Excellent news! Watch and wait appears to make a lot of sense for you.

Ellen

Hi it comes and goes - and it mainly occurs during the night (I guess blood flow/pressure). However most days I will get the odd twinge in ear, behind eye, deep in head, in neck...all that side. MRI every year shows no change and there appears to be no reason (I have had the trigeminal and facial nerve looked at when I get the MRI and no signs of impingement). It feels like a stabbing pain.

Hi, glad you decided to stop by again. It’s always good to see familiar names resurface, even if it’s just for a quick check-in. I know exactly what you mean about remembering people by their usernames and stories more than their real names — so many helped me too in ways they probably don’t even realize.

The FB groups have definitely gotten more active, but I still find value in this forum, especially because the old posts are like a living archive of everyone’s journeys. I hope you’re doing well since your 2017 diagnosis — it’s encouraging to see people come back years later and still be connected.

Hello everyone!

I was more active on this site years ago ... when Phyl was moderator...20 years ago had 1 cm rt AN removed via retrosigmoid at UMass Med Ctr, Worc MA. After a few years MRI showed continuing growth--15 years ago had Stereotactic Radiation at MGH ...and 3 year MRIs have showed tumor stable.  Have had tinnitus since AN diagnosed but t was more background noise. In April had my second Moderna booster and next day my head exploded with noise...most I hadn't experienced before...thumping, chirping, buzzing, electric shocks sounds, pinging, etc...so terribly loud for 3 wks could hardly sleep. Did lots of research...and called MGH--my doc, Dr Loeffler moved to FL last March ...office said it was not lkely the noise was from my AN. I got a new neurologist in Worc but she didn't see need for an MRI on my brain at this time. I will see a new Neurosurgeon for consult to ask about my tinnitus. The tinnitus has lessened now after 7 months ... but is still loud as it spikes at times.

Has anyone had exacerbated tinnitus after Covid shots? I have been in communication with Infectious disease expert who does not have an AN but did develop terrible tinnitus after Covid shot.  He is suggesting waiting for FDA approval of Novavax booster as the shot is made with sub unit protein and is not an mRNA vaccine.

Regards and best wishes to all AN survivors!

Grammy Mary

Mary, thank you for sharing your detailed history — you’ve clearly been through a lot over the years with both surgery and radiosurgery, and I’m glad to hear the AN has remained stable on follow-up imaging.

What you describe about the tinnitus worsening after the Moderna booster has been reported anecdotally by others, though the data is still very limited. Most large studies haven’t shown a consistent signal linking mRNA vaccines with new or worsening tinnitus, but individual cases like yours do get documented. It’s possible that immune or inflammatory responses triggered a temporary change in the auditory pathways, which could explain the sudden intensity you experienced. The fact that the symptoms have improved over several months is somewhat reassuring, even if they’re still bothersome.

Your plan to see a new neurosurgeon is sensible — not because the vaccine necessarily caused tumor regrowth, but to rule out any structural or pressure-related changes that could be contributing. An updated MRI would at least give peace of mind. As for future boosters, Novavax may be worth discussing with your physicians given its different mechanism, but I’d suggest making that decision together with your neurosurgeon or an otolaryngologist who has experience with tinnitus in AN patients.

You’re certainly not alone in this, and I hope others here who’ve had similar experiences after vaccination can share how things progressed for them.