Pulsing in ears ... pulsatile tinnitus?

[Dochaz]

Could this be one of the side effets of long term Pred ? Pulsing in ears but not always synchronised to heart beat. It happens now and again. Mainly in the evenings, but that could be just because it's a quieter time and so I am more conscious of it. Does anyone else have this?

[MrsNails]

I get Tinnitus from time to time but it’s always in my head rather than my ears.

I do have problems when l get out of the car when we’re on the motorway, a whooshing sound, then the sound of the hand dryers in the loo is 😣 awful!

[LucilleG]

I’m wondering if it might be more of a PMR thing than a Prednisone thing. I started out with a pounding in my head (like someone was hammering – sounded like it was coming from outside of my house), which turned into a pounding to the rhythm of my heartbeat. This was at the very beginning of my PMR symptoms. If it wasn’t for the pounding in my head, I never would have gone to see the doctor so soon - about a week or so after the start of the pounding (also had pains in neck and shoulders - not sure if I had pain in hips and groin yet). I thought it might be pulsating tinnitus but the GP said no and told me to go to a massage therapist and take Tylenol. The pounding did stop after a few weeks, but the pain in my neck, shoulders, upper arms, hips, and groin area got worse and worse. I was finally diagnosed with PMR 5 months later. Because of the original pounding, the GP started me at 40 mg just in case I also had GCA.

[Dochaz in reply to LucilleG]

I didn't get this until I started on Pred. Sometimes it's just a kind of muted hum, like a dishwasher behind a couple of closed doors.

[SheffieldJane in reply to Dochaz]

I experienced Pulsatile Tinnitus in the early days of taking Pred at higher doses. As my dose lowered it became occasional and then went away completely - thankfully.

[Sharitone in reply to SheffieldJane]

Same here!

[Broseley in reply to Sharitone]

Me too!

[PMRpro Ambassador]

Tinnitus CAN be a side effect of pred. Not necessarily long term - I don't have it now, like Lucille I had it with PMR and it went with pred.

[Flosy]

Yes I have this.i get it most morning,when I wake,but does go away.its not nice is it.

[Dochaz]

Many thanks for all your answers. It always helps to know we're not alone on this "adventure"!

[JoLou12]

I get it most days, it comes and goes, it’s weird and annoying and makes things sound a bit muffled for a moment but soon passes. I mentioned it to an ENT consultant earlier this year when I had a nasty ear infection but he wasn’t interested! It started when I got to 3mg, hope it doesn’t hang around too long!

[MiniSpec]

Yes, I have tinnitus and have had it since two days after starting on Prednisolone 13 years ago.

[JuneWalker]

I was diagnosed with GCA in April and started on 80 mgs of Prednisone. One of my many symptoms started with tinnitus and continues to the present time at 10 mgs. It drives me nuts at times. Hopefully it goes away when this journey ends.

[Whippetygirl]

Yes I too have this, had scan of the blood vessels in neck and brain with Iodine injection to rule out any major problems and thankfully everything was fine. Just tinnitus.

[Wallysma]

Hi. I have had it forever. It took a while to get use to it. I have some hearing loss from it but not enough to take any action. I sleep with a fan on to have white noise.(and help with night sweats). It does sound different sometimes....it has never been in sync with my heartbeat...I don't think....you've got me wondering on that...hmm. but when I wake up if I have had a bad night it gets louder and is more of a swoosh. With PMR and pred if I am feeling particularly shaky which is a lot of the time or when the dose is too low --it does the swoosh. I was told mine is most.likely from medication, I have been on so many over the years while I worked on treatments for my various and assorted autoimmune conditions.

I hope your's resolves. I've never seen any treatments except antidepressants. I wish there was something that actually did something to the noise.

Please take good care.....be well. 👂👂👂❣️

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Wallysma]

You can have hearing aids that use white noise - work all day, not just the fan at night...

healthyhearing.com/report/5...

healthline.com/health/heari...

[Wallysma in reply to PMRpro]

Thanks for the info. I will check.the info out and hold on to.it. I am.ok for now tho it's sure a crazy thing. Hearing aids are not paid for here and I need to build up my funds after the move. But it is good to know they were never offered to me. Thanks.

[PMRpro Ambassador in reply to Wallysma]

Not paid for here either - but tax deductible at least!

[Wallysma in reply to PMRpro]

You must be a good luck charm. I just got a letter from my insurance company and they have added SOME hearing services at a special rate and testing for free. That's a huge change. Kind of "woo-woo" that it happened today after your post to me. Well thanks! 😉

[VicSat]

Some times there is a pulse that coincides with my heart beat. The strange thing with my tinnitus is the sound of Passenger planes ovehead. These plane sounds contined during Covid when no planes were flying.