Tinnitus Out of the Blue, and Inflamed Muscles?

Hello everyone. Glad I found a forum where I could talk about my tinnitus - and other symptoms. It is currently driving me mad.

I don't remember exactly when it started but it was around 6 weeks ago. I may have had a cold at the time.
My GP has said I have Labyrinthitus because I have has Vertigo and some trouble focusing. I have had some medication for the dizziness but that just gave me headaches so I've had to stop that. Occasionally get headaches it seems after periods of dizziness, which I put down to my brain coping with the confusing signals.

GP says to wait it out although I do now have a referral to see an ENT doctor.

However, in the last week or two I have noticed that something in the side of neck/jaw seems to be inflamed on one side. The below picture shows where I mean.
I keep prodding it which I think is making it worse, but from what I have read then it could well be a muscle that is inflamed.
I'm here to gauge others opinions if the area and direction there would be a candidate to be a muscle problem. Would that give dizziness and occasional headaches?
If I prod it too much and have my head in a certain position then it feels like it can press on a vein/artery there as I can feel a faint pulse from inside. If I turn my head away then I don't feel the pulse. Sometimes it feels slightly aching there, most likely because I am obsessing over it.



I'll be seeing a chiropractor on Wednesday again so I will ask them for their opinion too.

Thanks everyone.

 

In my haste to post my first post whilst at work I probably didn't explain my T very well or my other symptoms.

My T came out of the blue and is a constant ringing sound, which seems to be quiet/less noticeable during the day and then louder at night. I've gone through variations over the last 6 weeks, some days it seems a bit quieter - even at night - but others it seems louder during the day.
My GP says it is Labyrinthitus. I am pretty underwhelmed by her interest in any shape or form. The diagnosis was pretty quick. About 4 weeks on and a couple of more visits to my GP is still on the Labryinthitus diagnosis but has now referred me to ENT, which my appointment for that isn't until another 4 weeks.

I seem to have some other symptoms too.
After about 3 weeks I developed Vertigo and still have it to this day although it seems less severe than it did. Or perhaps I have got used to it. I was prescribed Beta-something or other-histine but that seemed to give me headaches, so I was told to take Ibuprofen and Paracetemol with it. In the end my GP and I agreed I should stop the anti-vertigo medication. It seems that I still get headaches and vertigo. For a period I could take Ibuprofen only and that would lessen the vertigo somewhat. As it wears of I could feel the Vertigo sneaking back.
The last few days I seem to be getting a dull headache with Ibuprofen or Paracetemol so I've stopped both, and I don't seem to get the headaches (only 1 day in though) but the vertigo is there in a mild form. I'm just going to have to get used to the vertigo for a while.

I've been depressed, I've panicked, I've paid for private blood tests (which have come back as "normal"), so next I am considering a private MRI. I might be overacting but I seem to be getting myself tied up in knots.

I've noticed my T seems slightly louder if I go running or any other kind of exercise. I could somewhat live with this T even though I want it to go but the vertigo, albeit a mild case that happens all day, is a real issue. I've experienced some trouble concentrating and straining my eyes trying to work...it seems to be related to pain.
When I lie down I very rarely have any vertigo issues.

I'm currently exploring whether some of my issues are related to neck muscles or similar, in particular the digastric muscle which I think is inflamed (see image from my first post). Sometimes it feels like it presses on my vein/artery there, or at least I occasionally feel my pulse in the right head position.

I'm an IT geek and spend lots of time programming. I am VERY stressed at the moment because of new company ventures. I've tried to alleviate as much stress as possible but I have an extremely active mind so it is hard to be less stressed.

I am a husband, and a father to three young kids. I'm in my mid thirties.

 

Get a private audiology test done instead. It will give you a headstart for the ENT visit where he will probably ask for one anyways.

 

Thanks for the reply.
The type of test that Boots, Specsavers advertise or something more in-depth?

 

As an update...I paid for a private full hearing test, the kind where I get a full report to take with me to my ENT appointment. I don't seem to have any noticeable hearing loss, in fact my hearing was pretty good. Even though I have Tinnitus still I could still hear quiet sounds pretty well.

