The Gastrointestinal Tinnitus Connection

Hello!

This thread is a conversation about symptoms, treatments, and approaches to dealing with Tinnitus that is caused or aggravated by gastrointestinal issues (especially those afflicting the gallbladder, liver, pancreas, and stomach).

Background

Because Tinnitus is a symptom, and not a cause, many medical practitioners encourage us to find the causes of our Tinnitus and address it whenever possible; most causes of Tinnitus are very difficult, if not impossible, to diagnose because Tinnitus is a neurological response to some sort of aggravating biological condition. And while the causes of Tinnitus are open to widespread disagreement in the medical community, there has been considerable scholarship about how to narrow down what is causing your Tinnitus -- as elucidated in the flowchart provided by @Fish in this thread.

Inflammation, a Personal Case Review

This thread focuses on inflammation and how to address through treatments, protocols, and regimens the various causes of inflammation. In my case, I've successfully diagnosed and begun treating chronic inflammation and/or infection as at least exacerbating causes of my Tinnitus, and I've been responding well to traditional treatments designed to help lessen this inflammation (antibiotics and steroids - namely, amoxicillin and prednisone). For more information about these approaches, please check out @engineerLA's protocols and supplements thread. But what actually set all of this off still left me wondering: what happened? Was this really just an ear infection that went inflammatory? It got me thinking, researching, and evaluating, and I'm starting to think there's a connection that I had previously dismissed. Aside from being generally 'unhealthy' (physically inactive, sedentary, and working in a high-stress job), the only medical conditions that I had for about 30 days prior to acquiring my Tinnitus on November 2, 2014, was a case of gallbladder "sludge" (gallbladder bilary dyskinesia) that has been causing heart palpitations. These episodes were pretty awful back in October -- they robbed me of weeks of sleep and surged my stress levels to extremely high levels for over a month. When I awoke on November 2nd, I heard the familiar high-pitched ringing in both ears (though more prominently on the left) that many of us do now. I have largely dismissed my GI issues as being unrelated to Tinnitus, but as I've been learning what is causing my Tinnitus and the sorts of medications, treatments, and protocols to which I respond (things like anti-inflammatory medications, neti pot irrigation of my sinuses and Eustachian tubes, at least eight hours of sleep a night, diet and exercise, etc.), I'm beginning to notice common conversations among sufferers of inflammation-aggravated (either ETD or TMJD-driven) Tinnitus:

Gastrointestinal issues.

Eastern Medicine and Tinnitus

@engineerLA first came across inflammation as one of the underlying causes that had given him 6 months of Tinnitus (which he later cured through a powerful anti-inflammatory regimen of norepinephrine) in this thread on Tibetan medicine's take on Tinnitus, wherein he outlines some of Eastern Medicine's take on possible causes of Tinnitus and how to address them. An underlying theme here is a connection between the gallbladder / kidneys / liver and the vestibular pressure people have in their ears. There is a lot of conversation online these days about this connection, with people on herbal supplement communities noticing improvements to one of these systems impacts another, to even medical practitioners talking about the connection between alkali vs. acid-producing foods and their general allergic and inflammatory responses. For Eastern Medicine, there are several approaches to dealing with Tinnitus that is caused by G.I. disturbances:

1. Acupuncture, to alleviate ear, neck, and head muscle pressures aggravated by acids and chemicals.
2. Nutritional supplements, to improve the function of the kidneys, gall-bladder, and liver.
3. Sleep, diet, and exercise.

While often dismissed by mainstream medical practitioners, Eastern Medicine has been known to help a lot of people and even cure people of chronic conditions. Some in the American Tinnitus Association suspect that there are underlying biological processes that most ENTs and Neurologists don't really understand that Eastern Medicine addresses through the lens of non-medical terms (such as "balance," "disturbances," "wind," and "chi"). And so, I'd like to start a conversation around how we can try and figure out what G.I. issues might be connected with inflammation and Tinnitus, and whether there are approaches to dealing with both of these through the same lens.

Questions:

• How many of you with inflammation have tried Agar-35, Bimala, or any of the other extract supplements that @engineerLA has previously discussed? Did you notice significant improvements, like he did? I am tempted to try this, because antibiotics and prednisone may not be enough to definitively resolve my Tinnitus, so I'm looking to find ways to more readily silence it.
  
  
• Has anyone else noticed a connection between G.I. and Tinnitus? Is there any good reading, scholarship, or research that you can point me to?
  
