My really bad tinnitis, while on a Z-pak for an hu... - Page 2

wonderfulworld · ‎12-05-2012

I was curious as to whether it came back or not? Hopefully, the lower level stays!

seaBreeze · ‎02-04-2014

I recently read an article that using a TENS Unit for 2 hrs a day for 2 weeks alleviates 67% of people with Tinnitus. I will try this .... I have a TENS unit (for my back), but had to send away for some conductive gel for my TENS electrode pads (that no longer stick to my skin). I will post if this works. @sfnative

PilatesLover · ‎08-20-2014

@seaBreeze wrote:
I recently read an article that using a TENS Unit for 2 hrs a day for 2 weeks alleviates 67% of people with Tinnitus. I will try this .... I have a TENS unit (for my back), but had to send away for some conductive gel for my TENS electrode pads (that no longer stick to my skin). I will post if this works. @sfnative

Please do report back! Mine suddenly escalated this year. It used to be tolerable but for some reason it is louder. I went to an ENT and had a hearing test which showed normal hearing.

Sometimes I wonder how I'm going to live the rest of my life with this and not jab ice picks in my ears.

dex · ‎03-09-2010

@sfnative. I am very sorry that you have to deal with that daily.I have experienced it a couple of times and I know it is extremely challenging.I hope that you are on to something with the antibiotics...would be amazing help to so many people.I find that the older I get the less tolerance I have for noise so I just can’t imag8ne how I would handle the constant screaming in my ears that you experience.I pray for you that it will just stop

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@dex wrote:
@sfnative. I am very sorry that you have to deal with that daily.I have experienced it a couple of times and I know it is extremely challenging.I hope that you are on to something with the antibiotics...would be amazing help to so many people.I find that the older I get the less tolerance I have for noise so I just can’t imag8ne how I would handle the constant screaming in my ears that you experience.I pray for you that it will just stop

@dex

Thank you so much for your kind words. Please accept a huge hug. I wish there was an emogi for that.

The relief experience from the Z-pak lasted 7 days, then the tinnitis returned in full force. I'm in total agreement with your statement regarding less tolerance for noise. My dear grandmother, who lived close to me, developed a severe case of intolerance to any noise beyond a conversational level. Where we now live, we are subject to external sources of noises which drive me up the wall: Portland International Airport; Oregon National Guard practicing and protecting in their F-16s; one east-west railroad line just one long block from us; and, another east-west railroad line south of us by about 4 long blocks. Now you may wonder why in the heck did she move there? Well, when we moved here after retiring to be near DD, SIL and soon-to-be granddaughter, we rented for over a year to get a feel for the city. Honestly, I don't like it here. It's violent, they aren't able to hire enough police (lack of interest), it's dirty, ALL roads and nearly all highways/freeways are in deplorable condition due to lack of budget funds for upkeep.

Truth be told, when we went looking for a house, we decided to look for a townhouse, because I had always done all of the landscaping and gardening. My husband seems "allergic" to that kind fo work. However, my body is giving out and I can no longer function at the level as in previous years. So...when we found this place, we visited it 3 times at different times of the day and never, and I mean never, heard any of the noise we are bombarded upon a daily basis. It was a freaking fluke! And, due to all of the planes and trains, our air quality right here in our wonderful townhouse community, which is quite beautiful, is just horrible.

I know I'm going on and on, but bear with me. The thing about my tinnitis, is that it doesn't stop there. During the '80s, I was the administrator of a back rehab center in SF. One astute physical therapist, who had a new cervical (neck) patient that day told me, something to the effect, "Patients who come in with complaints and pain which are in the neck and above can really be a challenge." I asked him why. "Because that kind of pain and discomfort is right up 'where you live.'"

This last statement has stayed with me all these years, as it holds so much weight. Every patient and physician should be preaching the validity of this. Basically what we're talking about is that any pain or discomfort neck and above can "seem" to increase in intensity because it is very close to the center of our cognitive center - where our thinking occurs.

For me this is especially true, as I have this very high pitched screaming tinnitis in both ears (left greater than right); chronic migraine on the left, which always includes pain in left hemisphere then left over the brow spiking down through the eye then through the maxillary sinus and ending with numbness near the mouth. Of recent, also transient pain in upper right forehead, as though a tiny ballpeen hammer is going at my forehead; limited range of motion due to spasm of paraspinals in neck; left of center base of skull a jolly big knot requiring injections. and, recently, what my endodontist called a "huge" abscess and fistula at the 3 roots of an upper molar. Throbbing pain and a puffed out cheek doesn't begin to explain that situation.

I tell you - I'm a mess from the neck up. Truer words were never spoken by my ice hockey lovin' physical therapist, when he uttered those words about pain, etc., above the neck. I do find my patience running very thin these days and pray every day that one of these pains will go away.

(And to add insult to injury, a week ago, I badly sprained my right wrist and hand. Not a fall, just using a new handle with my severe CRPS right hand.)

I am Falling Apart, Again.

Merry Christmas! ~Rebecca

dex · ‎03-09-2010

@sfnative@Do you think (above the neck theory) that you possibly have neck or spinal problems?I have a problem with my neck that presented as headaches and pressure on my cheekbones.I wonder if a really good chiropractor could give you any relief or acupuncturist could help.I am now feeling even worse after hearing all you have to suffer.

