Shaking Head Temporarily Stops My Low-Frequency Tinnitus

I had a lumbar puncture in February which left me with horrible side effects, the ear problems being the worst. I had no previous issues... There is a low-frequency oscillating noise that persists. At first there were several high pitch noises as well, but they have disappeared all except one that comes and goes with the intensity of the low-frequency noise - when it's loud the high-pitch starts as well. My hearing was weird at first as well, like a broken speaker, voices sounded metallic and distorted and I couldn't even listen to a lot of music. Some sounds in the environment could sound really close by even if they were far away etc.

All of that has resolved as well. It's just this low-frequency sound that remains and it's driving me suicidal, it's such terror. And it's like I FEEL it as well, like it's a fluttering inside my ears... So even if I have enough sounds around me to make me not hear it, I still feel that pulling in my ears, so I can never escape it...

I was given high dose intravenous Solu-Medrol for three days in March for the papillary edema in my eye (that was the reason the lumbar puncture was done to begin with). And it was like someone flipped a switch about an hour into the first IV. It just got quiet in my head again. It was like that for about a week and then the low-frequency noise and fluttering slowly crept back, but for about a month I had periods where it was totally quiet and very low, more good than bad days. When the ears go quiet, they feel tired, best I can describe it... Like when you've worked out a muscle and it's worn out from the lactic acid and all...

Also what I don't understand that it stops while I'm shaking my head. And if I talk or someone talks to me it seems to shrivel away as well, but pops back as soon as you stop. And certain sounds, like a low-frequency fan, cars going by in the distance and such also seem to stop it temporarily. It stops if I cover my ear hard enough creating like a vacuum, or when I put my finger in it pressing really hard. Stays away for about a second and then it's like it revs up again. It seems so much more "alive" than "classic" tinnitus. My husband has had a high-pitch noise for many years and he cannot do anything that affects the noise, it's always the same.

I get different prognosis from different doctors. Some say it will probably go away but can take time after my CSF leak from the lumbar puncture. Others are more categorical and just say that well it's tinnitus so there is no hope for you.

 

Hi Reverse,

I’m in the same journey as you. Exact same symptoms. Neurologist also told me it would go away eventually but still no changes. The only time I get some rest is when I sleep, the rumbling seems to get quieter but never gone completely.

I’ll keep you posted if I’ve any changes. Stay strong, I’m sure we’ll recover from this.

 

Everyone with low hum tinnitus has the same behavior as you: stops with a head shake, stops when someone talks or you put your finger in >> all these things resolve back to noise. When you put your finger in your ear, it creates a noise (finger against ear canal). That's why a simple earplug does not work, because it's silent.

 

Yeah I posted about this too, chattering my teeth and shaking head briefly stops my rumbling hum. Sadly it does nothing for my other tones. Before May 2021 for a whole 20 years I had the hum and it would only happen for me during colds or certain medication, so I could cope okay as it would always go away again in 4 weeks after the cold. But then in May 2021, 2 days after the vaccine, it has stuck with me 24/7 ever since.

It is always very interesting to me to read other people's similar descriptions about this particular tinnitus because it is an odd one indeed. Just like you say, when a bike or plane in the far distance, that you can barely hear, goes past, the noise vanishes even when the hum is so intense it feels like my head will explode, and when the plane or bike gets too far away to hear, the hum starts to come back.

I too wish I knew what the hell is going on, and also why I used to only hear it for 4 weeks during a cold, or when trying new medications like Gabapentin. Why is it with me 24/7 now since getting 2 other hissing and reactive tones. Odd indeed.

 

Interesting that a lot of people mentions it goes away when a plane flies past because it’s almost the first thing I noticed myself. In my case, I know the cause of my tinnitus, a CSF leak. But for the people without a leak, I’m starting to think if this is vaccine or COVID-19 related, and I’m not one to believe in conspiracies.

 

Mine is clearly due to acoustic trauma - 100%.

I hear a hiss and a drone.

 

Yeah it’s interesting that several people have had it tied to colds specifically. Makes my doubt its similarity to regular tinnitus even more. Or does regular tinnitus come and go from colds for some people too?

 

Sometimes I have a feeling it's some sort of amplification to some sound that the other ear "cannot" hear. I feel I hear low frequency sound louder in the bad ear. The weird thing is this can go into remission for many months only to come back for no apparent reason. After 2.5 years of this condition, I still haven't been able to understand all of it.

 

Hi Syhala! When was your CSF leak? First several months were absolute terror for me after the lumbar puncture that caused my leak, the noises were so loud pretty much 24/7. Last couple of months have been significantly better, so I'm hoping this is a good sign. Now it's been eight months for me.

 

Hello! Mine was 5 months ago. I still have a bit of rumbling in my ear but it seems to go away when I’m distracted or there’s noise. But the first few months were pure agony.

All the best to you

 

I get this weird temporary relief too from my low frequency hum. Also yawning makes my middle-frequency tones worse, and deep breathing makes them return to baseline faster. Yep, it's an orchestra in my head. Unfortunately my high pitched tones tend to take their own sweet time to settle from a spike.