  
• What about chiropractors or acupuncture? Have any of you had success with these, while also having underlying G.I. issues? I am considering seeing an Acupuncturist and Chiropractor to work on my inflammation issues, because many of these are connected with muscular tension and acids or chemicals in the body.
  
  
• Following the diagnosis of my gallbladder "sludge," I will soon be seeing a surgeon for a consult on potentially removing my gallbladder (though I hope that won't be necessary and there might be other ways to resolve this disorder). Does anyone know anything about the connection between gallbladder issues / gallstones and Tinnitus?

Thanks for your thoughts. I would love to hear if anyone else has done research, thinking, or even treatments/experimentation on this vein of work the way that others have.

Thanks!

 

Last Updated: 1/8/2015

References & Further Reading:

• Tools
  • Infographic: Flowchart for Causes of Tinnitus (@Fish)
  • Site: GeneralFuzz.net ACRN Frequency Finder Tool (@Generalfuzz)
• Conversations
  • Thread: Eastern Medicine (Tibetan) Supplements (@engineerLA)
  • Thread: Inflammatory and Infectious Protocols and Treatments (@engineerLA, @Kaelon, et. al.)
• Research
  • Blog: A Digestive Tinnitus Cure

 

You may or may not be aware but I removed the blog link as it is a scam article linking to a site that sells tinnitus miracle - they will use anything to get a click through.

 

If you think there's a GI connection to your T, you might consider fasting.

The 5:2 diet fast has received a lot of attention recently, and the BBC Horizon video from 2012 with my favourite Doc Michael Mosley about the subject was fascinating.

 

Thanks, @Steve. I definitely want to incorporate really significant findings, but the scholarship and research online right now is pretty scattered. Please let me know if anything I post is notorious so that it can be removed and curated.

 

Fasting sounds scary, @tomm. What I do know about my G.I. situation is this:

1. My HIDA scan showed that I have biliary dyskinesia, with a gallbladder ejection rate of 18%. This is considered problematic enough that (a) it's probably responsible for my heart palpitations, and (b) may not resolve on its own.
   
   
2. My "palpitations" started on October 1st, and on November 2nd my Tinnitus kicked in. @Karen has mentioned elsewhere that she feels that this was not coincidence, given the sequencing. There's been a lot of research online -- mostly in Eastern Medicine circles, but some recent Western Medicine is showing validity to the idea -- illustrating that gut health influences everything from acidity/alkaline levels (which in turn drive inflammation), to known neurological connections between the vasovagal nerve and sympathetic systems directly from the gallbladder/liver/pancreas to the vestibular system.
   
   
3. Of course, there's also the "pulsating" factor here. My Tinnitus is high-pitched, in both ears, louder on the left than the right -- and it grows louder with each heartbeat (with moments of quietness in between each beat). The sensation isn't a clicking, whooshing, or thumping sound by any means -- it's more of a "throbbing" (similar to how someone feels when they sprain a muscle or have a pounding headache). My research online tells me that this is probably not arterial -- and my Brain MRA and Brain MRI right now, as unreliable as they are, show no problems. I still haven't had any imaging for my neck, ears, and upper chest, though.

I guess I'm trying to figure out why some mornings I'm waking up with my Tinnitus much reduced/improved (almost silent), and other mornings I wake up feeling really crummy. Is it diet? Is it sleep? Is it inflammation? Who knows, really. But I do know that the more sleep I get, the better I eat, and the more I treat my inflammation, the lower my T becomes. The benefits last all day -- but they don't seem to have an immediate, timed correlation to how I feel the following day. Just weird.

 

Some more reading on the topic connecting G.I. issues to inflammatory Tinnitus:

• Telegraph UK: "What Your Gut is Telling You" (15 Apr 2012)
• Healthline: Atrophic Gastritis, causes B12 deficiency and Tinnitus (16 Aug 2012)
• Blog Post: Ear Infections, Tinnitus, and Acid Reflux - Ototoxicity (12 Feb 2013)
• DailyMail.com: Gout to Tinnitus - Illnesses that Get Worse in the Morning - Inflammation (16 Dec 2013)

Eastern Medicine:

• Confucius Institute Online: TCM - Ear Meridians in acupuncture (Authoritative)
• Sensible Health: Liver disease and Tinnitus (White Paper)
• Tinnitus and acupuncture - organic causes and remedies (Feb 2013)

 

Hi @Kaelon

I think this is a wonderful thread. My doctor's mantra to me is "70% of your immune system is in your gut." My psychiatrist, "90% of your serotonin is in your gut." What I've learned from working with them is that everything is affected by the health of your gastrointestinal system.

