What Area Should We MRA for Pulsatile Tinnitus?

[elliemeeme]

Hello Everyone,

No one has responded to my post so I'm posting this specific question. My doc is having me have a neck mra but I'm wondering if a brain mra is necessary too. Can you tell me what area you had done and why if you've had an mra? If there's a blood vessel in the inner ear causing this how will I know if I don't have a brain mra as well as the neck- will that show up on a neck mra?

Unfortunately my tinnitus came back again after I went to see a neighbor and then started typing on my computer again, neck down etc.

I wonder if there is a manoever I can do to make it go away- I've tried pressing the artery area but that seems to have no effect for me.

Thanks!

 

[jeannie]

I had an mra on my brain.my doctor did that and an MRI when I first got tinnitus.

 

[elliemeeme]

@jeannie thanks I'm going to call the office and ask if I can do both at the same time. I will need to be sedated so I can get it all over with at the same time and then hopefully have no worries about possible serious vascular issues. My mom died from a brain aneursym. If she had had a ct scan or even an xray, don't think they even had mri/mra then, she would be alive today I'm sure.

 

[Karen]

Hi, @elliemeeme,

I had an MRI and MRA (with and without contrast) of the brain. I have pulsatile tinnitus in my right ear only. In my case, nothing unusual was found, but I'm glad I had the procedure.

The test wasn't too bad, and was over within about 1/2 hour. I'm sure you'll be fine, and I wish you good luck.

Please update us after you've had the test. I hope they are able to determine a cause.

Best wishes,
Karen

 

[elliemeeme]

@Karen Thanks Karen,

I called my doctor but he didn't call me back today so it looks like I have to wait until monday to get this scheduled. He also wrote the rx for the wrong ear- well, I guess it doesn't matter because they will look at both sides but the tinnitus is in my right ear, not my left so I think they should know that.

I'm quite nervous about the test because I'm so claustraphobic that even having an open standup mri on my head last year when they started putting that contraption on my head which covered my face I started to panick and didn't think I was going to be able to do it. They wanted me to come back and be sedated but somehow after leaving the room and going back I forced myself to do it. So this time with being directly under the device I will definitely need something or I will be crawling my way out of there, lol.

I will post back when I get this done and see what may be causing this. It keeps coming and going which is very odd, last night when I raised my right arm it kept getting worse too.

 

[Karen]

Hi, Ellie,

Like you, I'm somewhat claustrophobic, too. I was lucky enough to be scheduled for an open MRI, and it wasn't too bad. One side was open, and I just relaxed (I think I took a Xanax before I went), and tried to let my mind just flow during the procedure.

I also have pulsatile tinnitus in my right ear only, and when I press on any arteries, etc., it makes no difference. I've never found the cause of mine, and have been trying to live with it as best I can for the last five years. It has gotten somewhat easier to live with, but I can't ever totally shut it out. I hear it 24/7. When I'm in a noisy environment, I feel better, because that masks it for awhile. (I have both tinnitus and pulsatile tinnitus).

Best of luck with the MRI/MRA, and I will look forward to hearing of your results after the procedure.

Best wishes and hugs,
Karen

 

[elliemeeme]

@Karen thanks Karen,

You're so kind. I'm sorry you are suffering with this for so long. I hope that we can figure out what is going on and find a remedy or better treatments. So far most of the time when mine is there if there is other noise around I can't hear it for some reason. I sleep with a white noise machine too so that helps. I noticed my ear plugs make it less noticeable at times which is odd, but a background noise is best.

That's great that you got through your test with ambien. I was thinking to just take a valium but I think I"m going to need more than that due to my reaction last time- I get very panicky with anything close to my face so even the open mri, the hospital near me has one, will freak me out, yet I'm fine with a ct scan because it's high above me. So I think I need iv sedation this time, hopefully versid will be enough.

Has your doctor considered vestibular migraines? Mine seems to think that is the cause of the tinnitus and balance issues- I have had migraines for years so it could be involved. I'm dizzy alot of the time though with no symptoms of migraines especially when my bg fluctuates. I find it very odd that no one seems to think it could be my ears because I had some fluid in that ear and some pain and feeling of congestion too. I had an ear infection that caused me to vomit constantly when I was a child and it wasn't until my doctor checked my ears that he discovered the cause. When I started the antibiotic it went away- but until then I vomited everything I ate.

 

[Karen]

Hi, Ellie,

I had dizziness and vertigo off and on for the first several years of this, but now, finally, it went away. The only thing I'm left with now is the constant hissing tinnitus and the pulsating (which I can always hear in the background, if I listen for it). For me, it's doubtful that it could be vestibular migraines. My tinnitus started many years ago from loud sound (too close to speakers at a concert), and the tinnitus was mild back then. But it got much worse after I took a blood pressure drug for the first time, and that's when my PT started. I suspect that mine is all due to ear damage and sensitivity in my right ear.

I wish you well with the procedure, and hope it will help the doctors to come to some conclusions about the cause of your PT. To me, it does sound like yours has to do with some sort of damage to the ear. I'll be interested to hear the results of your tests.

Good luck, and lots of hugs! You'll get through this just fine!!

 

[elliemeeme]

@Karen Thanks Karen, That is too bad you had that damage. That's good your vertigo got better. I hate the dizzyness you never know when it will get worse or what is going on. I have often been at concerts and felt pain when the music is too loud- I don't know why they make it so loud, it's not needed- because my hearing was so sensitive, even not being near a speaker so if I go now- which is never lately, I bring ear plugs just in case. I haven't gone to a concert for years.

Mine is mostly gone now but when I bend my head/neck to look up or down or at other angles I can hear it is still there. I still haven't got this all scheduled yet, but hopefully soon. I will post back with the results. I also had that feeling of fluid in my ear again and I could feel and hear it when I was chewing my dinner the other night. I hope one day we are free of this forever. At least it's not constant now, I'm thankful for that.