Spasming Left Ear

[Telis]

Does anyone have any idea?

My left ear muscle spasms PAINFULLY everytime I talk or hear almost any noise, even the click of a light switch. It feels like my ear drum is actually bursting, this is no exaggeration. Doctors look at me like I'm crazy so not sure where to turn.

My T was caused by barotrauma, then meds, and finally things were made even worse with noise.

I'm at a loss. Can they Botox the muscle or something?

I have H in both ears but only the left spasms with noise. This has been going on for two years. I try to ignore but this muscle is poping out of control all day, everyday. I don't over protect, I'm not anxious about it, it just f//king hurts.

Any suggestions?

 

[fhs]

Try to get another opinion from another doctor/specialist. There's lots of muscles in and around the outside of the ear.

 

[GregCA]

Does anyone have any idea? My left ear muscle spasms PAINFULLY everytime I talk or hear almost any noise, even the click of a light switch. It feels like my ear drum is actually bursting, this is no exaggeration. Doctors look at me like I'm crazy so not sure where to turn. My T was caused by barotrauma, then meds, and finally things were made even worse with noise. I'm at a loss. Can they Botox the muscle or something? I have H in both ears but only the left spasms with noise. This has been going on for two years. I try to ignore but this muscle is poping out of control all day, everyday. I don't over protect, I'm not anxious about it, it just f//king hurts. Any suggestions?

If you can reproduce the spasm at will (and it sounds like you can as it doesn't take much to trigger it), you may want to consult a surgeon (say a neurotologist) who can monitor your middle ear to detect where the spasm is coming from (I don't know what kind of imaging technology would have to be used, but you get what I mean).
From that, you can devise strategies.
Good luck!

 

[Telis]

If you can reproduce the spasm at will (and it sounds like you can as it doesn't take much to trigger it), you may want to consult a surgeon (say a neurotologist) who can monitor your middle ear to detect where the spasm is coming from (I don't know what kind of imaging technology would have to be used, but you get what I mean).
From that, you can devise strategies.
Good luck!

Thanks a lot Greg, sounds like a good plan.

 

[Sebastians]

I have the same sort of spasm/thump in my left ear which is triggered by certain sounds (some light switches, tin foil, some voices, sometimes my own voice,..). In my case luckily it comes and goes and is not painful, just annoying, i guess it is a form of TTTS/myoclonos. There might be a treatment involving cutting the tendon, or botox, but you need a proper diagnosis before anything.

Funnily, it never happens when there is some steady background noise, like music or wind/ambient noise. It always creeps up when it's quiet and a sudden sound comes on.

 

[VRZ78]

I used to have this too but it came away with time. Same as you Sébastien it was only when they were silence. I think for me it was linked to my anxiety because I had to when I was the most anxious about my ears and I thought even little sounds could make it worst permanently

 

[PaulBe]

Thanks a lot Greg, sounds like a good plan.

Except the last I knew, visualization still involved opening the eardrum to look in with a fibre-optic. Still could work though, in steady hands. I'd love to think some new imaging technology was possible for looking past the drum. Maybe someone here knows of something?

 

[GregCA]

Except the last I knew, visualization still involved opening the eardrum to look in with a fibre-optic. Still could work though, in steady hands. I'd love to think some new imaging technology was possible for looking past the drum. Maybe someone here knows of something?

I know we are able to perform surgery in the middle ear with an endoscope, so we can reach there without having to go through the ear drum. It's not the norm however, it's the exception.

 

[PaulBe]

I know we are able to perform surgery in the middle ear with an endoscope, so we can reach there without having to go through the ear drum. It's not the norm however, it's the exception.

Endoscope via the Eustachian tube? Otherwise it would have to be via the drum. I'm sure they're the only two potential access points.

 

[GregCA]

Endoscope via the Eustachian tube?

That's my guess yes. Watch here.

 

[PaulBe]

That's my guess yes.