If you've been thinking about acupuncture, I would definitely give it a go. I had unbelievable benefit from it for inflammation/pain twice in my life instances where western medicine just masked my symptoms or recommended surgery. I do not think acupuncture is a magic fix-all, but it has been nigh miraculous in those instances. I would make sure whoever you go to is truly, passionately trained in it though. An MD who took a short certification may not give you the same results as an expert who does only that. I do not think acupuncture is going to help a lot for T like mine (from noise exposure), but you might find benefit for yours and it's definitely extremely calming.

I'm not sure fasting is necessarily healthy, but a dedicated, researched, appropriate-for-your-body diet change can change your life and body. I was having some gastrointestinal and immune issues and my doctor put me on a diet that she developed in her research to support ideal liver function (and general body function.) She created the diet, the supplemental nutrients and walked me through a rather large binder of her supporting research and taught me about liver function. She tested me for food/chemical sensitivities that allergy tests wouldn't find. So I knew what was helpful to my body specifically. If you have a food sensitivity to brocolli - it's not healthy, no matter how healthy it is objectively.

I did this for 30 days and felt the best I have at any point in my life. Things that had been bothering me in small ways in my body all but disappeared and large issues were greatly calmed. My mood changed, my skin cleared, my energy was up, my tinnitus got a little quieter - all things were working in harmony. The diet wasn't restrictive of calories etc. it was a better way of eating for my body based on research and it was/is miraculous. Doing something like that might be extra beneficial for you, though I think it's good for anyone. Maybe also find someone who will do a food sensitivity or allergy test for you - you might be having minor reactions to things that you can't see, but your body notices and causes inflammation. Every little bit of new info helps.

So all I can say is that I think you hit the nail on the head with this - many roads lead to the gut.

 

That's no problem. Diet is interesting, we are fuelled by what we consume so there have to be connections, an unhealthy body is generally an unhappy body.

 

Thanks, @awbw8 and @Steve. I thought I'd write back and give everyone an update, both on my personal journey as well as discoveries that I've been making with regards to the Gastrointestinal Tinnitus Connection.

1. Eastern Medicine

I met with one of the oldest and most experienced Acupuncturists in Massachusetts earlier this week, and found the meeting extremely educational -- though ultimately, I didn't get any immediate relief of my Tinnitus. In Chinese Medicine, the acu-points on the neck, ear, and back (especially spine) are all labeled as "Gallbladder," "Liver," or "Pancreas" because they follow one of the twelve major meridians (which are closely connected to Western Medicine's notions of nerves and muscles, especially the Vagus Nerve). Alleviation of inflammation across these acupressure points is thought to reduce systemic inflammation in the gallbladder, kidneys, and pancreas, which in turn will reduce body-wide inflammation. While Chinese Medicine has an understanding of the gallbladder's function, it has placed this function within the context of the entire body's cleaning and de-toxification system, arguing that a compromised gallbladder is incapable of excreting sufficient bile to remove the excess bile and related toxins from the bloodstream. This, in turn, according to the Tao of Chinese Medicine, causes system-wide inflammation, first experienced in the head, neck, and ears. This is then further evidence of inherent connections between the gallbladder and liver and vestibular pressure directly.

2. Chiropractic Medicine

Though a relatively newer form holistic form of treatment, Chiropractic medicine examines homeopathic and natural physiological responses between the body's alignment (especially neuromuscular and musculoskeletal systems) and infection and inflammation through the rest of the body. The Chiropractor that I met with had been practicing for over 30 years and specialized in combatting incurable infections / diseases through Chiropractic treatments. The theory she explained to me went like this: the spine, and its fluids and surrounding tissues, are known in Western Medicine to regulate the immune system's generalized response to infection and inflammation. Therefore, adjustments to the spine and its muscles can correspondingly create an immunological response, similar to an antibiotic response in the body, to combat opportunistic infections. Chiropractic Medicine has an entire practice around the opportunistic infections that live in sinuses - especially nasal passages closely related to the Eustachian Tubes. To combat the dysfunction, the Chiropractor performs three distinct treatments: a spinal adjustment; a muscle-stim treatment of back, neck, and ear muscles; and, finally, an anti-inflammatory herbal topical application sprayed onto the neck, head, and back.

