I Have to Live with This...

Hi, @Laura Grannemann,

I can relate to your story. I also have a high-pitched hissing, plus pulsating beat, in my right ear. I've had an MRI/MRA, CT scan, and Doppler of the carotid arteries. So far, nothing has been found. I've had this now for five years, and it occurred right after I took a blood pressure drug for the first time. It was also a very stressful time for me, as it was about two months after my mother passed away. I've tried a number of alternative treatments, too, such as chiropractic, acupuncture, etc., and nothing has worked to relieve the constant hissing/pulsating.

I finally gave up on the testing, and going from one doctor to another, and have been living with it. I have habituated to it about as much as it's possible to, but it is still very bothersome.

I've been told not to give up, that pulsatile tinnitus is vascular in nature, and that it is possible that a cause can be found. A couple of possibilities you can try: Send your scans to some other specialists for their review. Have you heard of Dr. Shapiro at NYU Langone Medical Center? He will review your scans, for a fee. I haven't tried sending mine to him as yet, but am considering it. Also, I understand that a new treatment center has opened in San Francisco that specializes in pulsatile tinnitus. I don't know all the particulars, but it might be possible to get someone there to review your scans, as well.

In the meantime, please don't give up; pulsatile tinnitus is said to be very treatable if a cause can be found.

I wish you a peaceful evening, and hope you find some answers soon.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

Thank you, Laura! I'm so sorry you lost your mother, too, and I totally sympathize.

Yes, your PT sounds so much like mine. We probably both have some hearing loss in the higher ranges. Mine is constant, too. I hear both the pulsating and the high-pitched hissing all the time, without end. However, I will say that it seems calmer in the morning than it does in the afternoon. Have you noticed that, too? Mine seems to be blood-pressure related (only my speculation); when my blood pressure is higher, my pulsating seems worse.

I wish you success in finding some answers, and I hope you'll keep in touch with me. You can send me a private message if you'd like, at your "Inbox" at the top of the home page.

Take care; hugs and best wishes,
Karen

 

Yes, either that, or we're talking about it more now. Before I had PT and began researching it on the internet, I had never heard of it!

Also, I truly believe mine was drug-induced (blood pressure drug), and there may be more people taking prescription drugs that can cause issues such as this.

 

That's right. I believe a lot of people have just tried to "live with it", and not talk about it, because they felt there was no cure. Now, however, there have been a number of people whose cause was identified, and they had surgery to cure it. Whooshers.com lists success stories of people who have been cured.

The key is finding a doctor who will listen, and getting the right diagnostic tests. I believe things are headed in the right direction for us PT sufferers!