CN inflammation but I'm just not sure what exactly is triggering it. Unfortunately hard to determine if no MRI

@ErikaS - I have started to suspect that perhaps my ear plugs in to the ear canal may be triggering things off. I notice that eating, drinking, talking and certain neck movements can make things worse.
Im surprised the barium swallow showed nothing!?!
I drank a lot of alcohol and talked alot last weekend.
Maybe stress of tinnitus, but no one else on here seems to have it (?).
Maybe an MRI is needed :(

@ErikaS - saw my neurologist today. He used a spactular to press against the tonsils. I felt it, he said that was normal. I told him the loss of gag reflex - he didn't point directly at lassopharangeal or vagus nerve. He wants to test for neuro physicological issues using an electrical nerve test such as myasthenia gravis (which is worrying) - and did another auto immune blood test today

@DeanD glad further testing is being done, but I am just so sorry you're experiencing this. It's hard to imagine that all of this was triggered by microsuction. The T and H, yes, but everything else?? It just does not make sense.