I think thats through the canal and the drum. There's hairs when they pull out at the end. Its pretty amazing stuff especially when you consider how micro everything has to be..

 

[GregCA]

I think thats through the canal and the drum.

I don't think so: you can clearly see in the beginning that the ear drum is at the "end of the tunnel" (at the far end), and I don't see them poking it throughout the procedure. It's done through "the other side". See more info here.

 

[PaulBe]

Yeah, they mention the nasal endoscope in the abstract. I had no idea that they were doing this. That's quite something which I wouldn't have thought was yet possible.

Thanks for showing me that.

 

[japongus]

Isn't barotrauma the type of H addressed by the round window reinforcement? I thought I read that somewhere. Maybe it was more along the lines of it addressed barotrauma and Silverstein was just taking advantage of that desolation row of H patients that will take anything they're given, by schlepping on the term hyperacusis onto something that been done for fistula or barotrauma all along. That would explain why his seminars are utter shite and they're not even remotely interested in getting detailed profiles out of their ''successful patients'', let alone profiling their failures. Sarasota being a shitty scientology resort where everyone is probably too busy shitting Ayn Rand out of their asses 24/7, it wouldn't surprise me.

Botox was applied at the House Ear Clinic according to the benzobuddies weirdo/phoney/oddball/liar/whatever who got botox either from House Ear Clinic or a shanty town in Buenos Aires. ''At the eustachian tube through the nose, seen on MRI''. What was seen on MRI? The relationship between patulous dysfunction and spasming middle ears? Who knows. All these fuckwits can't stand an ounce of questioning so whenever an interrogation starts they all act cuckoo. I might visit or try to extract more info about it from a doctor in Barcelona Spain that might have an inkling of experience with it.

If you live in Calgary, a hotspot might or might not be Harold Kim in Portland, from what anxiousjon said. Not Jastreboff or Marsha Johnson who really are just glorified nurses. Like Bungler, they all sat around in the noughties chatting about how laser was a scam ''because it didn't reach the cochlea'', when I kid you not, apparently patulous issues or carbon dioxide in mucous in the middle ear could have been mimicking fakeass cochlear issues all along. Key questions would be exactly what type of experience he has in tenotomy, what he's seen, what sensations were confronted by tenotomy. For instance, I'm convinced my permanent low frequency vibratory tinnitus is key in my etiology, and that's not something lib from Healthboards Chat-h Sismanis fame, had.

 

[PaulBe]

Does seem odd that an area that could offer some real help is still so poorly researched, even by those doing the work themselves. I've noticed an ongoing paucity of literature discussing research and follow-up on this patient population.

That would explain why his seminars are utter shite and they're not even remotely interested in getting detailed profiles out of their ''successful patients'', let alone profiling their failures.

Gotsa get paid.

 

[bekker]

Maybe Dry needle therapy? It Will relax the muscles around the ears. At leest you can give it a try

 

[Blue28]

I experience the same spasms and would be interested to know of any solutions (other than Botox/surgery). I believe it's Tonic Tensor Tympani Syndrome. Mine started a few days after noise trauma (microsuction) and is truly awful...I also feel like I have extreme pressure in my ears (along with screeching tinnitus). Everything from the rustle of paper to my own voice makes it react. No medication helps in my experience...

 

[volsung37]

Some people find magnesium good for this condition. I have had it for months at a time. I believe it is linked to high stress and insomnia.

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

Hi @Telis , I have been reading your posts for a long time. I can't imagine being in your shoes. I have a hi-frequency T that I can hear over normal every day sounds (like the TV, normal conversation in a room, etc.). I cannot hear mine while in the shower, doing the dishes, in a noisy restaraunt, etc. Just trying to give you an idea of what I experience (not that it matters much to this thread, I guess).

Anyhow, along with T I have TTTS and it does exactly as you describe. Even the flick of a lightswitch will do it, especially if there is no surrounding noise. If I go into the bathroom late at night, when there is no other sound in the house, and spit in the sink, the sound of the spit hitting the sink surface will make my ear flutter. Nice!