We live in Washington state and it is no better than Oregon.I think we live in similar situations just different states.We are close to military base,airport,trains and a couple of shooting ranges.We also have a huge homeless problem with people in tents and old vehicles parked on side streets....so it isn’t clean either.Lots of garbage tossed.

tsavorite · ‎03-09-2010

@sfnative oh my just reading your posts here is breaking my heart. I can't imagine the level of pain and discomfort your in. I have neck tmj vertigo attacks and so on...I do understand somewhat also I get the high pitched squeal going on with electric shock nerve pain in my left ear. Comes and goes...not constant...I don't know how I could cope if it was constant like yours.

I find sleeping with fan on all night helps me sleep...in fact I can't sleep without the white noise. I take it with me if we travel.

I will keep you in my prayers also...if you find anything that helps please post. Take care and Merry Christmas to you.

AntiqueRose · ‎10-22-2016

@sfnative

I feel like I know so many posters on this forum, but am not comfortable posting. I'm going outside my comfort zone to post because I feel you need to get that tooth pulled immediately.

My symptoms weren't as bad as yours, but I experienced vertigo for 10 years, ocular migraines, tinnitus in my left ear, nystagmus in my left eye, Eustachian tube fullness and pressure, and also my atlas/axis was out. All of this was caused by a tooth that didn't look cracked but was.

I had to talk my dentist into a referral to an oral surgeon, and then then had to talk him into pulling the tooth. This tooth had a root canal in it 10 years ago and it was three months later that my vertigo started. Having that tooth pulled was the best thing I could have done. Extreme measures, but I got my life back!

My energy level is back as I'm not fighting a chronic low grade infection that had saturated the sinus tissues including my sphenoid sinus which was the cause of a lot of my eye problems and upper neck problems.

Since then my dentist has noticed a tremendous improvement in my mouth. Very little plaque, pockets have diminished and I am now getting regular cleanings instead of periodontal cleanings. They have always complimented me on the good care I do, but the improvement came because the tooth was removed.

My chiropractor has also noticed an improvement in my upper neck. As a long time patient, he is amazed at the difference that he can only attribute to the missing tooth.

My massage therapist has also noticed a difference in my upper neck. My friends and family have noticed and are constantly commenting on the improvement, energy and vitality I now show.

I just saw my endocrinologist and my blood work is excellent. She was amazed at how good I look, and doesn't want to do anymore tests for a year to see if my thyroid will respond. All my thyroid tests are in the normal range and we both suspect that my thyroid will shrink and be more normal over time.

Sorry this is so long winded, but your tooth has an abscess and pulling the tooth might be an option to consider. My sinus problems (because of chronic long term infection) actually caused me to lose my sense of smell, and I had numerous sinus infections. I have seen so many doctors in the last year struggling to find out was wrong, and I was the one to figure things out.

Best wishes and hope you are able to find a solution to work for you. I had googled and found studies that say 10 to 40% of sinus problems can be traced to teeth problems. I suspect it's even more than that.

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@AntiqueRose

Thank you so much for taking the time to do something you're not at all comfortable doing. I really appreciate your effort and the content of your post.

First off I want to tell you that since 2004, I've been a patient of 3 different dentists and now a 4th, plust my current endodontist I've begged ALL of them to extract this tooth. However, now having had a 3-D CAT scan of that tooth and seen the infection, which is "huge," per my endo, it cannot be pulled, even though I just went through 10 days of amoxicillan followed directly by a Z-pack, because today I found out there still remains infection in the fistula, which my endo thought would have been gone by now, but isn't. I knew there was still big time tenderness on one of the roots and it was confirmed today that there's still some infection in there. So, instead of moving forward with the root canal, he had to inject antibiotic directly into my gum in 2 places. Ouch! Ouch!

That tooth cannot be extracted even now with remaining infection, due to possibility of endocarditis, etc. I'm just really ticked that my dentist in San Diego didn't yank it back in 2004, when it should have been yanked. Now things have gotten terribly complicated.

I hear and totally understand what you wrote and all the suffering you endured. Am so glad you are free of it at last and that so many systems in your body have recouperated and you're thriving once again.

((((((HUGS))))))

~Rebecca

sfnative · ‎03-10-2010

@tsavorite wrote:
@sfnativeoh my just reading your posts here is breaking my heart. I can't imagine the level of pain and discomfort your in. I have neck tmj vertigo attacks and so on...I do understand somewhat also I get the high pitched squeal going on with electric shock nerve pain in my left ear. Comes and goes...not constant...I don't know how I could cope if it was constant like yours.

I find sleeping with fan on all night helps me sleep...in fact I can't sleep without the white noise. I take it with me if we travel.

I will keep you in my prayers also...if you find anything that helps please post. Take care and Merry Christmas to you.

@tsavorite

Oh my, I'm so sorry you've got to suffer with that horrible high pitched screaming in your ears, too. I did try white noise and am sad to say that all it did was just add more noise, which really bothered me. Thought it might help, because I'd read that so many people had benefited from it.

Vertigo is another animal altogether. I've learned how to deal with it myself, since I've moved to another state and away from my favorite ENT doc with the most effective vibratory therapy. I tell you this: I would get a vertigo "attack" about once a year of 18 months, call his office, make an appt, then into the exam room I'd go. He would do the Eply on me, then would get out this palm sized Vertigo-vibrator-zapper. This is an aparatus held in his hand that he turns on and it hums (vibrates). He would place it on my left temporal bone in back of and slightly above my left ear. He's hold it there for about 6-7 seconds, remove it, wait 10 seconds, then repeat. That was it, except he would tell me NOT to turn my head right or left for the remainder of the day and to move around slowly. Every single time I had this treatment, my vertigo would go away within 12 hours! Every time! I do miss my doc at Scripps in La Jolla SO much!