Unlike the Acupuncture treatments, which while very relaxing did not do much for my tinnitus, I found that the Chiropractic Treatment that I was given produced immediate lowering of my Tinnitus volumes and, overnight, allowed me to more easily pop my ears (though, not provide me with either silence or immediate relief in any form). Whether this was due to the hypothetical heightened immunological response to these musculoskeletal adjustments and the like, or some combination of placebo and general anti-inflammatory course, it's difficult for me to say. But, I will say that this helped me considerably and allowed me to get a good night's sleep.

I'm going to continue doing extensive research on how the gut is connected with infection and inflammation, and report back. In the meantime, I am proceeding with follow-up consultations with all three medical professions: traditional Ear, Nose, and Throat specialists (this time, approaching them with evidence of my Eustachian Tube Dysfunction to attempt to get a better diagnosis and longer treatment plan), Acupuncture (for general wellness and countering toxins in the body that lead to systemic deficiencies), and Chiropractic Medicine (for anti-inflammatory body adjustments).

 

Great reading:

• Brunworth, JD, et. al.: Nasopharyngeal acid reflux and Eustachian Tybe Dysfunction (NIH)

Bottom line: there is growing evidence that acid reflux, when it transects up the throat and results in "burning ears" sensations, is actually contributing to Eustachian Tube Dysfunction and can lead to infection and inflammation. A great National Institutes of Health study that adds solid Western science to a link between GI issues and Vestibular issues.

 

This was interesting to read. Like you my tinnitus came on after a gallbladder flare, unfortunately, it was not my only symptom so I don't know if I can unequivocally say gallbladder = tinnitus. I do have sludge as well as a stone. I have also experienced some heart burn and chest palpitations.

I am scheduled to have my gallbladder removed this Friday. If I notice a change in my tinnitus after it's removal, I will certainly let you know.

I have also been seeing a Chiropractor, but I haven't noticed a reduction in my tinnitus, if anything it seems to be louder a few hours after getting an adjustment. Perhaps acupuncture would provide more relief for me. It is an avenue that I plan to explore.

I'll be sure to check back and see what else you have learned!

 

Hi @HThom4!

Interesting - you and I have the same symptoms. In my case, I had GERD and heart palpitations all throughout October, several weeks before the onset of Tinnitus. Did your Tinnitus begin before, or after, your GI issues?

Good luck with your gallbladder removal this Friday. I would definitely be very interested to hear if this affects your Tinnitus and/or inflammation system-wide. If Chinese Medicine is to be believed, a blocked up gallbladder causes strain on the pancreas and liver, which in turn creates vestibular pressure. There is growing Western medical evidence that vestibular pressure can be exacerbated by acid reflux in the throat and ears, so I am starting to really buy into the connection between the two.

 

@Kaelon
It started after, though I have to caution I had other "neuro" symptoms that initially had my doctor thinking Lyme disease. I had intense lower back pain, tingling fingers and toes and a "cold" spot on my brain in addition to the reflux, palpitations and gallbladder pain. My tongue also felt numb and tingly but I think that was a side effect of the reflux.

I've had a complete work up since then, MRIs, CT, EKG, Holter monitor, ultrasound and more bloodwork than I care to think about. I've seen 2 ENTs, 2 Audiologists and 2 neurologists. Everything comes back normal. My PCP doctor is widening the net and hasn't given up yet because she feels the other symptoms are being caused by something. Eliminating the gallbladder is the easiest step because we know that there is something wrong with it.

I'm trying not to get my hopes up. I don't want to be disappointed if there is no change. I do find the research very interesting though. I have friends who have Fibromyalgia and they have been seeking treatment from a Chinese Herbalist and he has significantly reduced their pain. I believe it definitely holds the answer for treating some diseases.

I've never had surgery before, so I'm a little bit nervous, but my surgeon is fantastic and thinks I'll be up and about in a few days. I'll let you know if it helps or lessens my tinnitus in anyway. Wouldn't it be wonderful if that was the answer?

Best,

Heather

 

@Kaelon

Couple of other questions. Do you have any sound sensitivity? Does your tinnitus seem to cycle? Better for a few days and then seem to come back just as bad if not worse? I keep thinking I'm having some improvement only to take 2 steps back.