Enough about me, here is what I have learned about it: It is definitely worse with stress. I know that seems like such an easy-out answer, but it's the truth. I know you say you're not stressed about it, but I have to say that reading posts of yours that describe your T/H situation, how could you go a day WITHOUT being stressed? OF COURSE you're stressed, it's just that stress has become your new normal. Just like I don't remember what silence is like anymore, I bet you don't remember what stress free is like. I hope this doesn't come off as insulting, it is definitely not meant to be.

So what has helped me? A combo of stress reduction and spinach. Yes, spinach. I had one of the worst nights of the spasming I had ever had, and I happened to have a large portion of spinach for dinner. The next day it was markedly better. But I put it down to coincidence. So I tried it again about a week later when the spasming was bad again. Same thing. Then I ate spinach every night for like 10 days, and the symptoms got so mild as to be unbothersome. They never completely went away, but it was like a 90% reduction. I was overjoyed.

Anyhow, I have rambled on enough. I hope you can find something that works for you. Keep us updated.

 

[Cal18]

Looks like spinach for dinner for tonight. I'm pretty sure I have TTTS now. It's almost like my ears are trying to close themselves off from the noise so I get this slightly painful spasm. Doesn't necessarily get triggered by loud sounds but sounds that are at a certain frequency like tin foil, plastic bags and some people's voices, lately I feel like my own voice is starting to trigger it. I feel like there almost has to be some for of H, even very mild for this to happen. Could be wrong...

 

[japongus]

Anyhow, along with T I have TTTS and it does exactly as you describe. Even the flick of a lightswitch will do it, especially if there is no surrounding noise. If I go into the bathroom late at night, when there is no other sound in the house, and spit in the sink, the sound of the spit hitting the sink surface will make my ear flutter. Nice!

Enough about me, here is what I have learned about it: It is definitely worse with stress. I know that seems like such an easy-out answer, but it's the truth.

This really doesn't make sense to me. If I'm walking instead of sitting down, the same sound will cause a smaller thump than when I'm sitting down. Because the flutterthumps respond mostly to sound differential, which is greater when I'm relaxed. Now, in all walks of life, being sitting down lying in bed induces less stress than walking around, and yet greater thumps when the rest of the body isn't stressed, when it's relaxed. I think we've let the rhetoric from CBT osmose into our community.

 

[Telis]

Hi @Telis , I have been reading your posts for a long time. I can't imagine being in your shoes. I have a hi-frequency T that I can hear over normal every day sounds (like the TV, normal conversation in a room, etc.). I cannot hear mine while in the shower, doing the dishes, in a noisy restaraunt, etc. Just trying to give you an idea of what I experience (not that it matters much to this thread, I guess).

Anyhow, along with T I have TTTS and it does exactly as you describe. Even the flick of a lightswitch will do it, especially if there is no surrounding noise. If I go into the bathroom late at night, when there is no other sound in the house, and spit in the sink, the sound of the spit hitting the sink surface will make my ear flutter. Nice!

Enough about me, here is what I have learned about it: It is definitely worse with stress. I know that seems like such an easy-out answer, but it's the truth. I know you say you're not stressed about it, but I have to say that reading posts of yours that describe your T/H situation, how could you go a day WITHOUT being stressed? OF COURSE you're stressed, it's just that stress has become your new normal. Just like I don't remember what silence is like anymore, I bet you don't remember what stress free is like. I hope this doesn't come off as insulting, it is definitely not meant to be.

So what has helped me? A combo of stress reduction and spinach. Yes, spinach. I had one of the worst nights of the spasming I had ever had, and I happened to have a large portion of spinach for dinner. The next day it was markedly better. But I put it down to coincidence. So I tried it again about a week later when the spasming was bad again. Same thing. Then I ate spinach every night for like 10 days, and the symptoms got so mild as to be unbothersome. They never completely went away, but it was like a 90% reduction. I was overjoyed.

