Depressed — Tensor Tympani Syndrome Taking Over My Life

[OPlax]

For 3 years I have had vibrations/spasms in my right ear (rarely left ear) and it drives me crazy. No noise causes this, but randomly starts having a session.

Most of the time, it happens when I awake from sleep. It really making me anxious and depressed. I know it's small but I have severe OCD and this makes me crazy.

I tried Magnesium supplements but they didn't work. My ENT recommends Botox in the ear muscle or surgery. I'm considering these 2 options.

Does anybody go through this, and can anyone recommend Botox/surgeons for TTS in the NJ area? Thanks. I want to get this fixed so my life can return to normal.

(Spasm sessions lasts about 20 to 50 minutes, but yesterday it went for a while 8 hours, making me even more anxious and depressed)

 

[Jkph75]

So, you don't actually hear any noise? Sounds like it's from your anxiety. I think a muscle relaxer should take it away entirely.

 

[OPlax]

It doesn't start a spas session by noise, and when it does happen, my hearing gets a bit muffled and I hear my ear drum literally moving. But I don't hear other noises then that

 

[PaulBe]

Your ENT is pretty onto it. One of the first I've heard of who even knows about these things. You could try the Botox option as a diagnostic tool to see if surgery would be a viable permanent option (costs allowing of course).

 

[OPlax]

@PaulBe

thanks for your input . I am gonna try to get an appointment tomorrow and talk with an otologist to see if Botox is an option

 

[whale]

I have heard sound therapy or TRT can help?

 

[Telis]

I've heard TRT can help everything

 

[Vaba]

I've heard TRT can help everything

 

[OPlax]

@whale

Do you think it can help? I do have tinnitus and TRT might help with that, but it seems like tensor tympani syndrome is either from my horrible TMJ Jaw disorder, or part of my tinnitus

 

[whale]

@whale

Do you think it can help? I do have tinnitus and TRT might help with that, but it seems like tensor tympani syndrome is either from my horrible TMJ Jaw disorder, or part of my tinnitus

I have TTTS and TMJ as well. I going to start TMJ therapy and a custom night guard to see if it helps. I may do sound therapy (TRT) if the TMJ therapy does not quiet thing up. From what I read and some people I spoke with sound therapy has help a great deal. Do search for an audiologist that has a sound therapy in your area, it may cost about 2k to get those ear aides but it's got a good track record of helping. I would do it but I'm already spending a lot on TMJ custom nigh guard, splints and TMJ therapy. I'm assuming my T is from TMJ since I have bad TMJ and my T kicked in 2 days after dental work. I have OCD as well so I'm not ruling out that I'm just nuts.

 

[Tom Cnyc]

I've had those spasms for years. I never really thought anything of them.

How often do these 20 -50 min episodes happen? Daily ? Weekly?

If it's only a few times a month you may just want to leave it be. 20 mins isn't that long and a Doctor fuckig up may leave you with something 24/7

 

[OPlax]

@Tom Cnyc

These spasms could last from 20 minutes to all day. Last Tuesday, it lasted a full 12 hours. From when I woke up at 6 to 4 or so in the afternoon. These spasm sessions usually happen every day or two, with a day of rest in between and when they don't happen. If it was something once a month, I wouldn't go crazy about it, but it's happening very, very frequently

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

@OPlax

If I am understanding you correctly, it seems more likely that you have middle ear myoclonus than TTTS. TTTS spasms occur only when people hear sounds at a level capable of setting off the spasm (and that level is different for everyone, and can be different depending on the time of day!). I would look into treatments for middle ear myoclonus before I would look into anything about TTTS if I were you.

However, if I am wrong and your spasms ARE related to sound, then you can safely ignore everything I just wrote.