Nasty tinnitus spike after the car journey..what's going on ?
 

I am 4 months into PCS. My head has become very sensitive to minor bumps and jolts. I usually avoid travelling or driving while I am on recovery and would just stick to my routine. I would only go out and travel when I have a doctor's appointment or some urgent work. I was on my way to neuro's clinic today and the car ride was kinda ok. There were numerous bumps and lots of vibrations while the car was speeding as you would expect. I seemed ok and tolerated the vibrations pretty well as I had kept a cushioned pillow under me. I was just having some anxiety and mild discomfort while travelling that's it and the whole journey didn't make me panic or overwhelm me.

Since the episode 6 hours ago, I am having nasty tinnitus spikes which started in the car and has not settled yet. I am not anxious at all right now just a little tired but the tinnitus continues to be the same roaring in my ear. My hearing feels muffled and distorted as well. I would be extremely surprised if someone would say I did more damage to my brain during the car ride from those vibrations! I mean come on, some people give themselves hell and jump back into sports after a concussion without giving it time to heal and they do pretty well! I do nothing and still have unexpected symptoms..

I suspect notryptiline antidepressant for these sudden spikes as these episodes have increased after the antidepressant..but I know the spike wouldn't have occurred if I had been sitting at home all day today..it just started after the car journey..I had a similar spike after a 15 min walk 2 days back and I felt totally exhausted. I then kinda knew it's my exhaustion or the sudden antidepressant withdrawal symptom.but today I can't figure out the reason.what's going on? Any guesses?

In my experience, there is not necessarily any rhyme or reason for spikes in tinnitus. Last night, I stop to check my laptop thinking the fan was starting to whine. No, it was my tinnitus. It was loud. I was just sitting in my recliner with my laptop on my lap. My tinnitus has in creased after having a glass of water or eating something.

I think it is a losing game to try to figure out the triggers for tinnitus episodes. If there is not an obvious trigger, trying to find a trigger is just a cause for anxiety.

This morning, my tinnitus is just in my left ear. It is usually in both.

My best to you.

I can totally relate on that Mark. Even my tinnitus would switch sides occasionally or be in both ears sometimes. But when it is at its full force, my hearing is muffled and distorted and it justifies the most widely accepted reason of most tinnitus that is some degree of hearing loss as I can actually feel the extremely mild loss. But when it disappears from one or both ears sometimes, my auditory system feels completely normal and I can't feel even the mildest of mild hearing impairment or hearing loss and it would totally become what you call "normal ears" . Then the most widely accepted reason of tinnitus being the result of hearing loss doesn't make sense to me as my auditory system appears to be able to function 100% normal and there seems to be no damage even mildest whatsoever. Do you feel this too?

I think our category of tinnitus is different from those who have developed it from listening to loud music for years and ours is neurological damage and not hearing damage or some mild loss.. Just a guess

I have done a lot of reading and it seems that there are many parts of the brain involved in tinnitus for people with brain injury. I don't think ours is the same as people who got it from loud music. Transmit cranial magnetic stimulation was being looked into as a treatment but double blind study s have cast doubt on this. However with so many soldiers having it many universities are trying to find a treatments and hopefully one will come within the next few years.

Sometimes tinnitus can be from spastic
Neck muscles. These sometimes send
Nerve signals along pathways near ear
Nerves which then sound like ear noises.


Applying a magnesium lotion to the area of
The neck below the ears will relax this.

Morton Epsom Lotion is not expensive and helps
Me a lot. Use only a little bit at a time.
Available at Walmarts, some Walgreens, and online
at Amazon.com

Very good for other cramping muscles etc.
This is still new and not yet in many other
Stores. Many of us use this on our PN
forum.

Before my concussion i noticed my ears would ring after air travel, but a good nights sleep was all i needed. Ironically, those were the very words i told my buddies after hitting my head...