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1139187 tn?1355706647

Horrible buzzing and ringing in ears

Please do not tell me it is just "tinnitus".  I have had horrible buzzing and ringing in my ears for about 6 months now.  Every single day it feels like I have a flourecent bulb or a balace that is out in my head.  It is not as bad in the morning, but starts off after lunch time.  Its HORRIBLE.  I thought it was from taking thyroid medication, but I am off of it now so its from something else.  I have had every single test known to mankind.  Does anyone have any idea what could be causing this ??
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395787 tn?1298428787
hi bruce,i wish i could say i knew more about what your going through from reading your symptoms.and i wish i had answers for you also,but i can relate kind of as iv had a buzzing and a high pitch tone on and off for years that would come and go. no specific times of day but years ago when it started i was younger and out partying and it started when i would try and sleep and then it became more frequent but i could put my mind to something else an ignore it. as the years have gone on it became more noticeable and harder to ignore.i very recently had an hearing test and i know your symptoms are different,but i have tinnitus,the consultant told me i notice it more now due to hearing loss.coz the buzzin is in me head..yes im mad to.ha when its the voices in your head goin on you want to worry..hee. sorry,just trying to make light and reassure you its not always something bad.could be something you will feel silly for even worrying about.im an optimist.what can i say.best of luck hun
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1323747 tn?1364806882
I found a reference to these types of sounds in the ears coupled with neuropathy caused by thyroid.  I am sending a reference link.  Marie

http://www.bellaonline.com/articles/art24279.asp
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Avatar universal
The steroid I got was Prednisone.  It reduced my ringing and stopped my attacks.  I was on it for 6 months - too long.  I'll probably have problems and need hip replacement by the time I'm 50 from the steroids.  I only had relief between 40-60 mg of Prednisone.
And when I stopped them, I took hydrochlorothiazide and isoxuprine for several months until I discovered the diet connection.  Hang in there!  Hope everything works out.

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1139187 tn?1355706647
no steroids yet.  what kind of steroids they give?  Im going to see one of the top otalongaragists in dallas on monday.

im going to see a shrink tomorrow...  should be fun..
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Avatar universal
I'm not sure how much B12 you should take.   I know you have to take it with the other B vitamins.  Look up magnesium and tinnitus.  I know zinc is found in higher amounts in the ear.  I still want you to try the gluten free diet.  Gluten keeps you from absorbing many nutrients like B12, Magnesium, Calcium, Zinc, etc., etc.  Get it out of your diet (no beer either)!  Give it several weeks and see if things improve.  Doctors don't deal with diet much.  They are trained to give medicaitons for a certain set of symptoms.  But many people find relief from symptoms accidentally when they eliminated food for some other reason.  People have gotten B12 shots and tinnitus disappeared.  Of course, there are many reasons for tinnitus.  Diet is the one you have control over.  TMJ or neck issues can definitely be the cause.  Ever since I started with tinnitus, I found out many people have it.   My father-in-law also has it.  He started with it when he was 25 - he just woke up with it one night and has had it since.  He started with neuropathy in his legs when he was 40.  He didn't get the hand shaking though.  He's in his 70's now and enjoys life.  He said he doesn't even realize he has the noise in his ears anymore except everyone once in a blue moon.  Did they try steroids  for you?

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397460 tn?1268533736
Hi. IIH is, Idiopathic intracranial Hypertension.
              ( unknown origin...with in the skull, brain...too high a pressure in the head cased by csf.)

It is also known as PTC , with is now outdated as it is not really accurate in its description.
It stands for false tumor. But with all the symptoms of one.
Some of the symptoms are;
The worst headache you have ever had, blurry vision, nausea, gait problems,vertigo,double vision, ringing in the ears plus , hearing your own heart beat, when you put your head on the pillow. There are many more , these being the main ones.

My headaches, like most, start at mid day, as the day progresses, the ringing, swooshing gets worse.


It is a rare illness and very hard to diagnoses.
Most people go thru a battery of test before the cat scan and MRI which should be clear, to  the  lumber puncture, the gold star test.


It is treated with first, meds then shunting.  If I can help any further, call me.. Cath278.
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1139187 tn?1355706647
What is iih and OTC.  How did they treat you?
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397460 tn?1268533736
Hi.This may be way out there but it was one of my first symptoms.The ringing sound,and hearing my heart beat when I put my head on a pillow.

I have IIH or PTC. It took almost three years to correctly diagnoses me. And like you , I got the whole spiel about being depressed etc.

My ringing would start in the early afternoon and continue for hours.
It turned out it was the increased intracranial pressure was causing it.

