Is There a Link Between Eye Pain and Pulsatile Tinnitus?

I am experiencing an exceptional number of issues at the moment (multi-tone severe reactive tinnitus, hyperacusis, TTTS, ETD, palinacousis) but now I seem to have developed pulsatile tinnitus and eye and leg nerve pain, as well as severe photophobia. I 'feel' my tinnitus as well as just hearing it (all 10+ tones).

I literally feel as if my brain is working very hard against me.

I have had an urgent extensive eye test at the hospital. The reports came back healthy, normal IOP readings of 13 in each eye (which really surprised me), no glaucoma and no detectable issues.

The ophthalmologist though almost dismissed the eye pain and said 'there's nothing for me to go on, maybe you need to get some scans done'.

I have had, what has felt like tightness in my skull and even laying my head on a pillow became uncomfortable. The light sensitivity seems to have eased, the eye pain not so much (not gone away) but the leg nerve pain is still there.

I suspected IIH (Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension), especially considering the pulsatile tinnitus, skull pressure, eye pain and leg nerve pain. I am desperately trying to arrange a neurologist appointment and fighting against a medical system just not listening. Normally I fight everything, but it's a challenge with all these symptoms.

I have looked to the medication and supplements as a cause of the eye and nerve issues. Mirtazapine and Propranolol, as well as NAC supplement. Both Mirtazapine and Propranolol 'can' cause eye issues as rare side effects, so I have stopped both a week ago and so going through this without any meds as I don't know the cause.

There is a question...

Almost all my tones are rhythmic. Some pulse, in time with a heartbeat, some I can only describe as 'rhythmic and with a repeating pattern' but not to my heartbeat. I'd say 8 out of 10 tones are rhythmic and not 'static' in nature.

I never hear the traditional 'ringing', mainly rhythmic pattern tones, a low hum and a tonal noise that comes and goes but does change in pitch throughout the day.

If this is pulsatile tinnitus, is there any link between this and eye and nerve pain?

Grateful for any and all replies, and I would like to copy @Greg Sacramento in to this if I may, as I know he is a wealth of knowledge on this subject.

 

I have a feeling this may be caused by either the daily 10mg of Propranolol or 15mg of Mirtazapine.

I just don't know which.

I've never taken any meds like these before - and as soon as the eye problems started I stopped cold turkey.

That was a week ago, and I guess any of you that are familiar with the process (I certainly wasn't), I have started to come down with withdrawal symptoms.

Insomnia, heart palpitations, pressured head and aching arms and hands - plus last night was the worst tinnitus night I have had since the start. A straight 10/10, new tone from nowhere and must have been close to 80 dB+.

I feel I cold turkeyed too quick as I wasn't aware of the implications. It would be good of course to be med free, but not sure this is the way.

Without severe tinnitus, maybe I could fight the withdrawal symptoms, but tinnitus creates a whole different ball game.

Despite my constant chasing, getting hold of my GP is impossible.

My GP prescribed Mirtazapine specifically as it is said to have the least effect on tinnitus. This may be true, but either this or Propranolol was giving me bad eye pain and light sensitivity (both of which are easing off since dropping the meds).

Have I cold turkeyed both meds (last Wednesday) too soon?

 

Hello. I was just diagnosed on 1-20-2023 with an Optic Nerve Sheath and intracranial head pressure & a CSF blockage. Seeing an ophthalmologist-neurologist very soon to address my intermittent unpredictable rhythmic and with a repeating pattern tinnitus along with my regular bilateral regular 24/7 tinnitus. It's not in sync with my heartbeat at all. It sounds like a swoosh, swoosh, swoosh sound only in my right ear (usually like 3-6 times when it happens). I guess it is a very common symptom of intracranial pressure or a CSF blockage. I guess it puts pressure on your brain causing tinnitus and vision problems. Both of which I unfortunately have...

 

I'm sorry to hear you're going through this @scotty03874.

Have you experienced any leg or arm nerve pain along with idiopathic intracranial hypertension?

I have (self) suspected idiopathic intracranial hypertension. I have head pressure, I had optic nerve pain (subsided for now) but also leg nerve pain - which I understand can be CSF leakage and overspill.

When lying down, my head feels as if my pillow is a brick. I can't put pressure on pillow to around eye socket (when lying on my side).

I also seem to have picked up a loud whooshing rhythmic tinnitus too.

I have been worried about idiopathic intracranial hypertension for a couple of weeks now. It seemed to get a bit better but the leg nerve pain is getting worse, and I still feel a lot of pressure in head, and when lying on a pillow. I can feel my head pulsing at night.

I am trying to arrange an urgent neurologist appointment (perhaps 2-3 weeks away and this is privately booked and urgent, otherwise 38 week wait).

I hope your ophthalmologist-neurologist appointment goes well.

 

Bro, mine just started. I've been suffering from pressure headaches, dizziness, some eye pain, and just general head heaviness like brain fog. I think you and I are on the same boat. Just as my dizziness was getting better, my pre-diabetes and my fatty liver were reversed, now I have to deal with something new and something that's typically very hard to treat, and I hope you and I are in that percentage where it can be treated.

Because in some cases nothing can be done. As far as I know, only 70% of people can be treated and the other 30% are left out to suffer because they cannot find exactly what's wrong with them, although that largely depends on the states that they're in and the amount of specialists that can accurately decipher these scans.

I noticed mine on January 20th. It sounded like steps in snow but it wasn't like a pulse and it has slowly evolved into slightly louder, more rhythmical sound. It ironically started as I started doing physical therapy for my neck as I have been dealing with some neck issues so I wonder if it has anything to do with that. I have also been having some mild ETD issues but I doubt they could cause something like this.

Check if you have TMJ. I have been having some mild TMJ and I'm going back to the dentist to get a splint to see if that helps any.

I have been having some real issues when I kneel down and get up too fast. I feel like I'm going to pass out and it causes me to have this crazy tension headache and brain fog. With IIH your spinal fluid and other fluids do not leave the brain and it usually causes some side effects like pulsatile tinnitus.

Sorry for the long rant but since you're so knowledgeable, maybe you can help me. I recently went to my neurologist and asked for an MRV and MRA. However, he refused to order one with and without contrast which I do not understand why. Any reputable neurologist would know that it is absolutely essential to have a good image. I begged him to change the order and have one with contrast, but he refused. He also did not order an MRV which is the absolute gold standard to determine your pulsatile tinnitus.

Do you know how I can go by and ask him to have an MRV and an MRA? Should I send him an email with links as to why it is essential to get this done or should I go to my insurance company and plead with them about this?

Sorry to ask you. Thank you for reading this long rant but you're so knowledgeable that you're the only few people that I can actually ask questions and receive a pretty good answer from!

 

They said my optic nerve is fine at Mass Eye & Ear, I went thru the ER this past Sunday. But I'm scheduled to go back on February 14th for an X-Ray, MRI and MRA. Maybe they will have some solutions for my swooshing noise that's been going on for the last month.