 

@HThom4 - Yes, Heather, that cycle is very much like mine. It makes it very hard for me to establish causal links between things that I am doing and whether or not it is having any effect. Recently, I've been reading a lot about LPR -- a very rare form of GERD that I am sure I am experiencing, because I have awakened in the middle of the night to feel my acid reflux up in my throat and even my ears, which is likely causing my Eustachian Tube inflammation -- and I now have a hypothesis, that if I take serious antacid medications before bed, this should conceivably produce a less-intense T the following day. I'm going to be trying it tonight see if it has any effect.

Are you on any antacids, especially proton pump inhibitors?

Also, yes, I suffer from some hyperacusis. The sensitivity also waxes and wanes, but it appears directly correlated to how congested my Eustachian Tubes are. When I am especially congested/muffled, sharp sounds - even if they are soft - are extremely unpleasant and jarring sensations. I will say, though, that when my T volume is lower, my hyperacusis is much less pronounced and also more or less vanishes. So the key for me, in both cases, is managing my inflammation, because that seems to control both the volume of the Tinnitus as well as the intensity of the hyperacusis.

 

I have not tried a proton pump inhibiter. When I felt the worst I used Tums. Ate them like candy. My gastro mentioned using Prevacid possibly. I plan to ask about that on Friday. Let me know if it works for you.

My tinnitus is a strange animal. One day it is aggrevated by sound, but the sound is not painful. Then the next day it will be better, maybe for a day or two. Then the Hyperacusis hits. Usually out of nowhere. It happened this weekend. We were sitting in a restaurant. It wasn't loud and noisy. Halfway through our meal, it started. Someone across the restaurant dropped a fork on a plate. The ride home was almost unbearable because even the road noise seemed excessively loud. Today I feel like I'm sound sensitive but not in a Hyperacusis painful way. We'll see what tomorrow brings.

Have you tried anything to help with anxiety? Before this I never had an issue but when it turns painful I can feel myself tensing up and obsessing about it. I've found that L-Theanine calms me. It's a vitamin, not habit forming and it doesn't upset my stomach.

Even though I feel like I've had this forever, I see some of the posts on here from people who have suffered for years. I try to take that to heart. If they can do it, I can do it. Some days are definitely easier than others. I'm sure you can relate.

 

@HThom4 - While Omeprazole has a slight chance of ototoxicity, it (and the various other PPIs like Protonix) have the best clinical track record of shutting down your acid and preventing reflux from passing through the Lower Esophageal Sphincter into your throat, ears, and nose.

Re: your Tinnitus being a strange animal, it sounds like you and I have the same pathology. One day, it will be pretty quiet and not at all disturbing. The next day, the sound is harsh and jarring but no hyperacusis. A day or two later, Hyperacusis hits and everything sharp is extremely sensitive. All the while, the only correlation I can find here is with inflammation — when I take a lot of proactive, constant steps to reduce my inflammation, the next day I am typically better. If I take shortcuts, or neglect to do the full regimen that I outlined, I will undoubtedly suffer a setback.

Re: anxiety, before my tinnitus hit in October, I had taken several days of Ativan at 1mg a night to help me sleep (this was to deal with the abdominal pounding and heart palpitations). I’d have to say, it was a decent placebo, but it did nothing to alleviate symptoms. After Tinnitus hit, I discontinued Ativan mostly because I read stories about potential neural conditioning that could cause tinnitus (though it’s really unlikely that Ativan itself was ototoxic). For my anxiety now, I am taking Atenolol (a beta-blocker) mostly since my anxiety comes about due to the heart palpitations that my GERD issues and Gallbladder inflammation are causing. Atenolol works very well — at 12.5mg a night, taken only when I need it. However, I am trying not to take it, and I find if I am less anxious and don’t eat for at least 6 hours before going to sleep, I have no palpitations at all. Tinnitus, for what it’s worth, no longer causes me anxiety — which suggests I am at least entering psychological habituation.

You and I have both been dealing with Tinnitus for about the same period of time — 3+ months. I will say that the general consensus in this community is that Tinnitus is a permanent, chronic condition that has no cure; however, this is really generally inapplicable to those of us who are actually able to find a cause, and influence their tinnitus. Given that I have been able to completely silence my tinnitus by using aggressive anti-inflammatories and traveling out of town, I am really led to believe that there is something about my environment and/or diet that are causing or aggravating the inflammation in my Eustachian Tubes. In your case, you have a lot of the same symptoms that I do that suggests that you should get inflammation checked out. @Lisa88 suggested that we need to get a tympanometry examination by an ENT to actually diagnose Eustachian Tube Dysfunction, but once diagnosed, it could be the clinical evidence we need to proceed.