I think you should see an neurologist, if only to rule out other things. Good luck. Cath278.
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1139187 tn?1355706647
wouldnt the neuro of picked this up?
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Avatar universal
Hi,It is most likely neurological.Please get a copy of your MRI scan and look in the area of pineal and pituitary gland for calcium deposits.
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Avatar universal
MEDICAL PROFESSIONAL
Hi there. I understand your agony related to this ringing sensation in your ears.
You have undergone the battery of tests related and all have come inconclusive.
I will advise you to follow certain cautions, do not place objects in your ear such as cotton swabs Q-tips to clean your ear. This could cause wax impaction against your ear drum which can cause tinnitus.  Take blood pressure medications and other drugs prescribed as they are ordered by your doctor.
There are several other things you can do to protect yourself from excessive noise related tinnitus. Protect your hearing at work  by using ear plugs or ear muffs and following hearing conservation guidelines set by your employers if you are working.
If there is any noise producing source in your vicinity wear hearing protection or reduce noise levels.
Simple daily activities like blow drying can require to be mellowed with ear plugs.
Avoid exposure to loud sounds and noises, control blood pressure if it is a concern. Decrease salt intake, avoid nerve stimulants like coffee and colas, check your anxiety levels, especially worry about tinnitus will make it louder and more prominent. Adequate rest ,avoid fatigue and masking noise. A competing sound such as ticking clock, radio, may help mask tinnitus. Avoid aspirin and aspirin containing drugs. Take care.
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1139187 tn?1355706647
How much vitamin b12?  I think mine are 500mg?
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Avatar universal
B12 can take months to see improvement.  Keep taking it.  

Meniere's is usuallly treated with a diuretic and sometimes a capillary dilator - I was on hydrochlorothiazide and isoxuprine (this was 11 years ago).  But I was asked to do food elimination, because after steroids were used to bring down the initial attacks, the doctor figured maybe food was aggravating it.  So one of my brothers had just been diagnosed with celiac disease, so I thought I would start there - and VOILA! that was the problem.  For celiac disease you have to follow a gluten free diet.  But even after the attacks stopped, I realized my ears were still muffled.  So I got all milk products out of my diet and VOILA! my eustachian tubes opened up and I felt trickling down both tubes 5 days later.  The ears have a high amount of zinc and vitamin A - so make sure you get enough of that.  These two foods are the biggest offenders for many people.  Give elimination a try.  I stopped my medicine as soon as I figured out the food connection.  I haven't had an attack since then.   Hope this helps!  Try the food thing, maybe it will help.
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1139187 tn?1355706647
HI>>>

Its actually two seperate types of ringing.  yes I am nuts....  One of them is a highpitch ring.  Its like a tv set that is broken, or a bulb that needs replacing.   The other is a buzzing, sort of has an electrical feeling to it.

My b12 is low.  I take the b12, but obviously it doesnt do much to help me.   with your diagnosis is there a treatment?  What are you doing to keep the symptoms down?
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Avatar universal
Is the buzzing (electrical) in the head or the ears?  You mention both separately?  I saw a doctor called an otolaryngologist here in Philadelphia (Dr. Sataloff) - I was told he is world renowned.  

Now are you keeping track of your B12 levels?  And, yes it can be neurological.  B12 has an impact on nerves, by the way.  Sorry I keep repeating myself on b12, but it's important to eliminate all the causes of noise in the ears to get to the true cause.  The gluten problem I mentioned before causes all kinds of nutrient deficiencies - B12 being one of them.  So getting off of gluten allows the body to start reabsorbing them again as the intestines heal.  So if gluten is a problem for you, many things in the body will fall back into balance if you get off of it.  So many things in the body are on a seesaw - too much of one thing leads to too little of another - then the domino effect starts.  Most of us want to find this obvious thing as the root cause - more often it is subtle, which is why diet must be cleaned up to see what improves.  Then you will have more information to give a doctor - things that you tried that did or didn't work.  I'll keep checking your post.
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Avatar universal
I have to do a little research and will try to answer questions tomorrow (my eyes are crossing at this moment)  LOL.  But I love it when we all have "anxiety" when things go wrong in the body.  I do realize anxiety can cause many things, but I would like them to make sure I don't have something else before I get stuck with the "anxiety" label.  One question:  Did they find the reason for the neuropathy in the feet?  And are you taking B12 in some form?  With everything you've mentioned, I highly recommend a gluten free diet (I know everyone likes to avoid this one, but it does help a lot of people).  My husband's aunt tried it for a few days (she has diabetes and neuropathy) and found that her numb legs were in more pain so she gave up.  I told her that meant the gluten was damaging her nerves and her nerves were waking up (so to speak) now that she had it out of her diet.  I don't know if she went back to it to see if things would get better - oh well.  I'll check in tomorrow and answer as much as I can.  
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1139187 tn?1355706647
so you have been diagnosed with menieres?  Who diagnosed you?

I have had a brain MRI, seen by a neuro.  Neropothy in my feet, and a thyroid condition that really is not that bad.  Every day around 4 or 5 hours after im awake I get the weird onset of symptoms.  Buzzing in head (electrical) dizzy, hard to think.  Pretty much dabilitates me.  I have to lay on the floor and wait for it to pass.  Its not panic disorder.  Ive got some of that too, but that is brought on by this LOL.  Once the wave passes, im fine...

