Auditory Nerve Pain Six Months After Cochlear Implant Surgery

Hi there,

Sorry if this is in the wrong section.

My girlfriend is deaf and 6 months ago had an cochlear implant put in.

Six months on she's getting the following symptoms Neck pain, hot around op area. Clicking and tinnitus has to remove the hearing aid connector (sorry not sure of the technical name) after a few days the pain goes away but soon returns when she starts using it again. So far she's just been prescribed an antidepressant that helps with the pain but they make her drowsy....

She's being told it's nerve damage but is really upset that this is how her life will be now.

Anyone else suffered any suggestions??

Thanks in advance for reading.

 

Oddly enough, my ENT told me just last week that the auditory nerve is incapable of causing/feeling pain. She said the pain I have in my ears and my head is related to other cranial nerves that have nothing to do with hearing. So basically the only thing she could suggest was to take aspirin/ibuprofen to dull the pain.

And no, I don't have a cochlear implant. I just have hearing loss with tinnitus/hyperacussis and pain.

 

Zorro ,

Not good is it.. Havin to take pain killers ever more...

I look forward to responses from others....

 

6 months is still really early for a cochlear implant, so a lot can change over the next year or two. It does not mean her life will be this way permanently. It takes a lot of time to adjust to a CI. Has she been back to her doctors for another mapping and let them know about this pain? Anything they can do? I wonder if there is a bad electrode or poor mapping that is causing her problems.

Of course I have no personal experience with CI's; I just know what I've read about them. I expect one day once I lose the rest of my hearing I'll be getting one.

-Mike

 

Hi Mike,

I know she is waiting for her consultant to respond to her latest email.

But I'll be sure to mention about the mapping and electrode. It's all very new to me. I am still reading up about it all.

Thanks again

Ben

 

Get her some helichrysum essential oil, it's suppose to help nerve damage. Maybe a heating pad could help.

 

Thank you guys, unfortunately we still are no closer to an answer. and it is so frustrating not being able to help her.

she is going to sleep in tears as the pain is so bad

Could it be nerve damage.. she explains the pain as going down her neck, also gets tinitus.. I have noticed that is sometimes happens well i think it does after lots of loud noise.. like a club or concert. but she doesn't feel its that.. also if she doesn't have her standard hearing aid in the other ear it seem to get worse.??

she has been given pain killers but they are not helping.. sorry to off load on here.. just not sure what else I can do...