The dizziness is much less than it was a few weeks ago. There is just small occasions where I still get it. It is still there so I am hoping it is just taking time for my brain to adjust. Still makes me nervous each time they happen for less than a second but slowly getting used to it.

Chiropractor reckons the top of my sternocleidomastoideus muscle is slightly inflamed, for which I have some stretches that are supposed to help. Don't think they have done much to be honest.

I have 3 kids who have all had a sick bug and then a cold. I've caught both of them too so it is hard to know which symptoms are because of illness or my apparent Labryinthitus.

As far as the Tinnitus, well it seems to be quieter than a few weeks ago but I tend to not to try and think about it which seems to make it seem quieter. I have everything crossed that it is just an infection that will pass.

Is Tinnitus with no hearing loss common with Labryinthitus?

 

An update in case anyone has similar symptoms.

To date I have had:
- Full eye test: no issues with my eyes. Good vision, no glasses needed.
- Private blood test: normal. Noted that my "Eosinophils" White Blood Cells are higher than normal, possible over inflammation.
- Audiology Examination (twice): No hearing loss, within normal range.

I have seen 2 different doctors and an ENT specialist.
All 3 people have said that the swelling in my neck behind my jaw is not a lymph node. The last doctor I saw has said it is likely an inflamed muscle.

The last two days I have had bad headaches, migraine type headaches, again with tingling in the left side of my face & left jaw pain so the current assumption is that I have Migraine-Associated Vertigo. However, the doctor has said that it appears that I am suffering with Trigeminal Neuralgia / Migraine. Apparently that nerve is somehow connected to nerves from the ears and is possibility for why I have Tinnitus too.

It may be a case that I've had the inflamed muscle and Labryinthitis so I have issues from both of those.

I am now starting on a 6 week course of a migraine preventative medicine to see how I respond to that.
If I don't improve in that time period then the GP will succumb to my request for a series of scans (that I've said I'm happy to pay for privately).

I started drinking coffee quite a lot about 5-6 months ago after not drinking it for years. It is a possible trigger for the beginning of migraines occurring...but I am not convinced by that.

 

Hi @ehjk I don't know if all vertigo have similar cause. I am no doctor so I am in no position to heal vertigo for others. I am just sharing a scary incidence of vertigo (for the first time in my life) a few days ago when I woke up from a short doze only to find out everything was spinning around especially if I tilted my head position or did any head movement. I vomited like crazy due to the sudden onset of extreme dizziness. In the back of my panic prone brain was the scary picture of a stroke or tumor induced vertigo. But now a believer of positivity and keeping calm, I focused on what I could do to help myself first. I asked my wife to search the web for vertigo solution and home remedy as I was too dizzy and unwell to do this. This led me to this healing exercise on youtube by this good doctor. She is God sent indeed. Her simple exercise works miracle like a charm. My vertigo was gone in a few repeated exercise. Not saying that you have the same type of vertigo but I just want to share my experience. God bless.

New BPPV Treatment - Half Somersault Canalith...

 

Hello. Thanks for the reply.
I forgot to mention that I was tested for BPPV but no position triggered the Vertigo.

At the moment I am a week into a 6 week course of Pizotifen, to try and prevent Migraines thus the Migraine induced vertigo. I have also given up Coffee, well caffeine in general which means I now drink decaf Tea. Sigh.
However, a week in and already the Vertigo is now very rare, I hardly have those symptoms. Hoping they don't come back by the time I have finished the Pizotifen in 5 weeks time. Downside is that I get VERY tired at night after taking it. I do get a feeling on a dull head at times which I can only describe as a time when I would probably have had vertigo but not it is a dull feeling instead. Hard one to describe.

Still have the inflamed muscle, or swollen gland, or whatever it is. I've stopped prodding it hard every single minute and I don't seem to get any nerve issues there or anything. Sometimes it seems less swollen than other times but I don't see any pattern to it.
I have to wait 5 weeks until I can get a referral for a scan.

Anybody with any ideas how long a swollen muscle, particularly in the neck, would typically take to heal itself?