I thought this was seriously from my thyroid, but now i am realizing that it is something else.  This was what brought me to the hospital where they found my thyroid issue but these weird attacks still come on.  I actually went to the mayo clinic in flordia and was getting one of these attacks and they told me that there was nothing wrong with me and that i needed anti depressants.

I can set my watch by it.  At least once a day i get this hardcore onset of buzzing, cant think, dizzyness, hands shake all of the place.  Lasts 30 minutes to 2 hours.  And then it stops.  Every single day.  A couple times it woke my up in my sleep .  Almost like lyme disease but i have been checked for lymes.  The neuro wants to do an EEG where they put wires on your head and moniter the attacks.  Another endo says I need anti anxiety meds, however i can tell you that even with taking xanez or lorzepan i still get these attacks....  

Could it be something neurological?
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Avatar universal
I also would start with attacks in the afternoon each day - 4 pm.  And they would always last about 6 hours.  Sometime they would start at 10 pm and last until 3-4 am.
I hardly slept during those years.  
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Avatar universal
Is it possible it is an activity or something you are eating at that time of day making the problem worse?  
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1139187 tn?1355706647
I had 12 low but that's really it it's weird howvit starts in  afternoon
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Avatar universal
Check this out:

http://www.ctds.info/tinnitus.html

Also note the B12 connection mentioned on this site.  Again, some people don't absorb b12 due to decreased stomach acid or pernicious anemia, etc.  See if anything rings a bell for you.  Again, hope it helps!  
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Avatar universal
Do you have any other physical problems?  Did you see an otolaryngologist (the ear specialist of ear specialists)?  Do you have any hearing loss, dizziness or full feeling in the ear?  

One thing you can try before going to more doctors is food elimination.   I was diagnosed with meniere's disease and was asked to try food elimination.  I started out trying a gluten free diet (because my brother had celiac disease), so it seemed like a good place to start.  Within 24 hours, my "attacks" stopped cold turkey and I haven't had an attack since.  My ringing reduced down to completely tolerable (some damage remained, hence the low level ringing).  I still had a muffled feeling in my ears though.  So I got off of all cow's milk products and within 5 days, voila! I felt a trickling down both my eustachian tubes at the same time - the milk must have been causing swelling in my tubes and fluid accumulation.  The power of food is underestimated!  Now, obviously, I don't know if this will help you.  But I've read studies that eliminate gluten, milk products and sugar from people's diets and almost all of the participants, within a few months, had some or complete relief of the tinnitus.  Since you have thyroid issues, try the gluten free diet  first (celiac disease is autoimmune and thyroid disease is often caused by autoimmune disease).  Where there's one autoimmune disease, others can coexist.  Watch your salt intake in case you are dealing with meniere's.  Hope this makes sense to you and hope it helps.  I know how you feel.  I went many years and saw several ear doctors who said I just have tinnitus and hearing loss and I just have to deal with it!  Went to the specialist (otolaryn.), he ran every test in the book and by process of elimination, diagnosed me with meniere's disease.   Some people get relief using Gingko biloba (to dilate the capillaries to the ear).  I hope this helps - it's another avenue for you to check into.  Good luck!  If you have any questions let me know.
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620923 tn?1452915648
hmmmmmmm, so u do not take tylenol for HA's or other pain.....goodness....

Tinnitus may also be a symptom associated with:

Blocked ear canal
Blocked eustachian tube
Ear infection

Otosclerosis: a common ear disorder characterized by unusual stiffness or lack of flexibility of the tine bones of the middle ear. This condition frequently causes tinnitus.

Meniere's disease: a disorder of the inner ear characterized by recurrent dizziness, deafness, and tinnitus. In 80 to 85 percent of cases, only one ear is affected.
Damage caused by certain drugs, including aspirin and certain antibiotics
Hearing loss
Trauma or injury resulting from a blast or explosion

Temporomandibular joint syndrome or TMJ: pain and other symptoms affecting the head, jaw, and face. TMJ is believed to be caused when the jaw joints and muscles and ligaments that support them are not working properly.

Tinnitus may also occur along with certain other medical conditions, such as:

Anemia, or a condition in which blood levels of hemoglobin, the part of red blood cells that carries oxygen to nourish the tissues of the body, are below normal

Hypertension, or high blood pressure
For further information about high blood pressure, go to High Blood Pressure (Hypertension).

Arteriosclerosis, or hardening of the arteries
Hypothyroidism, or low levels of thyroid hormone production

Presbycusis: hearing loss and other hearing problems related to advanced age.
Head injury

The only way to relieve this, is to find how u got it....the root cause....once u find and treat that, u may see improvement.
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1139187 tn?1355706647
NADA.   it does the same with and without thyroid meds.  In fact, it started before i was even on thyroid meds.  This is what sent me to the ER a year ago where they discovered my thyroid problem.  Been in and out of testing for a long time.  Still have the horrible buzzing.  
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