I will be keeping you in my thoughts!

 

Gut and brain chemistry have been strongly linked.
I know now of 3 chronic t sufferers each with t for 15-20 years who also had Candida.
They each went on the Candida Diet, and their t all spontaneously resolved.

 

Thanks, @Lisa88. You mentioned this earlier as well. Can you tell me which Candida Diet they went on? Efficacy of such diets is hotly contested online, but I am certainly open to trying things to improve my gut health.

 

Not sure of the details of each of their diets. The Candida Diet basically cuts out yeast, sugar etc. Have looked it up online, and it is quite strict. Not sure that there would be different Candida diets, as they specifically work on bacteria etc.

 

@Kaelon your theory seems completely plausible. I notice you are in Boston, I'm in Chicago. What environment has helped you? Did you go to a dryer climate like Arizona? Somewhere less urban?

The more I think about your theory of reflex causing the burning sensation in the ears, the more it makes sense. My throat doesn't always burn, but my tongue does. Occasionally I feel a burning ear pain and fullness. I notice my ears ringing more when I am reclining or laying down which would lend to your theory. Reflux tends to be more noticeable when someone lies down.

I've had a tympanogram done twice. Both times, the results came back fine. Neither ENT thought Eustacian Tube Disfunction was the issue. I had thought it was a serious possibility due to my symptoms.

@Lisa88 I've considered the Candida diet. As I understand it, basically you remove, sugar, gluten and yeast. You limit the amount of fruits as well since they contain natural sugar. It also usually includes a very strong probiotic to help the good bacteria to grow in your gut while eliminating an overgrowth of yeast. I'm a relatively picky eater which is why I haven't completely committed to it. I'm open to exploring it though. A naturopathic doctor I met with suggested it. I did have my blood drawn to see if I am allergic to gluten but I haven't received the results yet. Never had a problem in the past, but I guess people can developed allergies late in life. It is worth exploring.

 

Yes, that diet is absolutely worth trying. I know the one person I am in touch with who had Candida and t, said that he started seeing results after a few months. So you would have to stick to it for a while.
Not sure if it would work if we don't have Candida. But two things it has shown with these 3 individuals is that chronic t can resolve and there is a definite connection between gut and brain chemistry.
Would be good to talk to a naturopath and a neuroscientist on this subject.

 

Well the good news is my Gallbladder is officially gone! The pain on Day 2 is a lot better than it was yesterday. Thankfully, I was able to have it laparoscopically removed. Surgery is still surgery though, so I didn't expect to wake up completely free of pain.

Waking up in recovery, my hearing was very hypersensitive. So much so they had to move me to a private room so I could have a quieter environment. Unfortunately, it is even worse today. This is the worst it's ever been. In addition to the sound sensitivity, I feel a burning pain in my ear. At times I also feel like I am losing my hearing. It's a weird mix of hypersensitive and muffled hearing. I can't figure out a better way to describe it. The tinnitus is still there of course. It's a high pitched buzzing/ringing with an occasional low tone thrown in. The low tone is new. It reminds me of someone running their finger around the edge of a crystal glass. They are also popping every time I swallow.

I'm trying to figure out if the medicines they've given me for pain could be exacerbating it. I have Toradol and Norco. I googled both of them and I see they both have the ability to be ototoxic. I also can't remember what they used for my general anesthesia. I went over the issues with my ears with my surgeon and anesthesiologist prior to surgery and they said it could go either way. Sometimes the anestheia helps and sometimes it makes it worse. I hoping whatever is causing it is only temporary.

I'm also having some neck pain and stiffness which is probably due to the way my head was placed during surgery and the way I have been sleeping.

My plan at the moment is to phase out the pain meds as quick as possible. I have gone from taking them every 4 hours to every 6-8 hours. Hopefully I can switch to regular Tylenol in the next couple of days. The pain is still pretty strong so I don't think I can eliminate them yet.

Hopefully as I continue to heal my ears will settle down.

 

Hi @HThom4 - Glad to hear that your abdominal pain is improving and that your gallbladder is gone. Out of curiosity, what was the “breaking point” which led you to have it removed? My HIDA scan came back last month at 18% ejection fraction, which is apparently “not great” (the target is 35% - 75%, which is where most gallbladders successfully eject), but there’s no sign of an actual stone right now, and other than the palpitations when laying down (which I can resolve if I don’t eat at least 5-6 hours before laying down), I don’t have any other direct abdominal symptoms.

