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Yet another weird symptom........

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Fibromyalgia
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Posted 10/21/2008 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
Hi all,
A couple years ago, I began hearing my heartbeat in my ear. No big deal, I thought. I'm 58, and everything else is falling apart, so what's new??
Well, its gotten pretty loud recently. I really hesitate ever going to the doc's, because I've learned that my body is just so danged sensitive to everything, that I get tons of expensive tests, and everything is always normal.
I finally saw an ear doc, and he said that pulsatile tinnitus is not from aging, and it could be from an artery laying on a bone and making the heartbeat loud in the ear.....or a tumor or vascular malformation. So I had a 2 and 1/2 hour MRI of my brain and neck, with and without contrast. I'm waiting to hear what the verdict is.
Anyone else ever experience this? Its very annoying. I've had "regular" tinnitus in my life, but this is different. But it still won't surprise me if everything is normal, and its just another weird thing I have to get used to.
Posted 10/22/2008 1:10 AM (GMT 0)
I get this, especially at night, when it's quiet and I'm trying to go to sleep. It sometimes sounds like a "rushing" version of a strong heartbeat. It drives me nuts!! I have no idea what causes it either, but keep us posted when you get the results back!
Posted 10/22/2008 2:29 AM (GMT 0)
I think that many of us can relate to what you describe. You are not alone in this. :) Let us know what the test results reveal.
Posted 10/22/2008 2:31 AM (GMT 0)
Me too!! At first it was very annoying and a bit frightening but after some reading it seems to be sort of common among those of us with fibro. If your tests come back normal then try to just let go of the worry. I use some sort of 'white noise' if it bothers me. At night I have a radio on very softly...always some peaceful type of background noise and then I don't hear it.

Good luck,
Chutz
Posted 10/22/2008 2:11 PM (GMT 0)
I have had that when my BP is too high. But obviously you girls have had your's checked.

 

luv and hugs

Marlee

Posted 10/22/2008 4:59 PM (GMT 0)
I get it alot too. Mostly when I am lying odwn trying to sleep, or if I'm straining to hear something. My head just starts to roar. Funny. Thought I was the only one. BTW, I don't ahve HBP, mine is usually quite low.
Posted 10/22/2008 6:05 PM (GMT 0)

I get this all the time.  It is annoying.  It's bad enough to have to put up with tinnitus, but then also to hear your own heart beating is realllllly annoying.  Mine is caused by a build up of fluid in my ears.  My doc had a simple remedy, I just apply some peroxide on a Q-tip, just at the opening of my ear and it draws out the excess fluid.  I have to do it about every other night after my shower.  My mother also had this problem, but her's was caused by excess build up of wax. Ick!

Posted 10/22/2008 6:19 PM (GMT 0)
Wow......sounds like its not as uncommon as I thought! I have so many funky symptoms like that. Sometimes, I do think part of fibromyalgia is having an incredibly heightened sensory system. I've learned over the years to not run to the doctor with all my weird symptoms, because everything is always "normal", after testing. Its really confusing to me when weird things happen.........so do I wait it out, or is it something that is serious? It drives me crazy, not being sure what to do. Especially when we have a $6,000 insurance deductible!
I understand why this ENT ordered all the tests. He just can't assume anything......since its a symptom of possibly something very serious. But gee........I'll bet all these tests cost close to $5,000.
What's interesting is that last summer I had an "incident" in the garden. I was working really hard, and became confused and then panicked. Unfortunately, my husband was out of town. My heart rate went up and my blood pressure too. Later, the doc diagnosed it as a panic attack.....which I'm not sure I agree with.......but my BP was up for the entire week after that, and during that time I didn't hear the heartbeat in my ear at all!

Have you all heard of "Normal Pressure Hydrocephalus"? I guess it has the symptoms of something like Alzheimers and Parkinsons. Anyhow.......the doc said if these tests were normal, he might have me see a neurologist to rule that condition out. See what happens when I go to the doc's for weird symptoms??? Sheesh! It gets very old.......going on all these wild goose chases!
The doc did say that people who are beginning to lose some of their hearing can develop pulsatile tinnitus, and the solution for many is to wear a hearing aid, so that normal sounds around you drown out the heartbeat. And also, like you said Chutz....it helps to have a little noise going on around you.
I have noticed a very slight decrease in my hearing. How about the rest of you?
Posted 10/22/2008 6:30 PM (GMT 0)
Actually, before I was diagnosed with FM, I got sent on a wild goose chase with a bunch of doctors for the severe dizziness I was having. I got sent to an ENT, a hearing doctor, a vision doctor, and a bunch of other doctors too. They signed me up for an MRI, and also gave me some exercises to do. They also checked my hearing and it turns out that it was fine, even though I swear that I have some hearing loss. The last thing they wanted to do was run a bunch of crazy tests to determine where the dizziness was coming from, since they had no idea! So don't think you're alone in this. I'm still dizzy, but at least I know that it's the FM and not anything else. I think everyone's right, FM causes some pretty weird symptoms that some doctors forget about or don't understand.
Posted 10/22/2008 8:56 PM (GMT 0)
I'm legally deaf and I do not hear my heart beat.  The only time I do is if my adrenalin is rushing for some reason.  But I do have a lot of tinnitus.  It's constant so I've learned to ignore it and I really don't notice it unless I think about it.  What a wonderful mind we all have!

 

Sherrine

Posted 10/25/2008 11:58 PM (GMT 0)
Hi everyone,
Well, I got the results back, and all my vessels are normal and I have no tumors in my brain or neck. YAY!!
I go back to see the doc in about 5 weeks, so we'll talk more about this heartbeat in my ear. It drives me crazy, but thank heavens its not because of something really bad.
I'll let you know if he gives me any hints about how to lessen it.
I honestly think that those of us with fibro feel/hear/see/sense everything way more than others do. Sometimes its a good thing........and alot of times it isn't!
Posted 10/26/2008 10:02 AM (GMT 0)
ive had this for years- but i have chronic ear/nose/throat infections, i am constantly rupturing my ear drums which is painful and uncomfortable. i tend to notice it more when i have a temperature, or after physical exertion.

Maz XX

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