thyroid ear pain????

Question

So for the past few months or so i have been having ear aches. Strange thing is not your normal ear ache that goes away. Every hour or so in one ear, or sometimes both i get a sharp ear pain. It last just a few seconds and then goes away. This has been going on for months now. I saw a neurologist last week and now i need an mri of my head. I dont know if this could be thyroid realted or not. I have had two CT scans that both came back normal in 6 months so who knows.Anyone else experience ear pain with or without dizziness?

HOWTOEXPLAIN · Answer

Yes, I've had the "ICE PICK" in the ears for years.  It comes and goes.  Weird, but doesn't last long enough for me to remember and we live in a humid state where it seems my sinuses act up too; though no infection.

Now I had a couple of teeth that hurt.  They hurt with HEAT, CHILL AND SWEETS - and I don't eat Sweets, except dried organic fruit.  Now my left ear has all this pressure with ocassional pain - this am it work me up and I have so much PAIN IN MY TEETH AND EARS - I'M GOING TO A DENTIST - at least they can take X-rays to find out what's going on - But I wondered if it was related to Hashimoto's since my thyroid is always inflammed and sometimes you can see the nodule on right side.  Thanks for all your input - if Dentist doesn't pan out - except for lost filling and wisdom tooth  - I'll let you know more.  On strong pain meds and they're NOT HELPING which means it's INFLAMMATION and I can't take ANYTHING - not even Advil and aspirin makes my ears ring-even at normal dosages.  Can't take Lidocaine, etc. Put I can get X-rays....

Noticed my lymph nodes, on neck, when squeezed, actually caused more pain and pressure in my ears.  Wish me luck - going at 11:00 to a DDS.......Best to you all!

e138 · Answer

Thanks for the quick reply. I'm covered through Kaiser and I've confirmed with the lady reps that their primary care doctors indeed do not order MRIs, it's quite disconcerting for me because this is the 2nd GP that I've chosen, I decided to stay with him because he's also an Internist, or so his home page says, but it seems to me that either they are too incompetent or that their practice is simply way lenient. I had to ask for a series of blood work for me and I had to fight tooth and nail just to make him order them. He said it's not SOP to order a Free T4, only a TSH, so I had to go through this litany explaining that this procedure is quite outdated, without sounding like an *******. He also failed to discuss my low lymph count in spite of the seemingly normal WBC; he hasn't likewise pointed out that although my ferritin levels are normal, my serum iron and transferrin % saturation are low.

HMOs suck. The system is a failure. My last hope would be to ask my endo to bypass the spine doctor to which my GP referred me and book a neurology appt for me right away. I have to pay 25$ per visit per doctor, so I am looking forward to the 2nd re-introduction of the universal health care for cali. This is just bull. When's Arnold's term gonna end?

mudkme83 · Answer

Well i went to my GP and she reffered me to a neurologist right away. What was going on with me was i had been on thyroid for about 6 months and i was dizzy ever since i started the medication.Its not suppose to be a side effect so they thought it was something else. But i did get the results back and all i have is a little spot of head trauma from a recent fall. But i was dizzy way before that and now i know its the meds for sure.The neurologist i saw was by refferal only. But with my ppo insurance plan i could have gone and seen alot other ones on my own without a refferal. Thats the nice thing about my coverage. Im working on my 3rd endo now. The first two refferals have not been good at all. Now ive decided to to pick my own.I go on the 5th and now i have proof that the thyroid meds make me so dizzy i cant even drive.I dont know what their going to do because if i dont take the pills i sleep all day im so tired.Its a catch 22.My advice for you would be to make it sound a little worse than it is and they might take you more serious.Where do you live?If you live in the US i know your GP can an MRI. The radiologist makes the report and send it back to them.Any other things you need to know id be happy to answer.

e138 · Answer

Hi again, I just wanted to know how you got a referral to the neurologist. Did you open that idea to your primary doctor or did he just referred you to the specialist right away? My GP made me go to the PT first (to which I declined to go since my health care is not free) but I demanded for an MRI right away. He said he doesn't order MRIs so then he just referred me to another specialist, this time a "spine doctor" that when I checked this guy's credentials, he's actually a "Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation" and a "Pain Medicine" doctor. He told me to do it stepwise but I've been having this symptom for about 3-4 years now.

Did you have prior visits to other doctors before you eventually got referred to a neurologist for this pain? Thanks very much

mudkme83 · Answer

Wow, sounds like you have super human hearing .lol.I cant contest to the noise senstivity but i can the ear pain.Have you been seen for that yet?Sounds annoying if you ask me. Its beginning to seem like more people have ear pain associated with thyroid problems than i would of ever thought.

beva32 · Answer

I have lots of sensitivity to noise and the sharp pains also My ears have to be covered when I go out because they hurt! what gives!

kl42 · Answer

i had loud ringing, sensitivty to loud noises, all since tyroid, this year had tt nov 20  mri 2 this year showed cronic sinutius, but thats it, ringing has come down and sensitivity to noise. hopefullyt it will go away as i adjust to med. kevin

e138 · Answer

pain in my left shoulder blade, neck pain when I turn left or right, also i get pain at the back of my head when I shake it really fast. the TMJ pain started 4 years ago which had progressed to other parts since then so I am hoping it's not some infection or anything

mudkme83 · Answer

Yes, as with most of us here we want our results now and not later.lol.Im going to try to see if i can get them by the end of the week.My ear pain comes and goes. I never really get ear aches just ear jolts, that maybe last 2 seconds or so.The MRI is not a bad option if you have constant ear trouble etc.Im glad i got mine and its just another thing to rule out with all my crazy symtoms i have.Id ask for one with contrast as well. They inject this dye (Gadolinium) into your vains witch illuminates more things in your brain like blood vessels etc.What kind of other pain are you experiencing?

