I haven't seen this addressed yet (but maybe I didn't look hard enough) Does CM cause ringing in the ears? I have such severe tinnitus that it is nearly driving me mad. I actually can hear two different tones, a humming and a high pitched ringing. My husband thinks I should go see an ENT. I haven't gone back to any doctor since being diagnosed with CM because they both told me that it was no big deal and not to worry about it. My husband tends to agree with them.
I read that listening to white noise might help, but does anyone have any other suggestions for me? I would really appreciate it.
If there is a doctor telling you that it's no big deal... find another doctor (if you can... I know from experience how difficult that can be). I don't get ringing in the ears 'often', but I do get it. I used to knock on my ear as a child when it would happen to tell the little guy in my brain to answer the phone. lol
Hi. My name is Mikey. I just joined the group last night. I have a constant ringing in both ears. More high pitched. I was told that it is caused by the pressure on my spinal chord and nerves therein. Hopefully after surgery this will be gone. Hope this helps.
Yes, Tinnitus is a Chiari & a Cranial Nerve Compression issue. Have you asked your Dr. about tinnitus? I ending up having Micro Vascular Decompression Surgery for Geniculate Neuralgia. It stopped 99% of my Tinnitus. I understand how nerve wrecking Tinnitus can be !!!! I used to have to sleep with the TV or Radio on just to hear something other than the ringing or buzzing sound 24/7. The ENT sent me to a NS who sent me to a Balance & Ear Dr. Then 52 Specialist later I was sent 5.5 hours away to a Neurosurgeon that correctly diagnosed me & preformed surgery. Be sure and tell whoever you see about your Chiari Malformation & ask about Cranial Nerve Disorders that may cause the Tinnitus . I don't want you to struggle as long as I did. I was even in the Medical Industry. I hope you get some relief soon !!!!
Thank you for your information. I am hoping to discuss this with my Dr. at my next physical. As I stated originally, my husband tends to agree with my Dr. and the NL that it is no big deal so finding a new Dr. right now is not really in the picture.
TracyZ said:
Yes, Tinnitus is a Chiari & a Cranial Nerve Compression issue. Have you asked your Dr. about tinnitus? I ending up having Micro Vascular Decompression Surgery for Geniculate Neuralgia. It stopped 99% of my Tinnitus. I understand how nerve wrecking Tinnitus can be !!!! I used to have to sleep with the TV or Radio on just to hear something other than the ringing or buzzing sound 24/7. The ENT sent me to a NS who sent me to a Balance & Ear Dr. Then 52 Specialist later I was sent 5.5 hours away to a Neurosurgeon that correctly diagnosed me & preformed surgery. Be sure and tell whoever you see about your Chiari Malformation & ask about Cranial Nerve Disorders that may cause the Tinnitus . I don't want you to struggle as long as I did. I was even in the Medical Industry. I hope you get some relief soon !!!!
I have pulsatile tinnitus (sounds like listening to a fetal dopplar in my ears 24/7 with added ringing when I lie down at night) My NS said it is because of the CSF obstruction caused by my Chiari. I am completely blocked posteriorly and severly blocked with pulsitile flow anteriorly with a large syrinx down to c-6. I am scheduled for decompression Nov. 5th and out of all my other symptoms the tinnitus is the one that makes me the most miserable. I handle pain much better than annoyance. *lol* I really think it might benefit you to have a CSF flow study/CINE MRI. As my NS said to me yesterday, I can't tell how you feel. You own mother can't tell how you feel. If your symptoms are impacting your daily functioning then they are signifigant. I get bitter sometimes about people who seem to think any of this is insignifcant. I'd love to have a magic wand that could give every person that says something dissmissive and insensitive an hour in my body with me.
Sadly most doctors are very poorly informed about chiari because it is not very common. You really need to be evaluated by a neurosurgeon who is familar with the disorder. I agree with the above advice about needing a CINE MRI. There really is no way for a doctor to tell you this isn't causing you issues without one.
Your husband needs to understand that doctors are human and have failings and limitations. He needs to support you in finding a doctor who can properly evaluate your condition!
I am sorry you are suffering so much with your tinnitus. I have it every once and awhile for short periods of time and it's maddening. There is very little that helps with it but I have heard of people having good luck with Homeopathy to either reduce it or in some cases get rid of it.
I have used homeopathy for my family for 17 years and it is a wonderful form of alternative medicine. If you are interested in trying it I can point you in the right direction to either find a Homeopathic practitioner near you or some Homeopaths will do consultations over the internet after taking a history of symptoms and other factors. Homeopathy is very safe, does not have side effects or drug interactions is inexpensive and works really well when you find the right remedy. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right one especially with something very persistant like tinnitus.
