Here's My Story...

In August of 2016, I decided to start exercising again. My husband bought a rowing machine and I got really into it. I have no idea if this is the cause or if it's related in any way, but after two months of rowing 2 to 5 time a week, I began to notice that I heard "bass". I seriously thought it was a car driving by or music playing at a nearby house. The "bass" sound continued to become more frequent until it was constant by November. My husband thought I was starting to go crazy because I kept asking if he heard anything. I finally figure out it was internal. I saw a physician's assistant and she said it was tinnitus and that there was nothing I could do.

I started having other symptoms along with it.. such as intense pressure in my head (not like a headache, but more like a vice squeezing my head), dizziness, and a "vibration" sensation in my head, possibly from my neck. The tinnitus that I hear is low frequency, buzzing, humming, bass sound. I have not yet made it to the ENT... appt is coming soon. I decided to go to a different primary care doctor. He ordered an MRI on my head. Results said Chiari 1 Malformation, 2 mm (where the brain is being pushed down the brain stem). I was referred to a neurosurgeon and he said that it's possible that I don't have Chiari because the picture was stagnant and the area at the base of my skull could have been pulsing (with my heartbeat), causing it to descend two millimeters. He ordered another MRI on my neck and referred me to ENT. MRI on my neck said I have a broad based bulging disc at C5 and C6 with flattening of the anterior surface at this level. After researching that, I have found that it would cause problems with my arms, but nothing of it relating to the tinnitus and "vibration" feeling I continue to feel everyday. I am also very sensitive to high pitch sound or loud noises... like nails on a chalkboard sensitive.

At one point, I thought it may be a side effect to the medications I was taking. I was on Buspar for anxiety. When I stopped taking it the dizziness most subsided. I take xanax to help me sleep and anxiety at bedtime. I wonder if that could be causing it, but I'm apprehensive about discontinuing this med.

I feel like this is neverending and hopeless. Sometimes I cannot concentrate and I'm just filled with so much anxiety. I work full-time, have two kids, and a home to take care of and it's difficult to keep up with.

This is new to me. I am curious to find out if anyone has a similar story? Any opinions of what causes it? Anything I should be researching (googling)? Possible treatment? Just any help I can get.

Thank you,

Trinity

 

Hi Trinity

I am new to this forum as well. I just wanted to say welcome and that you are not alone!

I hope you get some help from others who have been here longer than me.

Sending you positive vibes!

Jenni

 

Thanks Jenni! I appreciate the message. Back at ya!

 

@Trinity Ellis - welcome to the forum
It may be useful to do a hearing test to get a baseline about your hearing. Make sure you test bone vs air conduction, and also perform fork/Rinne tests.
Low frequency tinnitus can have multiple causes. The ones I know are otosclerosis, endolymphatic hydrops and Meniere's.
Ear problems are quite tricky to deal with. Science isn't very advanced there.
Good luck!

 

Thanks Joe and Greg! I appreciate your suggestions. I'm going to look all of that up later today. My appt with ENT is March 28th, so I'll be sure to mention all of those tests. I believe my tinnitus gets worse in the evenings versus mornings (maybe I'm just able to tune it out better earlier in the day) and it's way worse if I don't sleep well. Do you experience this as well?

 

Yes it's common. But the opposite is also common.

 

Hi Trinity,

The whole key is to understand that ear ringing is not lethal. When I got tinnitus last March, I saw swinging with both hands, trying to fight it. Wrong approach! The sooner you accept and allow your mind to acclimate to it, the less intrusive it will become. Trust me on this!! Good luck.

 

Tinnitus can shift around a bit before settling into one sound. The low thrum might go away or morph into something else. Anyway, don't freak out just because some others freak out in these forums. Anything new is unsettling. When it's no longer new, it becomes just another background noise. Life is full of stuff on the "back burner." And that's where this will end up, along with the sound of your home's heating system and dishwasher.