Ringing in my left ear and short term hearing loss

By Rick
Posted May 19, 2008 at 7:55 pm · 5 replies
In Getting a diagnosis

Has anyone ever experienced ringing in the ear as a delayed afteraffect of Radiosurgery? Ringing in my ear developed a couple of weeks ago and I experienced hearing loss that lasted a couple of days or so. I am scheduled for an MRI this thursday and an audiolical exam with an appointment to see my neurosurgeon next tuesday. I'm hoping it's not a tumor pressing on my auditory nerve or an endolymphatic sac tumor. My last brain MRI was in February so my Neurosurgeon thinks it is not an elst. I have heard from others that ringing is sometimes an afteraffect of Radiosurgery. Anybody?

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By JennyBlue
Posted May 20, 2008 at 9:03 pm

First, I'd say try and relax. Radiosurgery is still surgery, and your body is going through the same shock, and re-calibration (if you will) as any other surgery. I have not had radiosurgery, but rather two open surgeries. After the first I experienced a ringing in my head everytime I stood up. It lasted about a week or so. After the second, I actually felt like I had hearing loss in one ear for about a month. The surgeries I had were on my lumber and thoracic spine, so no worries about brain tumors, (as I had numerous scans before the back surgery each time).
Your body is totally getting it's bearings, and as it is re-absorbing the tissues/fluids left by the treatment, it needs time to heal.
That being said, I'd call my doctor (I did both times), and he advised MRI's of my head, if it wasn't gone in four to six weeks post-op. Definitely follow up, for your own sanity, but take it easy, and try (as hard as you can) not to stress in the meantime... Good Luck!

By joyceg98
Posted May 22, 2008 at 12:00 pm

Great advice from JennyBlue

You might also ask your doctor whether he ordered an MRI "of the internal auditory canal" (IAC). A regular MRI of the brian would likely not pick up an ELST unless it was pretty large.

Best wishes,
Joyce

By Rick
Posted May 25, 2008 at 8:52 pm

Thanks Jenny,
I wasn't very clear on when my steriotactic radiosurgery was, it was three years ago but I was just curious if anyone has had a delayed affect. I hope your back surgeries went well. I have had three of those myself, one lumbar and two in my sacral canal. Last fall I had 7 tumors removed from my sacral canal leaving me with neuropathic pain and weak and unsteady legs but I can still use them! :-)
The best thing you can do for your back is to keep it in shape. Hope everything is well.

By Rick
Posted May 25, 2008 at 8:54 pm

Thanks Joyce,
I will definately be following up on your advice as I was unaware an ELST would not likely be picked up by a regular MRI of the brain.

By Rick
Posted June 17, 2008 at 6:57 pm

I have a tumor in my auditory canal. After several discussions with two different neurosergeons at different times and then both together (one does conventional surgery only and one does both conventional and steriotactic radiosurgery), and lots of research on both methods and the results, my wife and I have decided on radiosugery. My tumor is considered small so radiosurgery is still a good option.

This will be surgery # 16 so not having to deal with the whole after surgery experience was one of the factors (I have had medical difficulty in the hospital post surgery the last three times). Good chance I will lose hearing in that ear at some point (2 months to 3 years) but small chance of facial paralysis of that side, and then if there is, great chance it will be temporary.

My Neurosurgeons suspect it might be an acustic neuroma (schwanoma) but cannot tell if the tumor is a hemangiomablastoma or an acustic neuroma without tissue. I don't recall hearing of this being a known location associated with VHL, I am wondering if anyone has ever had a hemangioma in the auditory canal?

Rick

Ringing in my left ear and short term hearing loss

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