Increasing Tinnitus in good ear

[mmjgg123]

I am between acoustic neuroma surgeries.  I have gone deaf from the first retrosigmoid surgery in July, with blaring tinnitus.  The other good ear has increasing ringing.  There is constant ringing, about half as loud as the deaf ear, at the same pitch, but get intermittent pitch changes and volume increases.  This isn't a good sign for my hearing ear, is it.....?

[Troutbc]

Hi!

I have posted this similar topic many times over the past few months, with hardly any responses! I had my large AN removed in April of this year, now SSD in the right ear, and about 3 months after surgery I started getting tinnitus in my good ear. MRI confirms no AN on the other side...and doctor said it could just be the brain still adjusting.

Does your tinnitus change? Or has it been a constant ringing? When mine first started it was a 2-3 second spurt of loud ringing once or twice a day. Then a month later that disappeared, and now all I have is every morning when I wake up it feels like my eardrum is vibrating. It goes away once I get out of bed. It's not pulsatile tinnitus because it isn't going along with my heartbeat. It is SO strange! I'm starting to wonder if it's all related to my hyperacusis...since I'm so sensitive to loud sounds now, maybe the good ear is just freaking out (non-medical term, obviously, haha!)

Anyone else experience tinnitus or sounds in the good ear??

[CHD63]

Hi mmjgg123 and Troutbc .....

Thought I had responded to this earlier, but maybe not.  (I am finally recovered from major hand surgery in July, which cramped my writing style drastically!)

I am SSD on the left from two AN surgeries, with major tinnitus (lots of clanking, triangle banging, ringing in multiple pitches) on the left.  About a year after the second surgery I became aware of tinnitus in my "good" ear.  Fortunately I have perfectly normal hearing in the right ear, but the tinnitus makes life difficult (as all tinnitus sufferers know all too well).  Until I had another follow-up MRI after discovering the new tinnitus, I was most uneasy.  However, all subsequent MRIs have been unremarkable on the right.

Not sure about the brain still adjusting part.  Some days I am relatively successful in ignoring the tinnitus (when I am extremely focused on other things and not drinking too much coffee).  Other days, I am very irritable because I cannot seem to shut it out.  My tinnitus changes a good bit over the course of a day (and night) from bursts of ringing to constant, etc.

Hope that helps.

Clarice

[Walter-AN]

I have a intracochlear schwannoma and I have about 10% (is that even worth mentioning?)hearing in my right ear. I was Diagnosed 1 year ago but have had ringing for several years and it is louder now than ever.  A high pitched ring (Like my 3rd grade teachers recess bell) it does not change pitch just volume.  I have noticed an even higher pitch in my good ear started about 4 months ago. This is not constant but is hanging around. Not sure what that's all about. I have had no surgery so it is not really a fair comparison. But it seems to want into my good ear.

On another note I would just like to thank Clarice for always going "above and beyond" to help all of us.  Thank you Clarice!

[mmjgg123]

Well, my left ear is completely deaf, but has really loud tinnitus.  High-pitched and constant.  The last few days I've been getting sudden what seems like electric bursts intermittently.  It startles me, since I'm just used to the constant blaring tone.  I have NF2,   but my right ear still has good hearing even though there's some tinnitus.  It's hard to tell because it's the same pitch as the right ear.  The only time i can really tell is if I'm laying my right (good ear) on  pillow and watching tv, so some of the background noise is muffled, allowing me to hear the right sided ringing.  I'm going to the Mayo next week for some appointments and will most likely proceed with my procedures there.  I've had surgery there before and the the whole organization is just amazing, and luckily only an hour and a half from home.  I'll have another audiogram, see a neurologist, neurosurgeon, ent, and a geneticist.  In the last few weeks, the tinnitus has become the least of my problems.  NF2 is my main concern, and losing all my hearing is a reality.  But I'm just looking forward to more information.  If it was up to me I'd have that thing plucked out after the new year!  Does anyone know how much say the patient has about when and how a procedure is carried out?  Like if they suggested wait and see, could I over-rule that and opt for a sooner surgery.  Sorry, that got off the tinnitus topicl

[ANGuy]

Well, my left ear is completely deaf, but has really loud tinnitus.  High-pitched and constant.  The last few days I've been getting sudden what seems like electric bursts intermittently.  It startles me, since I'm just used to the constant blaring tone.  I have NF2,   but my right ear still has good hearing even though there's some tinnitus.  It's hard to tell because it's the same pitch as the right ear.  The only time i can really tell is if I'm laying my right (good ear) on  pillow and watching tv, so some of the background noise is muffled, allowing me to hear the right sided ringing.  I'm going to the Mayo next week for some appointments and will most likely proceed with my procedures there.  I've had surgery there before and the the whole organization is just amazing, and luckily only an hour and a half from home.  I'll have another audiogram, see a neurologist, neurosurgeon, ent, and a geneticist.  In the last few weeks, the tinnitus has become the least of my problems.  NF2 is my main concern, and losing all my hearing is a reality.  But I'm just looking forward to more information.  If it was up to me I'd have that thing plucked out after the new year!  Does anyone know how much say the patient has about when and how a procedure is carried out?  Like if they suggested wait and see, could I over-rule that and opt for a sooner surgery.  Sorry, that got off the tinnitus topicl

You have complete and total say in what treatment you get.  If the Dr doesn't agree with you, he may choose to drop you as a patient, but he can't make you do something you don't agree with.

[THBKS]

troutbc talks about ear drum vibrating, I have the same sound sometimes.
I can even make certain sound outside good ear and it starts the sound.

also over the years I have or had several of the noises as others describe.
I'm lucky, most of the time my sounds come and go or
every day noises mask it.

might be a silly question but
what I'm wondering and Chd63 or mmjgg123 might be able to answer.
Tinnitus on deaf side? Is it like you can hear it outside or inside that ear?

the reason I ask I have SSD, left facial paralysis.
I do have feeling to the touch on that side,
I doubt this makes since but If I'm not having a headache or eye pain to draw my attention to that side.
my deaf side almost feels as if its not there at all. especially ear area. So hard for me to understand tinnitus on that side.

I'm lucky again because one side tinnitus is bad enough
I feel for any one with loud or both sides I cant imagine.

[CHD63]

Hi THBKS .....

Since tinnitus is a brain thing, some people perceive it and some do not.  You might do well to look at the American Tinnitus Association's web site for additional information.  See:  http://www.ata.org/understanding-facts

I never had tinnitus until after my first AN surgery and then at first only in my mostly deaf ear.  About a year after my second surgery I began to perceive it in my normal hearing ear, as well.  Much of the time (when I am busy with other things) I can ignore it.  When I think about it or things are quiet or the other extreme of when things are very loud (noisy restaurants, etc.), it becomes very noticeable.

Hope that helps.  Clarice

[THBKS]

clarice
yea I notice mine more if quite.
I do still have different degrees of it
but for the most part it's not as bad as it was a few years ago.

I'm sure you understand when I say all my problems change all the time.
good, bad this and that. I seem to go through phases.
but I definitely could be dealing with worse problems.

thanks for the info. and I will check that site out.

[Doc]

...isn’t it funny what the ‘deaf man’ hears -- meaning nose generated by the brain.

The good news, if you’re interested, is Tinnitus is very common in the general population. It’s not out there just seeking out ANer’s to punish.

[Nannybee]

I've never had tinnitus in my non AN ear, but have had occasional transient changes in the tinnitus in my AN ear. The constant ringing has never changed (except to get louder) but there have been a few times that there were buzzes added, usually after a long flight or exposure to loud noises.

I am NF2 also with a few meningiomas. Good luck!