Anyhow, I have rambled on enough. I hope you can find something that works for you. Keep us updated.

Thanks for the post but this is not the situation for me. I have only in my left ear, right does not do this at all. If it was stress, why wouldn't both ears do this? Stress has zero to do with this issue, I could sleep an hour in two nights, eat shit food, drink like a fish, chain smoke, be stressed as hell, and it's no different than if I'm relaxed, well rested and eating clean.

Honestly, I'm tired of people telling me that I have a mental illness since I have had this ear injury, there is something physically wrong with my ears, it's been years now, don't you think that I would notice by now if stress levels or diet changes made a difference? Like oh, I'm relaxed, I just ate a plate of spinach, I'm actually feeling better, maybe time to start juicing! Like you really think I would miss this shit? I have hearing loss and sore ears but I'm not an idiot.

Do you know the cause of my T? I suffered physical damage through barotrauma/ruptured ear drums (mainly to left ear) and then hearing loss caused by drugs (mainly ciprodex). If I had broken my leg and couldn't put pressure on it I'm sure a guy like you would give me the same story, eat greens and relax, it all in your head, you will be fine. Shit man, this is dumb, I've heard all the stupid shit here before, I'm looking for a real answer, not some BS about eating right and relaxing.

Sorry if that came off rude, I appreciate the attempt, that is unless you are mocking me which actually seems to be the case.

Oh, and don't take my tone as stress or whatever you like to conjure up in your mind, I'm just shooting straight and being honest, take it how you like but don't pretend you know me or my mood based on my posts here at TT.

Thanks again.

 

[VRZ78]

This happens to me too if I'm staying long in silence. Like now I've been in complete silence for a week and even my own voice, light switch or knocking gently on a table triggers it. If there is a bit of background noise or if I go outside it doesn't do it.

And I know that if next week I go to class in the noisy classroom and if I go back in silence after a week it won't do it anymore. It was also only in my bad ear at a point. And I remember having this very rarely because my ear problems.

From my point of view you guys H is so severe that you have to stay in silence and therefore your ears are not used to dynamic of sounds and start doing this.

I think if your H get cured and you start to be able to go to noisy places this thing will fade.

Also it definitely does it more when I think about it.

 

[Telis]

This happens to me too if I'm staying long in silence. Like now I've been in complete silence for a week and even my own voice, light switch or knocking gently on a table triggers it. If there is a bit of background noise or if I go outside it doesn't do it.

And I know that if next week I go to class in the noisy classroom and if I go back in silence after a week it won't do it anymore. It was also only in my bad ear at a point. And I remember having this very rarely because my ear problems.

From my point of view you guys H is so severe that you have to stay in silence and therefore your ears are not used to dynamic of sounds and start doing this.

I think if your H get cured and you start to be able to go to noisy places this thing will fade.

Also it definitely does it more when I think about it.

No, im around noise constantly, doesn't change a thing.

 

[VRZ78]

No, im around noise constantly, doesn't change a thing.

Yeah ok since you suffered barotroma I guess it's different they may be something that moved in your middle ear...

 

[MidnightOilAudio]

Thanks for the post but this is not the situation for me. I have only in my left ear, right does not do this at all. If it was stress, why wouldn't both ears do this? Stress has zero to do with this issue, I could sleep an hour in two nights, eat shit food, drink like a fish, chain smoke, be stressed as hell, and it's no different than if I'm relaxed, well rested and eating clean.

Honestly, I'm tired of people telling me that I have a mental illness since I have had this ear injury, there is something physically wrong with my ears, it's been years now, don't you think that I would notice by now if stress levels or diet changes made a difference? Like oh, I'm relaxed, I just ate a plate of spinach, I'm actually feeling better, maybe time to start juicing! Like you really think I would miss this shit? I have hearing loss and sore ears but I'm not an idiot.

