Typical Pre-treatment symptoms

[ppearl214]

Hey all... ok, got some "weird" things going on and not sure if most of them are typical....

Headaches
plugged ear (left AN)
when ear is plugged, can hear my heartbeat in my head
ringing/tinnitus
numbness on right side of face (go figure?  My NS couldn't figure that one....)
phones and loud noises are less tolerable now

I know some of what I list are noted as "typical/classic" AN symptoms, but what pre-treatment symptoms do/did you have?

[Bob M]

Hello, I have been recently diagnosed with a 1.7cm AN in my right ear. Waiting to see Dr. Roalnd at the end of this month.  The symptoms I have been experiencing are with my balance, not real serious, but I cannot walk a straight line if I had to.  I have mild headaches off and on, soreness in my neck at times, and the fullness in my ear.  I have not had tinnitus issues lately but occaionally I will have a dull ache in my inner ear.  Just in the waiting mode at this time until I can see the DR.

[ppearl214]

Thanks Bob for sharing this!  I really appreciate it... my balance is slightly off and have leg weakness, but I think that attributes more to my Chiari I Malformation than the AN (I think... hard to tell anymore which is causing what to me).

Please please keep us posted on your appt with Dr. Roland.  Keeping fingers crossed that the appt will go well.

Thanks again,
Phyllis

[Boppie]

My tumor was 2 cm and the only symptoms of significance were seasonal allergic rhinitis, tinnitis, and unilateral hearing loss.  The tumor was in the inner canal, extended into the brain space, and was touching the brain stem.  It sat on top of the facial nerve and damaged most of the hearing in that side.  Thus Translab surgery.  Due to my age I didn't want to wait.  From diagnosis to treatment I waited 10 weeks.  I read about many pre-treatment symptoms but I didn't experience the more subtle ones that people have like numbness, dizziness, headaches, etcetera.

Tinnitis is still there...and forever more.

[ppearl214]

Thanks Boppie for sharing that (and, btw, LOVE your sig line "Life is dear. Keep a positive outlook." )

Tinnitus is starting to take on its own life with me... but darn it, I'd wish it would play a song I knew... instead of a monotone hum/ring.   

[matti]

Hi Phyl - I had all that you listed. I am a migrane sufferer, had them then, still have them now. I only had occasional tinnitus before surgery, but since my hearing nerve was cut, it is 24/7. It increases in pitch, when the noise around me increases. It is a constant buzzing/ringing (somebody answer that damn phone, lol) and sometimes I get a whooshing sound. There were times when I would get a stabbing pain in my ear, that would literally stop me in my tracks. It would last about a minute and probably hit me once or twice a week. For me the weirdest part was the facial numbness, I remember flossing one day and I could not feel the gums on my AN side and it always felt like something was tickling my cheek. When I was FINALLY diagnosed, I had surgery 7 days later.

Take care,
matti

[Yorkiemom]

While mine is quite small (5x4mm) I feel like my symptoms are quite alot compared to some of the stories I have read on here where the AN was quite large, but few signs of it.  I have a constant ringing in the ear, sometimes varying in intensity.  The ear always feels stopped up.  I have occasional weird pains (fleeting, but weird) in that ear.  I also have what I call crickets chirping.  Just occasionally.  I have not heard anyone say they have that sound.  It is the only way I can describe it.  Anyone else have that?  No balance issues, thank God.  Well that is enough of a list for quite a little #$&@! thing.

Yorkiemom

[Yorkiemom]

While mine is quite small (5x4mm) I feel like my symptoms are quite alot compared to some of the stories I have read on here where the AN was quite large, but few signs of it.  I have a constant ringing in the ear, sometimes varying in intensity.  The ear always feels stopped up.  I have occasional weird pains (fleeting, but weird) in that ear.  I also have what I call crickets chirping.  Just occasionally.  I have not heard anyone say they have that sound.  It is the only way I can describe it.  Anyone else have that?  No balance issues, thank God.  Well that is enough of a list for quite a little #$&@! thing.

