MS patient with tinnitus and electrial

[crazycatlady4]

I have RR MS , dx. 5 yrs. ago., on Rebiff x 5 yrs..I have had severe tinnitus, esp. for last 4 months. The patient who was explaining the feeling of "electrical shock" is exactly what I feel and hear high pitched tinnitus @ same time. I am ambulatory, except for bouts with balance issues, (furniture walk, cane, etc.), but mostly it had me literally only able to lay still and hold my head very still. My scalp tingles if I brush my hair. Neurologist has given me 5 dx. oral prednisone since Nov. and now says that unless a another MRI shows new lesions, he will not consider IV solumedrol, which was successful when I was first dx.. I get no relief from every Rx he has tried.  Note of interest : I found out after repeated UTI for 3 mos., that Cymbalta had shut my bladder mostly down. Went off it, and ureathreal dilation. - bladder fine.

[Nancy T]

What causes your electric shock (and where?) concurrent with the tinnitus? Could you describe this more fully, please?

I used to frequently get "whumps" in my head (a split-second feeling of sudden total dizziness or near-fainting is the way I would describe it), initially so strong it felt like I would involuntarily close my eyes and pass out though I never did. When these occurred, I'd get a simultaneous "burst" of "extra" tinnitus on top of the underlying constant whirring tinnitus that I've had in my left ear since suddenly losing the hearing in it when I sneezed hard 11 years ago.

These "whumps," sometimes coming in fast groups of 2-4, would occur spontaneously (most often when I was sleepy, or in the twilight between sleep and waking) or when I heard a sudden sound such as the phone ringing or someone's voice, or when a staticky sound STOPPED, such as when I turned off running water or changed the radio station. Later (when the whumps kind of "softened") I noticed that they frequently occurred when I moved my eyes sideways or even upwards.

Tinnitus with eye movement has been called "gaze-evoked tinnitus" and was found in patients who'd had acoustic neuroma surgery (some study in Buffalo in 2001, I think). I do not have an acoustic neuroma, but my "whumps" with tinnitus did develop, like these patients', several weeks after my hearing loss (which was something retrocochlear; they've never explained it).

The study explained it somehow in terms of the visual system temporarily overriding the auditory system--crossed wires in the brainstem, I guess. (I sure have a lot of those!)

Nancy (not diagnosed with anything)

[crazycatlady4]

THANKS LULU, ACTUALLY I THINK I FINALLY WORE MY NEURO DOWN WITH A LETTER I FAXED TO HIM, SAYING I WAS CONTEMPLATING DISCONTINUING REBIFF,(HE IS AN INTERNATIONAL SPEAKER FOR REBIFF AS WELL). I AM GETTING READY TO GO FOR MRI BRAIN AT TODAY. I SPECIFICALLY ASKED FOR "SLICES THROUGH IAC S " INTERNAL AUDITORY CANALS. AND HE COMPLIED. CAN'T HELP BUT BE MY OWN ADVOCATE SINCE I'VE BEEN A RADIOLOGIC TECHNOLOGIST FOR 27 YRS!! WITH LOTS OF IMAGING KNOWLEDGE. THIS NEURO DID NOT KNOW THAT CYMBALTA CAN SHUT BLADDER DOWN. WENT TO UROLOGIST, HE TOOK ME OFF CYMBALTA AND SAID I HAD FORMED A STRICTURE FROM CYMBALTA X5 YRS AND DID A DILATION -OUCH !! HAD BOUT OF UTI S SEVERAL MONTHS AGO THAT LED ME TO GET ANOTHER OPINION FROM A UROLOGIST.

[cainer]

hi-  yeh  i dont remember  seeing you on here-  but that doesnt mean anything-lol

balance off  - did this tinitis just start-  you need to get mri  - make sure  its not a infection or more lessions....
  they might can help.   you need to give him a call        tick

[selmaS]

HI..I was given this link just today and feel u may find it very interesting.

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20091120/W5_liberation_091121/20091121/?hub=WFive