Thank you for your suggestions. I am quite certain the difficulty I am having is not dental. When this problem began, I too thought it could be dental and suffered through two root canals and a wisdom tooth extraction. The freezing didn't take in any of these procedures which created a nightmare-like situation each time.
I am undergoing counselling for the eating disorder and have been symptom free for a few months.
I've had the scope of my throat and stomach and they can find no hernia. Ear Nose and Throat guy says "all clear".
Your mention of the vagus nerve is very interesting and I will mention this to my neurologist when I see him next week.
Thank you again for the information and the links. I truly appreciate it. Margaretgrace