Off Balance After Vertigo, Tinnitus that Sometimes Turns Pulsatile, No Nystagmus.

[conbsgc]

I started to suffer for the first time in life from vertigo in late october, the GP didnt find nystagmus, neither did the ENT after I was checked with goggles, I also started to notice tinnitus, its mostly bilateral, but lately its unilateral and at times it becomes pulsatile, this occurs on both ears.

Last night when I woke up it was relatively loud on the right ear and then it went away and I've been tinnitus free on the right but now the left is louder and I can hear my heartbeat even while on the street.

I am also suffering from anxiety which I never did and paresthesia sometimes around my skull and about a week ago I had pain down my left arm (up to the index finger where the tip was very sensitive), I didnt tell this to the doctor because all this occurred after seeing doctor on december 19.

Doctors think it's neck related when I saw them back in december (I suffer from chronic neck pain for four years now) I am waiting to be seen on the 23 of january... meanwhile the uncertainty is killing me.

I do not have drop attacks, no cold sweats, my vertigo was pure spinning and later it turned into this weakness off balance kind of feeling, I do not have headaches (mostly tension kind of headaches, I recognize them from migraines because I have trigger points as I had headaches often due to my neck), I do not have double vision (my eyes feel weird fatigued mostly during vertigo attacks but no nystagmus), I feel lethargic sort of slow (but it could be due to worrying)

Thank you so much for your advice, I will see my neurologist on the 23rd, so I'll be able to discuss this, but meanwhile I really need some peace of mind!! Thank you!

 

[Dr. Nagler]

Hi @conbsgc -

Sorry for the delay in responding to your question.

I would separate out the tinnitus symptoms from the vertigo.

Your ENT should be able to do the tinnitus work-up. It doesn't sound like anything much out of the ordinary - for tinnitus, that is. So once the (rare) "fixable" causes have been ruled out, and once the (very rare) causes that represent a threat to health or life have been ruled out, then what you do (or do not do) about the tinnitus strictly depends on how much it bothers you. Lots of options there, of course - but if it bothers you a lot, I'd suggest considering TRT.

By now your neurologist will have evaluated you for your vertigo and related symptoms. That stuff is above my pay grade!! And while your anxiety may indeed play a role in all this, I would not necessarily make that assumption right off the bat.

The pain running down your left arm is of a concern in that it might be cardiac in nature - so be sure to discuss it with your primary care physician.

With the limited information you have given me, I do not feel comfortable making any recommendations other than those. For that I'd need to examine you myself.

Hope this helps, a little anyway.

stephen nagler