Flashing, Electrical Discharge Type Sounds Inside Head

[clare hart]

I have moderate tinnitus. I also have fibromyalgia.

I get these lightning flashes of sound, like electrical discharges throughout my head, cutting the top of my head off or extending from around the ear or base of the head and through the neck. They usually occur before sleep but not exclusively. Once they start, I will get more in response to noise, like a loud clap or even someone setting a book down on a table. Sometimes the noise is associated with muscle tightening/spasm mainly in the neck.

I googled this and it led me to a fibro forum where from the descriptions, I was reading about the same thing. But I'd like to know more. I wonder if anyone with tinnitus and not fibromyalgia gets these kind of sizzly sounds. Or if you have one or the other or both, what is your experience, and have your doctors weighed in?

Thanks folks. Just another mystery in life, lol.

 

[Amelia]

My dad gets something similar - he called them "brain zaps"

 

[clare hart]

yep, really good word for it. Thanks for some new terminology, lol. Does he have either tinnitus or fibro? My fiance used to get what he called gunshots, but they quit after a couple years.

 

[erik]

I have had "brain zaps" in the past. They are usually related to medications and neuro changes from either starting them or getting off them. I don't think they are usually permanent, just part of a change you may be going thru. Though with fibroM it might be something different.

 

[clare hart]

Tx Eric. IDK. Could be any of those things; I've been on meds since 2005. Also, it occurs to me that the tightness in my neck, shoulders and base of head, maybe higher, yahooee, could be a factor or even the cause. Typical tightness in fibro, so perhaps the relationship is there. I'm just recently dx'd with FM but it's been coming on for yrs I imagine. Actually, I've had these zaps for a long time so I don't expect them to go away. It doesn't bother me greatly. I am just curious. So thanks for your thoughts.

The other thing is, I've had T for a long time, but I was surprised in the past 2 weeks to have 3 evenings with nothing. (unless I concentrated real hard and why do that) I also have pretty well adapted even now as I type. So what is the thought I have to bear in mind. There are many worse conditions. Maybe I am blessed with not having T as bad as some do, but it is not that hard to live with if you set your mind to it and accommodate space for it in your life. After all, it really is just in your head. Sorry; bad joke. Sleep well everyone.

 

[Micky]

sounds to me like
'Explosive Head Syndrome ' i had this for a couple of years whilst i was taking Benzo's. Not nice and really quite scary ..

 

[Amelia]

yep, really good word for it. Thanks for some new terminology, lol. Does he have either tinnitus or fibro? My fiance used to get what he called gunshots, but they quit after a couple years.

He has industrial deafness and severe tinnitus.

He thinks it's due to white chocolate but I'm not convinced. I'm more inclined to think its due to some type of medication he is on

 

[clare hart]

@ Amelia:White chocolate, OMG!!!!!!!! Maybe dark chocolate too? Godz, that is my addiction.

@ Micky: Yes, I looked into that syndrome, but it seems rather an extreme variation of what I am talking about. OTOH, it may be an encompassing "diagnosis."

Thanks both of you. I will stop eating chocolate immediately . . . NOT.

 

[Amelia]

Funnily enough - one thing I stopped as soon as I got T was chocolate ... And if I eat it now I get sharp pains in my ear and funny hot flashes where I can't seem to focus my eyes properly for a few seconds.

 

[clare hart]

Weird!

Thank GOD that doesn't happen to me. I have to wonder if the T would diminish if I took a sabatical from the velvet bean. Sigh. Don't think I have the willpower. I'll keep the hissing and tibetan bells!

 

[Micky]

Clare wrote..

Don't think I have the willpower. I'll keep the hissing and tibetan bells!

Clare .. How do you know the bells are Tibetan.. lol..
they could be Westminster Abbey..
just a thought..

 

[clare hart]

Hahaha. Bells is belles hey. I guess they aren't as intrusive as gongs let's say. Perhaps I phrased that wrong.

Might have said: I'll take the bells and whistles of T!

PS: I've never heard Westmisnster Abbey's so I am unable to make the distinction. I would guess, being from different continents as their creators are, that there is more than a subtle difference.

 

[Erlend]

I had them the first few months of my tinnitus

 

[clare hart]

But no longer . . . Hmmm. Well, everyone is different. Just had a mild one in the mid afternoon in response to a sudden crashing noise. Then when my fiance knocked over his wastebasket and knocked other things around, nothin, no zaps. I'm just fascinated by this. Maybe I should start a brain zaps forum, but we'd probably get the trolls who make smart remarks about brain farts and chainsaw massacres of zombies. Still, every board has it's bots and trolls and numbskulls!

Call the forum, BIZ: Brain in Zaps, or Brain Idling Zaps? Any ideas? I could use a way to make a few pennies from the hits! Troll, bot, whatever... everyone welcome as long as it makes me rich off the misery. Hey hey. Maybe BuZ would be better! Can't think of what the U would stand for but maybe nothin is OK. I like BuZ better than BIZ. OK, maybe I better go take a sedative . . . or a nap.