Intro with Questions About Coexisting Issues

Tinnitus started one week before Christmas 2010 with ear pain in R ear and dizziness. I was a young widow with two kids and not sure if stress and the holidays had started it. I was not able to get anything checked out by an Ent and regular doc was not concerned so I just adapted

Last Nov neighbors caused TN to really become aggravated. I tried a sound machine but it just made it worse. Certain noises were actually painful and I was having trouble hearing and even getting sick from the dizziness. An ENT said I have HF hearing loss in R ear with a notch but still in normal range. I have no exposure to loud noise on one side.

I had subsequent testing done (caloric) which showed a significant unilateral weakness in the vestibular nerve on the LEFT side. All my symptoms have been on the right. I'm not even sure now if I have ever had TN on the left at all since the right has been so loud for months. I also have a sound like Morse code or an old fashioned radio tuner in the R ear only along with the high pitch sounds.

I am scheduled for an MRI which I don't want to have. I also have had migraines with aura for years and CFS. Anyone else with TN issues like this. ( I finished vestibular therapy with mixed results.)

 

How did you cope with it for all these years? is it loud?
why don't you want the mri? there's no radiation.

 

I really didn't have much other choice. I had two kids to take care of (one with autism). Then my mother battled cancer and I was her caregiver. She died in 2013. Add lots off stress and uncertainty. Honestly it was only Jesus that got me through and sustained me. I was able eventually to just ignore it. I did have hypersensitive hearing so in a way the TN lessoned that.

As for the MRI. I don't trust them and I don't like tests. Also the whole claustrophobia thing.

 

@light rain

I am no doctor but some of the symptoms you have like dizziness, ear pain, morse code T etc. may suggest TTTS. Search the forum or the Internet with TTTS for more information. I find this site explains TTTS and tinnitus & hyperacusis quite well. Take good care. God bless.
http://www.whirledfoundation.org/wp...ic-Tensor-Tympani-Syndrome-Acoustic-Shock.pdf

 

Thank you! I will definitely look into it. I don't feel like my doctor is giving me enough info until he gets the MRI results but that won't be for awhile. I can understand that from his perspective, but to me it is frustrating trying to figure it out.

Lynn

 

oh my! you did get thru a lot. I think there are mri that are half open as well if u feel claustrophobic . Your strength in this is

that was a lot to take on. amazing how you carried on. I hope you find some help here.

 

Scared111 -

Thank you for your kind words. We actually ended up leaving most everything behind and moving to a new state to go somewhere without so many memories attached. And there is a lot of nature where we are so it has helped hiking to clear my mind.

I am going to try a wide bore MRI - it's shorter too so I hope it will be good. Dr doesn't want an open one apparently you get a better picture with the closed. They gave me something to take to relax me but I don't like taking meds either (lol).

Lynn