Do you know the cause of my T? I suffered physical damage through barotrauma/ruptured ear drums (mainly to left ear) and then hearing loss caused by drugs (mainly ciprodex). If I had broken my leg and couldn't put pressure on it I'm sure a guy like you would give me the same story, eat greens and relax, it all in your head, you will be fine. Shit man, this is dumb, I've heard all the stupid shit here before, I'm looking for a real answer, not some BS about eating right and relaxing.

Sorry if that came off rude, I appreciate the attempt, that is unless you are mocking me which actually seems to be the case.

Oh, and don't take my tone as stress or whatever you like to conjure up in your mind, I'm just shooting straight and being honest, take it how you like but don't pretend you know me or my mood based on my posts here at TT.

Thanks again.

Hi Telis, apologies for taking so long to get back to you. As much as I hate to admit it, being on this board is somewhat of a #trigger for me , since I spent so much time crawling through here roughly 2 years ago during my T onset.

I just wanted to say that my post was definitely NOT mocking you. I am sorry if it came across that way. I know that eating right and relaxing can only mitigate the stress and anxiety that surrounds the T experience, not the actual T itself (not to mention the experience of H, which I have not/do not have).

I am familiar with your T history because of the time I spent on this forum that I referenced earlier. Reading your posts always fills me with sadness, because I know in your case, your issue seems to have been avoidable, but you put your trust in your Doctor (which probably seemed like the most prudent course of action at the time). Regret is one of the worst feelings in life and while I don't have any regret surrounding my T story, I certainly have experienced strong feelings of it elsewhere, so I empathize with you whole-heartedly.

You and I (and I am only guessing by the pic you used to have as your avatar) are young enough that we may live to see a breakthrough in T research in our lifetime, whether directly treating the T itself, or the usual hearing loss associated with it. I know it's a slim-hope, but it is something. Anyway, I hope my meandering post finds you as well as you could possibly be with your current situation.

 

[Sen]

i have a very similar symptom @Telis . it is also primarily in my left ear. it happens mainly when i speak, but external sounds can trigger it as well.

whenever i speak for about a sentence and then stop, i hear a loud "FWWWOOOSH" sound, along with a flapping/thumping/pulling sensation sensation. it feels like something is jerking and flopping around inside my middle ear. sometimes it stutters for several seconds after i finish speaking.

if it happens repeatedly i experience pain and nausea. this makes it very difficult to communicate. i'm looking into getting a tenotomy (section of tensor tympani and stapedius tendons) performed to see if it will help.

 

[Michael Leigh]

Sorry to hear about your situation @Sen and hope your doctors will be able to help you.
All the best
Michael

 

[PaulBe]

if it happens repeatedly i experience pain and nausea. this makes it very difficult to communicate. i'm looking into getting a tenotomy (section of tensor tympani and stapedius tendons) performed to see if it will help.

Now you sound like you would be a candidate. Your symptoms are clearly muscular in your description, and a few of us have already seen a paper where Menierre's-like symptoms (including the dizziness and nausea) were successfully treated with tenotomy of middle ear muscles. It does Sh*t me off that there isn't major research going into this area, but I suppose pills are more cost-effective and profitable.

 

[3ri0w]

i have a very similar symptom @Telis . it is also primarily in my left ear. it happens mainly when i speak, but external sounds can trigger it as well.

whenever i speak for about a sentence and then stop, i hear a loud "FWWWOOOSH" sound, along with a flapping/thumping/pulling sensation sensation. it feels like something is jerking and flopping around inside my middle ear. sometimes it stutters for several seconds after i finish speaking.

if it happens repeatedly i experience pain and nausea. this makes it very difficult to communicate. i'm looking into getting a tenotomy (section of tensor tympani and stapedius tendons) performed to see if it will help.

Mate!!!! Have you tried eating muscle relaxants? Zanaflex, Flexeril, or Norflex. They help with muscle spasmin