Confused — Can This Be Pulsatile Tinnitus?

I'm sorry in advance, this is going to be quite long.

I've been mainly visiting the general tinnitus support forum for about 3 weeks now.

My tinnitus started again (I had it in 2016 and 2017) on 14. October only in my left ear. First it sounded like a washing machine, or dryer left running somewhere in the apartment house where I live. It was sort of rhythmic. By the next day, it developed into a constant, low buzzing-humming-vibrating sound. I could stop the humming with putting my finger into the ear, talking, and moving my head. It stayed like that until 24th of October. During this time, sound stopped or was not hearable for 2x1 day. After the 24th, the low humming went into remission or at least I couldn't hear it much in a quiet room. Now if I plug my ears, I can hear my heartbeat thumping loudly in my left ear. When I don't plug up and I am in a quiet environment, I hear a rhythmic noise. It's like the dryer sound again, or a foghorn blown in the distance periodically, not constant.
On top of that, I have a high pitch noise too, but I'm not sure whether it's coming from my ear or my head. It may be caused by the very severe lack of sleep. I haven't slept more than around 4 hours in 3 weeks, and in the first 1,5 week I got 1-2 hours of sleep. I lost 10kg in 2 weeks. (which is cool, but now I'm not so thrilled about that.)

I had a hearing test which didn't show any hearing loss. My blood pressure is usually low, which is strange because I'm overweight. My pulse is around 85-90 lately. I have a history with headaches and migraines with aura.

I'm going to have an MRI with contrast in the middle of November, and I was advised to get a Doppler Ultrasound in the neck veins. I'm on Nootropil (piracetam) and Betaverin right now, taking magnesium and curcumin too.

Can you suggest what else to do? Wait it out, change my lifestyle, diet, get additional tests?

Thank you very much,and sorry for my English.

 

Sounds like you are doing the right things. Just make sure you are satisfied with the hearing protection offered during the MRI which should involve tight-fitting foam earplugs and earmuffs. An MRI or an MRA are advisable for pulsatile tinnitus to rule out possible causes.

Some causes can be benign. I believe mine started following a concert twelve years ago which caused severe temporary deafness. I also have bruxism and neck/jaw problems.

 

Thank you. I'm not fully aware what's the difference between MRI with contrast and MRA. The neurologist said, that with contrast they will be able to examine the state of arteries and veins better than just with the native MRI. She didn't say anything about MRA or other types of angiograms.

I hope that I can use my own earplugs, because others said that the ones provided are practically useless. I use the 3M 1100 orange foam plugs.

 

I don't see why you shouldn't be able to use your own earplugs.

My understanding is an MRA exam looks at the arteries rather than the veins, but using the same scanning equipment.

Hoping this helps with your diagnosis.

 

I don't see any logic in that either, I hope that they will let me.

Thank you. I very much hope so, that it will be able to detect something curable and not very severe, and doesn't make the existing sounds worse.

 

MRA and possibly MRV.

https://www.tinnitustalk.com/thread...d-to-do-to-get-answers-and-a-diagnosis.36645/