Very curious - and encouraging, actually - that your hearing has been impacted by abdominal surgery. Both Chiropractic and Eastern Medicine maintain that systemic inflammation originates in the gallbladder, and absence of gallbladder is likely going to mean that your liver and pancreas both work overtime on their respective functions before the inflammation settles down. But, all systems of medicine generally agree that the inflammation SHOULD settle down after the gallbladder is removed. The real question is whether that settling down will impact your tinnitus.

A few thoughts, based upon my research to-date:

• Low tinnitus tones are commonly associated with blood pressure, and are most commonly experienced when waking up in the mornings. Would you say that’s consistent with your new low tone?
  
  
• Ototoxic drugs most often, but not always, only produce temporary ototoxicity and the ototoxic side effects should resolve within 3-6 weeks after you’ve stopped taking them. All NSAIDs, like Toradol, especially when administered in large doses, have the potential to produce otological side effects. Often times, this is an amplification — rather than a creation — of an already pre-existing effect. Definitely do not stop taking your meds prematurely; the anti-inflammatory effect is critical for successful healing, otherwise, you could send your body into shock (though you probably wouldn’t be able to tolerate the pain before it got to that).
  
  
• Your popping of the ears every time you swallow is quite typical of inflammation. You are no doubt suffering from systemic inflammation as your body moves into overdrive to heal, and this is being expressed in your ears, nose, and throat — and probably exacerbating the openings of your Eustachian Tubes, which pop when you swallow, yawn, move your neck, etc. Neck pain and stiffness, especially if you can crack your neck while moving it naturally, is a common symptom of systemic inflammation.

I am very hopeful (for you and for me) that the otological symptoms you’ve experienced in the aftermath of getting your gallbladder removed are signs that an inflamed gallbladder was causing body-wide inflammation which exacerbated (at the very least) your tinnitus to the point where you noticed it. The Eighth Cranial Nerve, in particular, is susceptible to inflammatory neurovascular pressures - and there has been highly controversial and heavily debated medical procedures and research done around trying to cure tinnitus by vascular decompression of this Eighth Cranial Nerve, which is suspected to be principally responsible for most neurologically-expressed tinnitus.



Please keep us informed on how your recovery goes! I will be keeping you in my thoughts.

 

Very interesting developments lately connecting Tinnitus and GI systems. See:

• Thread: Serotonin-Tinnitus Link (TinnitusTalk)
  Particularly germane here, because Serotonin is found in the gut primarily and researchers are finding definitive links between the Serotonin absorption rate and the onset and persistence of Tinnitus, neurologically and generally.

 

I thought I'd resurrect this conversation with someone scholarship from the past two years reflecting on the link between Omeprazole (a Proton Pump Inhibitor typically prescribed to people who suffer from GERD, as I do) and Tinnitus:

• (Es)omeprazole and Tinnitus (Lareb)
  Dutch medical treatise examining causal relationships between Omeprazole and Tinnitus. The study confirms that there is a link between PPI and ionic imbalances which can lead to Tinnitus, but falls short of proving a direct correlation between Omeprazole and Tinnitus (and instead, argues that it "cannot rule it out."). Fascinating reading that adds fuel to the fire for people to consider discontinuing PPI's to see if there is any improvement.

 

I wonder if Omeprazole and its derivatives are linked with Tinnitus because of magnesium absorption deficiencies which have been reported among Proton-Pump users? Easily proved or disproved with a blood test one would assume.

 

Interesting hypothesis. I've checked all of my labs since the onset of my tinnitus last November, and I never had a Magnesium Serum test conducted. This is probably because my calcium levels were normal; ordinarily, it seems like Mg deficiency testing is only conducted when there are other chemical deficiencies. I've been reading just now about magnesium tests but I wonder if just taking a magnesium supplement might be a good way to challenge this.

I've discontinued my Omeprazole, for what it's worth, and I'm on Day 4. I started to have some minor rebound symptoms yesterday, but have kept them under control so far by limiting all food and liquid intake after 6 pm and sticking to just water and coffee during the day.

 

The paper I saw (a while back) said that supplementing didn't help while on PPI's because they apparently interfered directly with absorption. Have you thought about using ranitidine/famotidine (H2 receptor antagonists) or one of those class instead? They're an older mainstay of GI reflux treatment.