Hello, everyone. I'm grateful to find similar folks here with experiences I can learn from, because this sound of a loud drummer in my head marching to the rhythm of my heartbeat is really scary. Being here sort of feels like there's someone to hold your hand, I guess. And the information is very rich. I've learned more here than from the doctors I've seen so far.
This is just assuming I actually have Pulsatile Tinnitis. I've had very loud buzzing tinnitis for years because of having earphones in my ears all day doing transcribing work, and I could live with that, but this additional pulsating banging is hugely bigger. It seems to fill my head, not just my ears. So I think that's probably it.
I'm just beginning this investigation, since specialists haven't been helpful outside their specialty .. cardiologist, neurologist -- and I'm not sure who to see next. I suppose I'll seek out a neurotologist next - (I think I saw that recommended on this site) - because my terrifying symptom is the loud drumming/roaring/banging/heartbeat sound I HEAR in my head. And sometimes there's a clanging or "metallic" sound, when it's loudest. Just the sort of thing you're all describing, or that I also saw on the "whooshers" website.
This started six months ago as something that would happen occasionally shortly after I fell asleep. I would be waked by the loud banging/drumming noise in my head/ears several times a week. I would wake up and lie on my back, and it would quiet down in a few minutes and I would go back to sleep for the rest of the night. Then it increased to several times a night on several nights, and my doctor had me monitor my blood pressure. One night when it had wakened me three times in a row, my systolic was 160, so needless to say, I headed straight to my doctor. I was terrified by that number.
That's how I got diagnosed with high blood pressure and am now prescribed a calcium channel blocker. I'm 10 days into that, so it hasn't been evaluated yet. When the drumming starts, my top number can go up to 145, but other times it's 118 or 125, which is what my top number used to average before this started.
Today for the first time, this has happened while I'm awake, so whatever this is is escalating. I can hear it as I'm typing this. When it was only at night, my doctor said it was natural for BP to speed up shortly before morning, but she never seemed to take it in when I explain that it happens about 30 minutes or less after I fall asleep, even if it's only 11 p.m.
The neurologist did a brain MRI, MRA, arteries, veins, carotid MRI, ear canal MRI, all with contrast. (I had had vertigo at first, but that was fixed with one acupuncture treatment.) Everything was "normal" on the MRI, but I got a CD copy of the MRIs so I can show others.
The cardiologist was horrible. He told me to increase the BP medication dosage and come back in six weeks! When I said, aren't you going to do an examination?" his answer was that all he needed to know was the BP numbers, and his assistant had taken my BP. (He had done other types complete exams a year ago, but before this started.) I told him there was 15 points difference between the two arms, he said she only wrote down the one side. I was appalled and will never ever go there again.
Because of the sleep connection, next week I'm having a two-hour consultation with a sleep expert who founded and runs a sleep lab. I scheduled that in hopes that she'd seen lots of different problems. The other two doctors are just treating it as a high blood pressure problem.
I'm very worried about going to bed tonight. Last night when I went to sleep and was wakened by it, I waited till it quieted and then went back to sleep, and this happened four times in one night. Finally I just went outside for a walk. I'll try to do the same thing tonight, but sooner. I also experimented with falling asleep sitting up in bed leaning against a big soft cushion along the wall, comfortable enough, but it didn't stop the drumming from coming after I fell asleep sitting up. It's a serious problem to be exhausted at my job, which is already demanding and stressful.
Of course I'm concerned about the hypertension I apparently now have and I'll change my lifestyle to get over it, but this banging in my head has got to be indicative of something additional. It's quite scary, as I guess everyone here already knows. I'm grateful for any thoughts anyone has, similar stories, suggestions. A big question I'm dealing with is how do I find someone knowledgeable and thorough and smart and patient enough to find the cause?
A friend is suggesting it's a panic attack. I occasionally take the lowest dose of Ativan, but not on a regular basis .. my doctor calls it a "rescue" use only .. and the Ativan helps me relax but doesn't stop the pounding from eventually starting. I avoid drugs in general because they scare me, and I see there are others here who want to avoid them as well. My doctor wants me to take Cymbalta to help with anxiety and maybe depression, but I haven't chosen to do that yet. I guess I would if I got scared enough and couldn't bear the feeling.