Homeopathy works by jump starting your own bodies healing capabilities to fight off and heal. The remedy points your bodies immune system in the right direction. The skeptics of Homeopathy believe that any improvement that someone gets after taking a remedy is due to the placebo effect. I know that this isn't true because I have seen and felt the effects myself and don't know what I would do without it. However Homeopathy works really well with babies and animals that aren't even aware that they have been given a remedy. My teenagers have never had antibiotics even though they had all the childhood illnesses including ear infections and strep throat.
I hope you start to feel better soon. If you decide Homeopathy is not for you I completely understand.
Thank you for your input. I have used Homeopathy in the past for my children. I never considered using it for this. I don't know of many Homeopaths/Naturpaths in my area. I live outside of Seattle. I also don't know if my insurance would cover it, but it is definitely worth a try. Again, thank you for your advise.
wendyanne said:
Stevesgrl,
I am sorry you are suffering so much with your tinnitus. I have it every once and awhile for short periods of time and it's maddening. There is very little that helps with it but I have heard of people having good luck with Homeopathy to either reduce it or in some cases get rid of it.
I have used homeopathy for my family for 17 years and it is a wonderful form of alternative medicine. If you are interested in trying it I can point you in the right direction to either find a Homeopathic practitioner near you or some Homeopaths will do consultations over the internet after taking a history of symptoms and other factors. Homeopathy is very safe, does not have side effects or drug interactions is inexpensive and works really well when you find the right remedy. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right one especially with something very persistant like tinnitus.
Homeopathy works by jump starting your own bodies healing capabilities to fight off and heal. The remedy points your bodies immune system in the right direction. The skeptics of Homeopathy believe that any improvement that someone gets after taking a remedy is due to the placebo effect. I know that this isn't true because I have seen and felt the effects myself and don't know what I would do without it. However Homeopathy works really well with babies and animals that aren't even aware that they have been given a remedy. My teenagers have never had antibiotics even though they had all the childhood illnesses including ear infections and strep throat.
I hope you start to feel better soon. If you decide Homeopathy is not for you I completely understand.
Here is a list of Homeopaths in the Seatle area. The one that jumps out to me is Lucy Vaughters. She teaches it, has been practicing before and is certified by Council for Homeopathic Certification. You have to be tested to get the certificate and it's a reputable organization. I am sure that others on the list are good also. I don't know about insurence but most Homeopaths are reasonable and spend a long time with you if you do need to pay out of pocket. I would ask if they have had sucess in treating tinnitus before with Homeopathy and ask about the protocole. Sometimes Homeopathy is trial and error and they may need to try a few before finding the right one. Also sometimes one will work for a littlewhile then when symptoms change the remedy changes. Tinnitus is a dificult persistant problem so it may take a little while. Usually if you have the right remedy you will start feeling different right away. It won't usually resolve right away but you can feel the changes. I would ask what happens if a remedy doesn't work and how that works in regard to visits and payment. So you know what you are in for. Some will even work on a sliding scale if money is an issue.
Thank you for your input. I have used Homeopathy in the past for my children. I never considered using it for this. I don't know of many Homeopaths/Naturpaths in my area. I live outside of Seattle. I also don't know if my insurance would cover it, but it is definitely worth a try. Again, thank you for your advise.
wendyanne said:
Stevesgrl,
I am sorry you are suffering so much with your tinnitus. I have it every once and awhile for short periods of time and it's maddening. There is very little that helps with it but I have heard of people having good luck with Homeopathy to either reduce it or in some cases get rid of it.
I have used homeopathy for my family for 17 years and it is a wonderful form of alternative medicine. If you are interested in trying it I can point you in the right direction to either find a Homeopathic practitioner near you or some Homeopaths will do consultations over the internet after taking a history of symptoms and other factors. Homeopathy is very safe, does not have side effects or drug interactions is inexpensive and works really well when you find the right remedy. Sometimes it takes trial and error to find the right one especially with something very persistant like tinnitus.
Homeopathy works by jump starting your own bodies healing capabilities to fight off and heal. The remedy points your bodies immune system in the right direction. The skeptics of Homeopathy believe that any improvement that someone gets after taking a remedy is due to the placebo effect. I know that this isn't true because I have seen and felt the effects myself and don't know what I would do without it. However Homeopathy works really well with babies and animals that aren't even aware that they have been given a remedy. My teenagers have never had antibiotics even though they had all the childhood illnesses including ear infections and strep throat.
I hope you start to feel better soon. If you decide Homeopathy is not for you I completely understand.
Just a follow-up to my previous post about tinnitus. I went to the Dr. last Friday. I saw a new one because my PCP was not available. This doctor told me it was possible that the tinnitus was related to Chiari, but that neither he nor anyone in the building could be completely sure of it. He scheduled me to see an ENT this week. Later I wrote a note to my PCP and asked him about my Chiari. He responded and told me that I have Chiari 1 and 4mm (I had never been told this before) He also said that the numbness and dizziness could be a symptom, but he wasn't sure about the tinnitus. His recommendation? See an ENT and another NL! I finally feel like I am getting somewhere!