e138 · Answer

Hi Could you not be able to expedite seeing the results instead of waiting for 2 weeks? I also had ear ache or probably TMJ bone pain and now my ears have become very sensitive to sound. The pain has gone down to other parts so I am definitely going for an MRI, hopefully the PT will order them when I go tomorrow. I hope it's nothing serious as I am really scared of what this could be.

Cynnieb4 · Answer

It should. I don't know when you started your meds. But I am agreeing with the diziness once in awhile. i believe mine is from the fluid in my face leaving its cracking and popping. Who knows. My dizziness could be anxiety! I am on meds for that now. you having any???? Good luck with the test

mudkme83 · Answer

I dont feel any fluid. But if it is there it should show up on the mri i just had.I should know in about teo weeks.

mudkme83 · Answer

The MRI isnt to bad. If you dont like tight spaces you might have to take a sedation pill. It lasted for about 30 min and you have to try to hold your head real still.I will let them do any test they want until they find something. They are telling me all my symtoms arent thyroid related and they do know something is wrong at this point.They just dont know what.Im so dizzy they took me off work until they can fiqure out.Its a pretty scary thing to go through so far.

Cynnieb4 · Answer

Do you have any fluid that you can feel behind the ears??? If your e tube is blocked that will cause pain, trust ne two months worth!

Gudi13 · Answer

I could have had an MRI with contrast also.  I never went through with it because I was kind of scared.  Not of what they'd find, but the procedure itself.  What was the MRI like?Also, when the aching pain behind my right ear isn't there, I forget about it and go about my life.  Then when it comes back, especially when it's bad I'm mad at myself for not pursuing it farther.  I don't particularly trust doctors either.  I'm still looking for a primary care physician that will take the time to talk to me.  This support community will be great for getting educated about appropriate thyroid tests and results.  It's interesting to hear all the different and common challenges there are out there.

Smilerdeb · Answer

I have had the problem on and off for a while now and my Doc sent me for x-rays which found that my sinus's were blocked. 
I have never suffered with sinus problems in my life.
So thats a newbie for me.
I took Sudafed tablets for a few days and the ear problems and the feeling of runny ears went away.
Strange though, because when I went to the Dentist before being dx with Graves, my Dentist said I had blocked sinus's and yet have never fekt sinus pain.
Food for thought???

mudkme83 · Answer

Well i get the mri tommorow. Finally.I  dont know if it will show much, considering ive had two ct's in the past both normal. But the mri is more sensitive i guess. And they are usuing contrast.So who knows.Why didnt you get the mri?

Gudi13 · Answer

Yes, I have had an intermittent, dull pain kind of behind my right ear for at least 15 years.  Very rarely, I experience a sharp pain as well.  It is intermittent enough that lately I have just been living with it.  Primary Doc said it's a pressure thing in the ear. I don't believe that to be true.  At times it feels like the pain is coming from my wisdom teeth or jaw, so I also went to a dental specialist who didn't think anything was wrong with my teeth or the roots.  Mean while another doc years later felt the thyroid slightly enlarged.  All blood tests are normal, but endocrinologist diagnosed Hashimoto's Thyroiditis.  Ultrasound showed multiple small,iso and hypoechoic masses throughout both lobes.  No dominate solid or cystic mass.  I considered a neurologist as well, but  didn't want an MRI.  This has been going on so long now it seems more annoying than anything else and must be something benign either in the thyroid or in the ear.  The discomfort does vary in intensity but the scope of the pain and its locations has remained constant.  I think it could be the thyroid but not likely to show anything on an MRI.  I'd be interested to hear the findings of your MRI.

Cynnieb4 · Answer

Also wanted to mention as my ear pain, water retention is going away. My dentist told me that hypothyroid is linked to your salivary glands?  I am not sure exactly what that means. But when they become clogged from the puffy face they cause inner ear pain as well. He was actually happy they solved my dry mouth problem. But anyways everything I am finding is linked to this dang thyroid. I am happy I am responding. But I wanted to add those in as well.

stella5349 · Answer

Are you feeling acidic at all lately?

Rachel4 · Answer

Other folks have been talking about teeth problems, which could cause ear pain.

Cynnieb4 · Answer

Me too, I am having ton of problems, mine are both ears. One says its alelrgies, other says its from cleft pallet. I had tubes put in but they fell out apparaently. Maybe thats some of my swallowing issue as well?? Let me know for sure If you find out. I notice on days when my swelling isn't so bad, doesn't hurt me as much. My old doc says its becasue of the swelling in thyroid, but who knows. Just sensitive to loud noises right now!

selmaS · Answer

Count me two...it feels like someone is jabbing an ice pick in my ear....lots of buzzing as well...sometimes high pitched sounds...ear fullness like it needs to pop....as if I just went up a high mt.....of course I did not!......I also get dizzy, but I also have other conditions , so I did not know which was causing them.