Pulsatile tinnitus 24/7 making me depressed.

Posted , 6 users are following.

Hi all, I'm 28 year old female who has had pulsatile tinnitus for a year now, and it's caused me severe depression, even contemplating suicide at my low points.

It all started in late pregnant with my first child, it wasn't constant and mainly when exercising or bending, doctors said very normal due to increased blood flow and that it would go.

It never went and became constant after I had my baby two weeks late via c section. It is there 24 hours a day and can sometimes become so loud I can hardly hear anything else, it's a clear thumping sound of my blood flow(completely in time with my pulse) and increases during exercise. It sounds like a bass drum! I can also feel it pumping away when it gets bad.

From my research it seems everything says it is almost always vascular in nature, with many scary causes. However my GP and ENT are dismissing this as regular tinnitus. There is a clear difference. I had an MRI of my ears and a hearing test, all fine. I'm worried it is a problem with an artery in my neck or brain etc, I know I am young but I smoked since teenage years quite heavily and only quit when I conceived.

It is far worse in the morning when waking it's unbearable. I feel like a walking blood vessel and I'm scared I'm going to have a stroke)/heart attack.

How do i get my GP to listen, they know I'm very anxious about this but I don't think they're taking me seriously how much it's affecting my life, if it were regular tinnitus I understand that a cause is difficult to find or treat, but this isn't regular tinnitus and I'm worried.

Any advice or similar experience welcome please

1 like, 4 replies

4 Replies

  • Posted

    I had a GP before that always dismissed me when i was concerned about something i knew for sure was right. You know your body more than they do. 

    Dont live with fear and anxiety 

    CHANGE YOUR GP NOW. 

    I had go change my GP to finally be able to get an MRI on my head. Sometimes their ego really gets to them. 

  • Posted

    I had this to , I went on anti depressants Zoloft 100mg and It improved the tinnitus and my brains reaction to it, and I had about four tones to my tinnitus including what u just described , about four months in I noticed my brain wouldn’t be looking for tinitus and I could go all day without looking for it only when I slept and that was only some nights , after I got off anti depressants the tinitus stayed improved and only would sometimes flare up when I was super stressed due to blood pressure xx hope this helps u xx 
  • Posted

    Hi Sam.  I presume your blood pressure is normal....correct?  You indicate that you have been seen by an ENT doctor...was this doctor a neurotologist (ENT with sub specialty in inner ear diseases)?  If not, you should see a neurotologist for evaluation.

    I occasional have pulsatile tinnitus.  I've found that taking Ativan 0.5mg two or three times/day calms the inner ear and greatly diminishes the tinnitus.  Did your ENT discuss this with you?  Ativan is a sedative that works particularly well in calming the inner ear and as an overall anxiety/stress reducer.  Often it is just the anxiety and stress that makes pulsatile tinnitus worse.  Give it a try....but also make appointment with a neurotologist asap....these guys are usually out a few months in giving appointments.

  • Posted

    Hi Samantha,

     Thank you for your honesty and telling your painful situations. Yes I have Pulsatile to. My pulsatile started year and half ago and I do not know how to this frustrating disease started. I have also so much stress in my life. I had very nasty divorced. But still don't know cause of Pulsatile 24 hrs. First I had MRI and MRA, they have not found any things. I checked by Audio department, but nothing they find and then ENT specialist lady doctor told me that this kind tinnitus problems have millions peoples , She can not do anything. I said, it is not tinnitus it is my every heart beat sound come into my ear, and it is pulsatile. But she didn't do any things. Then I went to see Neurologist, he checked and said this is belong to ENT, but he will order for my neck angiography. They find a little my neck artery blocked but he said that was nothing to do for Pulsatile. I am still talking to Neurology depts., but I feeling 100% like you that my head will blow up any time and have stroke. But do not give up , stay strong and think positive. Thousands people died every day with accidents or with guns or other reason; God is looking on every single person. If we die to who will care. Just pray to God and just stay careless about but happen in feature. You can massages or email me if you like to. Thank you and God bless you. Paul

     

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