Internal Body Tremors and Tinnitus

MJ, you can learn more about how to navigate Mayo Clinic Connect here: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/get-started-on-connect/

Hi,
I've had tinnitus since I was about 17. It's been getting louder in the past few weeks. I didn't connect it to the vibrations which I have now.They go from barely noticeable to 'have hardly any hand control' and I notice that them bottom lip will vibrate a bit. With the sports minerals I go to sleep w/o vibrations but have them in the AM.. You mentioned Neurotin. Monday I asked my Dr if she had anything that's not Ambien (messed with my mind - won't take it). She said no. Now I'll ask her about it specifically. Is it a mind-altering drug?
Thanks for the info.
Marko82

I have the exact same symptoms and it took months for me to figure out it was my body making those vibrations and not something outside me. They were faint at first and mostly noticeable when they woke me up at night. Being so still and quiet made them noticeable. I thought it was machinery vibrations because it was so consistent and regular. I got a new refrigerator, had both HVAC systems serviced and extensively tested, new service duct. I even had the underground piers in my foundation checked thinking they were transferring vibrations from the overpass beyond the bay where I live.

Nope. It's inside and it wasn't until they got stronger that I realized it. I now have them all the time though I can ignore them if I'm physically busy with other things. Haven't slept through a full night in months. As a military retiree (Navy Officer), I have Tricare and honestly, they don't even assign us a doctor. I'm pretty sure it's just good financial policy for them to let us die as quickly as possible so we don't collect our pensions. (only sort of kidding there)

Basically, I'll get better care if I go in there with more information and can simply tell them what they need to do in terms of testing and consults. Has anyone on this thread figured out what they have?

Hello @christyb1111, Welcome to Connect. @marko82 and others have mentioned internal tremors and tinnitus and may have some thoughts on what you are experiencing. You may also be interested in viewing the following discussions while you wait for other members to share their experiences with you.

Tinnitis: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/tinnitis/
Constant tinnitus: Are there any solutions?: https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/constant-tinnitis/

Have you considered seeking help from a teaching hospital or major health facility like Mayo Clinic?

Your post struck a chord with me because I have been having these internal vibrations for about eight weeks now and tinnitus as well. I began to notice a low level humming sound in my ears. At first I thought it was something outside of me. I live in a multi-occupancy house and there are five apartments. I wondered if one of my neighbours had installed something that caused these vibrations and sounds. The people living above and below me said they could not hear anything and hadn't experienced any vibrations.

I thought it may have been my refrigerator causing the problem, but the sound was not quite the same. Coming home one night I noticed this same humming as I walked up the road to the house. I had just come back from visiting a friend in London. I was passing by a building owned by the water company and thought it was coming from there. I wrote to the council about it. I then contacted my landlord's agent to see if they had any ideas.

It was only when I heard the humming while I was at a friend's house that I began to realise it was coming from inside me and that my tinnitus had returned after about thirty years. I also experienced these vibrations when I was sitting down outside on a park bench. I can only feel them in my backside then, instead of in my abdomen where I mostly feel them. They are not so bad at night time now, but still bother me in the early hours of the morning while I am in bed and about to wake up. I am assuming there is a connection between the vibrations and the tinnitus, since they both started at the same time, but I am not certain.

I saw a doctor, arranged through my local NHS surgery practice, but she was very dismissive about it and put it down to anxiety or stress. I don't believe that because there is nothing I can pinpoint in my life that I feel anxious about! Since retiring last year I have been feeling pretty relaxed. Her advice was to listen to relaxing music and have more hot baths!

I havn't had a good night's sleep since this started. Three mornings during the week I keep busy by doing voluntary work alongside others so I don't notice the tinnitus. I live in the UK.

Hello @stephen333, Welcome to Connect. Hopefully @christyb1111 will see your reply and you will be able to connect and share experiences. I can't begin to imagine how difficult it is to deal with this condition and not being able to find something that provides relief. Even though I've read that there is no cure, I'm sure others have found ways to reduce or find some relief for their symptoms. Here are a couple of sites with more information that you both might find helpful.

