Acoustic Neuroma

I was diagnosed with acoustic neuroma in 2/09.  At the time I had fullness in my ear, minor imbalance and severe tinnitus. I continued to run and train for marathons.  I ran my last one 10/09 and three months later I started to go downhill.  My dizziness and imbalance increased, I started getting head motions on the back of my head, my eyes started doing weird things and I get conjunctivities quite often.  I also experience headaches and stifness on the back of my neck and pain on the upper shoulders.  I get fatigued very easily, especially when climbing stairs or hills.  I cannot run at all anymore and most days I cannot be on my feet for long periods of time.  I can drive fine but cannot tolerate the motion of the car when someone else is driving.  I most comfortable these days when I am sitting or lying down.  I notice that my symptoms increase immensely around my menstrual cycle.  I also have graves disease, high prolactin level and some osteoarthrities.  Do these other medical conditions, hormone imbalance, menopause, etc. affect/accentuate the acoustic neuroma symptoms?

[LivingInHope]

I think you very well may have a variety of things going on. Did the doctor not suggest having surgery or gamma knife or cyber knife for your acoustic neuroma (tumor)?  

Since you have high prolactin and Grave's disease, have they run a dynamic pituitary MRI on you with and without contrast to see if you have a tumor or other growth on there causing abnormal endocrine function in these areas?  A prolactinoma, for example can potentially cause headache in a significant percentage of people who have them.  

The back of the neck and upper shoulders sounds like it could be a musculoskeletal issue.  Your fatiguing very easily and that worsening around the menstrual cycle makes me think they should be checking your ferritin (iron stores, which my doctor says is the best indicator for how your iron is doing in your body) and blood iron levels to see if your iron has dipped too low.  Low iron can make you even more dizzy, cause great fatigue and even headache.

[mari1220]

Thank you for your feedback.  I am scheduled to see a new doctor in a week and am hoping that with the results of my latest MRI he can determine if I should have surgery for my Acoustic Neuroma.

I have had several pituitary MRI's done in the past and all have come out negative regarding tumors. I will ask my doctor to check my ferritin level, I have not had that checked in a while.

Thanks again for your kind response.

[mari1220]

Thank you for your feedback.  I am scheduled to see a new doctor in a week and am hoping that with the results of my latest MRI he can determine if I should have surgery for my Acoustic Neuroma.

I have had several pituitary MRI's done in the past and all have come out negative regarding tumors.  I will ask my doctor to check my ferritin level; I have not had that chedk in a while.

Thanks agan for your kind response.

[LivingInHope]

You're welcome!  I wonder if you got any of the pituitary MRIs done on a 3 Tesla MRI machine?  They are supposed to be more detailed and might come in hand if there was a tiny microadenoma on the pituitary- I've heard even a 1 mm sized tumor can cause a lot of havock in some patients (if it is a functioning tumor).  

I'm glad you are going to be seen about the acoustic neuroma.  You must have had to adjust quite a bit to a drop in hearing in that ear, I suspect?  Please private message me an update?

[mari1220]

I do not think it was a 3 Tesla MRI, I don't recall that being mentioned.  I will ask my new doctor about it.

Yes i have had to adjust quite a bit, the body automatically compensates for a lot of the changes that occur particularly with balance.

I am also going to ask that the doctor to order blood work to determine where I am with menopause.  I believe that is causing a lot of the havoc.  Plus the stiffness and pain in my neck and shoulder seem to me like there is some trauma occuring there.

Have a great day!

[LivingInHope]

Wow, sounds like you really ought to get that neck and shoulder thing checked out!  Please keep me posted?