Lumbar Puncture Has Stopped My Pulsatile Tinnitus

[Michelle Eales]

Hi all

I posted on here a little while ago, looking for support from others with PT, I had suffered with a whooshing sound in my right ear very intense 24/7. My Doctor was pants and very unhelpful. I waited patiently for my specialist appointment and scans, MRI, MRV and MRA. The results showed CSF spaces along the optic nerves. They found Idiopathic Intracranial Pressure. I was booked in for a Lumbar Puncture (Spinal Tap) last Thursday. The pressure from my spine to my brain was 24, they drained it down to 10. Whilst draining the whooshing stopped immediate! However, it has been on and off but has now settled to silence!! I am due to have a follow up on Tuesday and I am going to request a shunt be fitted, as I never want to go through this again, it has been a living hell. It appears the build up of fluid was the cause and it could happen again, so I think if they can fit a shunt then I know I will never go through this again. The difference I feel now in myself is incredible and I so want moJo back. Just want to offer some hope to others suffering with this horrible condition, thoughts to all still suffering. Michelle

 

[JohnnyMx]

Great!!!

 

[glynis]

Great news Michelle and a happy bright future ahead now....stay positive...lots of love glynis

 

[jeannie]

Michelle,did you have any more symptoms or just tinnitus?and do you know which scan found cfs spaces?

 

[zombiechick]

Thats super awesome! Congrats!

 

[mandi]

@Michelle Eales How awesome it was figured out! PTL!

 

[Lorac]

Great news, Michelle! I want you to have your mojo back too!

 

[Tetra]

Amazing , GREAT NEWS !!!

 

[Paromita]

Congratulations!!! Peace to you!

 

[suze]

Pretty common to have pulsitile tinnitus from elevated ICP. Usually happens in overweight females (no reference to your personal situation intended). Did you have your shunt yet? Which test found the fluid? Wishing you the best of luck ♡.

 

[Richard zurowski]

@Michelle Eales . Enjoy the silence.

 

[OnceUponaTime]

Great news! So happy for you.

 

[Karen]

Wonderful news, Michelle!! I'm so happy you found the cause, and are now PT-free!!

 

[Codaz]

Enjoy. Please keep your ears protected and be aware of ototoxic stuff.

 

[SadMary]

Hi,
I just wondered before the lumbar puncuture, did you feel like you had fluid retention, even the slightest bit?
Thanks

 

[Priscilla]

May the silence be with you!

 

[Sonic17]

My Doctor was pants and very unhelpful. I waited patiently for my specialist appointment and scans, MRI, MRV and MRA.

@Michelle EalesCongratulations Michelle, do you know which test showed the ICP?

 

[Kendall]

@Michelle EalesCongratulations Michelle, do you know which test showed the ICP?

If you tap on her avatar you will notice she was last here april 20, 2016.

 

[Sonic17]

@Kendall In other words I will unlikely hear from her?

 

[Kendall]

Yes

 

[Frédéric]

Patients with pulse-synchronous tinnitus should be suspected to have elevated cerebrospinal fluid pressure
https://doi.org/10.1177/0300060519857846

Abstract
Objective
This study was performed to evaluate the prevalence and clinical importance of elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure among patients with pulse-synchronous tinnitus.

Methods
Nineteen patients underwent height and weight measurements, routine otologic examinations, ear computed tomography, brain magnetic resonance imaging, fundus examination, and tinnitus score assessment. We analyzed the data with Fisher's exact test, the t-test, and Pearson's correlation.

Results
The mean age of the 19 patients was 39.2 ± 8.1 years (range, 27–54 years), and the mean body mass index was 22.2 ± 1.6 kg/m2 (range, 19.9–24.6 kg/m2). The proportion of patients with elevated CSF pressure was 68%. No significant correlation between the severity of tinnitus and CSF pressure was found. Lumbar puncture and oral administration of diuretics resulted in significant improvement in tinnitus.

Conclusions
If detailed physical and imaging examinations fail to detect the definite cause of pulse-synchronous tinnitus, a routine lumbar puncture should be performed to measure the CSF pressure. Elevated CSF pressure should be suspected in patients with pulse-synchronous tinnitus.

NB: in the other hand (I read it somewhere but I did not keep the link), lumbar punction can cause tinnitus (sudden depression of CSF).

 

[Greg Sacramento]

NB: in the other hand (I read it somewhere but I did not keep the link), lumbar punction can cause tinnitus (sudden depression of CSF).

A decrease in cerebrospinal fluid pressure causes a decrease in intra-labyrinth pressure and this can cause functional inability in the ear in transmitting sounds. Administering an epidural blood patch without delay in the presence of auditory symptoms might reverse it.