-- Treatment Options | American Tinnitus Association: https://www.ata.org/managing-your-tinnitus/treatment-options
-- 11 Tinnitus Remedies: How to Get Rid of Tinnitus - Healthline: https://www.healthline.com/health/tinnitus-remedies

You mentioned when you are busy doing volunteer work, you don't notice the tinnitus. Do you notice it at other times when you are occupied doing different tasks or is it mostly when you are resting or sleeping?

Thanks for the links John. I will have a look at them. I mostly notice the tinnitus when I'm resting or sleeping. If I'm around people I don't notice it at all. I'm aware of it the most when it's quiet and I'm relaxing at home. It seems to vary in loudness and there are occasions when I can barely hear it. I wish I knew what triggered it. I'm staying away from stimulants like tea and coffee that contain caffeine, because they are believed to make it worse, and although I don't normally drink alcohol I noticed it seemed quite bad after drinking gin! I'm not drinking any at the moment. I had both humming and whining noises in my ears many years ago when I was doing shift work, but these went away after a while. It was very disturbing while it lasted though. I'm hoping what I'm experiencing at the moment will pass, but I don't know how long it will take. Hopefully it's not here to stay!

This all sounds very much like what I’m experiencing since my a-fib episode last February. A trip to the ER to get diagnosed for that, which also discovered I had breast cancer. But first of all, I was given metoprolol for blood pressure medication and soon after taking it, I got tinnitus. Other symptoms were shortness of breath and couldn’t take deep breathes easily, pain across my rib cage, a sudden heating sensation in abdomen and head. I also have what feels like turmoil going on in my stomach and brain fog. But this all could also be due to the two chemotherapy treatments I had, except for the tinnitus. I got neuropathy in my feet and hands due to the chemotherapy. I also feel shaky in my legs and hands. I went to gastroenterologist and, thoracic surgeon for testing, but nothing was found to be wrong in those fields. I was told to go back to ask my oncologist about what is happening to me. He doesn’t really seem to know what could be going on in my abdomen, but does know the chemotherapy caused the neuropathy and should go away sometime; he just told me it could take up to two years. About my tinnitus and brain fog, he didn’t offer an opinion on either. Through this group, is how I came across article on neurotoxicity brought on by chemotherapy. The preferred medication for this is Duloxetine. When I brought this information up to him, he didn’t admit that the chemotherapy could have done this damage to me, but went ahead and prescribed the Duloxetine. This appointment was recent, so I haven’t gotten the prescription yet. The information on this states; should not take with certain other drugs; one of which I’m taking; oxycodone for pain after having breast surgery. So I guess I won’t be starting on the Duloxetine just yet. It states that it’s used to treat depression and anxiety. It is also used for pain caused by nerve damage associated with diabetes peripheral neuropathy. So my concern is if it will even help relieve symptoms in my abdomen and head also, besides the neuropathy in my feet and hands.

Did the Mayo Clinic group happen to prescribe to you; Dulloxetine? My oncologist just prescribed this to me, but I haven’t started taking it yet. I ended up with neuropathy in hands and feet because of chemotherapy treatments. I also have discomfort in my abdomen and head, which I’m assuming is the chemo brain fog as they call it. My oncologist really didn’t give me a definite reason as to why I’m experiencing these uncomfortable symptoms. They seem to have been been lessening up before I had my final breast surgery, but that seems to have set things back a bit. I’m waiting on a call from oncology nurse, so I can ask some questions about the Duloxetine. The information given to me by my oncologist on it is a print out from the Mayo Clinic. It states that it shouldn’t be taken with these pain pills; oxycodone or hydrocodone; which I’m now taking after my breast surgery. I’m wondering if anyone can tell me what this Duloxetine medication relieves or helps relieve. I just have the numbness in my feet mainly and some in my hands. There isn’t pain in them. Mostly, I’m concerned with the symptoms in my abdomen and head.

I see you posted a new discussion about Duloxetine and got some answers here:
- What was your experience with duloxetine (US Brand Name; Cymbalta)? https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/duloxetine-us-brand-name-cymbalta/