Hi Woodsman,

I suffer tinnitus as a result of a reaction to a drug that was administered to me for my RSD (IV Pamidronate) apparently a very rare side effect, the story of my life. I also developed vertigo now mostly triggered when I travel on planes, trains or boats which is often. When I first got tinnitus it was like a loud roaring motor inside my head. I could not hear what anyone was saying to me over top of the motor noise in my head, it was very frightening. The doctor gave me a course of prednisone, along with 20 sessions in a HBOT chamber. My vertigo started after the HBOT dives. Ultimately between the 2 treatments it calmed things down but the tinnitus kept coming back sometimes quite significantly other times just a low buzzing sound.

My ENT specialist did not want to keep giving me prednisone because of my history with RSD bone loss and rare side effects.

He offered me a little known treatment that stopped the loud roaring noise in it's tracks. He gave me 3 treatments of a steroid injection directly into the eardrum. At first I rejected it for fear of the pain but I honestly got to the point where I was loosing my mind so I decided to go ahead and try the injections and I'm very happy I did as it has made a big difference for me. (now I know why Van Gogh cut his ear off, they say he suffered from tinnitus too). Apparently one of the few treatments that offer any significant relief from tinnitus is IV lidocaine, which I also have every 3 weeks

Now my tinnitus is mild a very low buzzing sound that still comes and goes but no where near as bad as the loud motor, mainly it is intensified typically when I have a head cold or when I fly.

In the end I did lose part of my hearing in the high frequencies so I can related to the frustrations you have with background noise causing confusion. I don’t like to be in loud places trying to have a conversation.

The question is was I predisposed to tinnitus because I have RSD or is it my RSD that causes it to flare up? I recently read that it is now thought that the noise originates in the brain and not in the ear, as was previously believed. If the ear is damaged by exposure to loud noises or certain medications (including aspirin), the brain may try to compensate and end up producing electrical signals that a person hears as a ringing in the ears. .

Here is a link to the Mayo Clinic that discussed causes of tinnitus.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/tin...SECTION=causes

MsL

I meant to mention that I also suffer from TMJ in my left jaw a long standing problem since childhood. I think that when it gets flared up it affects my tinnitus and I do think that my RSD has made it worse.

Do you have any problems with TMJ? Also did your Otolaringologist do an MRI on your brain?

MsL

Hello All,
Woodsman,
I have rsd, and tbi, from separate incidents, 15 years apart.
I had the tinnitus from NSAIDs, and, tapered those off to methadone.

After the head injury, I got all kinds of weird "sensory" things.
Hearing, I got some tinnitus, hearing odd things, Not hearing things, etc.
Weird sense of smell. Sometimes I think the place is on fire, I get up and look around.
Sight, more weirdness.

It has calmed down for the most part, but I still have vertigo, and general "weird" feelings, that aren't strictly pain...

I also take aricept 5mg. in the AM, to clear the general "fogginess", to clear my thinking.
It really helps.

Good luck and good feelings to you, and all!

Pete

Hey woodsman you sound as though you might have meniere's disease. When the doctor says he doesnt see swelling, but you feel swelling, that is one of the symptoms.

The full feeling in your ear is from fluid build up from eating salty things, or fluid retention from medication, or it can be from allergies. The meniere's usually comes and goes, and progressively gets worse over the years. The attacks of vertigo can last from an hour to as long as a week or more. And they are no fun at all because you cannot do anything at all if it is a severe attack.

I dont spin much anymore because the darn disease has pretty much damaged the inner beyond repair. I am pretty much deaf in the left ear, and have some hearing loss in the right ear. The left ear is constantly ringing, but it does make for a good nights sleep LOL.

Just put the right ear in the pillow, and a bomb can go off and I wont wake up LOL! I do have that off balance feeling all the time though, and have to be real careful turning. If I turn to fast I can wind up on the floor, or in someones lap . And I cannot watch traffic or trains go by, oh man talk about makin someone dizzy LOL!

You might ask the doctor about meniere's disease and see what he says. He can give you something for the dizziness, and also a diuretic.

Hey hope4thebest, that speaker idea is a real good one, gonna try that one out. Will let ya know how it goes!

TY!

Thank you for your posts.

Msl,
I know that TMJ can cause tinnitus but, I don't have that and, no, the Doctor did not do an MRI on my brain.
An MRI is an expensive procedure and MRI machines are not plentiful around here so, a hearing/understanding problem is not serious enough to warrant an MRI. Since the ear tests didn't show any problems with my ears, I assume that the problem originates in the brain as you mention in your 12:30 reply yesterday.
I have read the article from the Mayo Clinic, thanks for the link, and others on tinnitus and don't believe that my problem with understanding is caused by tinnitus. The tinnitus I can live with most of the time but, the inability to understand what people say is a real problem and removes, as RSD does already, another dimension from my social life.

Allen,
I had 2 test done on my ears; can't remember the names. They involved a pressure test and a test with different sounds at different volumes while measuring the nerve conduction time. Nothing was said about Menieres.
Sleeping on my right side could possibly be a solution but, I can't lie on my right side; too painful.

Pete,
I do have some strange things happening. My peripheral vision picks up sudden quick movement but, when I turn and look, nothing's there. Strange odours and, not so severe and not so often now, explosions in my head.
Those explosions are loud enough and strong enough to make my head jump off the pillow yet, there is no sound.
I also have short periods, when I sing, when I seem to black out. Can't read the words on the sheet music and can't remember even when I know the lyrics. Same with conversation; can't think of even the simplest words or remember the name of a person I have known for years.
Fortunately I am well past embarrassment and simply tell the truth with a laugh; "I can't remember your name."

Like so many other things that RSD has changed in my life, I will just have to live with this problem.

Thank you all for your input and have a day of peace and joy.

woodsman

The reason I mentioned the MRI was because my doctors ordered one to rule out such things as a as a brain tumor, I think it was important part of the diagnosis and yes here too we have big line ups for them. It was not an unnecessary test.

Sounds like you have some serious symptoms that should be investigated. I wouldn't chalk it all up to RSD.

MsL

Hi Msl.

You are right, my problem with understanding speech and the tinnitus may not be related to RSD. On the other hand, this has been going on for too long to be a brain tumor. I would think that, after about 18 years, a tumor would have grown large enough to replace all of my brain; maybe it has, eh?

Good thought though. Thanks Msl

Have a good one.
woodsman

Dew

Hi Woodsman,

I wasn't saying that it is a brain tumour , just that that is one of the many things that they rule out. Obviously I don't know your history but it sounded like your Otolaringologist was dismissive of you and your complaints. Personally I'd go for a second opinion.

When I was sent home from the emergency room with no answers and no help the tinnitus was still getting worse and I got really scared. The doctors who examined me in emerg just weren't connecting the dots and I was only seen by a resident ENT doctor who basically shrugged his shoulders and treated me for a migraine, I knew it was not a migraine.

I turned right around and went and went directly to the ENT department. I did a sit-in until the head of the department would see me. He ultimately and they got me the right help.

I hope you do find out what is behind this and get the right treatment.

MsL