Yorkiemom

[lthompson]

Bob - I currently see Dr. Roland of NYU Medical Center.  I think he is great and extremely informative.  I am curious to see what you think of him after your appointment.  Getting back to the original question, I am a current wait and watcher.  I was diagnosed in March of 2004 with a 5mm to 6mm AN.  My last MRI in September showed a current growth of 2mm, but it was done on the new 3.0 Tesla machine and the previous MRI was a 1.5 Tesla machine so there was some discussion if there was actual growth or not, so instead of waiting my usual year I am having another MRI at 6 mos which is at the end of the month.  If it shows growth, I will probably have radiation treatment with Gamma Knife at NYU.  My current hearing is at 100%, just had my hearing test last week.  Slight tinnitus in that ear, but nothing major.  My initial symptoms were fullness and pressure in that ear and a hearing disturbance that came on very suddently, I was put on prednisdone the next day and a few days later symptoms were gone and hearing was back 100% again.  That has actually happened to me 3 times over the 2 year period so far.  I can hear my heart beat in my head when my head is tilted back all the time, I am not sure if that is an actual symptom though.  Balance is slightly off, but nothing major. I can't look down at the ground, makes me really dizzy, so I just avoid having to do that and I am fine, now that I am aware that it causes me a problem.   I have had major vision problems, however, due to this AN.  I have had strabismus since age 3 and it has gotten increasingly worse since the AN diagnosis and I have recently been to a neuroptomologist and he has told me that the AN is definitely making the strabismus worse.  I think the vision problem is probably my biggest complaint so far.  Also if I rub my shoulder or anywhere actually on the left side of my body I hear a weird sound in my affected ear.  I know that is related to my AN since if I do the same thing on my right side I don't hear any weird sounds in the right ear.  I have asked my doctors about this and they are stumped.  I think you will find with ANs everyone has some odd symptoms, some typical of an AN and some not so typical.  I hope this helps.

[ppearl214]

not only did your post help, but I can certainly relate to much that you note here.... thank you for sharing this!  MOST helpful and insighful.

Phyllis

Bob - I currently see Dr. Roland of NYU Medical Center.  I think he is great and extremely informative.  I am curious to see what you think of him after your appointment.  Getting back to the original question, I am a current wait and watcher.  I was diagnosed in March of 2004 with a 5mm to 6mm AN.  My last MRI in September showed a current growth of 2mm, but it was done on the new 3.0 Tesla machine and the previous MRI was a 1.5 Tesla machine so there was some discussion if there was actual growth or not, so instead of waiting my usual year I am having another MRI at 6 mos which is at the end of the month.  If it shows growth, I will probably have radiation treatment with Gamma Knife at NYU.  My current hearing is at 100%, just had my hearing test last week.  Slight tinnitus in that ear, but nothing major.  My initial symptoms were fullness and pressure in that ear and a hearing disturbance that came on very suddently, I was put on prednisdone the next day and a few days later symptoms were gone and hearing was back 100% again.  That has actually happened to me 3 times over the 2 year period so far.  I can hear my heart beat in my head when my head is tilted back all the time, I am not sure if that is an actual symptom though.  Balance is slightly off, but nothing major. I can't look down at the ground, makes me really dizzy, so I just avoid having to do that and I am fine, now that I am aware that it causes me a problem.   I have had major vision problems, however, due to this AN.  I have had strabismus since age 3 and it has gotten increasingly worse since the AN diagnosis and I have recently been to a neuroptomologist and he has told me that the AN is definitely making the strabismus worse.  I think the vision problem is probably my biggest complaint so far.  Also if I rub my shoulder or anywhere actually on the left side of my body I hear a weird sound in my affected ear.  I know that is related to my AN since if I do the same thing on my right side I don't hear any weird sounds in the right ear.  I have asked my doctors about this and they are stumped.  I think you will find with ANs everyone has some odd symptoms, some typical of an AN and some not so typical.  I hope this helps.