Hello Pulsating Tinnitus

[Virgil]

Hello everyone,

I am new here and have been suffering from Pulsating tinnitus for about 8 months now. I went to an ENT and my primary physician prescribed me Allegra and nasal spray. I must admit I did not take it as long as I should have but it did not seem to help. I can stop it by applying pressure on my neck. It is only in my left ear, its driving me insane now and causing lots of anxiety. Anyone have a similar issue?

 

[Karen]

Hi, @Virgil,
We're glad you've joined us on Tinnitus Talk!

I'm so sorry to hear about your pulsatile tinnitus. I am a pulsatile tinnitus sufferer, too. I've had it for over 6 years now, and have been to a number of doctors and had several tests with no cure being found. However, the good news is that I've learned to live with it, and can truly say that I am now living my life normally again -- in spite of the pulsatile tinnitus, and regular tinnitus, that I've had all these years.

How did your pulsatile tinnitus begin? Did it happen gradually, or suddenly? Do you also have regular tinnitus?
Are you taking any new drugs, or have you had a traumatic event in your life, or a recent weight gain or weight loss?
Knowing the answers to those questions might be helpful in suggesting what you might try next.

Mine started right after taking a blood pressure drug for the first time, so I'm pretty sure that is the cause of mine. However, unlike you, I cannot change mine by pressing on my neck.

If things don't improve for you, you might want to consider going to a specialist, such as a neurologist or neurotologist, to be checked out. Some of the tests I've had include Doppler of the carotid arteries, CT scan, and MRI/MRA.

In the meantime, try taking calming supplements, such as magnesium, to help you sleep at night. You might also want to try cutting caffeine, salt, and sugars from your diet to see if that might help in any way.

I wish you well, and I'm sure there will be other PT sufferers who will have additional suggestions for you.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[Virgil]

Thank you, I have no idea why it started. No medications, weight changes, diet changes etc. Some days are worse than others, its just driving me crazy thinking this may be something very serious. I do suffer from regular tinnitus but only occasionally, not very often

 

[Karen]

Thank you for the information, Virgil. I totally understand the anxiety and upset you're going through as a result of the PT. If things don't change or improve after you've tried several changes (such as dietary), then it might truly be worthwhile to see a specialist, if only to rule out things like a fistula, etc.

Although I didn't find a cure for mine, it helped to have the tests, just to rule out anything sinister. Most ENT's don't know a lot about pulsatile tinnitus, because that is not something they normally treat. That's why it would be important for you to seek out a specialist, if there is one near where you live.

 

[Lola in Ohio]

Hello fellow whooshers-- pulsatile tinnitus has changed my life. My full time job is learning how to manage the impact of my symptoms including lack of restorative sleep, inability to concentrate very long, memory loss and irritability. That said, I'm not giving up and neither should you! Definitely get the medical tests to ensure you are not in any danger related to vascular blockage or an artery malformation that might be causing this. Knowing you are safe will help you manage the symptoms better.