I've only read a few of your "my stories" here, so I'm going to read more now. Thank you all so so much for sharing your experiences.
This is just assuming I actually have Pulsatile Tinnitis. I've had very loud buzzing tinnitis for years because of having earphones in my ears all day doing transcribing work, and I could live with that, but this additional pulsating banging is hugely bigger. It seems to fill my head, not just my ears. So I think that's probably it.
I'm just beginning this investigation, since specialists haven't been helpful outside their specialty .. cardiologist, neurologist -- and I'm not sure who to see next. I suppose I'll seek out a neurotologist next - (I think I saw that recommended on this site) - because my terrifying symptom is the loud drumming/roaring/banging/heartbeat sound I HEAR in my head. And sometimes there's a clanging or "metallic" sound, when it's loudest. Just the sort of thing you're all describing, or that I also saw on the "whooshers" website.
This started six months ago as something that would happen occasionally shortly after I fell asleep. I would be waked by the loud banging/drumming noise in my head/ears several times a week. I would wake up and lie on my back, and it would quiet down in a few minutes and I would go back to sleep for the rest of the night. Then it increased to several times a night on several nights, and my doctor had me monitor my blood pressure. One night when it had wakened me three times in a row, my systolic was 160, so needless to say, I headed straight to my doctor. I was terrified by that number.
That's how I got diagnosed with high blood pressure and am now prescribed a calcium channel blocker. I'm 10 days into that, so it hasn't been evaluated yet. When the drumming starts, my top number can go up to 145, but other times it's 118 or 125, which is what my top number used to average before this started.
Today for the first time, this has happened while I'm awake, so whatever this is is escalating. I can hear it as I'm typing this. When it was only at night, my doctor said it was natural for BP to speed up shortly before morning, but she never seemed to take it in when I explain that it happens about 30 minutes or less after I fall asleep, even if it's only 11 p.m.
The neurologist did a brain MRI, MRA, arteries, veins, carotid MRI, ear canal MRI, all with contrast. (I had had vertigo at first, but that was fixed with one acupuncture treatment.) Everything was "normal" on the MRI, but I got a CD copy of the MRIs so I can show others.
The cardiologist was horrible. He told me to increase the BP medication dosage and come back in six weeks! When I said, aren't you going to do an examination?" his answer was that all he needed to know was the BP numbers, and his assistant had taken my BP. (He had done other types complete exams a year ago, but before this started.) I told him there was 15 points difference between the two arms, he said she only wrote down the one side. I was appalled and will never ever go there again.
Because of the sleep connection, next week I'm having a two-hour consultation with a sleep expert who founded and runs a sleep lab. I scheduled that in hopes that she'd seen lots of different problems. The other two doctors are just treating it as a high blood pressure problem.
I'm very worried about going to bed tonight. Last night when I went to sleep and was wakened by it, I waited till it quieted and then went back to sleep, and this happened four times in one night. Finally I just went outside for a walk. I'll try to do the same thing tonight, but sooner. I also experimented with falling asleep sitting up in bed leaning against a big soft cushion along the wall, comfortable enough, but it didn't stop the drumming from coming after I fell asleep sitting up. It's a serious problem to be exhausted at my job, which is already demanding and stressful.
Of course I'm concerned about the hypertension I apparently now have and I'll change my lifestyle to get over it, but this banging in my head has got to be indicative of something additional. It's quite scary, as I guess everyone here already knows. I'm grateful for any thoughts anyone has, similar stories, suggestions. A big question I'm dealing with is how do I find someone knowledgeable and thorough and smart and patient enough to find the cause?
A friend is suggesting it's a panic attack. I occasionally take the lowest dose of Ativan, but not on a regular basis .. my doctor calls it a "rescue" use only .. and the Ativan helps me relax but doesn't stop the pounding from eventually starting. I avoid drugs in general because they scare me, and I see there are others here who want to avoid them as well. My doctor wants me to take Cymbalta to help with anxiety and maybe depression, but I haven't chosen to do that yet. I guess I would if I got scared enough and couldn't bear the feeling.
I've only read a few of your "my stories" here, so I'm going to read more now. Thank you all so so much for sharing your experiences.
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